Getting Your Guest Numbers Right For Your Event

Whether you are planning a social or business event, you need to have an accurate estimate of guests for the event planner and caterer. If you estimate less number of guests, the food will not be enough for everyone. If you estimate too many guests, you will lose out on money you could spend on other things for your event. The following tricks and tips will help you get an accurate guest estimate.

Send RSVP cards

Send your guests RSVP cards along with the event invitations, six to eight weeks before the event. This gives guests who live out of town enough time to plan their trip. Inform guests through the RSVP cards whom they need to contact and by what date. The date should be soon after you send out cards so that they don’t forget. Not everyone may remember to RSVP; you can send email or call those who don’t respond on time to get an accurate count.

Use Google Forms

If your guest lists includes young people who are tech savvy, you can use social media and web tools to create your guest estimate. All you have to do is set up an online Google form. This is done by creating a spreadsheet where you will store the names, addresses and how many from each family will attend your event. You can then make the link available via social media site like Facebook where guests can click on the form and fill out the information. The information is automatically stored and can easily be accessed by everyone. For people who cannot use social media you need to contact them individually and enter their information manually.

Use a calculation

Caterers require guest estimate weeks before the event so that they can plan their menu budget. It is not possible to have an accurate estimate very early in the planning of the event. However, you can estimate your guest count by calculating using probabilities. For example, for local guests, you can expect 85% of the invited guests to show up. Add spouses and children if they are invited. For guests who are out of town, estimate around 85% of the invited guests showing up if they are close family and 55% if they are not. To get the total estimate, calculate (Number of local guests x 0.85) + (Number of out-of-town guests x 0.65). With time, you can get a more accurate number which you can then share with your caterer weeks before the event.

Invite a set number of guests

You can decide early enough on the number of guests you want to attend your event. Once you come up with a number, you need to work on a guest list. Create 2 sets of lists. List “A” will be the guests who meet the required number of guests. Create a backup list “B” for additional guests you would want to attend your event. First, invite the guests on your “A” list and wait for the RSVP. Once you have the exact number of those who will attend, you can fill in the spaces of people who will not show up by inviting people from your “B” list. Make sure that you have more than enough people on your “B” list to deal with any unexpected surprises.

Choose your event venue

Once you have the accurate number of guests attending, this will help you choose the venue to hold your event. There are several banquet halls in Toronto you can choose from to suit the number of your guests. Make sure that you book these halls well in advance to avoid last minute rush.