How the right participant management can reduce the number of no-shows

A regular occurrence at many events are guests who have registered but then fail to turn up – so-called “no-shows”. These no-shows are annoying as they cost the organiser a lot of money. Food and drinks are provided for these guests, as well as furniture, service staff and giveaways. Even booked hotel rooms are usually charged at 100% in the event of last-minute cancellations.

Of course, there are reasons for cancellations or no-shows at short notice – illness, train or flight cancellations or other urgent appointments cannot always be avoided. However, it is important to reduce the number of “no-shows” to a minimum in order to avoid the unnecessary costs listed above. Good participant management can help with this.

Stay in contact with your guests

A professional participant management system allows you to communicate with guests easily, quickly and continuously. Regular reminder or info emails provide the latest details about the programme, arouse curiosity about the event and help to keep the date and the event in the minds of the guests. Invitations are often sent out early, guests confirm an event in three or four months’ time and then forget about it if they are not kept up to date in the meantime.

Make it easy for your guests

Good participant management solutions offer a so-called re-login for guests. The online registration remains open even after the initial confirmation – the guest can edit or change their registration at any time until the final registration deadline. Each of the mailings listed above should therefore include the access data for online registration so that the guest can return to the registration platform with a single click. A simple cancellation or change link at the end of the email also helps the guest to edit their registration with one click if necessary.

Use a guest hotline

Many events also have a telephone hotline for guests to call with questions about the event or the programme. Use this hotline to proactively follow up with guests, especially those who do not get back to you.

Continuity and transparency – after the event is before the event

Especially for recurring events, participant management improves with repetition. This starts with the invitation, which is often sent out “with a watering can” or the previous year’s mailing list is used. However, the participant behaviour of previous years is usually not taken into account, mostly because this information is no longer available.

A continuous participant management process provides the necessary transparency and analyses – even over several years and events. Participants who repeatedly RSVP and never turn up can be identified and excluded from future invitations.

These are just some of the aspects with which we, as a participant management specialist, can minimise the number of “no-shows”. We would be happy to discuss the topic for your specific event and advise you on the possibilities. Get in touch with us today!