I've read that for a public event, you can reasonably expect 10-20% of invited guests to actually attend. For private events, that number is something like 70-75%. Yet, out of the 53 ladies I invited, two (2)* showed up. Each at different times. I'll be generous and call that 4%. Ouch.
*Thank you each for stopping by, it was great spending some time with you!
Now there are countless reasons for why 51 people did not attend. Busy, out of town, Christmas shopping, or simply not being interested. But I'm curious about the folks who expressed interest and yet still did not show, as I've witnessed this on numerous occasions. Where does this behavior come from?
My mom thinks it's a trait of our Pacific NW culture.
My husband suggested that it's a woman issue (as he doesn't experience this with his friends).
One of my guests wondered if it was a characteristic of our generation.
The behavior can be described as
- Non-committal (keeping our options open)
- Conditional (concerned with who is attending and what the agenda will be)
- Transient (making short-lived appearances at events)
I will admit that I've been guilty of this behavior. However, since I fit into all three of the suspect categories, I'm not sure how to identify the root.
Has anyone else been seeing or experiencing this? What do you attribute it to? What methods do you use to draw and keep attendees?
