Sign Up Mystery

Why do ladies wait until the last minute to register for a retreat (or other event)?  We’ve puzzled about this for years.

Normally, whether we are making a contract with a hotel or with a caterer,  we are required to make the best estimate possible of the number of ladies who will attend.  We have a registration deadline, after which we turn in our final head count.  It is very common for a majority of ladies to wait and sign up within hours of that deadline.

So what’s the problem?

If all the hotel rooms that we contracted for are not filled, we pay for rooms that we don’t use, ultimately resulting in the retreat going into the red.  For other events, not having a number until the last minute can hinder and delay planning and preparation.  When ladies wait to sign up, someone in charge is probably struggling to avoid panic.  Decisions may have to be made based on a smaller estimate due to low early sign up, just to be safe.

How can you encourage an earlier sign up?

A preliminary registration deadline may be helpful to relieving this stress.  This preliminary registration deadline states:  If you pay by such-and-such date, your cost is one amount; if you pay after that date (but before the final registration date), your cost is $10-$20 more.  Most (but not all) ladies will respond to this financial “encouragement” to register before the last minute.