Event planning Retainer Delivery Hours Available
Available hours = (retainer × (1 − margin) − other delivery costs) / hourly cost
Gather production schedules, vendor quotes and editing logs. Include coordination hours, vendors, and travel. The starting figures are examples. Replace them with your own records.
Formula and worked example
Available hours = (retainer × (1 − margin) − other delivery costs) / hourly cost
| Input | Example |
|---|---|
| Monthly retainer fee | 3,000 |
| Non-labour monthly delivery cost | 300 |
| Target contribution margin | 40 % |
| Loaded delivery hourly cost | 45 |
| Calculated result | 33.3333 hours per month |
Choose reliable inputs
Include preparation, delivery and post-production rather than shoot or event time alone. For this event planning calculation, use production schedules, vendor quotes and editing logs and a consistent definition of one event.
- Coordination hours: include the portion belonging to this event or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
- Vendors: include the portion belonging to this event or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
- Travel: include the portion belonging to this event or reporting period, and record where the value came from.
Use the same currency for every money input. Do not mix weekly costs with monthly revenue, or count the same expense in both an itemised cost and allocated overhead.
How many hours can a retainer support?
A negative answer means other costs already exceed the chosen cost envelope. Fixed overhead is not included unless entered.
What if this input changes?
If monthly retainer fee rises by 10%, this example changes by 4 hours per month. This shows the effect of one change; it does not predict what will happen.
Open the calculator, save your baseline, then change the input supported by the least reliable estimate in your records. Compare both scenarios before committing to a price or capacity promise.