Invitations and attendance communication
Building an attendance reminder sequence
People have replied yes at different times, and you want them to turn up without sending the same message to everyone, including those who have declined.
Opens WhatsApp with a draft you can edit before sending. Nothing is sent automatically.
The short answer
A reminder sequence gives each segment a few messages with different jobs: confirm interest, ask for a final reply, send practical information and, where useful, a last note close to the date. Each message has an owner, a send date and a rule about who is left out.
Use the sequence planner to hold the plan, and the scenario planner to look at what attendance could be under assumptions you choose. Do not use a default no-show rate, because no outside figure reflects your audience.
What each reminder is for
| Step | Purpose | Goes to | Leaves out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Save the date follow-up | Keep the date free and say what is coming. See save-the-date message. | All segments in scope | People who asked not to be contacted |
| Invitation reminder | Ask for a reply by the reply date. | Invited, no reply yet | Anyone who has replied or declined |
| Final reply nudge | Close the numbers before catering or room decisions. | Still no reply | Declined and confirmed |
| Confirmation and practical details | Joining details and what to bring or do. See final joining instructions. | Confirmed attendees | Declined, waiting list |
| Last note | One short message close to the date, if the segment needs it. | Confirmed attendees | Anyone who has since withdrawn |
Suppression rules come first
- Anyone who declines, asks to be removed or is ineligible is removed from every later step the same day.
- Replies are processed before each send, so the list is current.
- A person in two segments receives the message for their primary segment only.
- Messages to VIPs go through their office and the VIP tracker, not the general list.
- The user always retains sending authority. The planner does not send.
Timing and spacing
Set dates backwards from the decision you need, such as the date the caterer needs a number or the date rooms are allocated. Build in spacing that your audience would find reasonable, and reduce the number of messages for senior or time-pressed segments.
Check each send date against public holidays and other events your audience attends. A milestone back-plan can show the dependencies.
Looking at attendance without a default rate
Not everyone who replies yes will arrive, and the share varies by audience and event. Instead of borrowing a rate, use the attendance scenario planner with invitation counts, your own response and attendance assumptions and any past figures you hold, and treat the result as scenarios with uncertainty shown, not a forecast.
Ask the caterer and venue how late a final number may change and what each change costs, then decide the safest point to commit.
Marketing and consent questions
Reminders to members or past attendees can raise questions about what you may send, on what basis and how people opt out. These are for your organisation's data protection contact to answer, not for the sequence to assume.
Take the segment list and message types to that contact before launch and record the answers in the plan.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional four-step sequence
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
Persatuan Fiktif Jurutera Awam has 600 invited, of whom 180 have replied yes by the first reminder. Its sequence uses four messages to the member segment, two to guests and none to VIPs, who are handled through their offices. These figures are illustrative.
Every reply is processed before each send. At the final reply nudge, 60 have not replied, so the caterer is asked for a provisional number and a latest change date. The secretariat runs scenarios at three attendance levels it chooses, labelled as assumptions, and agrees a middle figure with the treasurer.
Use this yourself
Attendance reminder plan
One row per segment and step. Fill in dates and owners before anything is scheduled.
| Segment | Step and purpose | Send date | Owner | Left out (suppression rule) | Approval (see [workflow](EV-0479)) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- One or two segments, a small list and one person sending.
- Replies come into a single inbox you can check before each send.
- Catering and room numbers can flex.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Many segments, several senders and replies in different places.
- Reminders have gone to people who already declined.
- Hard commitments such as catering or room blocks depend on a number that keeps moving.
Need the sequence planned and the replies reconciled?
A conference project lead can lay out the reminder plan by segment, keep the reply log current, apply the suppression rules before each send and run attendance scenarios with your treasurer for catering and room decisions. Consent and marketing-message rules stay with your data protection contact.
Questions organisers ask
How many reminders should we send?
Enough to close the numbers without wearing out the audience. Decide per segment, and send fewer to senior or time-pressed groups.
What no-show rate should we assume?
None by default. Use the scenario planner with assumptions you choose, show them as assumptions and review them as replies arrive.
Can we remind people who did not open the invitation?
Ask your data protection contact what tracking and follow-up is acceptable. Do not assume it is permitted.
Who sends the reminders?
You do. The invitation sequence planner holds the plan, dates and rules but does not send anything.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.