Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Payback period
0.34
Events needed to break even
10.1
Net profit per event
$345
Annual profit (net of depreciation)
$9,650
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How to use this
- 1Enter equipment cost ($).
- 2Enter price charged per event ($).
- 3Enter setup/strike labor cost per event ($).
- 4Enter consumables/batteries per event ($).
- 5Enter events booked per year.
- 6Enter useful life (years).
- 7Read your payback period on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Lighting packages (uplighting kits, string light runs, monogram/gobo projectors) are one of the highest-margin add-ons in event production because the same fixtures redeploy for dozens of events with low incremental cost. This calculator computes payback period on the fixture investment and ongoing profit per event after labor for setup/strike and bulb/consumable cost, so you can see how quickly a lighting package investment turns profitable.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Equipment cost: 3500 $
- Price charged per event: 450 $
- Setup/strike labor cost per event: 90 $
- Consumables/batteries per event: 15 $
- Events booked per year: 30
- Useful life: 5 years
Results
- Payback period: 0.34
- Events needed to break even: 10.1
- Net profit per event: $345
- Annual profit (net of depreciation): $9,650
What each field means
Inputs
- Equipment cost ($)
- The equipment cost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 3500 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Price charged per event ($)
- The price charged per event used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 450 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Setup/strike labor cost per event ($)
- The setup/strike labor cost per event used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 90 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Consumables/batteries per event ($)
- The consumables/batteries per event used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 15 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Events booked per year
- The events booked per year used in the calculation. Starts at 30 so you have a working example on load.
- Useful life (years)
- The useful life used in the calculation, measured in years. Starts at 5 years so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–15 years.
Results
- Payback period
- Returned as a decimal number and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Events needed to break even
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Net profit per event
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Annual profit (net of depreciation)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why is lighting one of the highest-margin add-ons?
LED uplights and string lights are durable, reusable hundreds of times, require minimal per-event consumables (mostly battery packs or minor cabling), and the setup skill is easy to train, so the marginal cost of the 50th event using the same fixtures is far lower than the marginal cost of the 1st.
How many uplights does a typical venue need?
A rule of thumb is one uplight per 8-10 linear feet of wall space being highlighted, so a mid-size reception room often needs 12-24 fixtures. More isn't always better — overuse can wash out a room's natural architecture.
What kills the ROI on a lighting package?
Low booking volume relative to fixture count is the main risk — buying 40 uplights for a business only booking 10 events a year ties up capital in equipment sitting in a warehouse most of the year. Match purchase volume to your realistic, not aspirational, booking pace.
Should setup labor be charged as a separate line item to clients?
Some vendors bundle it into the flat package price (as modeled here), while high-volume operators itemize setup/strike labor separately since it scales with room complexity — a simple string-light run takes far less labor than 30 uplights requiring individual placement and color programming.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Event Lighting Package ROI Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/event-lighting-roi-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/event-lighting-roi-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Event Lighting Package ROI Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Event Lighting Package ROI Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/event-lighting-roi-calculator) (2026).