Let’s talk about something uncomfortable because sometimes that’s the only way a community moves forward.
Data Saturday Denmark 2026 was, in many ways, spectacular. The sessions delivered. The conversations were buzzing. The energy was real. The people who came brought exactly the spirit that makes this community great.
But behind the scenes, something unexpected happened.
Something we need to talk about openly if we want to keep building this event in a sustainable, fair, and respectful way.
A fully booked event… on paper
Here’s what the numbers looked like before the big day:
- Venue capacity: 220 seats
- All tickets claimed
- A 10% waiting list (22 people) established early
- Additional requests still arriving in the final two weeks
- 20 speakers + volunteers
- Expected attendance: ~250 people
We were preparing for a packed event with a little slack and booked food for 180 people. Some are there in the morning, some are there in the afternoon, others are there all day.
And that would have been completely manageable, because…
Historically, the no‑show rate has been very predictable: 15–25%.
That’s what we’ve always planned for.
It’s normal for free community events according to my talks and chats with other organizers.
And we’ve built that into our logistics every single year.
But this year?
Everything changed.
The reality: 95 No‑Shows
During the entire day only around 130 attendees walked in.
That meant 95 unclaimed badges!
This is not a rounding error.
This is not something we could have forecasted.
This is not within the normal margins.
It’s almost double the upper limit of our usual no‑show rate.
Why this was a problem (even if no one intended it to be)
This isn’t about pointing fingers. I could easily just just post the picture of the unclaimed badges and was even encouraged to do so. But this is about the inevitable consequences of an unexpectedly massive no‑show rate:
- People on the waiting list were blocked from attending
- Catering and venue planning — funded by sponsors — was based on projected attendance
- A large amount of food was prepared
- And a large amount of food was wasted
Free events aren’t actually free.
Someone always pays the bill.
So I’m adjusting, to be completely transparent
To protect the event and the community’s experience, we’re introducing a new attendance rule for 2027:
1️⃣ If you had a ticket but didn’t attend and didn’t cancel
→ You will go directly onto the waiting list for 2027, with tickets released to you only in the final week if spots remain.
2️⃣ If you had a ticket and cancelled in advance
→ You skip the waiting list and get a direct ticket for 2027.
3️⃣ If you were on the waiting list in 2026
→ You also skip the waiting list and get a direct ticket for 2027.
This isn’t about punishment and It’s not about blame.
It’s about fairness, sustainability, and respecting everyone who wants to be part of the event.
The good news?
For those who did attend, the day was one of the strongest Data Saturdays I’ve hosted. The feedback was phenomenal. The atmosphere was everything I hoped for. And the community that showed up brought knowledge, curiosity, and generosity.
Here’s to a stronger, smarter, and more mindful Data Saturday Denmark 2027.