Managing Attendees before Your Event

Whether your organization is hosting a multi-day conference, a half-day workshop, or a business grand opening, pre-event communications present excellent opportunities to cultivate positive relationships with attendees. However, doing so involves more than simply confirming their registration.

Whether or not your event involves online or paper-based registration, you should request the attendee’s email address for quick registration confirmation.

The confirmation email represents your first communication to them as registered attendees. Rather than leaving it as a simple message confirming registration, this email constitutes an initial resource for attendees. As such, you should anticipate questions and briefly answer them in your confirmation email.

According to Marilu McQuilken, S&A Cherokee’s director of meetings and events, “The confirmation email should contain language that’s easy for attendees to understand. Don’t use ‘event planner’ terminology. Just provide simple, clear information.”

You should also include a calendar reminder option in the confirmation email.

Pre-event emails are also a good way to build buzz for the event. Here are a few examples of how to effectively utilize pre-event emails:

• Share speaker bios and information
• Request seed questions for discussions
• Advertise your sponsors and exhibitors
• Announce social media contests
• Provide a limited attendee list

A last-minute email is a good opportunity to provide directions, communicate what to expect on arrival (e.g., where to check in), parking instructions and a schedule. Anticipate any challenges or problems and share answers (e.g., your name badge serves as your ticket to the opening reception).

All pre-event emails should include boilerplate information about your event to reinforce branding and messaging. They should also include contact info for any unanswered questions.

In next month’s S&A Cherokee newsletter article, we’ll address how to communicate with your attendees during and after the event.

To discover how S&A Cherokee can help with your meetings and events needs, contact us for a free consultation at (919) 674-6020.