Description
Most first-time producers underestimate costs by 30% or more. The producer who builds the budget on best-case sell-through and straight-time drayage rates discovers the problem in the post-show reconciliation when the checks have already cleared. This engagement builds the complete show financial model from scratch: four primary revenue streams (exhibit space at blended per-square-foot rates × sell-through projection, sponsorship at 5??10% of space sales Year 1, registration at projected attendance × average paid fee, ancillary), seven cost categories (venue including hidden service costs, GSC, marketing, staffing, technology, insurance, and a mandatory 10??15% contingency reserve), break-even exhibitor count calculation, cash-flow model with month-by-month projection, and three scenario versions (best case, expected case, worst case). The worst-case model answers the question every producer must face before signing a venue contract: can this show survive a 20% revenue shortfall without becoming insolvent?