LAN event budget calculator
List what a live event costs and what it earns, and see the result before you book the venue: total cost, net result, break-even entries, the entry fee you would need, cost per attendee and how much your contingency reserve changes the answer.
Budget and break-even
- Shortfall
- −$1,152
- Total cost
- $10,263
- Revenue after fees
- $9,111
- Break-even entries
- 35
- Entry fee for break-even
- $249.49
- Cost per attendee
- $38.01
- Cost per entry
- $427.63
- Prize pool vs entry fees
- 42%
At 24 entries the event loses $1,152. To close the gap you need $1,152 more from sponsors or other income, or 35 paying entries at this fee, or an entry fee of $249.49 at 24 entries.
| Category | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Venue | $1,900 | 20% |
| Hardware and network | $1,000 | 11% |
| Staff | $960 | 10% |
| Prize pool | $2,000 | 21% |
| Streaming and production | $1,000 | 11% |
| Catering (players) | $1,920 | 21% |
| Insurance and permits | $250 | 3% |
| Marketing and other | $300 | 3% |
| Subtotal | $9,330 | |
| Contingency (10%) | $933 | |
| Total cost | $10,263 |
| Source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Entry fees (24 × $200) | $4,800 |
| Tickets (150 × $10) | $1,500 |
| Sponsors | $3,000 |
| Other income | $0 |
| Payment fees (3% of entries and tickets) | −$189 |
| Revenue after fees | $9,111 |
| Contingency | Total cost | Result | Break-even entries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | $9,330 | −$219 | 26 |
| 5% | $9,796.50 | −$685.50 | 31 |
| 10% | $10,263 | −$1,152 | 35 |
| 15% | $10,729.50 | −$1,618.50 | 40 |
| 20% | $11,196 | −$2,085 | 46 |
| 25% | $11,662.50 | −$2,551.50 | 52 |
| Turnout vs your estimate | Total cost | Revenue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50% (12 entries) | $9,207 | $6,783 | −$2,424 |
| 75% (18 entries) | $9,735 | $7,947 | −$1,788 |
| 100% (24 entries) | $10,263 | $9,111 | −$1,152 |
| 125% (30 entries) | $10,791 | $10,275 | −$516 |
| 150% (36 entries) | $11,319 | $11,439 | $120 |
Costs that depend on turnout (catering, payment fees and the contingency on them) move with the number of entries; everything else is treated as fixed. Spectator numbers and sponsor income are held constant in the turnout table. The currency is only a label: nothing is converted.
What goes into a LAN budget
An online tournament costs a prize pool and some admin time. A LAN adds a building, hardware and people for the whole time it is open, and almost all of that money is spent before the first ticket is sold. The calculator groups costs into eight lines so nothing is left out by accident:
- Venue: hire per day, plus one-off extras such as power distribution, network drops, deposits and cleaning.
- Hardware and network: rented stations (PCs and monitors) per day, plus switches, cabling, Wi-Fi, peripherals, chairs and spares. Set stations to 0 if players bring their own PCs.
- Staff: admins, referees, technicians and paid helpers at a day rate.
- Prize pool: the total you will pay out.
- Streaming and production: cameras, encoder, overlays and casters.
- Catering: per player per day, since players stay all day and spectators usually buy their own food.
- Insurance and permits and marketing and other: the lines that are easy to forget until an invoice arrives.
On the revenue side the tool counts entry fees, ticket sales, sponsors and other income, then subtracts payment fees on entries and tickets. Contingency is a percentage on top of all costs, so it also covers the costs you did not think of.
A worked example, with the default numbers
A two-day event, 24 five-player teams, 150 spectators at 10 each, a 200 entry fee per team, 3,000 of signed sponsorship, players bringing their own PCs, and a 10% contingency reserve. Costs before contingency are 9,330: venue 1,900, hardware and network 1,000, staff 960, prize pool 2,000, production 1,000, catering 1,920 (120 players × 8 × 2 days), insurance 250 and marketing 300. A 10% contingency adds 933, so the total cost is10,263. Revenue is 4,800 from entries plus 1,500 from tickets plus 3,000 from sponsors, minus 189 in payment fees at 3%: 9,111. The event loses 1,152.
That is a typical outcome for a first event, and it is exactly what a budget is for. The break-even panel shows three ways out: 35 paying teams at the same fee, an entry fee of 249.49 with the 24 teams you have, or 1,152 more from sponsors.
How break-even is calculated
Each extra entry brings its fee (minus payment fees) and costs you catering for its players (plus the contingency on that). In the example a 200 fee brings 194 after 3% fees, and five players eating 8 a day for two days costs 80, or 88 with contingency. The contribution per entry is 106. Divide the current shortfall by it, 1,152 ÷ 106 = 10.9, round up to 11 and add the 24 you already have to reach 35. The calculator does this exactly, cent by cent, and then checks the neighbouring numbers so the answer is the smallest number of entries that really breaks even. If the contribution is zero or negative, no number of entries helps, and the tool says so rather than showing a huge number.
What the sensitivity tables tell you
The contingency table re-runs the whole budget at 0% to 25%. In the example the reserve moves break-even from 26 entries with no cushion to 35 with 10% and 52 with 25%, a good reminder that a cushion is not free: it is money you must earn before you are profitable. The turnout table shows what happens at half to one and a half times your expected entries, holding spectators and sponsors constant. If the 75% row is a deep loss, you are relying on a full house, and that is the moment to lower fixed costs or find a second sponsor before you book.
Using the numbers well
Fixed costs (venue, prize pool, production) decide whether the event can work at all; per-entry costs (catering) decide how much each extra team helps. Cut the fixed costs first, because they are the ones turnout cannot fix. Count only the sponsorship you have in writing, and treat ticket sales as upside until you have sold some. Compare the entry fee for break-even with what similar events in your scene charge: if it is far above them, the budget, not the players, needs to change. When the numbers work, keep a copy of them with your sponsor and venue agreements so the event can be reviewed afterwards against what really happened.
Frequently asked questions
What costs do first-time LAN organizers forget?
The usual list: power distribution (a hall may not have enough circuits for fifty gaming PCs), an internet uplink good enough to stream and to run anti-cheat and game clients, deposits and cleaning fees, insurance and permits, staff meals and breaks, transport and storage of equipment, and payment fees on ticket sales. Put them in “venue extras”, “insurance” and “marketing and other”, and keep the contingency reserve on top for what you still missed.
How big should the contingency reserve be?
A first event in a new venue deserves more than a repeat event in a place you know. Ten percent is a common starting point for a repeat event, and many organizers raise it when the venue, the hardware supplier or the format is new. The sensitivity table shows what each step costs you in break-even entries, so you can decide with numbers instead of a feeling.
Should the prize pool be a fixed amount or a share of entry fees?
A fixed amount is a promise you make before you know turnout, which is why it belongs in the cost side of this budget. A share of entry fees moves with turnout and can never put you into a loss on its own, but it is less attractive when players compare events. The calculator shows the prize pool as a percentage of entry fees so you can see how much of the entry money goes back to players. The prize pool calculator covers payout splits and guarantees.
How do I estimate spectator numbers?
Conservatively. Spectators are the least predictable line in the budget, so many organizers plan the event to break even without them and treat ticket sales as upside. Setting spectators to 0 shows you exactly that case.
Why does break-even count entries and not attendees?
Entries are the number you control: you decide the fee and the cap, and each entry brings a fixed number of players who eat and need a seat. Spectators and sponsors are held constant, so the break-even figure answers one question: how many paying entries do I need if the rest goes as planned.
What does “not reachable” mean for break-even?
Each extra entry costs you more than it pays. That happens when the entry fee is lower than the catering for the players it brings (plus payment fees and the contingency on them). More entries then make the loss bigger. Raise the fee, cut per-player costs, or cover the difference with sponsors.
Can I use a currency other than dollars?
Yes, choose it from the list. It only changes the symbol: nothing is converted, so enter every amount in that one currency.
Is a LAN event with cash prizes and paid entry legal everywhere?
No. Paid-entry contests with cash prizes are regulated differently around the world, and age limits, permits, taxes on winnings and consumer rules vary. This page does arithmetic, not legal or tax advice; check what applies where you host before you sell entries.