Staying connected - Best communication practices for event organisers

Just like with physical events, sharing timely updates with your event’s ticket holders goes a long way in ensuring a great experience for them. And a great experience goes even a longer way in helping you grow.

Here’s a quick list of information points you may want to consider sending ahead of your event -

• Requirements such as a list of things they require for the event.
• Ground rules such as staying on mute through the performance
• Updates incase you are running late or facing technical difficulties and need to shift the show time

A more detailed list with samples is shown below.

You can use the Paytm Insider platform to communicate with attendees through e-mail and WhatsApp

Email Communication

In this article, we will be covering the following frequently used communication use cases. Refer to these for ideas and inspiration while conversing with your event attendees.

• Reminder Message
• Change in Schedule Message
• Important Updates Message
• Post Event Message

Reminder Message

Reminder messages are important to let attendees know the status of the event or if there are any crucial items they would need to have for the event.

Sample 1: Important Details

Hello!

We hope you're all set for the event.

Here are a few things to keep in mind before we begin:

• The event starts at 3PM.
• In order to join the event, click on the "Join Event" button mentioned on your e-ticket.
• Kindly login to your Insider account with the same address mentioned on your e-ticket.
• Do ensure that you have a stable internet connection and join the link at least 5 minutes prior to the start time so that you don't miss the beginning.
• We recommend you join the event from a place with minimal or no background noise.

Sample 2: General Reminder

Hi! See you at our Make Your Own CupCake workshop at 5PM today. In case you face any issues signing in, call us at 123456789. Thanks, Team Mitts.

Pro-Tip:
The best time to send out a reminder message to your attendees is at least 1 hour before the event’s start time.

Change in Schedule Message

Sometimes we find ourselves faced with an unforeseen circumstance, which requires us to reschedule or cancel a show. It happens to the best of us, but how we handle it is key. As an organiser you want to make sure your customers are informed well in advance so they can make alternate plans while they await the new event date or keep them informed regarding the delay in your event so they come back once it resumes.

The below formats help you communicate this in the best possible way.

Sample 1: Event Delayed

Hello!

The event is currently delayed due to an unfortunate network problem.

We're working on fixing this so we can be up and running as soon as possible. We will send you a message once this has been resolved.

Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Sample 2: Event Postponed

Hello,

The artist/host has unexpectedly fallen ill, due to which we will now have to postpone this event to a later date.

We understand you were all looking forward to attending this session and we are as disappointed as you.

We are working on finalizing the new event date, once it has been decided we will reach out to you with further details.

Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Pro-Tip:
Be upfront with your attendees on why the event is delayed or postponed and they will appreciate you for informing them and being transparent on the reason.

Important Updates Message

This format works best when you want to inform your customers on what to keep in mind before the show so they come well prepared.

Sample 1: Things to Remember

Hello,

We hope you are all set for the workshop tomorrow.

Before we get started, here are a few things to have for the event::

• Have a suitable surface as your base. This is what you will use to bring your craft alive!
• We highly recommend Acrylic paint for this workshop. In case you are not sure which ones to get, you can refer here: https://mymodernmet.com/best-acrylic-paint/
• Don't forget to have fun!

Sample 2: General Message

Hi everyone!

We look forward to seeing you at 11AM tomorrow. We will first start by introducing ourselves and get to know each other and will later begin the virtual tour at 11:30AM. We request you to put yourself on mute and turn off your video when the virtual tour begins

You can participate in the live discussion via the Chat option. If you have any questions, feel free to use the Q&A option and our team will answer those towards the end of the event.

See you soon!

Post Event Message

You just wrapped your fourth event or your very first one. Congrats! Now you want to send out a feedback form so you can understand what worked and what didn’t, or maybe send a recipe for your class attendees to follow.

You can refer to these sample formats for your messages.

Sample 1: Recipe/Document

Hello!

I hope you all enjoyed my class and you are confident in baking your first batch of Croissants.

Below is the recipe for you to get started:

For the dough

• 1 lb. 2 oz. (4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling
• 5 oz. (1/2cup plus 2 Tbs.) cold water
• 5 oz. (1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs.) cold whole milk
• 2 oz. (1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs.) granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 oz. (3 Tbs.) soft unsalted butter
• 1 Tbs. plus scant 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
• 2-1/4 tsp. table salt
• For the butter layer
• 10 oz. (1-1/4 cups) cold unsalted butter
• For the egg wash
• 1 large egg

Do give them a try :)

Enjoy

Sample 2: Feedback Message

Hey,

Thank you for attending today's session!

I loved cooking with you all. Since this was my first class, I would like your feedback on how I can improve on my classes.

Please share your views freely here: (Feedback form link)

Sample 3: Thank you message

Hi,

Thanks for attending my workshop "DIY Maple Syrup with Hazel Lobo"

For updates on my future events, you can follow me on the below pages.

Facebook page :

Instagram page :

See You!

Pro-Tip:

To achieve maximum response rate from all your ticket holders, we recommend you send out the feedback form within 2 hours of the event’s conclusion.

If you’re unsure on how to build these forms, we recommend you use this: https://www.typeform.com/

Dos and Don’ts

Now that we've gone through a few sample formats of what to put down in your messages, let’s take a look at the basic Dos and Don’ts while using communications.

Dos

It’s best to assume that not everyone will be prepared, so sending out reminder messages will keep you and your users prepared.

E.g, If you’re holding a DIY workshop and for this to take place you want your audience to have some material ready with them before the event begins. Some of them might have already purchased them, but let’s give them the benefit of the doubt here.

In this instance, it's best to send out a message via email and Whatsapp to your attendees at least 48 hours before the event.

Don'ts

As a standard rule we make sure we don’t send out any communication to our customer after 8:30PM or before 9AM. It’s best you practice this rule as your audience would appreciate it if you don’t disturb them during their personal time.

The only exception we would make here is, if the event is taking place closer to the cut-off time we have mentioned. If it is, then you can go ahead and send out the message.

Pro-Tips:

If you are still unsure on what is the right time to send out a message to your attendees, then ask yourself this - Would you like receiving an email or WhatsApp at that given time? If the answer is no, then it’s best you plan the communication for a later time.

Communication via Publisher

Now that you’ve understood the best practices to send communication, let’s take a look at how you can use this for your events.

To use communications, you will first be required to login to your Publisher dashboard and search up the event you want to schedule communications for.

In case you do not have access to this panel, we suggest you register here

Where to find it

Once you search for you event and click on the manage event section, you'll see a communication tab.

How to use it

WhatsApp communication will only go out to those who had opted in for this mode during signing up/purchasing tickets for the event. Hence, we recommend you also send messages via email for good measure.

If there are some recipes you want to share with your audience before or after a class, we can attach a PDF file via WhatsApp. The maximum file size that will be accepted is 3MB.

We suggest email communication is always used to send out messages, as from an attendee perspective, they can always go back and check any important points or documentation you would’ve sent. Messages stored on WhatsApp are dependent on the user keeping the messages and not deleting them.

Testing Messages

In case you want to check how your message will be viewed by your attendees, you can use the 'Send Test' option available for e-mail and Whatsapp. This will not only ensure your message formatting is correct but also gives you another perspective on how your event communication comes across to people.

How users will receive it

Email Communication

Messages sent out via communications, attendees will always receive these emails from team@insider.in . If there are any queries or concerns they might have, they can reach out to us at help@insider.in and we will address them.

We hope this helped you understand better how to use communication on Publisher and what to be mindful of while sending out messages to your attendees.

If you have any queries or feedback, do reach out to us at clientservicing@insider.in

Ready to get started?