🧠 Think Tank Pricing Calculator
A think tank is an exclusive, curated group of leaders who meet regularly to solve real problems; it is the highest-trust, highest-value event format you can run. This calculator, straight from Dee's How To Charge workbook, prices it both ways: Side A as a business development play (what the room costs you versus the client pipeline it creates) and Side B as a monetized membership product (recurring fees, sponsorships, and premium add-ons). Run your numbers once free; the $27 one-time unlock keeps every section live forever and includes the Excel workbook.
A1 · Virtual think tank setup costs
Side A prices the think tank as business development: invite top prospects into a curated group, facilitate, and let the relationships sell.
Same platform. One subscription covers everything.
Think tanks require more prep. You are curating the agenda, the data, and the room.
Higher rate here. You are facilitating at an executive level.
Think tanks run 90 min to 2.5 hours. Deeper than a round table.
A2 · Meeting frequency & annual cost
Think tanks meet monthly or biweekly. Monthly is most common.
8 to 15 is ideal. Small enough for depth, large enough for diverse perspectives.
Start with 1. Add more as demand grows.
A3 · Pipeline value (the real ROI)
These are not cold leads. These are people who know you, trust you, and have worked with you in a room.
Very high. 30% to 60%. You have been in a room with them for months.
Think tank members tend to be larger accounts.
B1 · Think tank membership pricing
Side B charges for membership in an exclusive, recurring think tank. This is a premium product. Price it like one.
$297 to $997/mo. Price for the caliber of the room.
Offer an annual pay option at about 2 months free.
Each group is a separate product. Different niches, different groups.
70% monthly / 30% annual is a typical split.
Think tanks have LOW churn. 3% to 8%. The community is the retention.
B2 · Sponsorship pricing
Sponsors pay a premium for access to this room. Keep sponsorships limited; exclusivity is the value proposition.
$500 to $5,000. Depends on member seniority and niche value.
Enter 0 if all sponsors pay per-meeting.
B3 · Premium add-ons
Quarterly private check-ins with each think tank member.
Sell think tank insights as premium reports to non-members.
C · In-person / hybrid comparison
In-person think tanks are the gold standard. The connection is deeper. The cost is higher.
Private boardroom, executive lounge, upscale co-working space.
Estimates for planning, not financial advice. Conversion, churn, and sponsorship numbers are the workbook's guidance ranges; your market decides the real ones.
Does this resonate?
The room does the selling. The platform builds the business around it.
If a recurring, curated room of leaders sounds like your kind of business, the platform can turn it into a real plan: positioning, launch checklist, and the week-by-week path from first invite to full cohort.
Build my launch plan free →Good questions about this math
What is the difference between Side A and Side B?
Side A prices the think tank as business development: you invite top prospects, facilitate free, and the payoff is the clients the room converts (the sheet defaults to 30 to 60 percent conversion because these people have worked with you for months). Side B prices it as a product: paid membership, limited sponsorships, and premium add-ons like quarterly strategy sessions. The combined play runs both.
What should I charge for think tank membership?
The workbook's guidance is $297 to $997 a month for an exclusive, curated room, with an annual option at roughly two months free to lock in commitment. Price for the caliber of the room, not the hours of content.
How is this different from a round table or hot seat?
A think tank meets on a recurring cadence with the same curated members, so it compounds: deeper trust, lower churn (the sheet models 3 to 8 percent monthly), and the strongest client conversion of any event format. Round tables and hot seats are lighter formats; both have their own calculators in this suite.
Do I get the Excel version?
Yes. The $27 unlock includes the standalone Think Tank Pricing workbook (the exact sheet from Dee's How To Charge master, with every formula live) plus the START HERE guide tab, yours to download and keep.