Don’t be too cheap, patrons will waste it and not come to the event.

Start by covering your expenses(dinner, beverage, mailings, hall rental, services, decorations) calculate to per person cost.

Your per person ticket cost should be about the same as good restaurant meal your are offering, somewhere in the $20 – $50 range. Don’t discount your tickets, but gift them if you need too get someone there and present a higher value to volunteers.  Only discount on volume purchases, such as table sales.

Consider this:

    200 people * $20 each = $4,000

    180 people * $30 each = $5400 with 20 free guest

Raise the price

Change something else at the same time:

   Improve the location, the meal, enlist new entertainment – raise the price.

   If too many people want to attend, raise the price, rather than taking on larger facilities and management expenses.