How to Estimate and Price a 1-Day Workshop

Step-by-Step Guide

Pricing a 1-day workshop can be challenging, especially when you’re trying to strike a balance between covering costs, ensuring profitability, and providing value to your audience. Whether you're a seasoned facilitator or organizing your first workshop, getting your pricing strategy right is crucial to attracting participants while maintaining financial viability.

In this guide, I will walk you through the key steps to accurately estimate costs, assess your market, and set a price that reflects the value you bring. From calculating venue and material expenses to considering participant expectations and competitive pricing, you’ll learn actionable strategies to ensure your workshop is both impactful and financially rewarding.

Ready to dive in and craft a pricing plan that works for you? Let’s get started!

1. Sales and Workshop Proposal: 8 Hours

When you get an inbound lead or potential customer, this is the break down of the average time you will be spending closing the deal.

• Initial e-mail and / or telephone communication back and forth with the potential customer: 1 hour

• Initial meeting with the potential customer to gather the specs of the workshop: 2 hours

• Writing the proposal and workshop design: 3 hours

• Presenting and adjusting the proposal with the potential customer: 2 hours

Workshop Proposal

2. Pre Workshop: 10 Hours*

Once the deal is closed, it is time to get hands on planning and nailing all the details you need to run a successful workshop.

• Further workshop design detailing exercises, agenda, session principles, ice breakers and energizers, rom design, materials, food, guidelines, etc: 2 hours

• Visit the workshop venue to give them the spec you need (tables, seating, wall space, whiteboards, flippover chars, refreshments, projector…) and make sure everything will be as you request: 2 hours

• Crafting and sending a workshop invitation: 1 hour

• Creating a PowerPoint presentation: 2 hours

• Logistics (printing out documents, getting material, etc): 1 hour

• Presenting and adjusting the final plan with the customer for the final approval: 2 hours

* In this example, there is no need of some insight work, like interviewing all / some of the participants, gathering and summarizing data, running surveys or questionaries.

* In this example, the customer has already chosen and paid for the venue.

If you need to do some of those, estimate the time to be spent and the cost of the venue accordingly.

Workshop Kit

Workshop Design

3. Workshop: 10 Hours

The big day has arrived and you are eager and ready to facilitate a 1-day workshop: a full work day - 8 hours.

• Prep, rom setup and making sure everything works and is ready for when the participants come: 1 hour before the workshop starts

• 1-day workshop: 8 hours

• Take pictures, record things that need documenting and clean up the room after the workshop: 1 hour

Rom Setup

Prep

Workshop

4. After Workshop: 6 Hours*

Now is time to summarize the process and outcome of the workshop, and give the customer some advice and guidance on what and when to do next.

• Summarize the workshop and create a delivery report: 4 hours

• Presenting the report to the customer for the final hand out: 2 hours

* In this example, it was a PowerPoint presentation mainly showing all the relevant pictures taken from the walls covering the workshop exercises.

If you need to do more elaborate and detailed reporting, estimate the time to be spent accordingly.

Total Time Spent for a 1-Day Workshop: 34 Hours

1. Sales and Workshop Proposal: 8 Hours

2. Pre Workshop: 10 Hours

3. Workshop: 10 Hours

4. After Workshop: 6 Hours

Summary

Estimating and pricing a 1-day workshop requires a careful blend of strategy, research, and understanding your audience's expectations.

By following the steps outlined—estimating costs, evaluating market demand, and ensuring your pricing reflects the value you deliver—you can set a price that supports your goals and resonates with your participants.

Remember, the right price isn’t just about numbers; it’s about creating a win-win scenario where your attendees gain meaningful knowledge and experiences, and you achieve financial success.

With thoughtful planning, your workshop will not only be a valuable learning experience but also a sustainable venture.