A transparent look at what an edition costs, what it earns, and where sponsorship actually goes.
Most event organizers don’t talk about money. We think that’s a mistake.
Here’s what it costs to run a 120-person Unwind edition: Venue rental: ₦450,000. Catering: ₦380,000. Sound and lighting: ₦200,000. Staff and security: ₦150,000. Marketing and design: ₦120,000. Miscellaneous (the things that always come up): ₦100,000. Total: ₦1,400,000.
Here’s what it earns: Ticket sales (80 tickets at ₦8,000): ₦640,000. Sponsorship (2 sponsors at ₦500,000 each): ₦1,000,000. Total: ₦1,640,000.
That leaves ₦240,000 in profit—which we reinvest into the next edition, usually by upgrading the venue or bringing in better speakers.
The math is tight. If ticket sales drop by 20%, we lose money. If a sponsor pulls out last minute, we scramble. And if we don’t hit capacity, we’re subsidizing the event out of pocket.
But here’s the thing: we’re not trying to maximize profit. We’re trying to create something sustainable. Something that can run four times a year without burning out the team or pricing out the community.
Transparency isn’t just about showing the numbers. It’s about being honest that this work is hard, expensive, and worth it—even when the margins are thin.