How to Minimize No-Shows for Your Event

You’ve planned for months, invited exciting speakers, and put together an impressive program. The registration list is long—but on the event day, many seats remain empty. Frustrating, but unfortunately not uncommon. In this article, we’ll show you how simple yet effective measures can significantly reduce no-shows and ensure that your event actually takes place.

No-shows are a well-known problem—typically, between 10 and 30 percent of registrants simply don’t show up. But what can be done about it? Fortunately, there are several things you can do.

Choose the Right Time and Place

The day of the week you choose for your event is important—and not surprisingly, business events are generally most successful on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. In addition, make sure the venue is easily accessible by both public and private transportation—even though the location should also be part of the event experience itself. A beach hotel with a sea view is naturally more attractive than a dark auditorium.

Also, consider whether similar events are taking place at the same time—too many competing events can negatively affect attendance.

Furthermore, think about whether the event can be held both on-site and online, as this increases flexibility for attendees. And most importantly: make it easy for attendees to cancel.

Convince with Tangible Value

Make sure to clearly highlight the tangible benefits of attending in the invitation. Even the best program won’t spark real interest if it’s not properly presented. Of course, a thrilling guest speaker can sometimes remain a secret—cliffhangers have proven to be an effective tool.

Reduce the Time Between Registration and Event—And Rely on Personal Communication

The longer the time between registration and the event, the higher the risk of non-committal sign-ups. At the same time, organizing certain events requires a long lead time—especially when it comes to larger or more complex events. Still, try to keep the time between registration and the event as short as possible to increase commitment.

However, even with short lead times, reminders are a must. SMS has proven to be particularly effective, as it generates higher response rates than emails.

The organizers of a large SaaS conference tested various reminder strategies, with the result that a personal SMS in a friendly, humorous tone significantly increased attendance. The message they sent the day before the event was:

"Your seat is ready—and we promise free coffee. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow at 9 AM!"

Even more effective would probably be short video messages from the event team—direct and personal.

With Conference Manager, you can also provide attendees with calendar entries for your event. These entries can easily be created in common formats such as .ics and allow attendees to automatically save the event to their personal calendars. When the event is already saved in their calendar, attendees will receive a visual reminder and a notification.

Appeal to the Green Conscience

It may feel uncomfortable, but it works. Remind your attendees that last-minute cancellations lead to food waste, unnecessary resource consumption, and empty seats that could be given to others.

Charge Fees and Refund Them Upon Attendance

No-shows occur much more frequently at free events than at paid ones. Therefore, it may be sensible to charge a small fee during registration.

The organizers of one of the world’s largest tech conferences used a simple yet effective model: attendees paid a fee during registration, which was fully refunded upon arrival. The result: significantly fewer no-shows.

Another option is to make the event a VIP affair with limited access. This creates a sense of exclusivity and value—the invitation is perceived as something special. And when something is scarce, it is often prioritized.

Let Past Attendees Be Your Ambassadors

Nothing is more convincing than attendees who have already participated and had a good experience. Ask past attendees to recommend your event—whether through short testimonials, videos, or social media posts. You can also share images, quotes, and impressions from past events yourself. The more authentic, the more effective.

Use an Event App for Engagement and Updates

An event app can ultimately make the decisive difference when it comes to actual attendance. It allows attendees to network before, during, and after the event, while also providing you with a direct channel for reminders, program changes, and exclusive benefits for those on-site.

No-shows can never be completely avoided. But with the right measures, you can not only encourage attendees to sign up—but also ensure they actually show up.

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