Title: Filling the last senior seats at an executive summit | Summitrix URL: https://summitrix.com/insights/fill-last-senior-seats-executive-summit/ Summary: How late people really register, where to look first for the remaining senior seats in the final four weeks, and when an empty chair is better than the wrong guest. - [Home](https://summitrix.com/) - [Insights](https://summitrix.com/insights/) Campaign planning # Filling the last senior seats at an executive summit Four weeks out, the agenda is set and the sponsors are asking about numbers. A handful of senior seats are still empty. This is normal, and there's usually something you can do about it, but only with the right people. A room filled with anyone available can do more harm than a gap. - [Late registration is normal](https://summitrix.com/insights/fill-last-senior-seats-executive-summit/#section-0) - [Find out exactly which seats are missing](https://summitrix.com/insights/fill-last-senior-seats-executive-summit/#section-1) - [Where to look for the last seats first](https://summitrix.com/insights/fill-last-senior-seats-executive-summit/#section-2) - [Agree the substitution rule in advance](https://summitrix.com/insights/fill-last-senior-seats-executive-summit/#section-3) ## Late registration is normal A Maritz study of more than 360,000 registrations across 30 trade shows found that 45% of attendees in 2023 registered four weeks or less before the event, and 13% in the week before, with another 9% registering on site ([TSNN](https://www.tsnn.com/event-management/why-attendees-are-registering-late-and-what-to-do-about-it)). Trade shows aren't invitation-only summits, and the share varied a lot by sector. Still, it's a useful reminder that a quiet registration list a month out isn't a crisis yet. Late yeses also tend to turn up. Within individual events, PheedLoop found almost no difference in attendance between early and late registrants ([PheedLoop report 9](https://pheedloop.com/blog/event-data-lab-report-09-late-registrants-arent-flakier-their-events-are-different)). ## Find out exactly which seats are missing Writing for PCMA, Kimberly Hardcastle-Geddes suggests profiling who has already registered, by job title and company type, to see which gaps are left before deciding what to do ([PCMA](https://www.pcma.org/registration-down-its-almost-show-time-next-steps/)). If the gap is at C-level, a general reminder to everyone won't close it. Make a short list of the roles that would make the room work for the sponsors. That list drives everything else. ## Where to look for the last seats first With a few weeks left, start with people who already know the event. In our view these routes deserve a try before any new outreach, though we found no published data comparing them: - people who said "not this time" earlier, with something new to tell them, such as a confirmed speaker - your speakers' and sponsors' own senior contacts, invited in their name with their agreement - a substitute from the same company when a registered guest drops out - a short waiting list, so a released place can be offered the same day ## Agree the substitution rule in advance Substitutes keep a seat filled, but only if the rule is clear. Informa's delegate terms for Greenbuild, for example, allow a transfer to another member of the same organisation with written notice, at least 30 days before the event, for a fee ([Greenbuild terms](https://informaconnect.com/greenbuild/delegate-terms-and-conditions/)). A free invitation-only summit will set its own terms. Decide who can approve a substitute, how senior they must be, and the last day you'll accept one. ## Sources and further reading - [TSNN: why attendees are registering late (Maritz study)](https://www.tsnn.com/event-management/why-attendees-are-registering-late-and-what-to-do-about-it) - [PCMA: registration is down and it's almost show time](https://www.pcma.org/registration-down-its-almost-show-time-next-steps/) - [PheedLoop Event Data Lab report 9: late registrants aren't flakier](https://pheedloop.com/blog/event-data-lab-report-09-late-registrants-arent-flakier-their-events-are-different) - [Informa Connect: Greenbuild delegate terms and conditions](https://informaconnect.com/greenbuild/delegate-terms-and-conditions/) Sources checked 29 October 2026. Guidance can change. This article combines cited source information with Summitrix’s proposed working approach. ### Prepare your event brief. Tell us who you want to invite and what your event offers. - [Prepare your event brief](https://summitrix.com/#brief) - [Delegate acquisition services](https://summitrix.com/delegate-acquisition/) - [Event email campaigns](https://summitrix.com/event-email-campaigns/) - [All insights](https://summitrix.com/insights/)