After reading several interesting posts on various websites and myself receiving occasional comments and e-mails on the subject of the price of entry to various events. I thought it might be a good idea to post a topic on the subject so as to see what people think about the cost of attending such Special events especially Salsa events.
The following I hope will better inform all, about the cost/risk of putting on an event and the potential to make a profit from it - If you’ve ever said to yourself “the cost of such and such event is a bit pricey” this will help you understand the costs of hosting an event and consequently the risk involved in doing so. It may also be of use for anyone who may wish to start a new venture and may not have any experience in these matters consequently it could save them from any delusions about just how expensive hosting such an event can be!
Costs naturally differ from venue to venue but as a guide the following are the average costs that we have encountered at SalsaMania - Some promoters might wince at my revealing these to you and they’ll probably be the ones who make outrageous profits. But most of the promoters in the “Salsa World” will I’m sure, agree with the figures and my publishing them as they may help people to better understand the prices they are often asked to pay!
1. Venue Hire - can range from nothing to £1000.00 for one evening depending on location, availability and length of hire / finishing time. A regular contract to hire a venue will also bring the cost down. A good quality hotel function room for example will cost around £300 although when the venue management can charge £2000 - £5000 to hire a room for a wedding party including décor and food - availability can be an issue.
2. Promotional costs - if designed and printed at home costs will be negligible however, if done professionally expect to pay £100.00 - £125.00 for 5000 Flyers £60.00 for 60 - 100 Posters and significantly more for Large Posters, Event Magazine Ads and Radio Announcements.
3. Top Level Instructors - will ask a minimum of £100.00 to around £400.00 for competition winners (an average would be £250.00 + travelling expenses) Local instructors will be significantly less especially if resident or on a regular basis.
4. Top Level Show - will generally cost between £200.00 and £500.00 depending on who and how many performers again... competition winners / former ‘world champions’ will be more expensive.
5. Top Djs - expect to pay £100.00 - £200.00 for any Salsa Dj worth their salt.
Me... I’ll work for a cheese cob and a pint of worthies.
6. Food - can be an expensive addition to any event - simple food such as nibbles can easily add £3.00 per person to the ticket price and a full three-course meal much more.
7. Portable Dance Floor Hire - depending on size can add from £100.00 (bargain basement) to £1000.00
8. Professional Lighting - and I’m not talking about a couple of twisters on a stand, but controlled lighting can cost upwards from £100.00 - £200 would be an average.
9. Professional Sound System - A quality stand-alone system will cost around £200.00 for one evening in an average sized venue. This normally wouldn’t include Dj equipment, which would cost extra depending on requirements. You can add another £150.00 for an on site sound engineer and possibly more if microphones etc are a requirement.
10. Decoration - will add cost to an event but it is naturally difficult to give any figures with this one.
11. Staff (1) - There will normally be someone collecting money or tickets on the door! Some will work for free (family, colleagues or friends) but most will expect to be paid and remember these people can be responsible for large sums of money and so will expect to be paid accordingly - for example at SalsaMania we pay around £60.00 per night. We have a policy that if someone works they get paid... assistants for example are never asked to work for nothing!
12. Staff (2) - Some venues will charge for the staff they provide... Doorman and Bar Staff can be charged to the event at around £40.00 to £50.00 per person, although this is rare.
After all the outlay you have to hope people will turn up and support you - the more payers that come the better and naturally there will be some people on the guest list and also some discounted payers.
So all-in-all hosting a Salsa Party / Event is not something to venture into for the squeamish, there are significant risks in doing so and even if things go well you won’t usually make an amazing profit and sometimes you’re as likely to make a loss (you’re unlikely to become a wealthy person from Salsa) After saying that there is a reward from creating something that has the potential to make many people happy as well as make a living for yourself.
Take a look around you when you attend an event and check to see what you are actually getting for the price of entry... I won’t make any comparisons here to what we charge as opposed to others - I’ll leave you to judge whether you receive value for money when attending various events; but at least you may now be better informed and consequently better able to do the maths and make a fair judgement.
Any thoughts regarding pricing structure especially in relation to how much is charged at other mainstream events as a comparison?
