You’ve secured the speakers, finalised the venue, and sent out the invitations. Everything is ready. But when the event day arrives, the turnout falls short of expectations. No-shows are a common and frustrating issue that limits the increase in B2B event attendance.
This is especially true in Singapore, where busy professionals often manage packed schedules and receive several event invitations. This goes for webinar lead generation, too. Getting people to attend is just as important as getting them to sign up.
No-shows are undeniably one of the biggest worries for any event planner. On average, virtual events see a no-show rate of around 35%.
For free in-person events, no-show rates can reach 50%. That means losing half your audience and the valuable leads and connections they could bring.
The good news? A strong follow-up email strategy can make all the difference. It not only reminds attendees about your event but also reinforces its value and builds anticipation.
Adding just one follow-up can boost your reply rate from 9% to 13%. This means it has the power to turn missed opportunities into confirmed attendees.
In this blog, we’ll share 5 proven follow-up tips to help you boost attendance and reduce no-shows at your next Singapore event.
Why Attendees Forget or Skip Events

People are overwhelmed with commitments, distractions, and choices. And events, particularly free or low-commitment ones, tend to fall off the radar when something more urgent comes up.
Knowing why attendees skip or forget webinars helps you create better follow-ups, boost attendance, and strengthen your webinar promotion strategies. Here are five common reasons and how you can address them effectively:
1. Low Commitment from Free or Inexpensive Events
When attendees don’t have to invest much—financially or emotionally—they’re less likely to prioritise your event. This is known as the “illusion of commitment”, or when people sign up but never really plan to attend. One of the best webinar tips is to recognize this and plan follow-ups that build real commitment.
What to do:
- Reinforce value in every follow-up email.
- Offer something exclusive upon sign-up (e.g., a resource or early-access benefit).
- Use registration questions or confirmations to increase perceived investment.
2. Event Fatigue in a Crowded Market
Singapore is bustling with conferences, webinars, trade shows, and networking events. When everything sounds the same, attendees tune out. They become selective, opting only for events that promise standout experiences or real value.
What to do:
- Use compelling subject lines and visuals in your follow-ups.
- Highlight your key differentiators: who they’ll meet, what they’ll gain, and what makes it worth showing up.
3. Poor or Infrequent Reminders
Even the most interested registrants can forget. Without timely reminders, your event can easily slip through the cracks.
What to do:
- Set a reminder sequence: send emails at 1 week, 3 days, and 24 hours before the event.
- Include calendar invites in every email.
- For key prospects, follow up with a quick call or text.
4. Unclear or Low Perceived Value
If attendees don’t immediately see how the event is relevant or beneficial to them, they won’t prioritise it.
What to do:
- Personalise your messaging based on their role or interests.
- Use your emails to tease the most exciting parts of the agenda.
- Include testimonials or quotes from past attendees.
Read more about how you can attract more event attendees.
5. Last-Minute Conflicts or Emergencies
Let’s face it. Some no-shows are unavoidable. Work crises, family emergencies, or even bad weather can keep people away.
What to do:
- Offer flexible options, such as session recordings or make-up invitations for future events.
- Add a line in your reminder emails that says, “Can’t make it? Let us know” to plan around drop-offs.
The Hidden Costs of No-Shows
While no-shows may seem minor, they can hurt your business in several ways. Here’s what happens when people don’t show up:
Wasted Time and Effort
Your sales team spends time preparing for meetings that never happen. That effort goes to waste, affecting productivity.
Lower Sales Performance
Chasing down no-shows takes time away from qualified leads. This slows down your sales team and reduces overall performance.
Drop in Team Morale
Repeated no-shows can frustrate your team. It hurts motivation and can lead to burnout over time.
Missed Revenue Opportunities
Every no-show is a lost chance to move a deal forward. That missed opportunity can directly impact your bottom line.
Disrupted Sales Flow
No-shows cause delays in your pipeline. They throw off follow-up schedules and slow down the sales cycle.
Understanding the impact of no-shows helps you see why follow-up strategies are so important.
Struggling with High No-Show Rates?
Strengthen Attendance with Smart Email Follow-Up Tactics
Reducing no-shows starts with one key strategy: staying top of mind. While you can’t guarantee every registrant will attend, strategic and well-timed email follow-ups can significantly increase your chances. Here’s how to make it work:

1. Set Up a Reminder Sequence, Not Just a Single Nudge
Sending one reminder 1–2 days before your event helps, but it’s not enough. A well-structured reminder flow keeps your event in focus.
Your reminder timeline could look like this:
- Upon sign-up: Send a warm confirmation with key event info.
- One week before: Reinforce value and add a calendar invite.
- Three days before: Include speaker highlights or content teasers.
- One day before: Quick, mobile-friendly reminder with CTA.
- Morning of event: Final push with a “See you soon!” message.
Email is your best ally here, especially for on-the-go attendees who check emails regularly even outside office hours. This is a great way to learn how to generate leads through webinars by staying top of mind with your audience.
Pro Tip: Complement email with call reminders for VIPs, and calendar invites to lock in commitment.
2. Use Multiple Channels, But Keep Email at the Core
While email does the heavy lifting, mixing in other touchpoints creates a stronger recall effect. Think of your outreach as a layered strategy:
- Calendar Invites: Include them in every email. Once accepted, it becomes a passive yet effective reminder.
- Reminder Calls: A simple “Will you be attending?” call can trigger a verbal commitment, and people who say “yes” are more likely to follow through.
- Social Media Buzz: Post countdowns, speaker reels, or behind-the-scenes prep. Create an attendee group or event page to keep the energy alive.
- SMS/WhatsApp (Opt-in): Great for day-before nudges if permitted.
Keep email as your central message hub, and let the other channels support it.
Discover how Callbox’s Multichannel program Uplifts Event Registration for Cloud Provider
3. Personalize Every Message
Generic follow-ups won’t cut it. Personalized content helps build trust and relevance—two key drivers of attendance.
- Use dynamic fields (e.g., name, company, industry).
- Customize content based on registration data.
- Mention sessions or topics that match their job role or interests.
- Reinforce the benefit: “Here’s what you’ll walk away with…”
Relevance = higher engagement.
4. Build Anticipation with Engaging Content
Your emails shouldn’t just say “Don’t forget”—they should get people excited.
- Share sneak peeks of keynote speakers or sessions.
- Include teaser videos or photos from previous events.
- Offer something exclusive: an early-access PDF, onsite perk, or giveaway.
Incentives build motivation and perceived value—especially for free events.
5. Include a Clear, Easy-to-Act CTA
Make it easy for attendees to take action with every email. Use direct, mobile-friendly CTAs like:
- “Add to Calendar”
- “Confirm Attendance”
- “View Event Details”
Always repeat the date, time, and location clearly in the body and CTA button. Clarity reduces drop-off.
Bonus Tip: Monitor Engagement and Re-Engage Early
Tracking your email and social metrics gives you a real-time view of who’s likely to show up—and who might need an extra nudge.
- Watch open and click-through rates on reminders.
- Segment unengaged users and send personalized “Still joining us?” emails.
- If numbers dip, try urgency-based CTAs or referral incentives to boost attendance last-minute.
Turn Follow-Ups Into Show-Ups. Don’t let your hard work go to waste. Let Callbox craft follow-up email sequences that drive real attendance. Talk to Sales.
Don’t Just Remind, Reinforce the Value

Many believe the first email is the most important, but if you’ve run an email program, you know follow-ups matter too. Following the provided tips increases attendance in events and webinars, helping you boost response rates by 25–35%.
People are busy, and emails can easily get lost in crowded inboxes. Follow-up emails help remind your audience to respond and give you another chance to highlight the value of your event.
For webinar attendees, relevance and clarity are key. A simple reminder may not be enough to secure their participation. Use your follow-up to explain what they’ll gain, such as industry insights, expert speakers, or networking opportunities with peers.
This is especially important for tech industry webinars, where time is limited and the content must be compelling. Make sure your message focuses on benefits and answers the question, “Why should I attend?”
Webinars can help generate leads by highlighting value in follow-up emails. This approach shows how B2B companies can use webinars to generate leads effectively.
Follow-up emails are a vital part of webinar marketing. They help reduce no-shows, increase engagement, and ensure your audience stays informed and interested.
Related Topic: Webinar Marketing Guide for Software Companies
Conclusion
No-shows happen, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reduce them. A smart email follow-up strategy can keep your B2B marketing webinars at the top of mind and boost attendance.
When you get timing, personalisation, and messaging right, follow-up emails remind people to attend and explain the value, helping you generate leads.
When your emails highlight the value, build excitement, and stay consistent, you attract people who are more likely to show up and engage. This applies whether you’re running a trade show, conference, networking, seminar, or webinar in Singapore or anywhere in APAC.
Want to get better results from your next online event? These event lead generation tips will help you write follow-ups that drive real attendance and reduce no-shows. Nothing beats the expertise of an outsourced team for event promotion. Working with a trusted lead generation agency ensures your event has a full turnout.