How to organise a paid philosophical salon

Someone sees your event and thinks, "I'd love an evening where people actually talk about something." Then they hesitate. Will they need to know the philosophers? Will one person talk all night? And what exactly are they paying for when they could have a conversation with friends?

Those are the questions you need to answer before you hire a beautiful room. To organise a paid philosophical salon, choose a question people can explore without specialist knowledge, book a facilitator who can develop the discussion, and limit attendance to the experience you can deliver. Charge for the preparation, hosting and conditions that make a worthwhile conversation possible. Be specific about what those conditions are.

You don't need to promise that everyone will agree or leave with a new philosophy of life. You do need to provide a clear subject, a way into it, attentive facilitation and a comfortable way to participate. If your business depends on ticket revenue, the price also needs to pay for the work before and after the doors open.

We'll use a fictional evening built around "What makes a promise worth keeping?" to work through the offer, the discussion and the money. The example is a planning exercise, with invented costs in USD. You can replace its question and figures with your own without changing the decisions you need to make.

Decide what kind of conversation you're selling

A philosophical salon brings people together to examine a question through reasons, examples and considered disagreement. For the format in this guide, participants help develop the discussion. The facilitator prepares and guides it, but doesn't spend most of the evening presenting their own answer.

That distinction should be obvious on the event page. A buyer expecting an accessible talk may be uncomfortable when invited into a discussion circle. Someone looking forward to exchanging ideas may feel shortchanged by a lecture followed by a few audience questions. Both formats can be worth paying for. Choose the one you intend to deliver.

You can give a short introduction without turning the salon into a course. You might explain a necessary distinction or offer an example that gets everyone thinking. The test is whether the introduction helps participants examine the question themselves. If the main attraction is learning a particular thinker's work from an expert, describe that teaching directly.

Our guide to a paid specialist symposium covers a programme built around expert contributions and evidence. A salon has a different centre of attention. The discussion among participants is the main activity, and prior professional expertise needn't be an entry requirement.

Decide whether the question is announced beforehand or selected by the group. Either can support philosophical enquiry, but they make different purchases. For a first paid salon, I'd announce a focused question. That gives a stranger a reason to book and lets the facilitator prepare properly. You can leave room for participants to refine its meaning without replacing the advertised subject.

Keep the audience specific without making it exclusive. "Adults curious about everyday ethical questions, with no philosophy study required" is understandable. "A gathering of exceptional minds" says little about the evening and may make a perfectly suitable buyer wonder whether they'll belong. Describe the participation you welcome instead of ranking the people who attend.

Choose a question with somewhere to go

Start with a question people can recognise in ordinary life. Our example asks what makes a promise worth keeping. Someone can enter that discussion through a cancelled plan, a commitment at work or a story they invent. They don't have to name a philosophical school before having something useful to say.

Then test whether the question has more than an obvious first answer. "Should people keep promises?" may produce quick agreement. Asking what makes a promise worth keeping opens further distinctions. Does the other person's reliance matter? What if keeping it causes harm? Does an easy promise create the same obligation as a difficult one?

You aren't trying to construct an argument that traps people. You want enough substance for the group to revise its first reactions. A good discussion might move from "You should always keep your word" to an examination of coercion, changed circumstances and competing commitments. It can do that without settling a universal rule.

Prepare a short, original scenario. Imagine that Alex promises to help a friend move, then receives an invitation to an interview for a job they badly need. The friend has already arranged the move around Alex's help. Ask what Alex owes the friend now. Keep the facts clear so participants can examine the obligation rather than spend the whole session guessing missing details.

Next, change one condition. Suppose Alex can arrange a reliable replacement. Does that fulfil the promise or compensate for breaking it? Suppose the friend never relied on the offer. Has the obligation changed? These variations let the group inspect its reasoning. They aren't a quiz with an answer the facilitator is waiting to reveal.

Try the question with people who resemble your intended audience. Ask what they think it means, which examples occur to them and what makes it difficult. If everyone needs an extensive explanation before starting, simplify the wording. If the conversation repeatedly becomes a discussion of employment law, change the scenario or clarify the philosophical question.

Avoid choosing a topic solely because it sounds provocative in an advert. People are buying an evening with strangers. A subject involving grief, violence or identity needs an appropriately prepared facilitator, clear advance information and suitable support arrangements. For a pilot, choose something your team can handle responsibly without relying on personal disclosure to make it interesting.

Give buyers a reason to choose the paid evening

Free philosophical discussion already exists. The Philosophy Foundation describes community philosophy events with partners and local groups, including public discussions. That doesn't tell you what your audience will pay. It does give you a sensible starting question. What does your particular evening provide that someone values enough to book?

The answer might be a genuinely limited group size, a prepared facilitator, a quiet private room and a clear beginning and finish. It might include original prompts and a concise follow-up note. Those details need to be real. Calling an informal gathering a salon doesn't by itself create a paid offer.

Make the facilitator's contribution understandable. Explain how they'll introduce the question, invite different contributions and help the group examine its assumptions. A biography can support that promise, but a list of qualifications doesn't show what happens when a participant struggles to explain a point or someone dominates.

For our example, the offer could be an adult discussion evening on promises, open to newcomers, with no required reading. It includes prepared scenarios, guided participation, a break, refreshments and a short written note afterwards. People can pass when invited to speak. The event page names the facilitator and explains their relevant experience accurately.

Be equally clear about the limits. The ticket doesn't include individual counselling, a qualification or an ongoing discussion group. The facilitator won't give personal legal advice about a broken contract. Those aren't small-print surprises. They help buyers decide whether the salon is the experience they're looking for.

If the idea depends on a book, decide how much reading is necessary before describing the evening as open to anyone. A short optional resource is different from a discussion that only works after finishing a text. Our paid book club guide covers the reading, availability and inclusion decisions when a particular book is the main subject.

Test the actual offer with an indicative price and date. Ask prospective buyers which part interests them, what would make them hesitate and whether they'd choose this evening over their other options. Warm comments about philosophy are useful conversation starters. A booking at the stated price is stronger evidence for the commercial plan.

Book a facilitator who can help other people think

You need someone who can follow an argument while paying attention to the room. That's a demanding job. Being knowledgeable, sociable or confident speaking publicly doesn't automatically mean someone can help a group examine a question together.

Ask a prospective facilitator to walk you through your scenario. What would they ask after someone says a promise must always be kept? How would they respond if another participant immediately lists philosophers? Listen for questions that clarify the participants' reasoning, rather than an opportunity to demonstrate everything the facilitator knows.

Philosophy in Pubs publishes practical guidance on philosophical enquiry that emphasises clarification, reasons, focus and collaboration. It also discusses the difficulty of facilitating while contributing extensively yourself. The useful lesson for this booking is to assess how the person guides other people's thinking, alongside what they know about the subject.

Pay the facilitator for a short rehearsal with volunteer participants who understand its purpose. Give the facilitator the opening scenario and allow an ordinary discussion to develop. Afterwards, ask the volunteers whether they understood the question, could follow the contributions and felt able to disagree. Don't use the exercise to manufacture testimonials for an event they haven't attended.

Agree the full scope and fee. Include question development, meetings, rehearsal, preparation of accessible prompts, delivery, debrief and any promised follow-up. If the person needs additional preparation after the rehearsal, decide who pays before going on sale. A small audience doesn't make that work disappear.

Give a producer responsibility for the door, venue contact and participant concerns. In our example, that person stays available throughout the event. The facilitator shouldn't need to abandon a difficult exchange because a late arrival can't find the entrance. Depending on the actual event, you may need additional people or specialist support. Assess that separately.

Discuss replacement arrangements too. If the named facilitator cannot attend, can another person deliver the advertised experience with the prepared materials? Who tells buyers, and what options apply? Don't assume a famous guest and an unknown substitute are interchangeable just because both can talk about philosophy.

Set the group size around the discussion

Start with the participation promise, then choose a workable number with the facilitator. A smaller group can allow more attention, but the useful size depends on the subject, room, duration, access arrangements and method. There isn't a universal salon attendance limit that makes those decisions for you.

For the fictional event, suppose rehearsal supports a cap of 16 participants in one circle. We reserve two of those places without charge, leaving 14 paid places. The facilitator and producer are additional occupants. That makes 18 people before any venue workers, companions or other support people whose presence must also be assessed.

The cap is a planning choice for this example, not a safety determination or staffing recommendation. Confirm permitted occupancy, exits, furniture and routes with the venue and relevant advisers. A room advertised for 30 doesn't automatically support the circle, access arrangements and working space you need for this event.

Try the actual seating arrangement. Can participants hear the person opposite without leaning forward? Can the facilitator see who's trying to contribute? Can someone enter or leave without the whole group moving? A room that looks cosy in a photograph may be unusable once the kitchen or neighbouring event starts.

In Great Britain, HSE's venue and site design guidance addresses suitability for the intended audience and activity, and clear allocation of responsibilities where control is shared. Use the requirements and professional advice applicable in your location. Confirm who handles venue operations and emergencies rather than treating the room hire as an answer to every responsibility.

Keep non-paying places in both the attendance plan and the costs. Someone invited for feedback still participates and uses supplies. A companion or support worker may have a different role and different requirements, which you should discuss. Don't automatically treat every additional person as either a saleable place or someone outside the occupancy count.

If demand exceeds the cap, investigate another date before adding chairs. An extra sale is attractive when the room is nearly full, but it can change the experience everyone bought. Two circles would also require a delivery plan, suitable space and appropriate facilitation. Price those changes before promising the same evening to more people.

Make participation possible before the evening starts

A discussion can exclude people even when the building has a usable entrance. Someone may need written prompts in advance, more processing time, hearing support or a way to contribute without speaking. Find out what the event requires before assuming that a conversational format is automatically accessible.

W3C's accessible events checklist recommends planning accessible facilities and materials, asking about requirements and making communication usable for different participants. For your salon, that means checking the complete experience, including booking information, the question, the room and how contributions are shared.

Publish concrete access information. Describe the entrance route, toilets, seating, lighting and known noise conditions you've checked. Give a contact for requests and explain when someone will respond. Our event accessibility information guide helps you turn those checks into useful information before purchase.

Provide the opening scenario in a readable format, and let people know whether they need to prepare. In our example, no reading is required. Sending the question early helps people decide whether the subject suits them, but the facilitator still explains it in the room. Nobody should lose the opening because they missed an email.

Agree how written contributions will work. The producer might pass a note to the facilitator, who reads the point aloud without adding an interpretation. Confirm this process with the participant. Don't promise an anonymous channel if handwriting, personal details or the way you introduce the note could identify them.

Ask people to speak one at a time and explain unfamiliar terms. If the facilitator writes a distinction on a board, they should say it aloud and provide an accessible way to obtain it. Side conversations can make the main exchange difficult to follow, even when everyone means well. Include that in the welcome.

Budget the support needed for the people and format you intend to serve. The fictional costs later in this guide aren't an allowance for every possible requirement. If a confirmed arrangement changes costs, staffing, layout or capacity, revise the plan before relying on its break-even figure.

Prepare prompts without scripting the conclusion

The facilitator needs a route into the subject and several ways to develop it. They don't need a speech containing the conclusion everyone should reach. Prepare the differences the group might examine, then let participants' reasons determine which deserve more attention.

For the promise evening, begin with the moving-day scenario. Ask what Alex has committed to doing and why the friend might reasonably expect it. Let participants describe the obligation before introducing terminology. If someone uses "duty," ask what they mean in this situation rather than assuming everyone shares the definition.

A useful follow-up asks what would change their view. If a participant says Alex must help regardless, introduce the reliable replacement. If they say the job interview settles the matter, ask whether the friend should bear every resulting cost. You're helping the group test a claim against a changed condition.

Suppose one participant says the replacement solves the problem because the friend still gets help. Another says Alex promised to be there personally. The facilitator can ask whether they disagree about what Alex promised, or about whether an equivalent outcome is enough. That gives the group something precise to examine. They might discover they were imagining different promises, then agree on the wording before continuing. The facilitator hasn't chosen a winner. They've helped people understand why their answers differ, which is much more useful than taking a quick vote and moving on.

Prepare a different example in case the first one creates an irrelevant obstacle. A person might argue that no interviewer would refuse to reschedule. You can clarify the fictional assumption, then move to a simpler case if the group remains stuck. Don't spend the evening defending the realism of an example that has stopped helping.

Keep factual questions separate from philosophical ones. If someone makes a claim about what contract law requires, the facilitator can acknowledge that it needs checking and return to the ethical question. They shouldn't invent a legal answer to preserve momentum. A factual correction can inform the discussion later without becoming an impromptu advice service.

Give the facilitator a short working sheet with the advertised question, opening scenario, possible distinctions and closing prompts. Include practical reminders about access, breaks and the producer's role. Keep additional research available separately. Searching through a long essay while participants wait makes the preparation less useful.

During rehearsal, check whether your prompts lead to reasons or just more opinions. "Who agrees?" can establish a starting position. "What makes that different from the earlier example?" asks people to examine it. You need both room for immediate reactions and a way to develop the discussion beyond them.

Build an evening that leaves time to think

Let's give the fictional salon a two-hour public programme, running from 19:00 to 21:00. Arrival happens before that, from 18:45, and the sales page distinguishes the door time from the discussion start. Venue hire and staff fees must cover setup, arrival and clear-down as well as the public programme.

The proposed running order is a rehearsal starting point. Adjust it with your facilitator and participants rather than treating it as a standard for every salon.

• 19:00 to 19:10. Welcome, participation arrangements and the central question.

• 19:10 to 19:20. Opening scenario, quiet reflection and clarification.

• 19:20 to 19:50. First discussion, examining what a promise commits someone to doing.

• 19:50 to 20:00. Break.

• 20:00 to 20:35. Second discussion, testing changed circumstances and alternatives.

• 20:35 to 20:50. Compare the distinctions the group has developed.

• 20:50 to 21:00. Optional final reflections and a clear finish.

Those blocks total 120 minutes. They include thinking, summaries and transitions. Don't describe them as two uninterrupted hours of debate. Participants need time to understand a contribution before responding, and the facilitator may need to pause when people are using the same word differently.

For the opening, ask for a name and explain how to take a turn. Avoid a long introduction from every participant about their education or philosophical interests. People shouldn't have to establish intellectual credentials before joining the advertised beginner-friendly discussion. Let them contribute through the question itself.

Use the break to check practical problems. The producer can quietly ask whether someone needs help hearing, finding facilities or raising a concern. The facilitator can consider which distinction deserves attention next. They don't need to add a new activity simply because the first discussion went somewhere unexpected.

Close by identifying what became clearer and what remains disputed. For example, the group might distinguish fulfilling a promise from compensating someone for failing to fulfil it. Record that difference without declaring that everyone agrees on its importance. A philosophical discussion can make progress while leaving a question open.

Finish when advertised. If optional conversation can continue elsewhere in the venue, explain that arrangement separately and confirm who remains responsible. Someone catching a train should be able to leave at 21:00 having received the complete paid programme.

Prepare for disagreement and uneven participation

Tell people how disagreement will work before the first difficult exchange. Ask participants to address the idea, explain their reasons and avoid personal attacks. They can question an argument without requiring the person who made it to defend their identity, background or private experiences.

Make passing an ordinary option. A participant can listen carefully and still benefit from the evening. Invite contributions without announcing that someone has been silent or asking why they won't speak. If the event promises opportunities to participate, you must provide them; you don't need to compel everyone to use them.

When someone speaks at length, intervene early enough to protect the group. The facilitator might say, "I'd like to pause there so we can examine the distinction you just made." They can then ask for another interpretation. The point is to develop the argument and make participation possible, without publicly humiliating the speaker.

If someone cites a thinker, ask them to explain the relevant idea in their own words. A reference can help, but the room shouldn't need to recognise the name to understand the contribution. Likewise, a newcomer doesn't have to apologise for using an everyday example. What matters is whether others can follow the reasoning.

For a personal or discriminatory attack, the response needs to address the behaviour. Restate the boundary, stop the exchange and involve the producer as appropriate. Agree an escalation process and any removal arrangements with the venue beforehand. Don't improvise a public vote on whether someone deserves respectful treatment.

Separate an uncomfortable disagreement from an incident requiring action. Someone may dislike having their reasoning questioned while others may be experiencing harassment. The facilitator and producer need enough preparation to respond to the actual situation. Published conduct rules are only useful if someone can apply them.

Don't require autobiographical examples. A discussion of promises could touch on family conflict or painful relationships, but nobody needs to reveal those experiences. Remind the room that invented scenarios are available. Avoid advertising therapy, emotional healing or a guaranteed sense of safety when you're providing facilitated philosophical discussion.

Decide what people can share afterwards

Make recording and attribution arrangements before taking bookings. Our pilot has no audio or video recording of the discussion. The follow-up note describes the question, examples and distinctions without naming participants or repeating their personal stories. Tell the facilitator and producer how those notes will be prepared.

You may consider the Chatham House Rule, but understand what it means before using its name. It permits people to use information received while withholding participants' identities and affiliations. It doesn't mean everything discussed is secret. Chatham House's current explanation excludes recording and AI notetakers from Rule meetings, and leaves responses to breaches at independently organised events to their organisers.

For an ordinary salon, a short description of your own sharing arrangements may be easier to understand. Explain whether attendees may repeat general ideas, whether personal stories must stay unattributed and whether photography is allowed at any point. Don't combine a claim of confidential discussion with a surprise camera recording the room.

Be candid about what you can control. You can set expectations, stop your own team recording and respond to a reported breach. You can't guarantee that every attendee will keep every confidence. If the proposed question depends on revealing highly sensitive information, rethink the format instead of making an absolute privacy promise.

Ask separately before using a participant's name, image or words in marketing. A ticket purchase doesn't provide a ready-made testimonial. If you request feedback for internal improvement, don't quietly turn a detailed private response into public promotional copy.

Limit what you collect while preparing. You need enough information to administer the booking and agreed arrangements. You don't need a questionnaire about everyone's relationships or beliefs to discuss promises. Give the facilitator useful practical information without circulating private booking messages more widely than necessary.

Check the numbers while you can still change the plan

Here's the fictional budget in USD. These are invented planning assumptions, not market rates or a recommendation for your ticket price. The room has already been checked for our proposed format. Its hire includes the agreed access period, furniture, ordinary facilities and cleaning. Replace every figure with a quote for your event.

Fixed costs are $160 for the room, $220 for facilitator preparation and delivery, $100 for producer preparation and delivery, $60 for original materials and follow-up writing, $40 for promotion and $20 for agreed equipment. That totals $600. The facilitator and producer fees include the paid rehearsal, preparation, event work and debrief they've agreed to provide. The first date pays for all the initial development included here. We aren't assigning unpaid preparation to a future series.

Assume you retain $55 per paid place after ticket-related taxes, ticketing and payment deductions. This is retained income, not necessarily the price the buyer sees. Refreshments and individual supplies cost $5 for every participant, including the two non-paying participants. Assume all booked participants attend. Supplier taxes are included in the stated costs. There is no sponsorship, other income or refund cost in this base example.

Each paid participant leaves $50 after their $5 supplies. The two non-paying participants add $10, so paid places must cover $610. You need 13 paid bookings to cover the listed costs, because 12 contribute only $600. Income tax, borrowing costs and any business overhead outside this budget would need separate treatment.

At 10 paid places, retained income is $550 and total costs are $660, leaving a $110 loss. At 12 paid places, income is $660 and costs are $670, leaving a $10 loss. At 13 paid places, income is $715 and costs are $675, leaving $40. Selling all 14 paid places produces $770 against $680 of costs, leaving $90.

That's a narrow margin for a full room. An additional $80 of necessary preparation reduces the full-sales result to $10. Four discounts that each reduce retained income by $10 leave $50 before that extra preparation, and a $30 loss if both changes happen. The discounted participants still receive the same refreshments and occupy the same places.

You shouldn't solve that by adding seats after promising a small circle. Investigate a better room agreement, a price buyers will accept or a format that costs less to deliver properly. If none works, pause the sale. Our event break-even guide helps you recalculate when the ticket mix or committed income changes.

Review acquisition spending against what another sale adds. In this example, the last paid place contributes $50 before any new promotional expense. Spending an extra $70 solely to sell it would reduce the event result by $20. Selling out isn't a sufficient reason to approve that spend.

Check cash timing separately. Suppose $350 of the costs already in the budget must be paid before more ticket proceeds become available, and you have $200 available. You need to cover a $150 funding gap. Those payments aren't another $350 of expense; they are existing costs due earlier. Any reserve you hold is also distinct from money actually spent.

Write the event page so a newcomer can decide

Explain the question first, then the kind of evening. You don't need to make the subject sound grander than it is. "What makes a promise worth keeping? A guided philosophical discussion for curious adults" tells someone more than a claim about transformative conversation.

Here's a working description for our fictional event. Complete the real date, venue, facilitator details, price and booking terms before publishing anything.

"Join a small-group discussion about promises, the expectations they create and what happens when circumstances change. We'll work through everyday fictional scenarios with a prepared facilitator. No philosophy study or advance reading is required. You can contribute, ask for clarification or pass when invited to speak."

"The discussion runs from 19:00 to 21:00, with arrival from 18:45 and a break during the evening. There are 16 participant places in total. Your ticket includes the facilitated session, refreshments, prompts and a short follow-up note. We won't record the discussion. Read the access information and contact us about arrangements before booking."

Then introduce the named facilitator through verified experience. State the complete applicable price and what's included. Publish cancellation and change arrangements suited to your jurisdiction and actual commitments. Where the event depends on minimum sales, explain your decision process and deadline. Check that the terms are fair rather than treating a disclosed condition as automatically acceptable.

For UK consumer bookings, the CMA's unfair contract terms guidance explains the importance of fair, transparent terms and the risks of unfair provisions. It isn't a ready-made refund policy for your event. Have your actual cancellation, substitution and removal terms checked against the rules that apply to you.

Set the decision date before your next expensive commitment, with enough time to act responsibly towards buyers. Compare paid bookings, available funds and the remaining costs of proceeding or cancelling. The example's 13-place break-even figure is a budget calculation. It doesn't decide whether cancelling is contractually permitted or what you owe customers.

Once those decisions are clear, Loopyah's ticketing lets you set ticket types and releases with their own prices and quantities. Use the booking quantities you've planned, keeping the combined allocation within the participant cap. The tool implements the offer; your team still owns the appropriate group size and the non-paying allocations.

Promote the question and prepare the people who book

Start with places where the subject and format are relevant. A local cultural newsletter, independent bookshop or existing adult learning audience may help you reach suitable buyers. Ask permission before promoting in another organisation's group. A partnership should make the evening clearer, rather than imply an endorsement you haven't agreed.

Show how the discussion works. You could publish your own short version of the opening scenario and explain that the evening explores the reasons behind different answers. Avoid requiring people to argue publicly in comments to prove they belong. The event is for people interested in thinking together, including those who prefer to arrive quietly.

Answer the hesitations from the opening. Can someone come alone? Do they need to know philosophy? Can they listen? What happens if people disagree? Where can they check access arrangements? If several enquiries repeat the same concern, improve the sales page while continuing to answer individual buyers.

Send joining information that matches the published offer. Include the question, door and start times, entrance details, expected finish, contact and participation arrangements. Make required actions easy to distinguish from optional background material. Don't introduce mandatory reading after selling an evening without preparation.

Use attendee email for those practical messages. Loopyah distinguishes event updates from promotions and provides a test-email option. Check the message yourself before sending. An arrival update and an invitation to buy the next salon serve different purposes, so prepare each for its appropriate audience.

Don't keep expanding the programme while promoting it. An extra guest speaker, elaborate reading pack or free drinks offer can change the time, costs and buyer expectations. Make deliberate changes and update the budget and description together. More inclusions only help when you can deliver them at a price that works.

Use the first evening to decide whether to repeat

After the salon, deliver the note you promised. Describe the distinctions the group examined and include a few relevant resources the facilitator has checked. Preserve disagreement. If participants reached different views about replacing a promised action, the note should explain the difference without inventing a collective conclusion.

Debrief the facilitator and producer while the practical details are fresh. Where did participants lose the thread? Which prompt helped them examine their reasoning? Could people hear and contribute through the agreed methods? Did late arrivals or venue noise interrupt the discussion? Those answers tell you what to change more clearly than an overall enjoyment score.

Ask attendees whether the description matched their experience, including the starting knowledge and opportunity to participate. Give them a private way to raise concerns. Someone can enjoy the subject while finding the format difficult, and that distinction matters when deciding whether to repeat the same offer.

Reconcile the money using actual retained receipts, refunds, supplies and paid preparation. If the facilitator worked longer than expected, resolve the fee and revise the next budget. Don't turn an underpaid first date into an apparently profitable series by continuing to omit the same work.

Offer a specific next question only when the format, date and price are ready. Interest in a mailing list doesn't establish that people will buy again. A second booking gives you better evidence, while the debrief helps explain which parts of the first evening deserve to continue.

Before reserving the next room, ask the facilitator to revise the prompt that needed work and confirm the time and fee. Put those numbers into the budget at the group size you can support. If the resulting ticket price is one your audience will pay, you have a concrete next evening to sell.