FENTON, Mo. — Maritz has released a new registration insights report, sponsored by Louisville Tourism, that examines three years of attendance data from 30 trade shows, including 360,000 individual attendee registration records.
“Trade show organizers want to increase attendance and meet attendees where they are. We see this data as an opportunity for show organizers to rethink their pricing strategies and consider alternative methodologies. We will continue to monitor this data as it provides great insights for the entire event ecosystem,” said Erin Dunstan, SVP of Sales at Maritz.
According to the report, 43% of conference attendees now register within four weeks of the event date, many of them on-site.
What can trade show organizers do? “Our message, first and foremost, is don’t hate latecomers. We want to challenge the holy grail that latecomers are all trouble and no gain,” said Steve O’Malley, director of operations for Business Event Solutions at Maritz. “Our data shows that they are highly motivated attendees and that’s reflected in the fact that they actually spend more than the early birds we’re trying so hard to attract.”
Here are some other tips from O’Malley. “First, be prepared and don’t be surprised. In other words, late registration is a feature, not a bug. Second, we challenge show organizers to rethink traditional pricing models, such as early bird discounts, which are the most effective lever for increasing attendance,” O’Malley adds.
It’s incumbent on the industry to rethink the traditional 30-day window for lodging, given what this data indicates, O’Malley says. “If 45% of people are registering in the last 30 days, we’re not properly representing the value of our collective business because attendees are missing the deadline to book into the block, and we’re doing lengthy audits to identify them as part of the event group after the fact,” he says. “This is something we as an industry need to measure with our hotel partners, their owners, and us as the event partner. If we can solve this problem, we can reduce manual labor, increase revenue for everyone by getting more credit for booked rooms, and reassure hotel owners that they will fill their blocks and be better off financially.” We recommend that trade show organizers arm themselves with data and share it transparently with all stakeholders involved in their event. When they have a clear idea of what to expect, they are more likely to compromise and work with the organizer to achieve a win-win situation.”
Does being late mean being lucrative?
One lesson from this study is that late registrants may be among the most lucrative participants in terms of spending.
While late registrations can be disruptive for planners and stakeholders, they tend to spend more on ancillary products at meetings, beyond tiered pricing that increases as the event approaches.
The study found that those who sign up within the last four weeks spend an average of $59 more than those who sign up more than 90 days in advance.
“Not only are they likely paying a higher registration fee since they’re not getting the discounted rate, but our data shows they’re spending about $92 more on ancillary expenses like on-demand content, extra sessions and social activities. Many of these late registrants are new participants and while they may be slow to make the decision to participate, once they’re registered, they’re all interested and highly motivated to maximize their investment,” O’Malley said.
Related. Maritz partners with CLEAR for identity verification during event registration
One in four people wait until the last week
Even though habits have normalized, almost one in four participants (22%) wait until the last week before the show to register. Nine percent only register upon arrival on site.
A staggering 45% of registrations were delayed less than four weeks before the event. Contrary to popular discourse, late registrations are not a new phenomenon. They were already common before COVID.
The pandemic didn’t help. Late registrations skyrocketed during the pandemic, with people waiting until the last minute to sign up. In 2022, as trade shows were just starting to resume in-person, nearly a quarter of attendees (24%) didn’t register until the week of the event. Even in 2023, late registrations persisted, with more than one in four attendees (29%) waiting until the last two weeks to register (up from 23% in 2019). An alarming 9% registered on-site.
The trend toward late registration is a thorn in the side of trade show organizers. The consequences are both logistical and financial. Logistical challenges include the lack of hotel rooms or full blocks. The pressure on convention centers is caused by the addition of catering, session rooms and last-minute spaces.
Financial consequences for organisers may include loss of revenue from block bookings if hotel deadlines are missed, and damages if the block is not filled.
Exhibitors register too late
Additionally, exhibitors are slightly more likely than attendees to register late. According to the report, 48% of exhibitors register in the last four weeks, compared to 45% of attendees. While their companies are certainly committed to exhibiting well in advance of that four-week window, choosing who and how many people they send to staff their booth can be a last-minute decision.
Late registrants tend to be new participants or concentrated in certain areas, or traveling by car.
How can you adapt to this new normal? Don’t open registrations too early. Use the fear of missing out and simplify registrations.
What’s next for late registrations? “We believe AI could play a role in giving all parties involved better real-time insight into show data, leading to better outcomes for all. The lack of data, or the lack of knowledge on how to analyze it, is a barrier in the industry today that we believe technology will help solve,” O’Malley said.
Contact Steve O’Malley at Steve.OMalley@maritz.com and Erin Dunstan at Erin.Dunstan@maritz.com