Communication with your delegate after he or she has registered is just as important as the communication prior to registration. If you want your delegates to be engaged and excited to attend your event, you need to communicate with them leading up to the conference. Here are some tips to keep them engaged and excited leading up to your association event.
The Most Basic Conference Delegate Communication: The Confirmation Email
Most registration systems send a confirmation email to a delegate once they register. These emails can typically be customized. This is the perfect opportunity to advise them of the next steps. You might decide to include hotel and travel information or local attractions to visit while they are in town. You can also include information about items that attendees may have forgotten to purchase during registration, such as a social event or mobile tour.
Create a Conference Delegate Communication Timeline
Plan your communication ahead of time and incorporate it into your critical path, this way they won’t get missed. A good rule of thumb for how often to send these is if you don’t have any new information to send, don’t email the delegates just for the sake of emailing them. Below is an example of what it could look like within your critical path:
| November, 2016 | |
| Nov 10- Delegate E-blast: Keynote speaker profiles | Rachel |
| Nov 30- Delegate E-blast: Travel and Accommodations reminder | Rachel |
Conference Event Email Template
Create a template so that every delegate will recognize that the message is coming from you. Keeping a consistent template will allow each delegate to become familiar with the theme and brand of the event before they even arrive. Use the event or association logo as the header so they recognize it as a conference message instantly.
Theme Your Conference Delegate Communication
Include the theme and purpose for each email communication. This is to make sure they don’t get repetitive and also to help you in creating them. Creating a theme for each message will also help you to keep the message concise. It can be tempting to try to cram in as much information as possible, your delegate may be overwhelmed by the content and chose to ignore the message. Some ideas for themes could be, keynote speaker bio’s, travel and accommodations, fun activities in the city, health and wellness tips, what to pack, etc.
Add Visual Interest to Pique Delegate Curiosity
Add some visual interest to the communication, especially if it is going to be a text heavy message (such as speaker bios). You likely have a stockpile of photos from past events and this is a great opportunity to use them. You can also include photos of the venue, speakers, the city or anything else that relates to the message.
Creative Subject Lines Increase Delegate Communication Open Rates
Another way to catch delegate attention is by using a creative subject line. Instead of just using “Conference Information” or “Hotel Room Block Information”, try something a little bit more eye catching! For example, “Getting excited about the Cancer Care Conference?” or “Industry leader joins conference line up”.
A Well Informed Delegate Turns into A Happy Conference Attendee
When your delegates are well informed of what to expect during the conference, you will see the results in the conference registration numbers – so great event planners invest some time with registrants beforehand, to ensure a great time by attendees at the event.