Signing up for a event, then not showing up

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Hello everyone,

I just wanted to shed some light on a issue that has been happening in the #live:events a lot.

I know @Sashaz55 has previously brought up something similar last year, but it seems like it is still happening.

I have noticed that many people tend to sign up for a event, but back out a few hours, or even minutes before the event. Even worse, some just choose not to show up without saying anything at all.

Yes, there are times that you cannot attend the event due to whatever circumstances, and we understand. But please, at least let the organiser know a few days before instead of just keeping quiet and not showing up. That way, the organiser would be able to make the necessary arrangements.

People organise these events so that IFC members can all get together and fly. They take the time to make arrangements, design the thread and arrange the gates, and it really isnā€™t fair when you just back out last minute. If you were in the organiserā€™s shoes, I am sure you would not like it if someone just backs out minutes before the event.

So, what can you do if you are not sure if you can attend?

Rather than signing up and backing out later, sign yourself up, but put yourself on ā€œstandbyā€. This way, organisers would not expect you to come since you have already stated that you cannot confirm that you are coming from the start. Or simple, just donā€™t sign up at all.

#live:events makes the IFC a better place, so letā€™s not take it for granted. As for myself, I really hope to see less of this happening in the future.

Edit:
I completely understand that there are many real life situations which of course is prioritised over Infinite Flight.

Itā€™s more about people not saying anything at all about not being able to come and just keeping silent which can be annoying. Instead, I would prefer a ā€œIā€™m not able to come as [reason]ā€.

Cheers :)

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It is a real bummer when someone doesnā€™t show up, but the thing is that for most people (except for the devs maybe) real world stuff is more important than infinite flight, and sometimes everything can change at the last second. I would suggest partnering with VAs, as in my experience their pilots attend 99% of the time

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Happens too much nowadays

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Yeah of course, I understand that. But at least you could say something instead of just not showing up :)

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I actually donā€™t mind it as long as they at least say that they canā€™t attend. That way it will give more respect to the event organizers at least.

If they canā€™t come at last minute itā€™s fine, but please let the event organizers know instead of not showing up but doesnā€™t say anything. It doesnā€™t hurt to spare one minute to say ā€œSorry I canā€™t come due to xxx reasonā€ right?

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You have to keep in mind that a lot of people here are teens, who might be called in to help their family members or even just to eat, and it isnā€™t quite polite to make them wait 1-2 minutes which will be the time you need to write that you wonā€™t come

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Yeah, fair point. Being honest, I face that sometimes too, but I always try to just type a quick message like ā€œI cannot attend the event as I have to help my family membersā€ etc.

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Exactly, I donā€™t mind if someone has to back out at the last minute. Thatā€™s happened to me before and I totally understand things happen.
What I donā€™t appreciate is people signing up, they never show up, and then they never message you or anything after. I even send out reminder PMs for my event 5 days before and then am active in it leading up to the event.

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That is a good point! But I want to see less of it though. If people canā€™t write when the event is starting, write it after so the people organizing the event knows what happened.

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Yeah, Iā€™m in that position. I keep getting told to come down for dinner, to socialise, or go out somewhere like 30 seconds before I need to be both doing whst my parents want, and st the event. I even had to bail out my own event because my mum wanted me to cone out for dinner, thinking I would like that! So yeah, itā€™s hard, and this keeps happening to me time and time again. But yeah, I think as long as you explain later, itā€™s not to much of a big deal.

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I really appreciate those who still take the time to explain why they could not attend even though it is after the event instead of just keeping silent!

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I did post something a few months back about this. I think itā€™s great to have a reminder. I understand if you canā€™t make it, thatā€™s ok! Just a simple ā€œIā€™m really sorry, I canā€™t make this oneā€ helps a lot. Itā€™s just sad to have 4 people attend when 19 were supposed to come.

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I honestly believe that, as much as I would like to understand why someone doesnā€™t notify of their absence, if they just used maximum 30 seconds of their time to say, ā€œSorry or I Apologize that I canā€™t attend this eventā€, or ā€œSorry, but I donā€™t want to or donā€™t feel like attendingā€, or simply just say, ā€œCanā€™t or Wonā€™t attendā€, then Iā€™d be more than happy to know that this person wonā€™t join the event.

I donā€™t mind or care much for what reason someone bails out for. May it be because they have a dinner to be at or that they just donā€™t feel like attending or they just want to go to sleepā€¦ be whatever, but if you do notify the event manager/creator, who has worked so tirelessly with organizing the whole thing, then you would spare them a disappointment or feeling of lack if appreciation for their hard work.

Then again, this has become so normal nowadays and even since last year, and Iā€™ve co-hosted major events, the big Regular ones, where at first every participant was there but slowly, per each event; The numbers of signed up users Vs. How many actually showed up, decreased significantly and thus I just gotten used it that 50% or slightly more may come but not everyone. And to add on, Iā€™ve joined myself many huge events hosted by some of our most well-known event creators on IFC, and there Iā€™ve seen, out of 100, only 20 show upā€¦ probably 50 didnā€™t say anythingā€¦ but thatā€™s what lifeā€™s like and eventually, and unfortunately, we who are used to host big events or join big events, know that, the inevitable is that not all who donā€™t show up will inform of their absence, and that can and should be changed for the sake of showing some respectful to those who spent hours, days, and weeks to make a event, which I can vouch for, isnā€™t a simple task, takes time, effort and dedication ā˜ļø

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Well, some backed out of my event as there was another event happening a few hours later. But at least, they did tell me that they couldnā€™t attend, which I appreciated a lot.

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I attended an event few weeks ago. Total 14 pilots signed up. Only 3 turn up (including me). The host contacted the rest but never give any reason until today. Really disheartening only 20% turn up :(

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I call it event dipping, although some people have valid reasons, some people just ā€œdipā€ out at the last minute without notifying the host

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This is something that has needed to be addressed for a long time. I understand that some may have last-minute commitments that they need to take care of, that is fine. However, as said above, if you know the event will be at a dodgy time for you, and you might not come, just donā€™t sign up OR you can get put on a standby list (if the event has one). This just saves so much for those who organised the event, and helps free up space for those who actually can attend the event. Just my two cents.

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Iā€™m pretty sure organisers would be more than happy to create one if someone asks to be on standby.

I did request to be on standby at a few events and all of them gladly put me on standby.

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Yeah Iā€™m gonna have to agree with @sqeezelemon . People do have real life conflicts, that almost always take priority over Infinite Flight. Especially when you may have an event planned many weeks in advance, itā€™s hard to plan your life that far in advance. When Iā€™m free, Iā€™ll try to stop by the event I may have signed up for a month ago, but there are many times, where I canā€™t make it, because I had a more important conflict, or I may have just forgotten, because it was planned so far in advance. There really is no solution to this either. Its kinda just a thing youā€™ve gotta take into account when event planning. Maybe do a flash flight, in the #live:groupflights . There, if the event starts right away, then you know that everyone that signed up, will join right away. Itā€™s hard to forget when a flash flight is only 5 minutes in advance šŸ˜‚. Iā€™m sorry youā€™re disappointed by the turnout of #live:events . But remember, itā€™s not just your infinite flight experience. Itā€™s everyoneā€™s own personal experience, and they can fly when and where they want. Yes, it does suck when someone signs up and doesnā€™t show. But in the grand scheme of infinite flight, or even life, itā€™s not a major deal. And Iā€™m sure at least a few people showed up, right?šŸ™ƒ
-bcc.123

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It is not fun for the organizers when you get a billion sign ups, but as the event draws closer, people start dropping it. Most are courteous to let the organizers know they canā€™t make it, which is great! I think the main thing that this is happening is because the events are posted usually a month (sometimes less, sometimes more) before they happen, and as much as people try, itā€™s kinda hard to guarantee youā€™ll be 100% free on a certain date so far ahead, hence, the cancellations. I think your mentioning of using standby is a great way to start, but then comes the issue of availability. Donā€™t forget that even if you signup standby, youā€™re technically still taking up a spot when spots are limited already. If most people are signing up standby, then those who can make it 100% may find that the spot they want may not be available until last minute, and that to me, isnā€™t the best

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