Quotes in Event Technology: Price Tech, Crew & Travel the Right Way

No job in the events industry is like the last one: the rig changes with every venue and headcount, your crew works Saturday night into the early hours of Sunday, and the drive to a hall in the next state eats hours nobody remembered to price in. Yet many event technology businesses still write their quotes by gut feel — and wonder why so little is left at the end of the year.

The problem is rarely the price. It is the calculation behind it. This guide shows you how to price equipment, crew and travel so your quotes stay competitive while you actually make money.

Pricing equipment: Using day vs. weekly rates the right way

Your rental list is the foundation of every quote. The most important rule: one equipment day is rarely just one calendar day. If you load in on Friday, run the show on Saturday and strike on Sunday, that is three days of stand time — and your quote has to reflect it.

Day rate: What is really in it?

A day rate for a PA system, lighting rig or LED wall must cover far more than the rental itself. Factor in depreciation and wear, maintenance and inspection (DGUV V3 in Germany), post-event cleaning, transport risk and storage. If you build your day rate from "purchase price divided by 100 gigs" alone, you are funding the second season out of your own pocket.

Weekly rate: The underestimated revenue driver

For multi-day events (festivals, conferences, multi-day corporate parties), use the weekly rate — typically 3–4 day rates for 7 rental days. It is more attractive to the client than seven single days and more predictable for you, because the equipment is blocked for a full week. Important: the weekly rate starts on the load-in day, not on show day.

Block periods and binding times, defined cleanly

If the rig sits on stage for days before the event (other productions, rehearsals), charge a blocking fee or half-days. And remember: your technicians' transport and setup time does not belong in the rental price — it belongs in the crew line item (more on that below).

Pricing the crew: Setup, show, teardown — and the night in between

In most event technology companies, crew is the biggest cost block — and the most frequently under-calculated one. The classic mistake: only billing the show hours.

Think in three separate phases

• Setup: Unload, rig, cable, tune (align the line array, program the lights). Budget realistically: one technician per trailer load plus setup time on site.
• Show: Mixing, lighting operation, client handling. This is pure event time — plus doors and soundcheck beforehand.
• Teardown: Consistently underestimated, usually in the middle of the night. With a small crew, the strike takes nearly as long as the setup. Budget realistic man-hours, not "it will go quickly".

Building the technician's hourly rate correctly

Your internal hourly rate (not the one you bill) is made up of wages plus employer contributions (roughly 25–30% on top), equipment, vehicles and utilization. Plan with a realistic utilization of 60–70% — your technicians are not on site every single day. The article calculating an hourly rate shows the systematic approach — the logic applies to technicians exactly as it does to tradespeople.

Night, Sunday and public holiday surcharges

Events live on weekends. If your crew strikes until 4 a.m. on a Sunday, you need surcharges or you are working at your own expense. A markup of 25–50% on the hourly rate for night, Sunday and holiday work is standard — and on New Year's Eve, often more. Show surcharges as a separate line item so the client understands what they are paying for.

Travel costs and distance allowances: Drive time is work time

This is where most quotes go too low: the journey. Three components belong in your calculation, cleanly separated and complete:

1. Drive time = working time: Hours your technicians spend driving to the venue are hours they cannot work anywhere else. Bill drive time at the full technician hourly rate — 120 km quickly adds up to 2 hours each way.
2. Mileage: Truck and trailer at 0.30–0.50 EUR net per km — for both vehicles if crew and gear travel separately.
3. Vehicle flat fee: Trailer or truck rental (or depreciation) per day of operation, plus tolls and parking at the venue where applicable.

Beyond roughly 100 km of travel, a flat travel fee (e.g. 150–250 EUR) is often easier to communicate than an itemized list — simpler for both sides to plan. Define in the quote from which distance the flat fee applies.

Last-minute bookings and weekend surcharges

"Can you send us a quote for the day after tomorrow?" — In the events business, last-minute bookings are bookings out of necessity, and those clients accept surcharges. You just have to ask for them.

Express surcharge for short notice

Bookings with less than 5 business days of lead time require special dispatching: reshuffling technicians, checking equipment overlaps, maybe sourcing backup gear. An express surcharge of 15–25% on the total is market-standard and justified. State it openly instead of hiding it in the hourly rate.

Weekend and holiday rates

If your equipment works on a weekend, it cannot be rented out in parallel — and your crew costs surcharges. That is why weekend day rates for equipment are standard (a factor of 1.2–1.5 on the daily rate), and public holidays and New Year's Eve command more. Agencies know this and budget for it — private clients need it explained before they sign.

Using backup equipment and options cleverly

A good event technology quote is rarely a fixed price without room to maneuver — it is a menu. You recommend what the client needs and show them what would make it better.

• Recommended base package: The configuration that safely covers the event — not the smallest possible one.
• Backup technology as an option: Redundancy (backup console, spare speakers, second wireless path) as a selectable line item. For corporate parties and weddings, "technology that is guaranteed to run" is a sellable argument — many bookers happily pay 10–15% more for peace of mind.
• Upgrade tiers: Basic / Comfort / Premium (more lighting, haze, video wall instead of a projector). The middle option gets chosen most often — position it accordingly.

If you want to offer several variants per quote, use variant bundles instead of writing three separate quotes — the client compares directly and decides faster.

Business vs. private: withdrawal rights, deposits and order confirmations

In event technology you work with both customer types — and that changes the rules considerably. Note that even for English-language contracts with DACH clients, German law typically applies, including § 650c BGB on cost estimates and § 312g BGB on withdrawal rights.

Business customers (agencies, companies, associations)

Here, everything runs through quote and order confirmation. Pay attention to: net payment terms (14–30 days), liability clauses for third-party equipment ("we accept no warranty for gear we do not supply"), and clear cancellation rules. Many agencies book on tight cash flow — plan a 50% deposit for new clients.

Private customers (weddings, private parties)

For consumers, the statutory withdrawal right applies: if the contract is concluded outside your business premises (phone, email, site visit), your client can withdraw within 14 days under § 312g BGB — and without a correct cancellation policy, up to 12 months later. Include the policy in the quote. Practical tip: agree on a deposit of 30–50% at booking — if the client withdraws legitimately after you have blocked staff and equipment, you should be able to retain it.

Coordinating project times: Keeping the calculation and reality in sync

The best calculation is useless if it collapses on site: the teardown runs long because one technician has to leave for another event, or nobody scheduled drive time for the Friday load-in. This is exactly where the hidden losses happen.

So plan your gigs like projects: every event with load-in, show and teardown windows, crew assignments and drive times in a system. With Planbook by SalesHookAI you see at a glance who is deployed where and when — and whether the technician you calculated for Saturday night is already booked somewhere else on Sunday morning. The hours actually logged flow back through time tracking into your post-calculation: you see per event whether your calculated hours held up, and adjust the next quote accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How high should weekend and night surcharges be in event technology?

A markup of 25–50% on regular crew hourly rates is common for Saturday, Sunday and night work, and up to 100% on public holidays and New Year's Eve. Important: list the surcharge as a separate, transparent line item in the quote and communicate it upfront — do not hide it inside the flat rate.

Do I need a cancellation policy (Widerrufsbelehrung) for private customers?

Yes. If you contract with a private individual outside your business premises (via email, phone or on-site visit), German law grants a 14-day right of withdrawal under § 312g BGB — without a correct cancellation policy, up to 12 months. The withdrawal right does not apply to business customers. Agree on a deposit of 30–50% at booking.

How do I correctly bill travel costs for crew and equipment?

Use three components: (1) travel time counts as working time and is billed at the technician's hourly rate, (2) mileage for truck and trailer at 0.30–0.50 EUR net per km, (3) a vehicle/trailer flat fee per day of operation. Beyond roughly 100 km, a flat travel fee is often easier to communicate than itemizing.