Guest List Strategy
A guest list fills the room early and builds a crowd you can sell to later. Run without limits, it gives away the night. Run with limits, it's the cheapest marketing you have. On slash.fm you have two tools: names on the Guest list tab, checked in at the door by name, and free RSVP tickets, which are scanned like any ticket.
Choose the right tool
| Guest list names | Free RSVP ticket | |
|---|---|---|
| Who adds them | You, managers and promoters | The guest, from the event page |
| At the door | Found by name, with plus-ones | Scanned like a ticket |
| Limit | As many names as you add | A cap on the ticket type |
| Approval | You chose them | Optional: require approval |
| Can be resold | No | No |
Cap it
Decide how many free entries the night can carry, usually 10 to 20 percent of capacity. Set that as the cap on the free RSVP, and give each promoter a number of names. Without a cap, the list grows to whatever promoters can collect and paid tickets stop selling.
Fill the room early
The point of a guest list is people in the room at 10:30, when a half-empty club makes paying guests leave. End the free RSVP's sale window at the time you want the room full, and tell list guests the time the door stops honoring the list. Put it in the event description so the door team and guests see the same rule.
Turn list guests into buyers
- People who RSVP free on slash.fm have accounts, so they can follow you and see your next event.
- Offer last month's crowd a promo code for the early tier before the public announce.
- Count no-shows. If more than a third of RSVPs don't come, it's too easy to get in; require approval next time.
At the door
Door staff scan RSVP tickets and search the Guest list tab for names, checking in plus-ones as they arrive. Watch the headcount: if the list is filling the room faster than paid entry, stop adding names.
Start selling
Sign up with your phone number, create your organization and put in your first event: tickets, guest list and tables. No contract and no monthly fee. New organizers are reviewed before their first event goes live, usually within a day.