Starting on time – the perennial issue for event organisers, partly exacerbated by latecomers especially in good old Singapore where we tend to have a more elusive concept of time.

So how do you get attendees to arrive on time, if not early, for the event to go according to plan? We’ve come up with seven suggestions worth the shot.

1. Send an event reminder email. Peatix has an automated reminder email system with the email sent the day before the event. However, if you’d like to add a personalised touch, you could tailor a reminder email through the Peatix attendee messaging system. Messages could even be filtered by attendee “ticket type” or “payment status”. Get sending but remember, don’t spam, it’s annoying and gets lost in the noise.

2. Announce an agenda. You can easily update the Peatix event page via the “edit” tab in the dashboard with an agenda for the evening so people know about the good stuff they’re missing out on should they arrive late. Once you update the page, you’ll also be prompted to notify attendees to ensure that everyone gets the memo.

3. Establish a cut-off time. Sounds brutal but hey, they do this at performance theatres and concerts simply because latecomers are very distracting to present attendees and not to mention, it can be pretty rude to the speakers/performers/organisers. But of course, be flexible as organisers and accommodate to special circumstances.

4. Give freebies to the first (insert number) of attendees. Trust us, this works. We had people arriving on time and even early for our Launch Party in July where we gave away limited edition Peatix shirts! Simply plop your logo on a nifty gift and *ta-dah* you get prompt attendees plus free marketing for your brand (depending on how awesome your gift is) when attendees take pictures of it and post it on Instagram or Facebook or what have you these days.

5. Start with dinner then proceed to the main act of the night. This way, even if some do arrive notoriously late, they will still be able to experience the bulk of the performance/talk. Also, as most Singaporeans know and love their food, it’s imperative to source for not only good but also unique and interesting food to entice the early birds. Check out our blog article here for six innovative event caterers you could contact (we’re not sponsored for the shout out, we genuinely recommend them).

6. Partner with Uber to sponsor rides. Just as how we partnered with Uber for session two of Backstage Pass, you could consider doing the same. Getting chauffeured to and from the event venue, now that’s the life. More importantly, it could help your attendees arrive on time in comfort with no excuse for an inconvenient venue or a late day at work. Do your attendees a favour and connect with Uber.

7. Organise an interesting event. Seems like a no-brainer, but really it’s a far cry between knowing and doing. If an event is interesting, people will naturally want to turn up and be on time. Of course, not all of us have the budget to invite Supermodel Naomi Campbell to grace our events but… you get the picture. Content is key!