What a virtual event joining guide should say
Registration has closed, and the team now has to tell several hundred people how to get into the session.
The short answer
A joining guide answers six things: when and how to join, what to check beforehand, how to turn on captions or change language if offered, what to do if joining fails, who to contact, and what the session will record or share.
Keep platform-specific instructions short and take them from the vendor's current help pages, because screens and settings change.
What to include, in order
- Date, start time in Malaysia time and the time people can join early. If attendees are overseas, write the time zone clearly.
- The joining link or the route to it, and what to do if each registrant has an individual link. Do not ask people to forward it.
- A short pre-check: test the link on the device they will use, check sound, and install any app the vendor asks for. Take the steps from the vendor help page.
- What attendees can do in the session: ask questions, use chat, vote, and where each is.
- Support for captions and any language options, covered in caption delivery.
- How to get help, with the support desk contact, hours and what to quote.
When to send it
| Message | When | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Registration confirmation | At registration | Date, time, what happens next |
| Joining guide | Several days before | Instructions, pre-check, support route |
| Reminder | The day before | Link, start time, support contact |
| Starting soon | Shortly before start | Link only, short |
Write for the least confident attendee
Many attendees will join from a work laptop with security settings or from a phone. Say what to try if the link does not open and where the session can be watched if the first attempt fails, without suggesting anything that weakens security.
Use plain words and short steps. Add a line for attendees who need a different format or support, with a way to tell you before the day.
Test the guide before it goes out
- Ask one person outside the project team to follow the guide on an unfamiliar device.
- Fix any step where they hesitated or needed to ask.
- Check that links in the message are correct and not shared with the wrong group. See access-link security.
- Hand the guide to the support desk so their answers match it, as in attendee troubleshooting desk.
Worked example · Fictional example
A half-day online workshop for a professional association
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
The Fictional Quantity Surveyors Association invites about 150 registrants to an online workshop. Many will join from site offices.
The secretariat sends the guide five days ahead, tells people to test the link on the device they will use, and sets the room to open 20 minutes early. A volunteer who had not seen the draft follows it and shows that the caption instructions were missing. The team adds them and gives the support desk a copy.
Use this yourself
Joining guide message template
Copy, replace the brackets and check the vendor steps against the platform's current help pages. The RFP completeness checker can help confirm your supplier requests cover attendee support.
- Subject: How to join [event name] on [date]
- When: [date], starts [time] Malaysia time. You can join from [time].
- Your link: [link or how to receive it]. Please do not forward it.
- Before the day: open the link on the device you will use, check your sound, and [steps taken from the vendor's help page].
- In the session: [where to ask questions, use chat, vote].
- Captions and language: [what is offered and how to turn it on].
- If something goes wrong: [what to try first], then contact [support desk name and contact] and tell them [name, email used to register, what you see].
- Recording and privacy: [what will be recorded, how it will be used, notice approved by privacy owner].
- Access needs: if you need a different format or support, tell us by [date] at [contact route].
- We look forward to seeing you online.
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- Your audience has used the platform before.
- One person can write, send and answer replies.
- The session is short and informal.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Attendees join from different organisations with different security settings.
- Several messages, languages and support routes must stay consistent.
- You need the guide, support desk and rehearsal checked together.
Want the joining guide and support route set up?
A conference project lead can draft the joining sequence, check the guide against the platform supplier's instructions, and brief the support desk so answers match. The platform itself and its technical support stay with your supplier.
Questions organisers ask
How early should attendees be able to join?
Ask your platform supplier and decide a window, often 15 to 30 minutes, so problems appear before the start. Write it into the guide.
Should the guide be sent in more than one language?
If your audience reads English, Malay or Chinese, send the guide in the languages they use. Have each version checked by someone fluent.
Do we need to include a recording notice?
Ask your privacy owner what notice is needed, and put the approved wording in the registration form and the guide.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.