I talk to many people who run organizations and events, including many of my N.A.F.E. Directors across the country. One of their most pet peeves is that individuals just do not seem to respond they are attending a meeting, event etc. They cannot figure out WHY this happens.
To me it seems like a combination of things: procrastination, laziness and rudeness. Some also don't want to commit in case something better comes along for the same date.
If everyone of these people who do not RSVP or commit to the organization or event they are invited to, they should do an event or meeting and then they would see the importance of letting people know they will attend or not.
People that have planned weddings and send out the RSVP cards and don't get them all back and then, low and behold, they show up at the wedding reception.
Friends and members of organizations I belong to often express frustration, and I often experience it myself, even when you put an RSVP request on an invitation, and a meeting notice. Guests and members don't do anything about it. Before I started hosting events I probably skipped the RSVP myself. But once I started doing meetings and events I realized how important this is to do. Many times I have people that RSVP not show up and many people who did not RSVP show up.
Not sending an RSVP causes many issues for the host, or chair of an event. The major problem is that the person doing the meeting and/or event can't estimate how many guests plan to attend their event without an RSVP.
This could mean either one of two things. 1) rudeness is a growing trend in our society or, 2) as I would prefer to believe, people no longer understand what the term means. Assuming the best, and the reason guests don't RSVP to an invitation is because they don't have enough information rather than being inconsiderate. So let me describe what the word means.
What RSVP Means
The term RSVP comes from the French expression "Répondez- S’il-Vous-Plaît", meaning "please respond". If RSVP is written on an invitation, meetings notice, it means the invited guest and/or member must tell the host/chair whether or not they plan to attend the event they have been invited to. It does not mean to respond only if you're coming, and it does not mean respond only if you're not coming (the expression "regrets only" is reserved for that instance). It means the host/chair needs a definite head count for the planned event, and it needs it by the date specified on the invitation.
Why It's Inconsiderate Not to RSVP?
An incomplete list of respondents/members/guests can cause numerous problems for a host or chair of an event including difficulty in planning food quantities, issues relating to minimum guarantees with catering halls, restaurants. Uncertainty over the number of party favors and difficulties in planning appropriate seating, agendas for meetings, door prizes, among other things. Until you host your own meeting or event, it's difficult to imagine the frustration that ensues from inadequate responses to an RSVP.
So the next time you see RSVP on an invitation, meeting notice or email evite you receive, please call your host or chair of the event and respond promptly. They will be eternally grateful.
