From the response rate to the no-show rate

Event statistics in attendee management

How many registrations have already been received? Who canceled? How many accompanying persons were registered? And what is the no-show rate? A successful event always includes monitoring and evaluating the individual process steps. Statistics collect and visualize the data collected during event planning.

In particular, the Participant management generates a useful data set that facilitates and supports the work of event managers.

With AirLST, you have the most important stats Always keep an eye on your event: they will be shown to you right above the guest list. After sending your invitations, for example, you can see how many of your messages couldn't be delivered. In addition, you can see why the delivery was not successful so that you can intervene in a regulatory manner.

The statistics therefore provide a quick overview of important figures and processes that you can use to adjust your project. Is the response rate during the Invitation process low, an additional reminder can then be sent, for example. Even after the event, the statistics collected are the basis for a comprehensive evaluation of the event.

Keep an eye on no-show rates

In particular, the no-show rate should be carefully evaluated with regard to future events. This rate includes attendees who don't show up for your event. However, this does not mean those who cancel or never get back to you, but those who promise and then never get checked in.

There are many reasons for this and a high no-show rate damages the event in the long term. Empty seats do not make a good impression on the guests present; potential guests may have been cancelled unnecessarily or the catering could have been calculated less extensively. The effects of a high no-show rate should not be underestimated. It is therefore important to look at the factors that can be influenced and to correct them.

Reasons for and remedies for high no-show rates

Events that do not cost admission have the highest no-show rate. Many participants sign up here and then spontaneously decide whether they are actually going there. When it comes to free events, there is talk of no-show rates of between 40 and 60%. The two obvious remedies on the other hand are: overbooking and admission prices.

• When overbooking, organizers calculate in advance how many people they do not expect despite registration and allocate more places accordingly. As long as overbooking is kept within limits, this is a useful way to compensate for no-show guests. It gets complicated when it comes to events that are calculated precisely for the participant, for example because there are fixed seats. The better event managers know their event, the easier it will be to calculate overbookings. This tool is therefore particularly suitable for regular, recurring events where the target audience is known and for which experience is available.
  
• It is easy to explain that ticket prices reduce the no-show rate. Once people have paid for an event, the value of the event increases and it becomes mandatory. While free events are considered optional, paid events get a fixed entry in the agenda and are only canceled for valid reasons. In addition, in such a case, tickets may be passed on to colleagues, friends or family in order not to expire and the cancellation rate increases so that the organizers can work with and balance waiting lists.
  

Other reasons for high no-show rates include the accessibility of the event location, the target group, the weather or competitive events.

• If the event location is poorly connected or in an unattractive district, this increases the no-show rate immensely. Leaving for the event spontaneously seems too expensive or uncomfortable for the guests, and other offers become more attractive. So keep an eye out when choosing an event location, it should be connected to public transport or provide easy parking facilities.
  
• The weather can be too good or too bad. This is arguably the most unpredictable factor for event managers. In summer, the best weather keeps people at the lake longer than originally planned and a picnic in the park is spontaneously more attractive than an indoor event. At the same time, most people think very carefully about whether they go out the door again in torrential rain or whether a woolen blanket and sofa aren't the more tempting options. Apart from offering outdoor options when the weather is nice, the weather and the participants' reaction to it can hardly be influenced.
  
• The target group also plays a role in the no-show rate, with the rate falling at business events and rising at leisure events. The reasons are obvious: professional events are mandatory by employers, influence business or career issues, so that they are only canceled for valid reasons and this happens even more rarely without feedback from the organizer.
  
• Competitive events can spontaneously attract guests because, for example, their circle of friends prefers the other event and draws the guest along, or simply because the location of the other event location is more favourable and the program is too similar. That's why it's always worth taking a look at the events calendar when making an appointment for an event.
  

The collection of statistics therefore plays a decisive role in event planning in order to be able to make short-term adjustments and optimize processes in the long term.