Why event emails are so important
In this blog article I would like to give you an insight into which emails I find essential when planning and executing an event. When it comes to organizing an event successfully, well-thought-out email communication is the be-all and end-all. The better prepared you are, the less work will be done during the event.
You also get a template for every type of email that you can use directly in your event.
We recommend sending event emails directly using your own CRM system, a special mailing system or directly in our software. All emails can be perfectly prepared and the time for sending can be set in advance. This saves you a lot of time and ensures a professional process.
Through well-thought-out and effective email communication, I can increase participant retention, make the event successful and ensure that as many registered people as possible actually show up. Here are the most important points summarized again:
Decreasing support costs and increasing satisfaction
Through clear and precise emails, I ensure that you receive all important information such as the date, time, location and agenda of the event in a timely manner. This helps to avoid misunderstandings and ensures that both the organizer and the participants are well prepared. This reduces the support effort and increases participant satisfaction.
Memories and commitment
I send regular email reminders to keep the event fresh in participants' minds. This not only increases engagement but also maintains interest in the event.
Personal address
With a personalized approach in the emails, I want to build a relationship with the participants and give them the feeling that their presence is valued. This is especially important for building a loyal subscriber base.
No-show rate reduction
Regular emails help to reduce the no-show rate, i.e. the rate of participants who register or are invited but do not attend. This is probably the most important point of all. The horror for every event manager is when significantly fewer participants show up at an event than expected.
Professionalism and brand image
Professionally designed and well-thought-out emails contribute to a positive brand image and convey to participants and sponsors that the event is well organized. The factor should also not be underestimated. External perception is particularly relevant for paid events or free marketing events.
All email templates at a glance
- Save the date
- Official invitation
- Invitation reminder
- Registration confirmation
- Event reminder
- Speaker information
- Sponsor information and onboarding
- Exhibitor information and onboarding
- Short-term important information before the event
- Daily updates
- Feedback requests
- Thank you email
- Highlights, links and summary
- Notes on future events
Here are the different types of emails I always use in my event planning. Of course, emails can also be summarized and individual ones can also be omitted. This overview is intended to help you have a suitable template for every email that you can build on.
Feel free to copy the text directly from the article and reuse it. The words in the curly brackets are placeholders. Here you can insert your individual information. All information about participants can be automatically read from the participant list in the Streavent software and used in the email. The placeholders are then filled in automatically. Just make sure the placeholders are named correctly.
IMPORTANT: The emails are all so general that they are suitable as a template for on-site, hybrid and virtual events. You can of course make the template even more detailed depending on the application.
Emails before the event
1. Save the Date
One of the first things I do is let my potential attendees know the date of the event well in advance. A simple “save the date” email ensures that everyone can save the date. At this point, not much else needs to be determined other than the topic of the event and when it will take place.
Template: Save the date
2. Official invitation
As soon as all the details have been finalized, I will send out the official invitation. This email contains all important information such as date, time, location and the agenda. If the agenda is not yet clear, it is enough to explain the topic in more detail and, if necessary, mention exciting speakers. Of course, the login information is also included so that everyone can register easily. The link to register should also be included.
I also always make the invitation personal and address those invited by their name. I receive this information directly based on the list of participants to be invited. If the event is advertised publicly, the email can of course be kept more general.
In any case, it is important that the recipient of the invitation immediately understands the added value of the event and thus arouses their interest. This could be, for example, the knowledge imparted, particularly exciting speakers, networking opportunities, the most important event in the industry or something else.
Template: Official invitation
3. Invitation reminder
Not all invitees register for the event immediately after the official invitation. Maybe the email got lost, the person was on vacation or it simply wasn't the most important email of the day. That's why it's a good idea to send one or even several reminder emails to those invited.
The principle is similar to that in sales. You simply send out one or more reminder emails to those invited until they have registered for the event. The reminder email should be sent 1-2 weeks after the official invitation. The following reminder emails should be sent a maximum of every 2 weeks.
You can of course create additional incentives in the reminder emails. Discount codes for tickets or special benefits at the event are suitable for this. But you can also increase the pressure by displaying a countdown to the event in combination with the seats still available. There are no limits to creativity here.
Template: Reminder Official Invitation (standard)
Template: Reminder Official Invitation (special)
4. Registration confirmation
As soon as an "invitee" has successfully registered, I will send a confirmation email. In it I confirm receipt of the registration and may provide additional information or instructions. This way the participant knows that everything went well and receives all the information again in one email. The Streavent software automatically sends the confirmation email after successful registration.
If the participant needs to prepare anything for the event, this should be addressed in the confirmation email. For example, if participants at an on-site event are required to bring their laptops with them, this is the time to point this out for the first time.
Other examples of important information in the registration confirmation include:
- Arrival options, parking options and possible shuttle services
- Detailed agenda of the event
- Speaker overview
- Selection of exhibitors or sponsors
- Important links to relevant pages
- Summary of the "Special Answers" of the registration. E.g. which workshops were booked or which food was ordered.
Template: Registration Confirmation (Simple)
Template: Registration confirmation (detailed)
Template: Registration confirmation (with login link)
5. Event reminder
A few days before the event, I remind the participants again of the upcoming event. This email usually contains final details and important information.
Depending on the event, you can of course send several reminder emails.
The reminder emails help to reduce the no-show rate. This way, the event will remain top of mind and it will be less likely that registered participants will not show up. If there are few places available, you can also point out here that you should log out again so as not to block the places for others.
Template: Reminder (simple)
Template: Reminder (including reminder to unsubscribe)
6. Speaker information
I always put together specific information for our speakers. This includes details about your presentations, the technology check, your time slot and other specific instructions.
Typical additional information would be a request to fill out the speaker profile, provide a profile picture for the agenda, present in PDF format or use a specific speaker background in the video call.
Here too, it may be a good idea to create an additional reminder email. This is particularly useful for events with a lot of speakers, as many speakers do not prepare properly and then cause chaos on the day of the event.
Template: Information for speakers (on site)
Template: Information for speakers (online)
7. Sponsor Information and Onboarding
Our sponsors also receive detailed information. This includes details about their sponsorship packages, setup options and what promotional materials they can provide.
If our event platform or event app is used, all instructions for creating sponsor content (e.g. graphics) should be included in the email.
Template: Information for sponsors
Template: Reminder for sponsors
8. Exhibitor information and onboarding
Similar to sponsors, exhibitors should also receive detailed information. The email can be kept very similar to the sponsor email.
If our event platform or event app is used, the onboarding and all instructions for creating the exhibitor stand should also be stored here.
Template: Onboarding for exhibitors (general)
Template: Onboarding for Exhibitors (Mobile Event App)
Template: Onboarding for exhibitors (digital event platform)
Template: Reminder for exhibitors
9. Short-term important information before the event
Short-term and unplanned changes may occur shortly before the event. If, for example, the location changes due to the weather or the link to the event platform, this should be communicated immediately.
Template: Important information shortly before the event
Emails during the event
10. Daily updates
During the event itself, I keep all participants up to date with daily updates. If there are any last-minute changes, I will inform everyone by email as quickly as possible.
If you use our digital event platform or mobile event app, you can of course also simply communicate the updates via our push notifications.
Template: Daily update
Template: Highlights from today's event day
Emails after the event
11. Feedback Requests
After the event, it is important to me to collect feedback. Therefore, I ask participants in an email to let me know what they think so that I can plan future events even better.
Here too, the feedback form can be integrated directly into the virtual event platform or mobile event app. If the feedback is particularly important, I would send an additional email or point it out again in the thank you email.
Template: Feedback on the event
12. Thank you email
Saying thank you is a must. I am sending a thank you email to all participants, speakers and sponsors and thank you for their participation and support.
Template: Thank you for participating (short)
Template: Thank you for participating (long)
13. Highlights, links and summary
I often also send a summary of the event. This includes the most important findings or highlights as well as links to presentations or videos.
Template: highlights, links and summary
14. Notices of future events
Finally, I inform my participants about future events or relevant offers and resources. This means communication stays alive even after the event.
If you have a newsletter, you can also point it out here.
Template: Notes on future events
Conclusion
I hope these templates help you plan your next event. With the right email communication, every event will be a success!
