Why the event communication plan is the most underrated part of event organisation

A strong event communication plan runs from months before the event to weeks afterwards. We work with six phases, each with its own function.

Phase 1: Pre-announcement (8 to 12 weeks before)
Warm up your audience without revealing too much. A teaser or a save-the-date, for example. Goal: spark curiosity and get the date into diaries. Works especially well internally for large staff events.

Phase 2: Official announcement (6 to 8 weeks before)
The full concept goes live with venue, theme and programme highlights. Goal: build enthusiasm and bring in the first sign-ups. Including the registration link or RSVP instructions.

Phase 3: Invitation (4 to 6 weeks before)
The personal invitation, addressed to the individual guest. Tone, format and channel are tailored to the relationship. For directors a personal email works best, for staff often a WhatsApp message. External clients usually get a formal letter.

Phase 4: Reminders (1 to 2 weeks and 2 to 3 days before)
Practical information: venue, time, dress code and parking options. Goal: minimise drop-outs. Keep it short and concrete. Nobody reads a 400-word reminder.

Phase 5: Day-of communication
Live updates, arrival guidance and practical instructions via WhatsApp or an event app. Lowers logistical stress for guests and gives you control over how things unfold.

Phase 6: Follow-up (1 to 7 days after)
A thank-you, highlights and any follow-up actions. Most organisers skip this phase. Yet this is exactly the phase that extends the experience and deepens the relationship. User-generated content from the event fits in perfectly here.

It makes a big difference whether you're communicating to staff or to external guests. The goals, channels, tone and timing differ greatly.

Internal communication (staff events)
Channels: intranet, email and Teams or Slack. Physical posters at the office and managers as ambassadors boost reach. Tone: informal and engaged. Timing: earlier and more frequent. Staff need more lead time to sort out their planning when partners or childcare arrangements are involved.

An important principle in internal communication: make sure managers amplify the message. An employee who hears from their manager that the event really matters is more likely to come. A standard HR email works less well.

External communication (client events, conferences, product launches)
Channels: email, LinkedIn, post and personal invitations. Tone: more businesslike and formal, but always personal in the salutation. Timing: earlier than you think. External guests have busy diaries. Communicating a date six weeks ahead is already late for many directors.

For larger conferences, a dedicated event page (landing page) with all the information is essential. Guests want to be able to look things up without having to dig out an email. Make sure you have a clear registration procedure and confirmation email too. The confirmation email is the most-read document in your communication series: put the essentials in it.

Most event communication is functional: date, time and venue. That's necessary, but not enough.

Strong event communication has a story. A reason to come that goes beyond 'we're organising an event'. That storyline runs as a thread through every piece of communication, right from the first teaser.

That story connects to the event concept. A strong event concept has a core message that communicates why this event is relevant to you right now. Weave that message into every touchpoint.

Concrete tips for effective messaging:

Be specific about what people stand to gain. Not 'an inspiring day', but 'three keynote talks you can apply directly in your work'. Or, better than 'a pleasant get-together': 'the evening we welcome our 1,000th employee'.

Put the essentials in the first sentence. Many invitations open with a paragraph about how proud the organisation is of the past year. Nobody reads that. Start with what's going to happen and why it's relevant to the reader.

More on using storylines in events: storytelling for event impact.

Event communication costs time and money. The earlier you factor it into the planning, the better the result.

Timeline: For an event of 100+ guests, count on a communication run of at least eight weeks. Four to six touchpoints is a realistic minimum. For events with external VIP guests: start ten to twelve weeks ahead.

Budget: Event communication has three cost categories. Design and production: invitations, email templates and event pages, plus print if needed. Count on €500 to €3,000 depending on the level you want. Distribution: postage for physical invitations (€1.20 per letter), email platform (cheap to free for small lists). Content and photography: a recap film and event photography for the follow-up phase. €1,000 to €5,000 depending on scale.

A common mistake: organisations treat the communication budget as an afterthought and only plan it once everything else is arranged. Reserve at least 5 to 10 per cent of the total event budget for communication. That sounds like a lot, but the communication largely determines how guests experience your event.

Live Impact develops communication plans as a standard part of every event we organise. Not as an appendix to the run sheet, but as a strategic part of the event design process.

We start with the audience analysis: who are your guests and what do they need in order to come? From that analysis we build a communication timeline with concrete templates, copy and timing. You don't receive a plan in a Word document, but ready-to-send communication you can send out straight away.

We also think along about unexpected communication moments: a change of venue, say, or a speaker dropping out. A communication plan for unforeseen circumstances is the quiet secret of professional event organisers.

Want to know how a communication plan fits into the wider event organisation? Read our article on logistics for events.

A strong event deserves strong communication. Not as a side issue, but as an integral part of what makes the event a success.

Want to brainstorm about the communication around your event? Send a message via the brief tool, call 085 401 40 14 or email hello@live-impact.nl. We're happy to think along at every touchpoint in your communication plan.

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