Why turnout is often poor for free events and how to boost it
Have you ever complained that a conference or event is really expensive to attend? I’ll admit I did it just yesterday. However, I am also the first person to caveat that by saying that events are really expensive to run. A nice venue, quality AV and decent catering don’t come cheap. Then there is the real skilled work that goes into pulling the event together. I’m sure I’ve ranted before about how people think events are easy because well-run events are so slick. It’s an illusion that shatters pretty quickly when they try and do it themselves!
Free to attend doesn’t mean free to run
I also think the cost of conferences can sometimes seem steep because in the research world we are so used to everything being free. Webinars, seminars, public lectures, outreach events – they are all typically free to the attendee. But that doesn’t mean they are free to run. Someone is always paying, whether that’s with staff time or actual cash.
But our brains often subconsciously think ‘free’ equals ‘no value’
But here’s the funny thing about free events. You would think people would appreciate them more but, in reality, they don’t. In our mind we often subconsciously equate ‘free’ with ‘no value’.
I first started to notice this when I ran school events back in the day. In North East England, a notable deprivation ‘hotspot’, there are a lot of schools who don’t have the budget for non-essential activities or trips. And we wanted the events to be as accessible as possible, so we often made them free. I think you know where this is going… we were plagued with no-shows and last-minute cancellations. We found that if we charged something, even just £1 per pupil, our show-up rates improved massively.
I bet you have noticed something similar. It’s well-established now that for a free online event if you get 50% of those who registered in the Zoom room you are doing very well indeed. Show-up rates for ticketed events are typically 70-90%.
This came up for me recently when I decided to start running in-person networking events. One of the people I asked to help spread the word was surprised that I was charging for the event. The amount I was charging was trivial and barely covered the bar tab. But I knew that if I made it free loads of people would sign up and then not come leaving me with an over-sized venue and scrambling to redo my content plan at the last minute.
Paying even a small amount triggers loss aversion
Parting with some cash means they have skin in the game. And research shows that people feel the loss of something (like a wasted ticket) much more painfully than gaining something of equivalent value (a free event). It also honours the time and effort that has gone into creating the experience.
So if you are wondering about whether your event should be free or ticketed here is your permission to go ahead and charge something – even if it’s just £5.
Boosting turnout at a free event
But what can you do to improve turnout if you are running a free event? My top tip is pre-event communication. Drip feed information about how awesome it’s going to be (tap into that FOMO) and make it easy for people to cancel (better that than leave you hanging on the day).
And – I know this one might not be popular – but don’t say you’ll record it or offer to send out slides afterwards. That is just giving people permission to bail out at the last minute. You have to make it clear that being present is what’s expected.
And to all of you beavering away making awesome events – I salute you 🙌. I know your true value even if others don’t always see it.
