Virtual keynote budget calculator

Work out the full cost of a virtual keynote: speaker fee, repeat sessions, recording rights, captions, interpretation, production and contingency, with cost per attendee.

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Calculate your total budget

CurrencySpeaker fee for one live delivery (excluding VAT)Approximate number attendingSession length, including questions

Deliveries and recordingNumber of live deliveriesEach extra delivery, as a % of the first fee

Many speakers charge less for a repeat on the same day. Ask for their figure.

Recording and replayRecording and replay allowance, as a % of the fee

A planning allowance, not a market rate. Some speakers include internal replay; others charge for it. Replace this with the speaker’s quote.

Delivery costs (enter what applies)Extra tailoring or preparation, if charged separatelyLive captioning, per hour

Leave blank if not needed or included in your platform.

Languages needing live interpretationInterpretation cost per language, per hour

Remote simultaneous interpreting usually needs two interpreters per language. Ask for a combined rate.

Production or technical support

For example, a producer to run the platform and rehearsal.

Platform or streaming costs

Zero if you are using an existing licence.

Speaker studio or kit costs, if anyAnything else

Contingency, as a %Add VAT at 20% (for UK organisations that cannot reclaim it)

Your result will appear here. The form starts with example answers so you can see how it works. Replace them with your own.

The fee is only part of the cost

Speaker fees get most of the attention, but budgets are usually caught out by everything around them: a second session for another time zone, a replay licence, live captions, interpreters, or a producer to run the platform. Adding these up early stops the approval going back and forth.

Every figure here is your own entry or a planning allowance you can change. The tool does not quote prices. Use it to build a budget line you can defend, then replace the allowances with written quotes.

Questions to ask before you accept a quote

Does the fee cover one delivery, or can we repeat it for another time zone? At what cost?
Is recording included? Who can watch it, for how long, and where can it be hosted?
Does the fee include a briefing call, tailoring and a technical rehearsal?
Is VAT or any other tax charged on top?
What are the cancellation and postponement terms?
Are there any equipment, studio or travel costs for a hybrid element?

Next step: get it approved

Once you have a total, take it into the business case builder. It turns your budget into a cost per attendee and the answers finance and procurement will ask for.