How will you know how many people showed up to your event? You know for sure you invited 300. But how will you know who showed up? Are you going to take their names manually at the door as they walk in? Imagine how pissed off your guests will be after waiting in line for 20 minutes!
So what should you do? How will you know if your event was a success? Believe it or not, the world has moved beyond spreadsheet and clip boards. There’s much easier ways to manage your event. Let’s discuss a few ways you can make your life easier.
What Is RSVP Management?
RSVP management is the process of organizing and handling invitations to an event. RSVP actually means “please respond”. That’s funny, considering the number of people who never bother to respond to invitations.
So, what’s involved in RSVP management?
- Sending out invitations: This is usually done via email. Most event management platforms can also send out invitations if people register there directly
- Tracking responses: Keeping track of who will attend, who has declined and who has yet to respond
- Guest list management: Taking note of who’s coming in out of own and needs to picked up from the airport, dietary preferences, hotel accommodation, etc.
- RSVP tracking – Sending reminders to non-responders and updates. You can also send more information about venue, time, dress code, etc.
- Logistical planning – Airport transfers, accommodation, seating arrangements, speaker rotation, etc, are some of the logistical plans that need to be made to ensure a successful event
- Data analysis – Understand guest preferences in order to improve future events
- Follow-up – Sending any notes or information that came out of the conference
Why Does It Matter For Your Event?
Effective RSVP management ensures that events are well-organized, that guest have a positive experience because resources are appropriately allocated. How does it do that?
- Precision planning: Knowing the number of attendees helps you make informed decisions about venue size, catering, logistics, etc.
- Budget management: You wouldn’t want to pay for a venue for 1000 people when only 200 are showing up. Precision planning also contributes to saving money.
- Resource allocation: How many waiters and ushers will you need? The number of staff you need at any event depends on the number of people attending
- Optimal guest experience: As much as it is a waste of resources to overstaff an event, it is equally dangerous to understaff. Reducing waiting times and personalized service is the hallmark of a well planned event
- Venue capacity: This goes hand in hand with precision planning. Cramming your guests into a small venue because you didn’t know how many would show up is not a good look. Effective RSVP management will ensure that you pick the right venue for the number of guests wo are attending
- Data collection and analysis: If you do regular events, or annual events, you can collect enough data to track your guests’ preferences. What makes them RSVP quicker? Do they participate in competitions and giveaways, etc.
- Minimizing no-shows: There will always be no-shows. There’s nothing you can do about that! But if you properly track RSVPs and follow up with your guests, you can reduce that number significantly
- Event success metrics: You first have to decide what success looks like to you. Is it maximum attendance? If you reach your goals, you’ll be able to determine the effectiveness of your marketing efforts
- Follow-up and communication: Sending ‘Thank You Notes’ is so underrated. And because you know who showed up, you can send to the right people. You can also send a survey to those who declined to find out why they did and how you can entice them to attend the next one
It’s A Wrapp!
Effective RSVP management is crucial for a successful event, especially if you want to give your guests the best experience you possibly can.
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