Two teams send conflicting joining instructions
Delegates have received two emails with different arrival times and entrances, and the questions are already arriving.
The short answer
Name one owner of joining instructions, confirm the facts with the venue and the programme owner, then send one clearly marked correction to everyone who could have received either version.
Stop both teams from sending anything else until the correction is out. Afterwards, keep a single source and a single sender.
What is known and what is not
Fictional scenario: the Persatuan Fiktif Jurutera Perisian secretariat emailed 180 delegates saying registration opens at 8:00 at the Level 1 entrance. The sponsor liaison team separately emailed 60 of them, saying 8:30 at a different entrance.
The first task is to establish what is certain, not to decide who was at fault.
- Known: the two messages, who sent each, the send times and the lists used.
- Unknown: which details are correct. Ask the venue contact to confirm the entrance and access arrangements in writing.
- Unknown: the programme owner's intended registration time and first session time.
- Unknown: how many delegates received both messages, only one, or neither, and whether anyone has already acted on one.
Who has authority to decide
Joining instructions have one owner: usually the event owner or the secretariat head. That person decides the final wording after the venue and programme facts are confirmed.
Other teams may provide input but do not send delegate-wide messages once the owner has taken control.
- Event owner: final wording, sender and send time.
- Venue contact: entrance, access and any restrictions on the day. Ask for confirmation in writing.
- Programme owner: registration and first-session times.
- Each sending team lead: stop outgoing messages and share their list and exact text.
Realistic options and consequences
| Option | What it involves | Consequence to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| One correction email | A clearly titled message that supersedes both earlier versions and states the confirmed details. | Clear and traceable; some delegates may still act on the earlier message, so keep the desk briefed. |
| Correction plus a short text or chat message | A one-line pointer to the email for delegates who rarely read email. | Reaches more people; use only channels delegates gave for event updates. |
| A single online information page | Both teams link to one page that is updated in place. | Easy to keep current; needs an owner and delegates must open it. |
| Brief the desk and add signage | The desk and a greeter handle both versions on the day. | Reduces confusion on arrival; does not help delegates who travel early. |
| Do nothing and wait for questions | Answer individually as they come. | Low effort at first; leaves wrong versions in circulation. |
Communications
Say plainly that two versions went out, which one applies, and what has not changed. Avoid blame in the message.
- Subject: "Corrected joining instructions for [event] (replaces earlier messages)"
- Body: "Two messages with different arrival details were sent. Please use this one. Registration opens at [time] at [entrance]. The first session starts at [time]. Please ignore the earlier details. If you have already planned your journey around the other details, reply to this email and we will help."
- To the two sending teams: "Please do not send further delegate messages. Send your list and the exact text you used to [owner] now."
- To the desk and venue: "The corrected details are attached. Expect some delegates to arrive on the earlier version."
Follow-up and prevention
- Agree one sender and one approval step for every delegate-wide message in the run sheet.
- Keep one contact list per audience, with the channels delegates gave for event updates, as the field minimiser helps you review.
- Store the final instruction text where all teams can read it.
- Record who approved the correction in a decision log.
- See the sibling pages on contradictory instructions to the team and conflicting guest lists.
Worked example · Fictional example
180 delegates, two sets of details
Fictional organisation and figures, illustrative only.
The event owner pauses both teams within the hour, asks the venue contact to confirm the entrance in writing, and confirms the registration time with the programme owner.
One correction email goes to all 180 delegates. The desk lead is briefed that some of the 60 may arrive at the later time and records any who are affected.
Use this yourself
Conflicting instructions correction pack
Fill this in before you send anything.
- Owner of joining instructions (name):
- Facts confirmed with the venue (entrance, access, time) and date confirmed:
- Facts confirmed with the programme owner (registration, first session):
- Version A: sender, date, list size, text saved at:
- Version B: sender, date, list size, text saved at:
- Delegates who received both, only A, only B, neither:
- Correction message wording approved by:
- Channels to use, limited to those delegates gave for event updates:
- Desk and venue briefed (who, when):
- Teams told to pause sending (who, when):
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- The error is a single detail and the owner can confirm it quickly.
- One sender can correct it to the whole list.
- The venue and programme owner are reachable.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Several teams, sponsors or agencies message delegates with no single sender.
- The facts are not agreed between the venue, the programme and the secretariat.
- The same message problem keeps recurring across events.
Need one voice for delegate communications?
A conference project lead can coordinate the agreed recovery tasks: collecting the confirmed facts, setting one approval step with your event owner, and managing the correction and desk briefing. The wording and the decisions stay with your organisation.
Questions organisers ask
Should we apologise in the correction email?
A short, plain acknowledgement is usually enough. Focus on the correct details and what delegates should do next.
What if delegates have already travelled or booked around the wrong details?
Invite them to reply, and let the event owner decide how to help case by case. Brief the desk so those delegates are handled courteously.
Can we just ask one team to delete their message?
You cannot recall a sent email reliably. Send a clearly marked correction and use the same subject line pattern each time.
Related resources
- Professional association conference: the team is receiving contradictory instructions
- Professional association conference: different teams use conflicting guest lists
- Paid delegates are missing from the check-in list
- Event registration form field minimiser
- Event decision log builder
- Outsourced conference project management
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.