- Published: Nov. 16, 2025, 7:00 a.m.
In today’s Asking Eric column, R. Eric Thomas responds to someone who isn’t sure how to plan for a party that very few people have RSVP’d to.(Dreamstime/TCA)
Dear Eric: I am organizing a workplace event for approximately 50 participants and requested that they RSVP.
To date, only five individuals have responded. Should I assume that the remaining invitees will not attend?
If some of them arrive without confirming, how should I manage the situation? Given my limited budget, is it necessary to prepare food for all 50 people?
– Confused
Dear Confused: Send out a “last call” reminder to RSVP and be sure to note that if people don’t RSVP, you can’t guarantee that there will be space or food for them. And then only prepare enough for the yeses, with a buffer of an extra 10 percent or so, to help navigate anything unexpected.
(Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.)
©2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
R. Eric Thomas (he/him) is a national bestselling author, playwright, and screenwriter. His memoir, Here for It, or How to Save Your Soul in America, which Lin-Manuel Miranda hailed as “pop culture-obsessed,… more
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.