One rig works when the simulator is one attraction among several and guests take turns casually. Add rigs when you want people racing each other at the same time, when your guest count and hours would make a single line too long, or when the simulators are the main event. To size it, multiply the number of people you want to drive by the minutes each turn takes (including the seat change), then divide by the minutes the rigs will run.
The capacity math
Queueing theory has a simple rule for this, Little's law: the average number of people in a system equals the arrival rate multiplied by the average time each person spends in it (Little's law). For event planning, the useful version is:
Rigs needed = (drivers × minutes per turn) ÷ minutes the rigs run
Example, using numbers you choose: if you want 120 guests to drive, plan 5-minute turns including the seat change, and run the rigs for 3 hours (180 minutes), you need 120 × 5 ÷ 180 = 3.3, so 4 rigs. Shorten turns, extend the hours or accept that not everyone drives, and the number drops. Plan for some headroom, because guests don't arrive evenly.
What one rig does well
- Smaller gatherings or one feature among several activities.
- Time-attack format: one driver at a time chasing the leaderboard.
- Tight floor space or a lower budget. Keep the $2,000 event minimum in mind: one full-motion rig is $2,750 per day, already above the minimum, and two rigs earn 5% off the rig subtotal (all plus tax and insurance).
What changes with multiple rigs
- Head-to-head racing. Sim software supports racing several drivers at once; Assetto Corsa, for example, includes online multiplayer and custom championships (Assetto Corsa on Steam). Wheel-to-wheel racing between colleagues or friends draws a crowd in a way solo laps don't.
- Shorter waits. More seats means shorter lines, and how waits feel matters too. Maister's research on waiting lines found occupied time feels shorter than unoccupied time, uncertain waits feel longer than known ones, and group waits feel shorter than solo ones (Maister, The Psychology of Waiting Lines). A visible leaderboard and a posted wait time help.
- Brackets and finals. With 4 or more rigs you can run heats and a final on the same night.
Cost by rig count
Rigs are $2,750 per full-motion rig per day, plus tax and insurance. Volume discounts on the rig subtotal: 5% off 2–3 rigs, 10% off 4–5, 15% off 6–7, 20% off 8–9, 25% off 10 or more. Staffing is included for up to 4 rigs; from the 5th rig, it's $1,500 per day for every 3 additional rigs. Custom branding starts at $500, plus tax and insurance.
A real multi-rig example
For the Hard Rock Miami activation at Miami International Autodrome, SimsForHire ran 8 rigs, 6 full-motion and 2 non-motion, for one day with 1,000+ guests. See the case studies. Our rental fleet is 10 full-motion rigs in total.
Tell us your guest count, hours and format and we'll suggest a rig count. See pricing, corporate events and trade shows.
Call (754) 228-5654, email hello@simsforhire.com, or request a date. We reply within 24 hours and can book with as little as 24 hours' notice.