Managing event RSVPs
RSVPs decide your catering order, your seating and a good chunk of your budget, yet they usually end up scattered across email and spreadsheets. Here is how to manage them so your final headcount is one you can trust.
The Event70 Team · 3 min read
- 1
Collect RSVPs in one place
Send guests to a single RSVP page rather than collecting replies by email. One list, updated in real time, beats reconciling three inboxes the week of.
- 2
Ask only what you need
Capture the essentials: attending or not, party size, and any dietary or access needs. Every extra field lowers your response rate.
- 3
Track status, not just a list
Keep each guest as confirmed, pending or declined. A flat name list cannot tell you who still needs chasing.
- 4
Chase non-responders on a schedule
Send a reminder at a sensible interval and a final call before your catering deadline. Most RSVPs arrive after a nudge, not the first invite.
- 5
Plan for a no-show rate
Even confirmed guests do not all turn up. Apply a realistic no-show assumption to your headcount when you order catering and set seating.
- 6
Lock the headcount to a deadline
Set an RSVP cutoff that leaves time to confirm final numbers with the venue and caterer, and hold to it.
- 7
Carry RSVP data into the day
Bring your confirmed list, party sizes and dietary needs into check-in, so the door runs smoothly and catering matches the room.
See it in Event70
RSVPs
- JAJordan Avery+2confirmed
- SPSam Patel+1confirmed
- RCRobin Cho+1pending
- DNDevi Nair0declined
Event70 turns this into a working plan: a live run of show, an assignable checklist, RSVPs, a budget and the day-of, all on one event.
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