A great deal of work goes into planning and hosting a successful event. You envision exactly how you'd like the event to go, and then plan each of the elements that will bring that vision to life. You plan and manage the details for weeks, if not months. And then, during the event itself, you've got eyes and ears everywhere, making sure your attendees are happy and that everything is going according to plan. I know these things all too well - after all, my toddler's "Wheels on the Bus" themed birthday party did NOT plan itself!
Once the event is over, after you've spent time relishing in your success, there's still work to be done. And that's the event follow-up email. It's more than just an obligatory "thank you", and it's important for several reasons:
- It can be the start of a relationship with attendees who are just getting to know your business/organization
- It's a place to share the successes of your event (e.g. how much money was raised, photos of guests mingling, who won the raffle contests)
- It provides an opportunity to highlight upcoming events and garner excitement
So what key elements should be included in an event follow-up email? Certainly you'll want to express gratitude, but there are other things to include as well:
Personalization
When someone takes the time to attend your event, you want to make sure to thank them on a personal level. And using their name in a personalized greeting is a great way to do that.
"Thanks for attending our event!" isn't as warm as "Grace, we loved having you at our event"
Learn how to add a personalized greeting in your email's subject line and within your email.
Event Recap
Brag about your event! Everyone likes to know they were part of something big and meaningful, so share the event's successes with your guests. Share how many people attended and any other important information. Perhaps include visual elements like photos or videos.
Valuable, engaging content
Provide ways for your event attendees to stay engaged with your business/organization. Link to your website - perhaps to a page that includes important information, blog articles, or products for sale. A call-to-action button is a great way to do this.
Other elements that can be included:
Tell us, what do you include in your event follow-up emails? We'd love to hear ideas that are relevant to your specific industry!
