39 Event Attendance Rate Statistics & Benchmarks (2026)

Last updated: Aug 2026

Looking for current event attendance benchmarks?

We’ve collected and categorized the latest statistics on event attendance rates, no-shows, in-person events, webinars, attendee behavior, and attendance trends below.

1. Free events experience no-show rates of 40–60%. (Event Tech Live)
2. Paid events achieve attendance rates of 90–97%. (Event Tech Live)
3. 37% of surveyed event organizers reported an average registration-to-attendance conversion rate of 20–40% for B2B in-person conferences, summits, and conventions. (Bizzabo)
4. 60% of webinar registrants converted into attendees in ON24’s 2025 platform data. (ON24)
5. Goldcast recorded a 40% webinar attendance rate in 2025, up from 33% in 2024. (Goldcast)

1. 57% of event organizers said attendance at their B2B in-person conferences, summits, and conventions grew over the previous year. (Bizzabo)
2. 54% of attendees said they planned to attend more in-person events in 2025. (Bizzabo)
3. 37% of surveyed organizers said their largest B2B in-person conference, summit, or convention typically had 501–999 attendees. (Bizzabo)
4. 24% said their largest B2B in-person event typically had fewer than 100 attendees. (Bizzabo)
5. 23% said their largest B2B in-person event typically had 1,000–4,999 attendees. (Bizzabo)
6. Only 8% said their largest B2B in-person event typically had 101–500 attendees. (Bizzabo)
7. 37% of surveyed organizers reported an average registration-to-attendance conversion rate of 20–40% for in-person conferences, summits, and conventions. (Bizzabo)

Attendance patterns can also vary significantly by event type, especially across corporate conferences and professional events.

1. 57% of event organizers said attendance at their B2B in-person conferences, summits, and conventions grew over the previous year. (Bizzabo)
2. 54% of attendees said they planned to attend more in-person events in 2025. (Bizzabo)
3. 37% of surveyed organizers said their largest B2B in-person conference, summit, or convention typically had 501–999 attendees. (Bizzabo)
4. 24% said their largest B2B in-person event typically had fewer than 100 attendees. (Bizzabo)
5. 23% said their largest B2B in-person event typically had 1,000–4,999 attendees. (Bizzabo)
6. Only 8% said their largest B2B in-person event typically had 101–500 attendees. (Bizzabo)
7. 37% of surveyed organizers reported an average registration-to-attendance conversion rate of 20–40% for in-person conferences, summits, and conventions. (Bizzabo)

1. Free events typically see 40–60% of registrants not show up. (Event Tech Live)
2. Paid events typically achieve attendance rates of 90–97%. (Event Tech Live)

The difference between free and paid events makes ticket type an important factor when benchmarking your own attendance rate.

Want to go beyond the overall no-show rate? Our event attendance tracking software guide covers how to calculate and track attendance by attendee segment.

1. 60% of webinar registrants converted into attendees in 2025. (ON24)
2. The average ON24 webinar had 239 attendees in 2025, an 11% year-over-year increase. (ON24)
3. 52% of ON24 webinar attendees watched content on demand. (ON24)
4. Average webinar engagement time was 49 minutes in ON24’s 2025 data. (ON24)
5. Goldcast recorded a 40% webinar attendance rate in 2025, up from 33% in 2024. (Goldcast)
6. The average Goldcast webinar had 102 attendees in 2025, double the 51-attendee average recorded in 2024. (Goldcast)
7. The average Goldcast webinar received 251 registrations in 2025, up from 238 in 2024. (Goldcast)
8. Goldcast recorded 6.8 million webinar registrations in 2025, up 94% year over year. (Goldcast)
9. More than 2.2 million attendees joined webinars tracked by Goldcast in 2025, up 172% year over year. (Goldcast)

Different webinar platforms use different datasets and definitions, so these figures are best treated as benchmarks rather than one universal webinar attendance rate.

Virtual attendance behaves differently from in-person turnout, particularly when attendees can switch between live and on-demand content. See this virtual event platform guide for more on planning and measuring virtual events.

1. 72% of attendees said in-person conferences provide the best networking opportunities. (Bizzabo)
2. 71% of attendees said in-person B2B conferences provide the most effective way to learn about new products or services. (Bizzabo)
3. 73% of attendees said having free time at in-person events is important rather than having every part of the schedule packed. (Bizzabo)
4. 75% of attendees said immersive experiences help them disconnect and engage more deeply at an event. (Bizzabo)
5. 65% of attendees said the mobile event app can make or break their event experience, up from 56% in 2023. (Bizzabo)
6. 75% of attendees prefer demonstrations and hands-on activities when receiving educational or technical information at in-person events. (Freeman Trends Report)

1. 61% of event professionals surveyed by MPI in Q3 2026 had positive expectations for live attendance over the year ahead, the highest level reported in a year. (MPI Meetings Outlook)
2. 60% of MPI respondents had favorable business projections in Q3 2026, the highest level since Q1 2025. (MPI Meetings Outlook)
3. 56% of respondents expected favorable event budgets. (MPI Meetings Outlook)

A simple way to forecast turnout is:

Expected attendance = confirmed registrations × expected show rate

As a rough planning guide:

• Free or open-registration events: expect around 60–70% of confirmed RSVPs to attend. 
• Invite-only or internal corporate events: plan for roughly 75–85% attendance. 
• Paid events: show rates are typically higher. Event Tech Live reports attendance rates of 90–97% for paid events. (Event Tech Live) 

For the most accurate forecast, use the historical show rate from similar events you’ve run.

Better forecasting starts with clean registration data. Event registration software can help you track registrations by date, ticket type, attendee segment, and other variables that affect turnout.

Use this formula:

Event attendance rate = actual attendees ÷ confirmed registrations × 100

For example, if 700 people register and 490 attend:

490 ÷ 700 × 100 = 70% attendance rate

Industry benchmarks are useful for comparison, but your own historical attendance rates by event type, audience, ticket type, and acquisition channel will usually be a better forecasting tool.

The calculation is simple; capturing the actual attendance accurately is the harder part. An event check-in app gives you real-time records of who actually arrived instead of relying on registration numbers alone.