Is there an event site that allows sending reminder/confirmation links?
September 4, 2013 6:40 AM

Looking for an event attendance tool that allows personalized confirmation links to try to reduce no-shows.

I'm organizing a work related launch party this fall, and I'm trying to minimize no-shows from "yes" RSVPs. The event is free and includes food and drink, so we're trying to think of ways to minimize no-shows, or at least reduce them.

Eventbrite allows you to send a reminder email, but ideally, I'd like a tool that allows me to send a reminder email with a personalized link that attendees can click on to confirm without having to reenter their info.(I'd send this 10 days before)

Any ideas? I think this will be too many people to call to confirm, but other suggestions welcome.
posted by mercredi to Computers & Internet (3 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
Emails are nice, but if you seriously want to reduce the number of no-shows you need to make confirmation calls. I say this as someone who has had to confirm people for various kinds of events on a regular basis as part of my job.
posted by brookeb at 6:47 AM on September 4, 2013


I run a club and seem to spend a lot of my spare time trying to get people to confirm whether they're going to be able to attend things.

Here's how I do it:

1. Send an email well in advance. Add a receipt notification. State in strong, clear language that you need confirmation one way or another by (date).

2. Allow whatever time you think this group should reasonably take to read an email. Anything from a few days to a week is about right for my group. Send a reminder (again by email) to the outstanding respondees. Mention your deadline again, with a gentle warning that if they don't confirm, the event may have to be cancelled (even if that isn't true).

3. As brookeb says, you've then got to make calls. People lose emails, or forget them, or for some reason don't take them as seriously as other forms of communication. With some people, only a call will get you the result you want. It's one of those things you just have to live with.

4. Once you have all the confirmations you're going to get, send out a final email a day or two before the event, reminding people that they've agreed to come, and confirming dates and times. At that point you may get a few cancellations, hopefully allowing you to adjust your catering at the last minute.

If I could find a way to automate all of this, I would. But once you've had to go through it a couple of times, it's not such a big deal.
posted by pipeski at 7:14 AM on September 4, 2013


Search Eventbrite on alternativeto.net and you'll see lots of alternative websites you can research.
posted by Dansaman at 7:50 AM on September 4, 2013


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