On top of having heightened demand for safety and entertainment, event guests generally face challenges living up to their invite, with the current in-person event climate contending with the virtual space. 

It is what it is and organizers of in-person gatherings must know how to work around the competition.

As we know, the virtual space isn’t going away any time soon, and social and economic factors of our time shape how we interact with one another. We may as well maximize our abilities in a way that works with society at large.

In other words, we don’t have to see these changes as negative! We can see them as opportunities for growth and creativity. 

RSVP challenge: Working beyond the numbers

Okay, darling! Where can we start? 

When it comes to RSVP woes, sometimes it feels like all precautionary measures have been taken and our losses take us by surprise.

We’ve all seen it before:

✅ You’ve been putting the pieces together for an outdoor event you’re really excited for. 

✅ You’ve been carefully budgeting your offerings to suit a realistic attendee turnout; let’s say 30 out of the 50 people you invite.

Sounds reasonable, right?

✅ You get 35 RSVPs by the week before the event – more than expected!

Then, the day of the event, an unforeseen weather system pulls through. Even though you budgeted for a certain amount of loss, only 8 out of the 35 actually show up. 

EIGHT. Like… a single digit!🥲😭 (*trying not to cry but can’t help it!*)

This doesn’t even include how many people end up having to leave early. And though your event didn’t put anyone at a safety risk, and the weather system wasn’t severe enough to merit a complete cancellation, you still encountered a massive loss. 

What can we do in these scenarios as private event hosts? How can we shift our struggle into an opportunity as mentioned above? Even when we feel we are being prudent, is there more we can do to prepare for the unexpected? This can all seem like a budgeting nightmare. Well… because it is! 

Thankfully, there are certain precautions and extra measures you can take to combat the discrepancies between your RSVP numbers and who actually shows up. You can also become a smarter marketer in the process. 

A wise man once said: your budget can always improve!

Budgeting is an art, as most event organizers know. If you’re a private event host, you’re probably better at budgeting than painting already, so keep the momentum going!

Event attendance is a highly variable element to the business, so improving your budget as an ongoing task can help relieve some of the surprises that can come up when looking at your guest list and its realities. Keep the surprises for the clown you hired for your next party, OK?

Think of your budget as a living thing you are taking care of: you are always tending to it and seeing where changes might need to be made as it expands and grows. You should always have one eye on it at all times, because if your budget is doing well then so is your business! 

And we know this is all great in theory; but in practice, how do you work with budgeting where it meets the needs of space rental and hiring your event management team?

As a private event host, you want to be both realistic and optimistic. Working with guest number projections is a big part of striking this type of balance. But more importantly, how do you actually do it?

First, account for surprise no-shows

There may always be unexpected factors when budgeting for a certain number of guests. But there are some tactics you can use to mitigate the number of unwanted financial burdens. Thankfully, there are ways to account for surprise no-shows and sharpen your predictive tools! 

One way to do this is by using ticketing and payment protections that are consistent with your budgeting needs. If you name your prices up front and lay down some non-refundables, you will be in better shape after a cancellation than if you don’t use any preemptive ticketing or pricing tactics. 

You can do this seamlessly and transparently with an event ticketing app like Pay2Stay. It allows you to implement flat rate or hybrid pricing for your ticket buyers. 

As you can see from the screenshot above, Pay2Stay’s pricing models offers you two crucial advantages: target customers-based purchase options AND financial protection for yourself.

Let’s break down what these mean.

Pay2Stay’s time-based pricing: Guest-centric.

• Avoid this option if you have RSVP problems because until your guests show up, you ain’t getting paid, honey!

Pay2Stay’s flat rate pricing: Host-centric.

• If your guests don’t mind paying tickets in full, flat rate pricing is the way to go. You cook the show. They book their slot on a pre-paid basis. This keeps you 100% safe regardless of whether anyone shows up or not. Simply put, flat rate tickets on Pay2Stay are non-refundable.

Pay2Stay’s hybrid pricing: Balanced.

• A deposit to secure their spot and the rest is billed by time, for every second they spend at your event. If they don’t show up, the deposit remains yours. If you have guests that love a low-risk vibe check, you’ll have a greater chance of convincing them to reserve tickets to your exclusive gathering than not at all. That’s because the bargain is fair and Pay2Stay’s automated refund system puts all parties at ease.

When you think about it, it is not only a great way to protect yourself from potential losses as a host but also extremely fair to your guests, as they get refunded for the time they do not spend at your event.

What we are getting at here is that you can hand-pick powerful tools like event ticketing app Pay2Stay to offer yourself financial security as an event organizer. Once these tools are integrated, they will simply be a part of your day-to-day as an exclusive event planner as you engage with guests and collaborators. 

Next, check in with your event venues 

The choice of venue matters more than you may think: according to 64.6% of event attendees, disliking the venue can make or break their experience. During the course of the planning process, you will want to be conscious of who you are inviting and where they will be gathering.

For instance, you will not want to curate an intimate experience for locals at a venue out of state. You would not want to organize an influencer meet-and-greet in a space that has poor lighting or spotty Wi-Fi. 

Case in point: you want the venue to reflect the values of your guests. And this may be different or unique to each event you organize. It requires a bit of thinking on your feet and creativity, but you are a private event host! You’ve always had to think on your feet and we trust you excel at that. 

Event planner Logan Clemens recommends using a tool called the “Post-Event Report” which allows you to keep record of your experiences in different venues, should you plan on returning. This is a great way to keep track of which venues cater to the needs of different groups, and you can reference it throughout the year as you continue to plan amazing experiences!

Hiring your team: don’t forget this important step!

Being understaffed or overstaffed in relation to the actual number of attendees can create many issues on the day of your event. For starters, you want to have an accurate projection of guest numbers when gathering your events team. 

There are the obvious reasons you’ve probably already thought about in terms of guest experience (bottom line, if you have the right amount of staff, your customer service will be off the charts!), but the experience of your team members is just as important. 

As an exclusive event host, you want to make sure your events team is given a work load that is fair and equitable. No one wants to be running around with a dwindling plate of shrimp!

Okay, peer! Now that you are equipped with powerful information to build your guest list along with your dream team, it’s time to get out there and plan, plan, plan! 

Now to increase guest attendance, satisfaction, and retention rates

Did you know there are ways you can increase the likelihood of an RSVP turning into an attendee?

Keep yourself educated on market trends within the private event space to stay relevant to the task. This should help you remain relevant as a small-to-medium event organizer. 

For instance, across generations and backgrounds, it’s helpful to know that event attendees will prioritize gatherings that are smaller with greater networking opportunities. This is great news, as you already exist in the niche of private events.

If you’re already using Pay2Stay as your ticketing app, you will be creating gatherings filled with a trusted network of individuals thanks to the app’s built-in guest list management features with secured invites for plus-ones. 

In fact, event entertainment booking company EVA was right to say that implementing a mobile app that is dedicated to your private event is a great way to stay in touch with this trusted network from start to finish! 

Also, according to Skift Meetings’ November 2022 report on “The State of Business Events”, 25% of event attendees say that they will likely attend events that provide some source of entertainment. This is also good news for you, dear host, as you will have your hiring and collaboration budget working in tandem with your RSVPs!

❓Do your guests deserve a detailed itinerary with the juicy details of your exciting gathering? 

❓Do you want to be a star on social media with your audience? 

❓Are you brainstorming loyalty perks as we speak?

The answer should be a resounding ”YES” to all! 

Get ready to see your RSVPs IRL!

As your network grows and expands and you build lasting relationships through trust, you should witness a couple of joyful things:

1. An increase in your RSVPs.

2. A decrease in low attendance.

Ah, that wonderful feeling when the dreadful gap reduces and even disappears!

Transparency and updates are a great way to keep your guests engaged. You see? You don’t have to be tied down to a ticketing app that only offers basic check-ins, pricing and the like. You are looking to expand your offerings, and you deserve to integrate tools that will expand along with you. 

The technologies and tools you decide to use are just as important as the people you choose to hire and invite to your events. It’s an added layer of compatibility on your part as a small event host.

Hopefully, Pay2Stay and all the tips above help you make smarter and more accurate guest projections for your budget and protect you from losses. Now get out there and do what you do best: plan the best private events in the business!