9 tips for fewer conference cancellations

1. Your conference cancellation policy is clear and transparent

The most important principle first: Organizers are more successful with their cancellation management when everyone is clear about whether and under what conditions cancellations are possible and when.

Cancellation policies shouldn’t get lost in the fine print of the terms and conditions. Of course, they’re part of it and belong there, but terms and conditions tend to lead a rather quiet existence on the conference website. They’re always there, but nobody pays much attention to them.

However, since the cancellation policy deserves more attention, bring it to the forefront. Either link to it directly on the conference website’s homepage and/or address the cancellation policy in a newsletter.

2. Cancellation costs money

Beware of free cancellations. Event organizers often end up footing the bill, as there’s always someone who has to process the cancelled bookings and be paid for it.

However, people who cancel their participation usually have valid reasons and rarely make the decision lightly or spontaneously. It is therefore important to find a cancellation fee that doesn’t immediately deter anyone from buying a ticket. On the other hand, it shouldn’t be so low that it’s negligible.

It becomes simpler with date cut-offs. Those who cancel by the deadline receive a partial refund or a discount for a future event. However, if someone cancels just one week before the conference begins, they receive no refund at all.

3. Conference tickets also cost something.

Sometimes, organizers try to make a conference more attractive by charging no or only minimal registration fees. This makes a big difference at academic conferences, as these events are generally quite expensive and can sometimes be exclusive, requiring a certain level of financial means to afford. It’s all the better, then, if funds are available and organizers deliberately set lower ticket prices.

However, ticket prices present the same problem as cancellation fees: those who pay little to nothing to participate tend to see the conference as a loose option rather than a fixed date in the calendar that cannot be changed.

Some of our clients also mention ticket insurance during registration. Ticket buyers take out this insurance themselves if needed. If they cancel, they handle that directly with the insurance company. This means no additional work for you as the conference organizer.

You can either work directly with a specific insurance provider and include a link to their insurance on your conference website, or you can generally inform ticket buyers about the ticket insurance option during registration. Those who wish to purchase insurance can then choose the appropriate offer themselves. However, ticket insurance should always be voluntary, as it typically only applies in extreme cases that make participation impossible.

4. Limited time offers protect against cancellations.

You can go a step further by offering certain program items only to a limited number of people.

A potential ticket buyer should be able to see how many places are still available immediately upon registration. Therefore, never sell tickets and then allocate the places randomly. It’s better for someone to cancel their registration right away because the desired workshop is already sold out, rather than having to cancel their participation after purchasing a ticket.

Need a short reading break? We also offer video tips on the topic of cancellations:

5. What can participants look forward to?

People who buy their conference tickets early have plenty of time before the conference starts. This is valuable time that you, as the organizer, can use to regularly build anticipation.

Start a newsletter for your conference. All ticket holders will receive occasional updates and learn what they can look forward to at the event. Summarize the conference benefits in a list or choose one point per newsletter and elaborate on it in more detail. This could be the agenda, a specific session, networking events, or you could explain how your conference ensures fair conditions for speakers and staff.

The updates also help to ensure that the appointment is remembered and remains firmly in place – this can also prevent some cancellations.

6. Create alternatives to cancellation

Always consider cancelling your conference participation as the last resort, only to be considered if all other options are unavailable.

You can easily avoid the hassle of cancellations by allowing each person to nominate a substitute participant. If everyone is clear about this beforehand, the process will run smoothly for both sides.

If you’re hosting a hybrid conference, one person could participate digitally if they can’t attend in person. This allows you to solve the problem even at short notice, for example, if someone comes down with a cold shortly before the conference and prefers to stay away.

7. It’s okay to be accommodating, but…

People who cancel don’t do so intentionally to harm your conference. As the organizer, you established cancellation policies in advance and should adhere to them. However, depending on the circumstances, it’s perfectly acceptable to turn a blind eye and not charge someone the full ticket price if they cancel half a day after the deadline, apologize, and have a valid reason.

Therefore, always consider the effort involved and decide what constitutes an acceptable level of flexibility for you. While it’s fine to be flexible, if necessary, this information doesn’t belong on the conference website.

Important to know: The right of withdrawal that is common for consumers, allowing buyers to cancel their purchase free of charge within a few weeks, does not usually apply to congress tickets.

8. Special case: Cancelling a hotel booking for the conference

Some conferences allow participants to book a hotel room at the same time as they registered. However, caution is advised: if a participant later cancels their conference registration, this does not automatically mean their hotel reservation is also cancelled. The hotel may even refuse to transfer the booking to a replacement, and the room costs will still be incurred despite the cancellation. Everyone should be aware of this, at the latest when registering for the conference.

9. How many cancellations can you expect for your conference?

Speculating isn’t helpful. It’s better to ask directly. What caused the cancellation? Were there personal reasons? Sometimes organizers offer tickets while they’re still planning the session content. Did people cancel because the final program didn’t meet their expectations?

For recurring conferences, take a closer look at the data at the end: How many cancellations were there on average? What were the most common reasons for these cancellations?

The more data you collect, the better your cancellation forecasts will be.

Perhaps these tips will help you receive fewer cancellations at your next conference. At least, that’s our wish for you!