Free events have one big problem: signing up costs nothing, so not coming costs nothing either. You plan for 40, 25 turn up, and the people you turned away because it was “full” didn’t come at all.
This guide is about running registration for a free event so that the room fills: an open day, a free taster class, a talk, a launch.
Why an online form isn’t quite enough
A form collects names. That’s useful, but a free event needs a bit more:
- A limit. A form keeps taking answers after the room is full, unless you remember to close it.
- A confirmation that feels real. “Your response has been recorded” is easy to forget. A ticket with a QR code isn’t.
- A reminder. Someone has to send it, and the form won’t.
- The door. A printed list and a pen is slow, and afterwards you don’t know who came.
How to cut no-shows at free events
Limit the places and show what’s left
“18 places left” does more than any amount of persuasion. A free place that might run out feels like something to keep.
Give a ticket, not just a thank-you
When people register, send a ticket with a QR code to the phone, by LINE or by email. It looks like something, it’s easy to find on the day, and it quietly says “we’re expecting you”.
Send a reminder the day before
One message: what, when, where with a map link, and the ticket again. Most no-shows at free events are people who simply forgot.
Ask guests to tell you when plans change
In the ticket message and the reminder, ask any guest who can’t come to let you know, by a reply in LINE or by email. Cancel that ticket and the place goes back on the event page for someone else.
Register a few more than the room holds
Once you’ve run a couple of events you’ll know your usual turnout. If a third usually don’t come, it’s reasonable to open a few more places than you have chairs. Start carefully and adjust.
On the day
- 1Open the scan page on a phonethe camera reads each guest's QR
- 2Green means welcomewith the name, so you can greet each guest
- 3Lost the ticket?search by name or phone and check the guest in
- 4Watch the countchecked in against registered, to know when to start
Afterwards: the list is the real prize
The people who came to your free event are the warmest people you’ll ever talk to. Export the list, say thank you, and share the next thing: the paid workshop, the class pass, the opening offer. A free event is often the first step to a regular customer.
Free events and paid tickets together
Some events mix both: free for members or students, paid for everyone else. With ticket types, one event can have a free ticket and a paid ticket side by side, each with its own number of places.
Frequently asked questions
Should a free event ask for a phone number or an email?
One of the two is enough, plus a name. Ask only for what you need to send the ticket and the reminder.
What about guests without LINE?
Make sure registration works with email too. Visitors from abroad and some older guests often don’t use LINE.
How many people should I let register?
As many as the room holds at first. After two or three events, use your real turnout to decide how many extra places to open.
Free events on Tellfox are free
With Tellfox free event registration, you start a free account, switch on Ticketing at no cost, and post free events for free, on every plan including Free.
- Your own event page with the places left, closing by itself when full
- Registration with a name and email or phone, or with LINE, and no app
- A QR ticket by LINE or email, and one reminder before the day
- A scan page on any phone, with search for lost tickets
- The list of who registered and who came, as a CSV file
Selling paid tickets too? See Tellfox Ticketing.