Ah, yes, the reminder email. So important for putting on a successful event, but so overlooked. Starting today, with this post, we usher in a golden age of event reminders; a new, promising era where your attendees are completely clear on all logistics regarding your event well in advance of it. Most important for free events, these tips will boost your turnout and generally make for a happy group of attendees.

1. Meeting time and meeting place

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This is a courtesy rendered even more courteous in our present digital age. Attendees will appreciate not having to search through old emails to find details of the event they have perhaps long forgotten. Also be sure to specify what sort of leniency will be shown to late guests; if the event is a concert when do the doors open? When will they close? Is fashionable lateness kosher? Fashion forward lateness? Lateness of any sartorial type at all?
   
2. Directions: Public and Private Transportation

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Though the PeaTiX event page will have a map on it, remember this reminder email is all about courtesy, which by definition requires reiterating statements or questions to which the answer is already well known to both parties…strange thing courtesy. Anyway, for those remaining hip few without smartphones, it is good practice to include written directions as well as links to maps and such.

3. What to Bring

Nothing irks a guest more than showing up unprepared to the party. Be very thorough with your event item list, writing in bold where needed and sending the email enough in advance that participants have enough time to buy the requisite things.

4. Timeline of the Event

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Especially if not everyone will want to partake in all parts of an event, you’d be one hell of a courteous fellow to list the timeline of subevents at your event. Also, we all probably know that type who is annoyingly loathe to go into anything not knowing what exactly to expect and when to expect it. But those people are guests too, and as such shall be given due courtesy in the pre-event email.

5. Emergency Contact Information

Especially with smaller events, you may want to list some contact information in case of attendee lateness, lostness, ect.ness. Consider including contact info for more than one person in case your phone craps out.

6. How to Cancel

State loudly and clearly what your cancellation policy is, and if the event is free, also implore your guests to notify you of cancellations so you can best plan for the event day. But beware! You walk a thin line: do not, for instance, place a large “CLICK HERE TO CANCEL” button in your email, thus encouraging flakers.

In addition to these six holy reminders, generally take this opportunity to get guests excited for your event, using exclamation marks in plenty, emoticons, all-caps, or perhaps just old-fashioned excited rhetoric. With your perfectly crafted reminder email, you can leave surprises to natural disasters or food poisoning, and absolve your guests of any guilt in the event of a bad party.