Any event will have people who register to attend and fail to show up. There are many reasons for not attending, but it really comes down to priorities.

No shows create problems for event planners ranging from wasted meals and poor event atmosphere to listening to excuses and deciding whether or not to charge the posted cancellation fee.

Everyone, including the attendees would be better off if people would attend events as planned. Here are some reminders about how you might minimize the number of “no shows” to your event.

Get their money (if your event has a fee)

With online registration and real time credit card processing, this is easy. Once you have full payment, people will be more likely to show up and if they don’t you still have their money.

This is where you need a good refund and cancellation policy clearly stated on the registration form. Your policy will need to reflect the type of event that you are working on, but in general you don’t want to make the policy too lenient as people may not take the registration seriously, nor do you want it to be too strict as people may be discouraged from registering. See our article about writing refund and cancellation policies.

Put on a great event

This really goes without saying, but if you can make attending your event the best option available then people will be motivated to show up. Try coming up with a list of benefits associated with your event such as who people will see, what they will learn, what great food will be served, etc. Creating an element of mystery may also help as curiosity can get the better of people and they will attend to see the secret new product or hear the latest industry changing news.

Send a reminder

People get reminders about dentist and hair appointments so why not for events? Sometimes people are busy and they simply forget about a commitment. A simple reminder email or phone call prior to the event will help to keep people committed.

Pick a good date and time

Do your research and select a date and time that will get you the highest turnout. For example, if you are targeting accountants, the end of April would be poor timing as most accountants are being overworked at that time. So with best intentions they may initially commit to the event but many won’t end up being there.

Have a giveaway for attendees

A giveaway, discount or special deal available only to those who are in attendance can provide just enough extra incentive required to attend. Maybe you can negotiate with a sponsor to provide the items/deals.

These few ideas may help reduce the number of no shows at your events, but there is always more that can be done. Try calling the no shows after your next event and ask them why they didn’t end up coming and what could be done differently to make attending more of a priority in the future. You might gain some valuable insight and be able to make a change that will help your event become even more successful.

Minimize No Shows For Your Events

Minimize No Shows For Your Events

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