One of the biggest challenges that event planners face is getting an accurate headcount. While it may be an extremely common problem, that doesn’t lessen the negative impact it can have on your event. Too many no-shows can mean you end up with the wrong venue for your party size, way too much food and drinks, money lost on hotel blocks, and more.
Luckily, there are some tried and true techniques for keeping no-shows to a minimum. Here are our 7 best tips and techniques for discouraging no-shows.
Sure, sometimes last-minute emergencies happen. But the brutal truth is that if you have a lot of no-shows the main problem is that your event isn’t enticing enough. The FOMO just isn’t there…
To create an event that your invitees wouldn’t dream of missing, you need to have your event elevator pitch down with three clear benefits of attending. This could be as simple as: free food, live music, and a dynamic MC—but really make sure you’re catering your event to your audience’s interests. What type of food is most popular with your audience? What music would be most crowd-pleasing? What speaker or M.C. would draw them in?
Get really clear on the perks of attending and make them clear on everything from your event landing page to follow-ups and any social promotion.
Especially if you’re opening registration months in advance, a single reminder is not going to cut it. The worst type of no-show is someone who genuinely wanted to attend your event but they simply forgot the date.
Typically, it’s best to send a reminder one week before and 24-hours before your event. Send these reminders via text, email, or social media sites depending on the type of event. If you’re planning a formal party then you may want to consider sending a reminder postcard in the mail.
Another way to make sure your event is fresh in peoples’ minds is to promote your event continually leading up to the date. Remember your three-event highlights from tip #1 and continue creating hype by sharing previews of the food, music, decor, and activities of your event. The more behind-the-scenes content they see, the more invested they will be in actually attending.
If you are planning a trade show or other large-scale event, it’s a great idea to even continue marketing and promoting the event after the doors open until it ends. Post photos of the event space on your social media pages, include information on any contests or giveaways and highlight any other main points in your marketing efforts.
It’s important to include your guests in the conversation and remove any objections they have to attend. Add a FAQ to your landing page with details on who the event is for, its accessibility, and the benefits of attending.
Also, always give people a way to communicate with you, ask questions, get their feedback, and demonstrate that you are truly listening to their comments. Making it easy for guests to reach you will increase the likelihood of receiving accurate RSVP/registration numbers and will reduce the number of no-shows.
It’s virtually impossible to have zero no-shows so don’t expect a 100% attendance rate. If you’ve booked an event venue with limited capacity, be sure to calculate your total number of guests accurately. Most event planners estimate a no-show rate of anywhere from 5 to 20 percent however this number varies greatly depending on the type of event.
Events like weddings with more intimate guest lists have lower no-show rates. Additionally, if your event requires ticket purchases you’re likely to see low no-shows. Free events that are open to the general public tend to have higher no-show rates closer to 20%.
Some event planners are starting to manage events similar to flights—with event confirmations and standbys. That way, if you have registrants who can no longer attend you can have a standby list and add someone who is eager to attend to your guest list. This will only likely be necessary if you have limited capacity and a long list of people who are eager for last-minute invites.
There are a number of email and other messaging services out there you can use to send targeted messages to your no-show guests. Certain real-time check-in apps also allow you to message people who have registered but not checked in to the event.
Thank your guests for attending your event and give them a useful parting gift. Also, give them a reason to attend your next event. This technique will help reduce no-shows at your next event by leaving your guests with a lasting and favorable impression of you.
Hopefully, these tips and techniques will help you get close to that perfect attendance award that you’re chasing. By making your event enticing, sending proper promotion and reminders, staying in contact with guests, and giving thanks you’ll be in great shape for a bustling event that your guests are happy they attended.
What no-show techniques do you use? Share with us by leaving a comment below.