Planners grapple with the growing challenge of event no-shows. Photo Credit: AdobeStock/taiga
No-shows and reduced attendee numbers can affect events in many ways – from increased food and drink waste and lost revenue to hastily rearranged logistics. And that’s not to mention how the sight of empty chairs can ruin the mood of a conference before it has even kicked off.
This is a growing pain point for planners. Tim Glanzer, chief elevation officer at Elevated Meeting Solutions, said: “Companies are reviewing their corporate travel policies and costs to curb spending. Various areas of the world are no longer as safe, including parts of the US, the UAE, Europe and Mexico.”
Make a good case
So how can planners ensure that registrants actually show up? Glanzer says the experience should be personal and tailored, with clear benefits spanning content, professional growth and wellness. Smaller, intimate ‘living room chats’ and integrated wellness activities can also strengthen interaction and connection.
Make the business case explicit in the invitation itself, suggests Manpreet Bindra, regional leader, Asia at FCM Meetings & Events.
“Spell out the return on investment so that it is easy for delegates to justify the time away from the office,” she says. “Whether it is networking opportunities, industry insights or practical takeaways, attendees should understand exactly what they will gain.
Talk up the who’s
Sell the room, then sell the agenda, suggests Catherine Chaulet, president and CEO at Global DMC Partners. “Publishing the attendee profile early, opening matchmaking weeks ahead and letting registrants see which peers have signed up converts interest into commitment far faster than another content teaser.”
Chaulet adds that those attending an event for the first time deserve their own pathway, such as a named host, an orientation session before the opening reception and a small-group welcome that gives them ‘three familiar faces’ by the time the general session starts.
Personal reminders
FCM’s Bindra recommends keeping attendees engaged between registration and the event through targeted reminders, while making it easy to update or cancel a booking if plans change.
“Staged touchpoints in the final fortnight matter as well: a calendar-ready confirmation, a logistics note with door-to-door detail and a personal message from the host or a peer rather than a generic system email,” says Chaulet.
Fees still work
Financial commitment can also reduce no-shows. Glanzer suggests using no-show fees.
“If they’re penalised, they won’t be as likely to cancel on a whim. No-show fees also support the budget and recoup funding,” he says. “Several events have a fully non-refundable cancellation policy, and it works.”
Events could also feature a modest deposit refunded on arrival, session-level sign-ups with visible capacity, and a waitlist that people can see moving.
Learn from it
No-show data can help planners improve future events.
“Looking at no-show patterns over time can also help organisers improve attendance forecasts and identify where additional engagement may be needed before future events,” she adds.
“Segmenting by market, seniority, registration channel, session time and day of the week usually reveals a pattern – and that pattern is actionable,” says Chaulet. “Following up with those who registered and did not arrive also protects next year’s pipeline, since many were prevented from attending by something specific and fixable.”