How to Price Your STR for the 2026 World Cup

In the rapidly evolving world of short-term rental (STR) management, understanding event ticket pricing strategies has become crucial for maximizing revenue. The STR Data Lab podcast recently brought together two industry leaders to discuss this timely topic: Jamie Lane, Chief Economist at RDNA and host of the show, and Rebecca Ballard, COO of Rev and Research and founder of Happy Guest.

Rebecca Ballard's journey into revenue management began accidentally but has evolved into a passion that spans over 10,000 listings globally. "I worked on the property management side for about six and a half years and really fell in love with revenue management," she explains. "Now, we have clients all over the world, helping them with everything from full-service revenue management to consulting and strategy." Her enthusiasm for the complexity of event pricing is evident: "I love event pricing because it's such a big puzzle—there's adrenaline and anxiety, but when the pieces fit, it's really fun."

Key Differences Between Event and Peak Season Pricing

Understanding Mega-Event Dynamics in 2025

The landscape of event pricing in 2025 is being redefined by mega-events like the World Cup, which presents unprecedented challenges and opportunities for STR operators. As Jamie Lane observes, "It's shaping up to be one of the biggest short-term rental demand events ever—globally, it's like Taylor Swift's European tour on steroids, or a Super Bowl every day for two months straight."

What distinguishes mega-events from typical peak season pricing is the intensity and pattern of demand. Rebecca Ballard explains the fundamental difference: "With events, you have to lean into the hype and excitement... Event pricing is a rush—you feel it hard at first, then it softens, and then picks back up as the event gets closer." This creates a unique booking pattern that requires constant attention and adjustment, unlike the more predictable cadence of regular peak season bookings.

The World Cup 2025 exemplifies these dynamics with its extended duration and global appeal. Unlike single-day events or weekend festivals, this two-month spectacle requires property managers to think strategically about sustained high-demand periods while navigating the peaks and valleys of game schedules.

Booking Windows and Occupancy Trends

Understanding booking windows is crucial for implementing effective pricing strategies for event planners in 2025. Rebecca clarifies this key concept: "The booking window is the number of days before the guest arrives." For mega-events, these windows are expanding dramatically compared to typical stays.

Current occupancy trends in 2025 reveal fascinating disparities across markets. Smaller cities like Kansas City are already showing 20-30% occupancy seven months before the World Cup—remarkably high for such an extended booking window. In contrast, larger markets like Seattle, Los Angeles, and Atlanta display lower occupancy rates, though still elevated compared to previous years.

This variation stems from several factors that shape guest behavior. As Rebecca notes, "Guests see those numbers when searching... if Kansas City has fewer rooms available, there's more urgency to book." Supply constraints in smaller markets create psychological pressure that drives earlier bookings, while abundant inventory in larger cities allows guests to adopt a wait-and-see approach.

Strategic Approaches to Event Pricing in 2025

Setting Realistic Revenue Expectations

Success in event pricing for 2025 begins with establishing realistic revenue targets. The market presents what Rebecca describes as "the wild west" of pricing, with some operators "shooting for the stars" while others remain conservative. Finding the right balance requires understanding your property's unique position.

Property size plays a crucial role in determining achievable ADR (Average Daily Rate) during mega-events. Rebecca provides practical guidance: "If you aim to fill the whole time, you might not get five times your normal ADR—maybe two or three times." She illustrates this with real examples: "Some people are thrilled with $1,000 a night for a one-bedroom that usually gets $100-$175; for a large home that sleeps 15, $1,000 a night might be normal for peak season."

The key is aligning expectations with inventory characteristics. Smaller units face intense competition from hotels, while larger properties can command premium rates due to limited supply in their category. Understanding this dynamic helps operators set targets that balance ambition with market reality.

Flexible Minimum Stay and Rate Strategies

Flexibility emerges as a critical component of successful event pricing strategies in 2025. Property managers face a strategic choice between two primary approaches, each with distinct advantages.

The first strategy involves longer minimum stays with moderate rate increases. This approach provides booking stability and reduces turnover costs but may limit visibility in search results. The alternative strategy—shorter minimum stays with higher rates on event nights and lower rates on off-nights—offers different benefits.

Rebecca strongly advocates for the flexibility of shorter stays: "Having a shorter length of stay benefits you in search algorithms... With these events, you can protect your calendar by increasing ADR but shortening the minimum stay, being flexible." This approach maximizes search visibility and creates multiple revenue opportunities. As she explains, "You also have the opportunity to make more revenue through added services—fees, markups, upsells—with more reservations."

Monitoring and Adjusting Pricing in Real Time

Successful revenue management for events requires constant vigilance and willingness to adjust strategies based on market signals. Early indicators of pricing effectiveness include booking pace, search visibility, and competitive positioning.

When considering adjustments, Rebecca emphasizes patience: "Give changes time to take effect—be patient. As revenue managers, we want instant results, but sometimes it takes time for changes to show up on all channels and for guests to see them." This measured approach prevents knee-jerk reactions that could undermine long-term strategy.

The unprecedented nature of events like the World Cup 2025 means everyone is learning together. As Rebecca notes, "Everyone's in the same boat; no one has experienced something like this before. We'll all have stories afterward about what worked and what didn't."

Managing Risk and Maximizing Revenue

Balancing Aggressive vs. Conservative Pricing

The tension between aggressive and conservative pricing strategies becomes particularly acute during major events. Market dynamics in 2025 vary significantly based on property type and location, requiring nuanced approaches to risk management.

Rebecca shares insights from past events that illuminate this challenge: "In Phoenix, many smaller units tried for high ADR and missed because there was so much supply. Larger homes with high ADR held their rates because there weren't many options for large groups." This pattern reveals a fundamental truth about event pricing—inventory size often determines pricing power.

For smaller properties, competition with hotels becomes the primary consideration. "For one- or two-bedroom units, you're competing directly with hotels, which have flexible cancellation policies, rewards programs, and easy booking," Rebecca explains. In markets like Atlanta, with 100,000 hotel rooms versus 10,000 STRs, hotel rates effectively set the market ceiling for smaller units.

Handling Cancellations and Rate Safeguards

Protecting revenue during volatile event periods requires proactive measures against cancellation risks. Rebecca emphasizes a critical rule: "One key rule is to set minimum rates specifically for the event, especially for cancellations." This prevents situations where cancelled high-value bookings automatically revert to standard rates, potentially resulting in significant revenue loss.

Implementing proper safeguards in pricing tools or property management systems (PMS) becomes essential for 2025 events. These guardrails ensure that any rebooking occurs at event-appropriate rates, maintaining revenue integrity even amid high cancellation volumes.

Leveraging Technology and Data in 2025

Dynamic Pricing Tools and Human Oversight

The evolution of dynamic pricing tools has transformed revenue management, yet human expertise remains irreplaceable in 2025. Rebecca's journey illustrates this evolution—from manually adjusting 62 rate seasons for 400 properties to leveraging sophisticated algorithms that analyze demand patterns in real-time.

However, technology serves as an enhancement rather than a replacement for human judgment. "A pricing tool is only as good as the person driving it," Rebecca emphasizes. "There's always a human touch needed." This balance becomes particularly crucial during unprecedented events where historical data provides limited guidance.

The approach to using these tools during major events involves careful calibration. Rebecca describes her method: examining algorithm suggestions, comparing them to past event data and peak season rates, then making informed decisions about whether to let the tool run or intervene manually.

AI's Role in Revenue Management for 2025

Artificial Intelligence represents the next frontier in revenue management, offering enhanced efficiency and analytical capabilities. Yet Rebecca provides important perspective on AI's limitations: "AI can't talk to owners about kitchen upgrades or advise on adding a hot tub. AI is a fancy tool that can save time, but we're still in hospitality, taking care of people."

The future of AI in revenue management for 2025 involves augmentation rather than automation. While AI excels at pattern recognition and data analysis, the human elements of relationship management, strategic thinking, and contextual understanding remain irreplaceable. As Rebecca notes, "There's no easy button—it's not set it and forget it. You still have to go in, tweak, and adjust, working together with the technology."

Adapting to Market Shifts and Event Cancellations

Responding to Event Cancellations in 2025

Event cancellations present unique challenges that require rapid response and clear communication strategies. Rebecca's experience with the Hangout Fest cancellation in Gulf Shores provides a masterclass in crisis management for revenue managers.

Upon learning of the cancellation, Rebecca immediately sprang into action, removing rate increases to capture any remaining demand. But the response extended beyond pricing adjustments. "You can't just set the rate and hope for the best; you have to work at it, especially in a competitive market. These are people's investments, and they expect results," she explains.

The comprehensive response included transparent owner communication, aggressive repricing strategies, targeted marketing campaigns, and a pivot to what Rebecca calls "reverse event pricing"—actively lowering rates and minimum stays to stimulate bookings in a suddenly soft market.

Learning from 2025 Events for Future Success

The lessons learned from managing mega-events in 2025 will prove invaluable for future opportunities like the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Rebecca anticipates the post-event analysis with enthusiasm: "We'll all have stories afterward about what worked and what didn't. I'm looking forward to July when we can all reflect on what we learned."

This continuous improvement mindset characterizes successful revenue management. Each event provides data and insights that refine strategies for the next opportunity. The World Cup 2025 serves as a massive learning laboratory, generating best practices that will shape event pricing strategies for years to come.

The key to long-term success lies in documenting these learnings, analyzing performance data, and building institutional knowledge that can be applied to future events. As the short-term rental industry matures, these accumulated insights become increasingly valuable for optimizing revenue during high-demand periods.

For property managers and hosts navigating the complexities of event pricing in 2025, the insights shared by Jamie Lane and Rebecca Ballard provide a roadmap for success. By understanding the unique dynamics of mega-events, implementing flexible strategies, leveraging technology wisely, and maintaining adaptability, STR operators can maximize their revenue potential during these extraordinary opportunities.