Setting an RSVP and Attendance Policy

Most Meetup group members RSVP in a timely and accurate manner (hooray!). But some members can be slow to RSVP, lax in changing their RSVP when something comes up, or worse, not even show up when they said they would (boo!). That's unfair to the Organizer, to members who could have attended in their place, and to members who expected a greater turnout (sad).

Organizers like you can encourage good RSVP habits and discourage bad ones by setting a clear and concise RSVP & Attendance Policy. By doing so, your Meetup group members know what's expected of them with no misunderstanding. It also reminds them that you value their presence! You want them to participate and attend! Establishing an RSVP & Attendance Policy a policy will help your group run smoothly. And the best part is it's really easy to do!

Let's define good RSVP/attendance etiquette and then look at ways of implementing an RSVP & Attendance Policy for your group!

1. Good RSVP/attendance etiquette




2. Establishing an RSVP & Attendance Policy




3. Tracking attendance




4. Reminding members of the policy




5. Dealing with members who don't comply

Good RSVP/attendance etiquette

It is courteous to accept or decline an invitation within a few days of receiving it. The same goes for adjusting your RSVP if your plans change. To reeeeeeeeeeally break it down:

• You should RSVP within the first two days of receiving an invitation

  
  
  

• You should update your RSVP as soon as your plans change. If that's within 24 hours of the event, you should personally contact the Organizer via email or phone to tell them about the change





• If you RSVPed Yes, you show up to the event. If you can't show up, you change your RSVP accordingly and explain to the Organizer why you couldn't attend





• If you RSVPed No, you do not attend the event without changing your RSVP to Yes and then contacting the Organizer





• If you RSVPed Maybe, you change your RSVP to Yes or No at least 48 hours before the event and inform the Organizer of that change

When in doubt, just follow those above rules, and everyone will think you're the cat's pajamas!

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Establishing an RSVP & Attendance Policy

Once you've got some RSVP/attendance guidelines in mind, you'll want to decide on member requirements for RSVPing, updating RSVPs, as well as attending events. A three strikes rule is pretty standard. For example, RSVPing Yes and not showing up three times would constitue some type of action. What that action is is up to you. You could contact them with a warning or even remove them from your Meetup Group. Whatever you choose, you'll want to state those consequences clearly along with your RSVP & Attendance Policy.

How do you communicate your new RSVP & Attendance Policy to your group?

Easy! You can:

• State the guidelines clearly on your 'About Us' page


• Post them as a message on your message board


• Upload them as a document to your 'Files' page


• Outline the policy in your Meetup group's welcome message to new members

However you do it, the guidelines must be clear and out in the open so group members know what's expected of them (and what will happen if they don't live up to expectations). If you're stumped on what to say and how to post it, here are some examples of real live Meetup Orgs stating their RSVP & Attendance Policies. Check them out for inspiration!

Anne-Marie of Project Knitaway and Sit n' Knit New York posted her policy on her message board. It's firm but fun:

Once the event is full, people email me wanting to attend, money in hand, ready to give up their first child to attend our fabulous Meetup event. There are always a couple of people who forget to update their response or pay the event fee by the due date. This is where we have a problem. If you don't change your RSVP, the person willing to pay and ready to come is left hanging (not to mention me). So, this means me keeping seperate lists, sending COUNTLESS emails, and sometimes me being out the moolah. So - things change, things come up, life happens. If you can't make it, take a second and switch your RSVP to 'no'. Event fee or no event fee, tracking people down isn't much fun. Knitting together is!

For the Montreal Friends Meetup, Aurora's policy is noted on her main 'About Us' page. She states that RSVPing is considerate to others and important to the venue when reservations are required.

Lynn, from The Eclectic Bunch, created an additional 'About Us' page for her RSVPing guidelines. She adds a link to that RSVP policy on every event she schedules noting: "PLEASE READ OUR RSVP POLICY BEFORE RESPONDING."

The Mommy Network of Hampton Roads created a document called 'Guidelines' and uploaded it to the 'Files' section of their Meetup group. The Organizer then links to that document on their 'About Us' page. Nice! They have a 'No Show Policy', 'An Attendance Policy' and an 'RSVP policy' clearly outlined for members.

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Tracking attendance

So you've got your policy and it's posted somewhere your members can see it. Nice work! Now you just have to keep track of those who are and aren't following the rules. That's easy!

1. Click 'Calendar' and then click on an event



2. Click "Printer-friendly summary"



3. Print out that page and bring it to your Meetup



4. At your Meetup, just check off who did and didn't show

It is a little manual, but it works. And after a few times, you'll get a handle on who's showing up and who isn't.

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Reminding members of the policy

If you encounter a member continuously ignoring the RSVP & Attendance Policy, you should contact them and remind them of what the rules are. At a loss for words? Check out one of Hilary's wonderful templates. Here's a sample of a gentle and well-written warning:

Dear Member,

As the Organizers for [Meetup Group], we have undertaken responsibility for managing the Meetup website, establishing standards for its use and trying to insure an enjoyable, relaxed and welcoming environment for our members.

Our goal is to foster a supportive sense of community among our membership focused on [whatever your group does? example: dining out and other social events].

In this spirit, over the last week or so, we have asked you to refrain from certain conduct [...outline what needs correction; not showing up for events, RSVP inaccurately, etc.]

If you feel that you cannot respect the parameters established by the Organizers, perhaps this group is not a good match for you.

If you are willing to abide by the standards set by the Organizers for this group, then you are welcome to continue your membership. Please note however that failure to comply with these standards in the future will result in termination of your membership.

The Organizers

~ Many thanks to Gabrielle and Matt of The Weekly Dinner for this sample text!

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Dealing with members who don't comply

The easiest way to manage your Meetup group is to stick by your your policy. It shows members you care about the group and fosters good manners for everyone. If you've sent a reminder/warning to a member, and they're still not complying, it may be time to remove the member from your Meetup Group. Here's another great template for how to handle removing a member:

Dear Member,

Our no-show policy includes both no-shows and last minute cancellations, as defined in our posted policy located here: [policy link]

The organizers have been watching your RSVP activity over the last few months and have noted a consistent habit of no-showing and/or RSVPing YES to events and then dropping the day of the event to the following events:

[event date/description]

Your general indifference to actually attending our gatherings is apparent by the above absences. Your RSVP routine is detrimental to other members who truly have an interest in attending the events we, the Organizers, spend much time putting together. It deprives other members of the opportunity to RSVP with advance planning and creates headaches/burdens for the organizers who have to administer the wait list when you last minute cancel.

Your history indicates a lack of good faith with the RSVP system and a distinct disrespect for the time and effort the organizers spend arranging an administering events. We can only conclude this group is incompatible with your social style and suggest you pursue membership with another organization who understands your busy schedule.

The Organizers

~ Many thanks to Gabrielle and Matt of The Weekly Dinner for this sample text!

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Establishing an RSVP & Attendance Policy for your Meetup Group is a very smart and very simple thing to do. All you have to do is pick a policy, post it for your members to read, and then stick to it. Your members will be more invested in their participation and in the Meetup Group as whole. An RSVP & Attendance Policy will enhance your Meetup Group and make it easier to run. That sound good, right?

For more great advice on how to set policies for your Meetup Group, please check out Ground Rules: Creating a Meetup Group Constitution and Sending Personal Reminder Emails.