A complete guide to event email marketing

I really wanted to begin this article with some grand claim that effective email marketing is going to 100x the number of attendees to your event...

I even tried to look up some studies that might back up this bold claim. However the ones I could find were dubious at best.

So, let's just forget the studies, and talk about some real world experience.

What I can tell you, after working with event organisers for nearly 10 years is that almost every single one of businesses that are consistently putting attendees in seats are utilizing event email marketing.

Yes, I know - It often feels like you have a million and one things to do planning and organizing events. Finding the venue, organizing the guest list, planning the event itself… the list goes on.

In the midst of all this, the last thing you want to do is send a whole bunch of emails, right?

But emails are one of the core pillars of event success. When done well, email marketing can help you promote your event, reach a wider audience, and generate more ticket sales. 

If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry. By the end of this article, you’ll know how to successfully execute email marketing for your next event. I'll explain the different types of event email, tips for successful email marketing, and outline some examples and templates for you to use ahead of your next event. 

Before I break it all down, let’s clarify what event email marketing actually is.

What is event email marketing? 

Event email marketing is all about using emails to promote, manage, and keep in touch with people before and after your events.

It involves crafting targeted emails to:

• Inform potential attendees about your upcoming event
• Generate interest and boost ticket sales
• Provide key event details
• Keep participants engaged throughout the event lifecycle

There’s more to it than sending a bunch of emails to potential guests and trying to get them to buy tickets. It’s tactical. You send specific emails to subscribers at certain times.

Is event email marketing necessary for success? Yes, and here’s why

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons email marketing is a great way to boost ticket sales. 

• Reach people directly in their inbox. Emails go straight to your audience’s inbox, bypassing the noise of social media. As a result, your message is more likely to be seen, boosting your chances of getting more RSVPs. 
• Build relationships. Email marketing involves sending personalized and strategic messages to your email list. This helps you build a connection with your audience, making them more likely to attend events and engage with your brand. 
• Boost excitement and awareness. Email marketing keeps your audience informed and excited about your event. Put yourself in their shoes — how excited are you when you receive an email about an upcoming event that you can’t wait to go to? Pretty buzzed, I bet. 
• Send timely reminders. Emails serve as timely reminders for important deadlines, such as registration cutoffs or upcoming event dates. It reduces the chances of no-shows and last-minute cancellations, and encourages more people to buy tickets before it’s too late. 

5 top tips for successful event email marketing 

Okay, enough about the benefits of event email marketing. Let’s get to the good stuff — how do you actually create, send, and manage event emails successfully? 

Here are some top tips to help your emails stand out in crowded inboxes, connect with your audience, and turn interest into action without sounding like a sales pitch.

1. Build an email list with the right subscribers

To put it bluntly, your email marketing efforts go to waste if you send them to the wrong people. 

We’ve seen it firsthand. A brand sends out invites to their full mailing list, including past customers, old newsletter sign-ups, and even people from unrelated campaigns. 

The result? 

Low open rates, poor engagement, and barely any RSVPs. 

When event organizers narrow their focus and build a targeted list of subscribers who actually match their ideal audience (think recent leads, relevant partners, and engaged community members), the difference is night and day. 

The bottom line? The right audience is everything.

Here’s how to build an email list with the right people: 

• Pinpoint your ideal audience. Before you create an email list for your event, clarify who you actually want to attend. Is it new leads, loyal customers, or industry peers? Knowing your target audience helps you craft messages that speak directly to their interests and avoids wasting time on the wrong crowd.
• Leverage existing contacts. Tap into your current network of past attendees, customers, newsletter subscribers, and social followers. These people already know your brand, making them a great starting point for building buzz and driving sign-ups.
• Create irresistible sign-up incentives. To get more people to sign up to your email list, offer something of value in exchange. Early-bird access, exclusive content, or VIP perks work well — just make sure the benefit is clear and relevant to your event.
• Segment your audience to personalize communications. Group your subscribers into segments based on things like their demographics, interests, or how they found you. These segments allow you to tailor your email messaging to suit their preferences and needs, driving better engagement.

2. Send the right emails, at the right time 

Great timing can make or break your event email strategy. 

Send emails too early and your message gets forgotten. Send them too late? People already have other plans. 

The key is to guide your audience through a journey, from the first ‘what’s this about?’ to ‘I’m so glad I came!’

Here’s the typical event email timeline: 

• Awareness. Start by teasing the event before tickets are even available. This builds anticipation and lets people know something exciting is coming.
• Invite. Once the registration forms open, send your official invite with all the key details and a clear call to action to encourage subscribers to buy tickets. 
• Confirmation. After someone signs up, send a friendly confirmation email with event information, calendar links, and what to expect next.
• Follow-up. A few days before the event, remind attendees of the date, location, and any final details (like what to bring or an agenda).
• Thanks for attending. After the event, show appreciation and keep the relationship going. Include highlights, photos, or a survey to gather feedback.

Now, you might be thinking, ‘how am I supposed to find time to create and send all these emails?’

I hear you. When you’re knee-deep in event logistics, email marketing feels like another thing on your overflowing to-do list.

The good news is that automation can help. 👏

Did you know that you can send automated event emails with Event Calendar App? Well, you can — and it’s really easy. 

Simply head to the main dashboard and click ‘Workflows’:

From here, you can create an automated email campaign. Select ‘add a message’, choose the parameters, add your email copy, and add it to the automation. 

After adding all your emails, your automation workflow will look something like this: 

And voila! You’re ready to go. 

As soon as someone registers for a ticket, the automation begins. You don’t have to worry about manually sending all these communications because we do it for you.

No need to thank us, you’re welcome. 😎

How to avoid the spam trap: Even with great content, your emails won’t work if no one sees them. Here are a few quick tips to avoid landing in the spam folder:

• Space out your emails logically. Plan your email schedule with enough breathing room between messages so your audience doesn’t feel overwhelmed — and so that email platforms don’t think you’re a spammer.
• Avoid spammy subject lines. Keep your subject line clear, relevant, and friendly — stay clear of too many exclamation marks or ALL CAPS. Try using action-based language like “Save your spot for our July event” instead of something like “DON’T MISS OUT!!!”
• Use a trustworthy sender name. Spam filters look at sender credibility. Inconsistent or generic names (like ‘info@’ or ‘noreply@’) can raise red flags. Instead, use a clear, branded sender name like ‘Emma at EventWorks; or ‘The [Event Name] Team’.

3. Write email copy that sells (without being salesy)

When people feel like they’re being pushed, they tune out fast. 

Put yourself in the position of your subscribers. You head to your inbox, click and email, and this is the first thing you see: 

‘Don’t miss the biggest, most incredible, game-changing event of the year!!! Tickets are flying off the shelves! BUY NOW before it’s too late!’

It’s quite intense, right? It’s loud, pushy, and focused on hype — not on helping you understand why the event is worth your time.

If anything, it’s more likely to put you off than to pique your interest. 

Now, how would you feel about this email:

‘Join us for a day of fresh ideas, inspiring experiences, and great people. Whether you’re looking to learn something new, get inspired, or just try something different—you won’t want to miss it. Spaces are limited, so grab your spot while you can!’ 

This version is confident but calm. It highlights benefits, creates urgency (by stating tickets are limited) without pressure, and speaks directly to the guest’s interests.

The goal is to sell the value of your event by showing your audience why it matters to them, without sounding like a walking advertisement.

Here are some ways to write email copy that converts without putting people off: 

• Focus on value, not features. Instead of listing what your event has (like “five Tour De France cyclist speakers”), show why that matters (like ‘learn real-world experiences and advice from expert cyclists with years of experience’).
• Use natural, conversational language. Write like you’d talk to a friend, not like a billboard. Keep it warm, clear, and jargon-free.
• Highlight what’s in it for them. What will attendees gain from showing up? New skills? Valuable connections? A fun experience? Make that the core message.
• Let social proof do some of the talking. Mention previous attendee feedback, name-drop a popular speaker, or highlight how many people have already signed up to boost interest. 

4. Send the emails from an address they can reply to

This is a great bonus, but something I often see missed. Send your event marketing emails from an address that people can actually respond to.

For example - if you send your emails from '[email protected]' it feels personable and your customers can reply to the email to send you a message. This is a really nice extra as you can sign off emails with something like:

'Hit reply and say hello if you have any questions. We'd love to hear from you'.

Sending the emails from your address like this also makes it less likely the email will end up in the attendees spam folder. Always a nice little extra!

5. Make sure there's a 'call to action' in most emails

In most of the emails you send to your attendees you're going to want to make sure there's a 'call to action (CTA)'. 'Call to action' is just fancy marketing speak for something that you want the attendee to do.

Some good ideas for CTAs:

RSVP buttons

The most obvious, but give your attendee a link they can click to go and register for the event.

Add-to-calendar links

Make it easy for people to save the date by including a one-click calendar link for Google, Outlook, or Apple Calendar. If you're an Event Calendar App customer, you can use the links straight from your widget.

Clickable images or videos

If you're adding images, don't forget to make them clickable to a place where the attendee can get more context.

It's not possible to add videos to emails, but a good idea is to do something like this instead:

The different types of event emails (plus free event email templates)

Now that we’ve outlined our tips and advice for successful event email marketing, let’s break down the different types of emails and show you some examples.

Save the date

A save-the-date email is usually one of the first emails you’d send about an upcoming event. It essentially outlines all the key information about the event, like: 

• What the event is
• The date and timings
• The location of the event
• When tickets are available to buy.

You send this email before people can actually buy tickets. It’s more of a ‘here’s what’s coming and the date it’s happening — put it in your calendars!’ type of thing. 

Save-the-date template 

Official invitation emails

These emails officially invite people to your event. They typically include detailed information about the event, including speakers, an agenda, and RSVP links. 

The exact timing on when to send invite emails varies, but it’s usually a few weeks to a couple of months before the event itself. 

Invitation email template 

Confirmation emails

Confirmation emails are your chance to quickly let people know their spot is saved and share all the important details they’ll need. 

Think of it as a friendly “you’re in!” message that includes their registration confirmation, ticket or booking info, the event schedule, and any tips to help them get ready. 

These emails go out right after someone signs up, so they feel confident and excited about what’s coming.

Confirmation email template

Event reminder emails

A reminder email ensures that all attendees are up to speed with when and where the event is taking place. It also boosts attendance, making sure that everyone who has a ticket remembers when the event takes place. 

You can send multiple reminder emails if needed, such as one month, one week, and one day before the event — but don’t send too many. You probably only need a couple at most. Anymore than that can feel a little overwhelming! 

Event email reminder template

Follow-up emails

Follow-up emails are a great way to check in with your attendees after the event and hear what they thought. They usually include a quick link to a survey and a friendly message explaining how much their feedback helps make future events even better. 

These emails are best sent within a few days of the event, while the experience is still fresh in everyone’s mind.

Follow-up email template

Conclusion

From my experience, the first time you go through this, with your first event, is always going to be the hardest - and it's likely you'll feel a bit of friction. But after your first event or two, you can simply go through the same execution plan again and again, and things get much easier.

It's worth the effort as most businesses that I have worked with find effective email marketing transformational to their events business.