Use case · event
Event communication: invitation, registration, reminder and follow-up in one journey
An event is a lot of work – and the communication around it is often done by hand with Excel lists. The PBM Campaign Platform sends personal invitations, accepts registrations via a landing page, sends reminders at the right time and follows up: differently for attendees than for those who could not come.
Definition
What is event communication as a customer journey?
Event communication as a customer journey combines all contacts around an event into a single process: invitation, registration, confirmation, reminder and follow-up. Unlike individual mailings, the journey responds to the behaviour of each guest – whether they register, cancel or attend.
Typical mistakes
Why do seats stay empty at customer events?
Empty seats rarely have anything to do with the programme. Usually it is down to the process:
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01
Invitation without a sender.
An anonymous invitation from head office loses out to a personal one from the adviser.
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02
No reminder – or five.
Both do damage.
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03
No way to cancel.
Anyone who cannot come finds no simple cancellation link. The seat stays empty.
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04
The same follow-up for everyone.
Those who attended receive ‘Sorry you couldn’t make it’ – or vice versa.
Sample journey · example
What does an event journey look like from invitation to follow-up?
Example: the fictional Regionalbank Musterstadt eG invites customers to its investor forum at the main branch on 12 November. One campaign, two journeys: ‘Invite’ and ‘Attend’. All values are example values.
Profile · November investor forum
- Phase 1 trigger
Customer segment, one-off invitation (single campaign).
- Phase 2 trigger
Registration via the registration landing page – also for guests without an invitation (self-service entry).
- Phase 1 segment
Customers with a securities account in the main branch’s catchment area, no objection to marketing.
- Sender
the responsible adviser.
Phase 1 · ‘Invite’ journey
-
Four checks before entry.
Consent per channel, first run, no higher-priority campaign.
Regionalbank Musterstadt eGInvestor forum · 12 November · main branch
Registration code from your letter masked inputRegister without an invitationRegionalbank Musterstadt eGMs Hoffmann, we look forward to seeing you
- Programme
- Directions
Christina ReuterYour adviserI can’t make it after allExample · demo dataRegistration in the bank’s brand: ‘Investor forum · 12 November · main branch’ with a registration code from the letter or without an invitation, followed by the confirmation with programme, directions and adviser. Fictional sample brand. -
Personal invitation (email or letter).
Email if consent has been given, otherwise a letter with a personal registration code. The sender is the customer’s own adviser, with a photo and the sentence ‘I’ll be there that evening too.’
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Wait for event: registration (up to 10 days).
Yes → exit with the reason ‘converted’ and entry into phase 2. No → step 4.
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One reminder.
Short, with a programme highlight. After that, the invitation journey ends with no further contacts.
Registration
new journey
Phase 2 · ‘Attend’ journey
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Registration confirmation.
Date, venue, directions, cancellation link. New guests can subscribe to information by email separately and without a pre-ticked box – with a confirmation link (double opt-in).
InviteAttend
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Entry
Registration landing page
-
Send
Confirmation
-
Wait until
T–7
-
Send
Reminder
-
Wait until
T–1
-
Send · SMS
only with consent
skipped without consent
-
Wait for event
Check-in
-
Condition
attended?
-
Yes
Send
[‘Attended’ branch]
No
Send
[‘Did not attend’ branch]
Example · demo data[Caption per page] -
-
Reminder with programme.
A click on ‘I can’t make it after all’ counts as a cancellation: the journey ends for this guest, and the seat becomes available.
-
SMS reminder.
Only with SMS consent; otherwise the step is skipped.
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Check-in.
The attendee list from the entrance is reported via import or API.
-
Condition: attended?
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Wait for event: appointment arranged (up to 14 days).
Yes → macro goal. No → end.
Investor forum · 12 November · main branch
Ms Hoffmann, we look forward to seeing you
- Programme
- Directions
InviteAttend
-
Entry
Registration landing page
-
Send
Confirmation
-
Wait until
T–7
-
Send
Reminder
-
Wait until
T–1
-
Send · SMS
only with consent
skipped without consent
-
Wait for event
Check-in
-
Condition
attended?
-
Yes
Send
[‘Attended’ branch]
No
Send
[‘Did not attend’ branch]
Goals
Phase 1: macro goal registration. Phase 2: micro goals attendance · documents downloaded · question answered; primary macro goal follow-up appointment arranged.
Exit paths (exactly one reason per exit)
- Converted: registered (phase 1) or follow-up appointment arranged (phase 2).
- Completed: no registration after invitation and reminder.
- Negative outcome: cancellation before the date or did not attend – each with its own short follow-up, without a win-back series.
- Displaced: a higher-priority campaign is running – the invitation pauses.
- Withdrawal: stops everything immediately.
Channels
Which channel is suitable for which step?
‘Email, letter, landing page and SMS – in one journey, not in four tools.’
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Letter
personal invitation with registration code, even without email consent
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Email
invitation, confirmation, reminder and follow-up, if consent has been given
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Landing page
registration, programme, documents – in the organiser’s brand
-
SMS
short reminder the day before, only with consent
Variants
What does event communication look like in other industries?
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Banks & cooperative banking groups
Banks & cooperative banking groupsInvestor forums, talks on retirement planning, branch openings. Invitation from the customer’s own adviser, each branch or partner bank in its own brand.
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Automotive & car dealerships
Automotive & car dealershipsModel launch at 40 dealerships in a dealer network. Head office builds the journey, each dealership sends invitations in its own corporate identity. Macro goal: test drive arranged.
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SMEs & B2B
SMEs & B2BIn-house exhibition or specialist seminar. After the event, interested visitors move into B2B lead nurturing.
Personalisation
What makes an invitation personal?
‘Individual for every recipient – but only with data approved for that purpose.’
- Sender the customer’s own adviser
- Location nearest event
- Programme item matching their interest
- Channel based on consent
- Follow-up depending on attendance
- Brand per branch or dealership
Measure
How do you measure the success of an event?
| KPI | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Registrations per channel (letter/email) | Which invitation route works |
| Registrations after reminder | Whether the reminder is necessary |
| Cancellations before the date | How well seats are freed up |
| Attendance rate | How many registered guests attend |
| Documents downloaded, question answered | Interest after the event |
| Follow-up appointments (macro goal) | The business benefit |
| Comparison by location | Where invitations work better |
No benchmarks without evidence.
Campaign [CAMPAIGN]
- Brand All
- Channel All
- Period 30 days
- [KPI][VALUE]
- [KPI][VALUE]
- [KPI][VALUE]
- [KPI][VALUE]
Funnel · micro → macro
- Invited
- Registered
- Attended
- Follow-up appointment
Channel comparison · LP logins
- Regionalbank Musterstadt eG
Explain your Campaign
- [AI EXPLANATION]
Preparation
What should you prepare for an event journey?
Data
- Guest list as a segment
- responsible adviser
- Location
- Consent per channel
- Mobile number only with SMS consent
- Attendee list from the entrance
Consents
- Email invitations only with consent or under Section 7(3) UWG
- Use registration data only for the event
- Newsletter option separate, not pre-ticked, with double opt-in
Content
- Invitation (letter and email)
- Registration landing page
- Confirmation
- two reminders
- two follow-ups
- Documents
Rules
- Registration deadline
- Capacity
- Reminder limit
- Priority over other campaigns
Frequently asked questions about event communication
How many reminders before an event make sense?
Two are usually enough: one a week before with the programme and directions, and a short SMS the day before if the guest has given consent. More important than the number is a simple way to cancel in every reminder. In the PBM Campaign Platform, you set the timings and channels yourself.
How do guests register?
Via a registration landing page in the organiser’s brand. Invited customers reach it via a personal link or the code from the letter. Guests without an invitation can register directly; the registration creates the contact and starts the attendee journey.
What happens after the event?
The journey distinguishes between attendees and no-shows. It is based on the attendee list from the entrance, which is reported via import or API. Attendees receive a thank you, documents and an offer of a meeting. No-shows receive a single message with the documents.
May I invite customers to an event by email?
An email invitation is generally marketing. It requires prior express consent or the conditions of the existing-customer exception under Section 7(3) UWG. Without email consent, the journey falls back on a letter. As of September 2026, not legal advice.
Can each location promote its own event?
Yes. In the PBM Campaign Platform, each location is a separate brand with its own logo, sender and legal notice. Head office builds the journey once, and each location sends invitations in its own corporate identity. Staff at a location see only their own guests.