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Event Communication Channels

Which channel should you use to communicate with event attendees?

Event communication channels are the ways you reach registrants, speakers and sponsors before, during and after an event: email, text messages, push notifications from an event app, social posts and signage at the venue. Each suits a different kind of message, so the aim is to match message to channel, not to use all of them.

This guide compares five channels, gives a rule for choosing and a checklist for every message. For the full schedule of messages, see the event communication plan.

Updated by the Eventdex team

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The Eventdex event app on three phones: the event list, sign-in and the event menu

The five channels compared

Choose the channel by how urgent the message is and whether the reader has to keep it.

Event communication channels and when to use each
ChannelUse it forNot for
EmailConfirmations, agendas, receipts, anything to keepLast-minute changes
Text messageUrgent, short notices, if attendees agreed to textsLong content
App push notificationSession changes, reminders and polls during the eventAttendees who have not installed the app
Social postsPublic announcements and reachDetails only registrants should see
Onsite signage and announcementsDirections, schedule changes in the venueMessages that need a reply

A simple rule for choosing

Ask three questions about each message, in this order.

  1. Is it urgent?

    If people must act in the next hour, use a push notification, text or announcement. If not, use email.

  2. Do they need to keep it?

    Tickets, receipts and agendas belong in email, where people can search for them later.

  3. Who needs it?

    Send to the smallest group that needs it. A change to one session should reach only the people who chose it.

A checklist for every message

Check each message before it goes out.

  • One purpose

    Each message does one thing: confirm, remind, change or ask.

  • Date, time and place first

    Put what changed or what to do in the first line.

  • A named sender and a way to reply

    People trust messages from a person or the event, and need somewhere to ask questions.

  • Permission

    Use text messages and marketing email only for people who agreed to receive them, and follow the rules that apply where your attendees live.

Where Eventdex fits

Eventdex's mobile app page describes push notifications for last-minute changes, plus live polls and Q&A during sessions. Eventdex's pages do not describe a text message service or a social posting tool, so use your own tools for those channels.

The Eventdex platform

Tools for reaching attendees

Further reading

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“Eventdex helped me run a smooth registration process during my event and helped me deliver an excellent mobile application to my event's attendees. Their support team was brilliant and I really enjoyed incorporating the Eventdex solutions into my events.”
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FAQ

Event Communication Channels: common questions

What is the best channel for event communication?

There is no single best one. Use email for things to keep, push notifications or texts for urgent changes, and signage for directions at the venue.

How do you tell attendees about a last-minute change?

Use a push notification if they have the app, or a text message if they agreed to texts, and put the change on signage and in an announcement.

How many messages is too many?

When people stop opening them. Send fewer, more useful messages and send each to the smallest group that needs it.

Where does the schedule of messages go?

In the event communication plan, which lists each message, its channel, its audience and its date.

See Eventdex attendee communication tools

Start with a free interactive floor plan, or talk to an event specialist on +1 (866) 434-5088.

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