You organise an event, arrange everything down to the last detail and then ... far fewer people come than originally thought. Bummer! And the most annoying thing: these people did register. This is called a no-show. But what exactly is it? And perhaps more importantly, what can you do to prevent or minimise no-shows? We'll help you get started.
What is a no-show?
A no-show is a person who has registered for your event, made an appointment or bought a ticket, but ends up not showing up. All without cancelling or cancelling.
Why the person is not coming anyway? There could be several reasons. For example, because this person has forgotten. Has a double appointment. Ill. Or simply doesn't feel like it. But either way, it always impacts you as an organiser. Empty chairs, wasted catering or lost sales, for example.
Why are no-shows annoying?
One participant not showing up is not such a disaster. But if you are organising a big conference and attendance is suddenly much lower, you have a problem. For example, because that way you suffer financial loss. After all, you have incurred costs for these people even though they don't use them. Moreover, you have taken into account the capacity of the event venue, setup, goodie bags and catering. Also, the impact of your event is a lot less. Surely, a plenary session with dozens of empty chairs sends a less powerful message than a packed room with interested people.
Tips to minimise a no-show
Prevention is better than cure, they sometimes say. But that does not entirely apply to no-shows. Unfortunately, you can never prevent no-shows completely. Fortunately, there are ways to minimise them.
- Tip 1: Communicate clearly and frequently
You’ll no doubt remember your mum used to say: “How many times do I have to tell you?!” She didn’t say that for nothing… People forget more quickly than you think. For you, the event is a priority, but for your participants it probably isn’t. So make sure your communication is clear – and do it often. Send confirmations, reminders and practical information via email, WhatsApp or text message. And above all, don’t forget to tell them how important their attendance is. - Tip 2. Give people a sneak peek at the programme
Pique people’s curiosity! Spark their enthusiasm and share some information about the programme in advance. What can people expect? Consider a preview of a speaker, an exciting teaser, an announcement, or reveal something about a surprise element. Tap into that FOMO (fear of missing out). - Tip 3. Create a sense of exclusivity
Everyone likes to feel special. People simply feel more engaged with an event if they feel that their presence is appreciated. For example, mention that places are limited or that attendance is by invitation only. Power words work well here too. Words such as ‘exclusive’ and ‘unique’ remain crowd-pullers. - Tip 4. Reward attendance
Give your participants a reason to come, apart from the content, of course. Win them over! No, that’s a bit silly… bribery is obviously a bit of a stretch. But it does pay to give people something tangible or a little extra. A goody bag, for example. Or access to exclusive content. A certificate or accreditation points. This makes it more appealing for people to attend. - Tip 5. Engage participants before the event
People like to have a say. So give them a platform before the event begins. For example, by inviting them to submit questions for a speaker. Or let them vote on a topic that should be covered. Or run a poll and share the results at the event itself. There are plenty of ways to involve participants in your programme in advance. A participant who feels involved will be more likely to attend.
- Tip 6. Use a guest list
Do you have a popular event or conference? If so, use a guest list so that you can fill any cancellations with other interested parties. That way, you can be sure your seats are filled. What’s more, it ensures that people know their place is valued. This, too, can act as an incentive to attend. - Tip 7. Make cancelling easy
That might sound a bit odd… making it easy to cancel when you’d rather participants just turned up. But if you know in good time that someone is unable to attend, you can still make adjustments. For example, regarding the venue, the catering or by filling the vacancy. In practice, it often turns out that it’s too difficult for participants to cancel. The result is a no-show. So make cancelling straightforward. For example, with a clear button in the email, a reply option or a link to a cancellation form.
So preventing a no-show is tricky. But with a clever combination of different elements, you can ensure that your attendance is as high as possible. Think ahead, excite your guests and make it attractive to attend. Want to know more about how to organise your event with as few no-shows as possible? Our event managers will be happy to help!
