10 Steps to using event reminder emails to maximize attendance [2024]

OK—raise your hand if you've experienced that sinking feeling when, head in hands, you realize you missed an event you were really looking forward to?

🙋🏻‍♀️ Not just me I hope!

Life gets pretty hectic with seemingly endless information streams trying to grab our attention. It means that even things that are important to us can be forgotten. That's where event reminder emails come to the rescue—not only minimizing no-shows—but lots more on top!

Beyond simply providing essential details like the date, time, and location, event reminder emails can also boost attendance, enhance communication, and even promote your brand.

In this guide, we'll explore the what, why, how, and when of crafting effective event reminder emails—helping you to minimize no-shows, and maximize your chances of a packed out event!

What is an event reminder email?

It's just a quick note to remind people of the date and time, right? Well—yes—but a successful event reminder campaign demands more than a generic booking confirmation. Reminder emails have the potential to boost attendance, build anticipation, and give you the opportunity to build customer rapport and brand identity.

Let’s look at some event reminder types:

• General event reminder: A basic reminder with key details such as date, time and location
• Online event reminder: Includes specific instructions for joining the virtual event.
• Event with special instructions: Highlights any particular requirements or preparations, such as a retreat or conference.
• Countdown reminder: Creates a sense of anticipation and ensures your event does not slip your attendees minds!
• Personalized reminders: Tailors the email to the recipient's interests or previous interactions, such as perks or discount tickets for friends based on past attendance.
• Pre-event survey: Engages attendees by inviting them to let you know what they want to see at your event.

Why use event reminder emails?

In a nutshell, event reminder emails serve as a powerful tool to keep your event top of mind for attendees, provide valuable information, and encourage participation. Whilst no one wants to be bombarded with emails, the majority of your attendees will thank you for well-paced reminders.

While reminding your attendees to actually—um—attend is a key benefit of sending email reminders, there are many additional benefits that they bring.

These include:

• Increased attendance: Reduce no-shows and encourage last-minute registrations with discounts for friends and family.
• Improved communication: Address questions and concerns, share updates, and provide logistics information.
• Marketing benefits: Promote your brand, cross-promote other events, and collect valuable data.
• Reinforcing the event's value: Highlighting the benefits and excitement of the event can encourage attendees to prioritize it.
• Reminding people what to bring: Save your attendees the frustration of not having all the equipment they need to get the most from your event.

How to write a great event reminder email in 10 steps

Crafting effective event reminder emails is no longer just about sending a quick note to confirm a ticket purchase. To truly stand out in today's crowded inboxes, your event reminder emails need to inform, engage, excite, and drive higher attendance rates.

By following these best practices, you can create reminder messages that do just that!

1. Use a strong subject line

💪 A hard-hitting subject line is crucial for grabbing your recipients' attention and enticing them to open your email. Here are some tips to create effective subject lines:

• Be clear and concise: Clearly state the purpose of your email.
• Create a sense of urgency: Use words like "urgent," "limited time," or "exclusive" to pique interest.
• Personalize your subject lines: Use the recipient's name or reference specific event details.
• A/B test different subject lines: Consider experimenting with different options to see what resonates best with your audience.
• Use emojis wisely: Emojis can be effective in subject lines, but use them sparingly, consider your audience, choose relevant emojis, and test different options to see what works best.

Example subject lines:

• "🚨 Reminder [Attendee name]: [Event name] is just around the corner"
• "Looking forward to seeing you at [Event name] on [Date]"
• "Don't forget! [Event name] starts in [Number] days"
• "📣 Quick update: Important information about [Event name]"
• “🟢 We are online now! Join us on Zoom for [Event name]”

2. Write in active voice

Using active voice in your event reminder emails can make them more powerful and action oriented. Active voice emphasizes the subject of the sentence and creates a more direct and forceful tone.

Here are some examples of active vs passive voice:

📣 Active: "Don't miss out! Only 3 days left for [Event name]"
😶 Passive: "[Event name] is happening in 3 days"

📣 Active: "Reminder: Bring your [Item] to [Event name]"
😶 Passive: "[Item] Required for [Event name]"

📣 Active: "Last chance to register: [Event name] Starts soon"
😶 Passive: "Registration deadline Approaching for [Event name]"

See the difference?

Using an active voice makes the sentences more direct and engaging. It also helps to emphasize the action being taken or the location of the event.

By using active voice throughout your email, you can create a more compelling and effective message that grabs attention, increases open rates and maximizes engagement.

3. Include essential event details

Have you ever received an event reminder that's about as clear as mud? Nobody wants to have to hunt for basic info.Ensure that the following elements are impossible to miss:

📆 Date: Clearly state the date of the event.

🕒 Time: Specify the exact time the event will begin and end.

🏢 Location: Provide the complete address, map or a detailed description of the location, including any relevant landmarks or directions.

✍️ Event name: Double-check that the event name is correct and easily recognizable.

✉️ Contact information: Include your contact information or a link to a website where attendees can find more details or ask questions.

🔗 Link to more detailed information: To keep the email contents concise, link to further information rather than display it all in the body of the email.

4. Personalize your emails

With the abundance of email marketing tools and data available, there's no excuse not to personalize your event reminders. According to Campaign Monitor:

“Emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened.”

This makes personalization a no brainer! It encourages:

✅ Improved engagement: Personalized emails are much more likely to be opened, read, and remembered.

✅ Enhanced relationships: Personalization shows that you value your attendees and care about their experience.

✅ Increased conversions: Personalized emails can lead to higher registration rates and lower cancellation rates.

5. Use a strong call to action

A clear and compelling call to action (CTA) is essential for guiding your recipients towards the desired outcome and reinforcing their engagement with your email as opposed to simply scanning and moving on.

Here are some examples of effective CTAs for event reminder email messages:

• "RSVP now" or "Confirm your attendance" - Encourage attendees to confirm their participation.
• "Add to calendar" - Provide a link or button to make it easy for attendees to save the event date.
• "Download the agenda" - Offer attendees a chance to review the event's schedule and activities.
• "Complete pre-event survey" - Collect valuable feedback from attendees before the event.
• "Share with friends" - Encourage attendees to spread the word about the event.

By using a strong CTA, you can guide your recipients towards the desired action and increase the likelihood of attendance.

6. Balancing text and images in emails

The ideal approach to using images in emails depends on your specific goals, audience, and content. While plain text emails have certain advantages, incorporating relevant images can enhance the visual appeal and engagement of your message.

Here's how to balance the two:

👨🏾‍💻 Consider your audience:

• Technical preferences: If your audience is more tech-savvy and likely to use email clients that support HTML, images can be a great way to enhance the visual appeal of your emails. For corporate recipients on work email systems, plain text can be preferable.
• Aesthetic preferences: Assess whether your audience prefers a more minimalist or visually rich email experience.

🎯 Determine your goals:

• Engagement: If your goal is to increase engagement and click-through rates, images can be a powerful tool.
• Deliverability: If deliverability is a major concern, using fewer images and keeping your email design simple can help reduce the risk of being flagged as spam.

⚖️ Strike a balance:

• Use images strategically: Choose images that are relevant to your content and enhance your message. Avoid using excessive images that can slow down loading times.
• Optimize image size: Compress images to reduce file size and improve loading times.
• Provide alternative text: Use alt text to describe images for visually impaired users and to ensure that your email is accessible to all recipients.
• Test across different devices and email clients: Ensure that your email displays correctly on various platforms and devices, regardless of whether images are supported.

7. Keep it concise

In today's world, people are bombarded with information from all angles so it's crucial to get to the point quickly.

⚡ Avoid excessive text and don’t bury the important details.
⚡ Use bullet points to break up your text and make it easier to skim.
⚡ If you need to provide more in-depth information, link to a separate webpage where attendees can find it.

Remember, the goal is to deliver the essential information in a way that's easy to digest and won't leave your recipients feeling overwhelmed. Keep it concise, keep it clear, and keep it interesting!

8. Consider using a template

Using a template can save you time and ensure consistency in your event reminder email messages. There are many pre-designed templates available online, further down this article, or you can create your own.

Benefits of using a template:

• Save time: You don't have to start from scratch every time you send an email.
• Ensure consistency: Templates help you maintain a consistent tone and style across your emails.
• Easily customize: You can easily customize templates to fit the specific details of your event.

When choosing a template, consider the following:

• Purpose: Choose a template that is appropriate for the type of event you are promoting.
• Design: Select a template with a design that is visually appealing and aligns with your brand.
• Customization options: Look for a template that allows you to easily customize the content and design.

By using a template, you can create professional and effective event reminder emails with minimal effort.

9. Proofread carefully

Proofreading is a crucial step in ensuring that your event reminder emails are error-free and professional. Here are some tips for effective proofreading:

• Read aloud: Reading your email aloud can help you catch errors that you might miss when reading silently.
• Use a proofreading tool: There are many online tools available that can help you identify grammar and spelling mistakes.
• Get a second opinion: Ask a colleague or friend to review your email for any errors or areas that could be improved.
• Pay attention to details: Check for typos, punctuation errors, and inconsistencies in formatting.

By taking the time to proofread your emails carefully, you can ensure that your message is clear, professional, and error-free.

10. Test your emails before sending

Before you hit the send button, it's essential to thoroughly test your event reminder email messages to ensure they are error-free and effective. Here's what you should check for:

• Typos and grammatical errors: Proofread your emails carefully to avoid mistakes that could undermine your professionalism.
• Formatting issues: Ensure that your email is properly formatted, with clear headings, bullet points, and consistent spacing.
• Link functionality: If you've included any links, test them to make sure they work correctly.
• Email deliverability: Use a tool such as Litmus to check your email's deliverability rate and ensure it's not being flagged as spam.
• Rendering across different devices and email clients: Test your email on various devices and email clients to ensure it displays correctly.
• A/B testing: Experiment with different subject lines, CTAs, or email content to see what resonates best with your audience.

By taking the time to test your emails before sending, you can ensure that your message is delivered effectively and achieves your desired results.

How long before the event should you send reminder emails?

For in-person events:

• An initial reminder: Send a week to ten days before the event. This allows attendees to plan their schedules and make travel arrangements if necessary.
• A second reminder: Send a few days before the event to reinforce the date and time.
• A last-minute Reminder: Send a day or two before the event as a final reminder.

For virtual events:

• An initial reminder: Send a week before the event.
• A second reminder: Send a day or two before the event.
• A pre-event reminder: Send an hour or two before the event starts to remind attendees to log in.
• A ‘We are online’ email: In the case of online events such as webinars, a nudge to say the event is in progress can help catch people who got distracted!

Additional Considerations:

• Audience: Consider your target audience's preferences and habits when deciding when to send reminders.
• Event importance: For highly anticipated or important events, you may want to send additional reminders.
• Event length: For longer events such as multi-day online summits, you might consider sending mid-event reminders to keep attendees engaged.

Remember, the goal is to strike a balance between reminding attendees without being intrusive. Experiment with different timing strategies to see what works best for your events.

Five event reminder email template examples

We know that creating effective event reminder emails from scratch can be a daunting task, especially if you’re new to writing them. To help you get started, we’ve created some simple templates that you can customize and make your own.

These templates will provide a solid foundation for your emails, ensuring they’re informative, concise, engaging, and effective.

1. The countdown event reminder email

Subject: [Event name] is almost here [Attendee name]! ⏱️

Hey [Attendee name],

Are you ready?! There are only [Number] days left until [Event name]. It's time to mark your calendar and to feel the excitement build!

Key details:

• Date: [Date]
• Time: [Time]
• Location: [Location]

[Add any additional details, such as agenda items or special instructions]

We’re excited to see you soon![Your name] [Event organizer]

2. The email reminder template with a personal touch

Subject: [Attendee name], we can’t wait to welcome you to [Event name] in 10 days.

Hi [Attendee name],

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to send a quick reminder about our upcoming event, [Event name].

I'm really looking forward to seeing you there and [mention something specific about the attendee or their previous interactions with your event].

Key details:

• Date: [Date]
• Time: [Time]
• Location: [Location]

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.

See you soon![Your name] [Event organizer]

3. The FOMO factor event reminder email

Subject: Don't miss out [Attendee name]! [Event name] is almost here

Hey [Attendee name],

Are you ready for an unforgettable experience? [Event name] is just around the corner, and you don't want to miss some of the special bundles on offer for ticket holders…[Highlight any special features or benefits of the event]

Key details:

• Date: [Date]
• Time: [Time]
• Location: [Location]

Don't miss out on this exclusive opportunity![Your name] [Event organizer]

4. The last-minute reminder email template

Subject: Limited offer [Attendee name]: Bring a friend to [Event name] for 25% off!

Hey [Attendee name],

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity! As a special thank you for registering for [Event name], we're offering you a 25% discount on tickets for a friend.

Share the love and invite someone to join you at this amazing event. Just get them to use the code [Discount code] at checkout.

Event Details:

• Date: [Date]
• Time: [Time]
• Location: [Location]

This offer is valid for a limited time only, so don't wait!

See you there!

[Your name] [Event organizer]

5. The pre-event survey email template

Subject: Your input matters [Attendee name]: Help shape [Event name]

Hi [Attendee name],

We're excited to have you join us for [Event name]. To make sure the event is a success, we'd love to hear your thoughts.

Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey: [Link to survey]

Your feedback will help us tailor the event to your preferences and ensure that everyone has a great time.

We can't wait to see you there![Your name] [Event organizer]

These templates can be customized to fit your specific event and audience. Remember to use a friendly and engaging tone, and provide all the necessary information for attendees to plan and attend your event.

Conclusion

And that's a wrap! We've covered a lot in this article, from the importance of strong subject lines and use of active voice, to the power of personalization. By following these tips and using the provided reminder templates to kick things off, you'll be off to a flying start.

Remember, the key is to keep it concise, personalized, and visually appealing. A well-crafted event reminder email can significantly boost attendance, enhance communication, and create a memorable experience for your attendees.

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Wanting to know if you are on the right track planning your event? Read The ultimate event planning checklist for 2024

We hope to support you on your event planning journey!