Event Emails & Notifications
Medtribe provides comprehensive email capabilities for communicating with your attendees. You can create custom event emails, schedule automated reminders, and rely on system notifications for key booking events. This guide covers all aspects of email communication.
Quick Summary
Create custom emails with dynamic variables, schedule them relative to session dates, and let system notifications handle booking confirmations and certificates automatically.
Related Features
- Email Templates - Create reusable templates for consistent messaging
- Event Conversations - Direct messaging with attendees
- Certificates - Automatic certificate delivery emails
Types of Emails
Medtribe sends two types of emails:
| Type | Description | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Event Emails | Emails you create and send to attendees (reminders, updates, instructions) | Full control over content, timing, and recipients |
| System Notifications | Automatic emails triggered by booking events (confirmations, cancellations, certificates) | Sent automatically; content uses system templates |
Creating Custom Event Emails
Custom event emails let you communicate with attendees about anything related to your event - preparation instructions, venue changes, post-event follow-ups, and more.
Step-by-Step: Create an Email
- Navigate to your event
- Go to the Emails section
- Click Create Email
- Configure the email:
- Subject - The email subject line (can include variables)
- Content - Rich text email body with formatting options
- Reply To - Optional custom reply-to address and display name
- Select recipients (see below)
- Choose when to send (see scheduling options)
- Click Save or Send Now
Selecting Recipients
Target your emails precisely by filtering recipients:
| Filter | Who Receives | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| All Booked Attendees | Everyone with an active booking | Event-wide announcements |
| Specific Tickets | Only attendees with selected ticket types | VIP-only information, tier-specific details |
| Specific Sessions | Only attendees of selected sessions | Session-specific reminders, venue details |
| Combined Filters | Intersection of ticket and session filters | Precise targeting |
Note
Only attendees with active bookings receive emails. Cancelled bookings and pending reservations are excluded.
Scheduling Options
Choose when your email is sent:
Send Immediately
Click Send Now to deliver the email to all matching recipients right away. Use for urgent updates or time-sensitive information.
Schedule for a Specific Date
Set an exact date and time for the email to be sent. The time uses the event's timezone setting.
Schedule Relative to Session Start
The most powerful option for automated reminders. Set the email to send automatically based on each session's start time:
- Direction - Before or after the session starts
- Duration - Number of days or hours
Examples:
- "2 days before" - Preparation reminder
- "1 hour before" - Final reminder with joining instructions
- "1 day after" - Post-event survey or follow-up
Multi-Session Events
For events with multiple sessions, relative scheduling sends emails at the appropriate time for each session automatically.
Email Variables
Use dynamic variables in your email subject and content to personalise messages. Variables are replaced with actual values when the email is sent.
How to Use Variables
Type the variable code exactly as shown in the table below. Variables use double curly braces:
Hello {{attendee_first_name}},
Your session for {{course_name}} starts on {{schedule_start_date}} at {{schedule_start_time}}.
Location: {{schedule_location}}
Your session for {{course_name}} starts on {{schedule_start_date}} at {{schedule_start_time}}.
Location: {{schedule_location}}
Available Variables
| Variable | Description | Example Output |
|---|---|---|
| Attendee Details | ||
| {{attendee_first_name}} | Attendee's first name | Sarah |
| {{attendee_last_name}} | Attendee's last name | Johnson |
| {{attendee_name}} | Attendee's full name | Sarah Johnson |
| {{attendee_email}} | Attendee's email address | sarah@example.com |
| Event Details | ||
| {{course_name}} | Event name | Advanced Life Support Training |
| {{course_description}} | Event description | (Event description text) |
| Session Details | ||
| {{schedule_start_date}} | Session start date | 15 March 2025 |
| {{schedule_start_time}} | Session start time | 09:00 |
| {{schedule_end_date}} | Session end date | 15 March 2025 |
| {{schedule_end_time}} | Session end time | 17:00 |
| {{schedule_location}} | Venue name or address | Manchester Training Centre |
| {{schedule_meeting_link}} | Online meeting URL (if set) | https://zoom.us/j/123456 |
| Booking Details | ||
| {{ticket_name}} | Ticket type name | Standard Admission |
| {{booking_reference}} | Unique booking reference | BK-2025-00123 |
| Links | ||
| {{booking_url}} | Link to attendee's booking page | (Personalised URL) |
| {{event_url}} | Link to public event page | (Event listing URL) |
| Organiser Details | ||
| {{organiser_name}} | Event organiser's name | Dr Jane Smith |
| {{organiser_email}} | Event organiser's email | jane@example.com |
Testing Variables
Use the Preview feature to see how your email looks with sample data before sending.
Managing Event Emails
Viewing Email Status
From your event's Emails section, you can see:
- Draft - Saved but not scheduled
- Scheduled - Will be sent at the specified time
- Sent - Successfully delivered
- Partially Sent - Sent to some sessions (for multi-session events)
Email History
View a log of all sent emails including:
- When the email was sent
- Number of recipients
- Which sessions received it
Editing Emails
You can edit event emails as long as they haven't been sent yet:
- Draft emails - Can be freely edited
- Scheduled emails - Can be edited until send time
- Sent emails - Cannot be edited (create a new email instead)
Duplicating Emails
Save time by duplicating existing emails:
- Find the email you want to copy
- Click Duplicate
- Modify the copy as needed
- Save or send
Duplicating is useful for creating similar reminders for different sessions or adapting an email from a previous event.
System Notifications
Medtribe automatically sends system emails for key booking events. These ensure attendees and organisers are kept informed without manual intervention.
Attendee Notifications
| Notification | When Sent | Contains |
|---|---|---|
| Booking Confirmation | Immediately after booking completes | Event details, session info, booking reference, calendar invite |
| Reservation Invitation | When organiser creates a reservation | Invitation to book, event details, confirmation link |
| Reservation Reminder | If invitation not accepted (optional) | Reminder to accept, confirmation link |
| Booking Cancellation | When booking is cancelled | Cancellation confirmation, refund details (if applicable) |
| Waitlist Notification | When spot becomes available | Invitation to complete booking, time limit |
| Certificate Delivery | When certificate is generated | Certificate PDF attachment or download link |
| Survey Invitation | Based on survey schedule | Link to complete survey |
| Application Status | When application is approved/rejected | Decision, next steps for approved applicants |
Organiser Notifications
| Notification | When Sent | Contains |
|---|---|---|
| New Booking Alert | When someone books your event | Attendee details, ticket type, session |
| Cancellation Request | When attendee requests cancellation | Attendee details, reason, approval link |
| New Enquiry | When someone sends an event enquiry | Enquirer details, message content |
| Application Received | When application form is submitted | Applicant details, form responses |
| Team Invitation | When invited to collaborate on event | Event details, role, acceptance link |
Notification Preferences
Organisers can configure which notifications they receive in their account settings. Attendees cannot disable transactional emails like booking confirmations.
Using Email Templates
For consistent messaging across events, create reusable email templates:
- Go to Templates in your dashboard
- Create an Email Template
- Write your template content with variables
- When creating an event email, select Use Template
- Choose your template and customise as needed
Templates are ideal for:
- Standard reminder emails sent to all events
- Welcome emails with consistent branding
- Post-event follow-up templates
- Instructions that apply to multiple events
Best Practices
Writing Effective Emails
- Clear Subject Lines - Include the event name and purpose (e.g., "ALS Training - Reminder: Your session is tomorrow")
- Personalise with Variables - Use
{{attendee_first_name}}for a personal touch - Keep it Concise - Include essential information only; link to full details
- Call to Action - Be clear about what attendees should do (bring ID, complete form, etc.)
- Include Contact Info - Let attendees know how to reach you with questions
Scheduling Strategy
- Confirmation - Automatic (no action needed)
- 7 Days Before - Preparation email (what to bring, what to review)
- 1 Day Before - Final reminder with logistics (venue, parking, joining link)
- 1 Hour Before - Quick reminder for online events (meeting link)
- 1 Day After - Thank you and survey invitation
Testing Your Emails
- Preview First - Use the preview feature to check variable substitution
- Test Send - Send to yourself before scheduling
- Check Links - Verify all URLs work correctly
- Mobile Preview - Ensure emails display well on mobile devices
- Proofread - Check spelling and grammar
Troubleshooting
Email not sending?
- Check that the session has attendees with active bookings
- Verify the scheduled time hasn't already passed
- Ensure recipients have valid email addresses
- For relative scheduling, confirm the session has a start date set
- Check the email status isn't stuck in "Draft"
Variables not replacing?
- Variables only replace when the email is actually sent (not in the editor)
- Use the Preview feature to see substituted values
- Check variable syntax: use
{{variable_name}}exactly - Ensure the data exists (e.g., meeting link is set for
{{schedule_meeting_link}})
Recipients missing?
- Only active bookings receive emails (not cancelled or pending)
- Check ticket and session filters match the intended recipients
- Reservations that haven't been accepted don't receive event emails
- Verify attendees have email addresses on their bookings
Attendee didn't receive email?
- Check their spam/junk folder
- Verify their email address is correct in their booking
- Ask them to add your email to their safe senders list
- Check the email history to confirm it was sent
- Resend the email if needed
Related Guides
- Templates - Create reusable email templates for consistent messaging
- Event Conversations - Direct messaging with individual attendees
- Booking Management - View and manage attendees to email
- Sessions - Understand session timing for relative scheduling
- Certificates - Automatic certificate delivery emails
- Surveys - Survey invitation emails
- Reservations - Invitation emails for reserved spots
For email-related issues, contact support@medtribe.com.