fjm: (Default)
fjm ([personal profile] fjm) wrote2013-04-12 08:38 am

How to budget a conference.

I've just received a conference proposal that is utterly reliant on grants to break even. As this is not the first I've seen recently, I post below a quick guide to how to cost your conference.



Add up:
Cost of travel and accommodation for speakers
cost of food and drink etc*
cost of room hire
cost of equipment hire
cost of printing/paper/pens


Divide by the number of people you expect to attend.


That figure is the base figure that you are going to charge *students*. For the "Regular" rate, you add on, how much is up to you.

This ensures your conference breaks even,** with a little to spare for extras.

You then go looking for financial support. If you get it, you can offer student bursaries.


*this can be just tea and coffee, or you might need to provide other meals if you are isolated. Cost a banquet separately as there are many reasons people might not want to go.
** my first conference made a loss because I'd set the standard rate at cost + £20, and then given a student discount of £20. The problem was that more than 50% of attendees were students.
deakat: (Default)

[personal profile] deakat 2013-04-13 03:57 pm (UTC)(link)
This looks very useful for planning SF or other types of gatherings, too. Thank you for sharing it!