For a long time, email was the simplest and most affordable way to bring people to events. At its core, not much has changed: it is fast, direct and still the most important channel for most event teams. What has changed is everything around it. Crowded inboxes, stricter spam filters and clear data protection rules make it harder to actually get noticed.
That leaves event professionals in a bit of a dilemma. You can't do without email, yet it keeps getting harder to stand out in the inbox. How do we make the most of the medium without getting lost in the crowd? That was the question at the second edition of our Event-Held:innen series. (translated as Event Heroes)
For two hours, we discussed e-mail marketing in a relaxed atmosphere.
The Key Challenges and Solutions in Event Email Marketing
Our Event-Held:innen were able to send in their challenges before the event. More came up during the open discussion.
Declining Open Rates and Spam Filters
Even well-crafted invitations often don't get the attention they deserve. Or they end up straight in the spam folder. Every event team knows the result: a frustrated team and empty seats at the event.
It quickly became clear in the discussion that the answer rarely lies in the design of the email alone. The technical setup behind it matters just as much. These days it is even mandatory: since February 2024, Google and Yahoo have required proper authentication from high-volume senders, and Microsoft has enforced the same for Outlook.com since May 2025 (Red Sift). These steps help:
Regularly remove inactive contacts from your guest list
Collect clean data, meaning only real and up-to-date addresses
Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC for your sending domain
Offer one-click unsubscribe
We also talked about content. Invitations should be personal and clearly written, without sensational language and without unnecessary links that can trigger spam filters. The message was clear: quality over quantity.
One more note on metrics: open rates only tell you so much these days, because Apple Mail preloads messages automatically. Clicks and registrations are far more reliable.
The Overcrowded Inbox: A Challenge for Event Managers
Most people’s inboxes are pretty busy places. Newsletters, offers and messages from colleagues all compete for attention, and a lot goes unread. Event invitations have a particularly hard time. The more emails someone receives, the faster they sort them out.
Everyone in the group agreed that there is no single fix. It takes several building blocks working together:
Audience segmentation: Smaller, targeted lists work better than one email to everyone. The better an invitation matches someone’s interests, the more likely they are to open it. Surveys and feedback from past events help you understand those interests.
Personalisation: A personal approach makes a noticeable difference. That applies to the subject line, for example with a name or a specific topic, and to the body text.
Clear subject lines: A subject line that names the event, the date and the benefit gets opened more often than a clever riddle. A/B tests show you which version works better for your audience.
Engaging design: Images and GIFs can spark curiosity. Just make sure all the key event details also appear as text in the email.
Our takeaway from the discussion: you can’t make the crowded inbox disappear. With personal, well-planned and nicely designed emails, though, you can win back your place in it.
The solution for beautiful email design: the new email builder in Sweap
Audience Segmentation as a Success Factor
Segmentation was one of the main topics of the discussion. It makes sure the right people get the right message at the right time. So what does that look like in practice?
Precision over reach: Instead of sending everyone the same invitation, you send emails to smaller groups with similar interests. The discussion showed that smaller lists often lead to better registration rates, simply because the content fits better.
Data quality as the foundation: Segmentation only works with a solid data base. That means everyone has to pitch in, from sales to customer service, and record what they know about contacts in the CRM.
Clear personas: Regular guests, new customers and partners have different needs. Each group gets the message that fits them.
Finding out interests: Surveys, past interactions and feedback from previous events show you what your audience really cares about.
Segmentation takes time and needs clean data. It is still worth the effort: you get better registration rates and build trust with your audience.
Data protection and its Hurdles
For many event teams, data protection is a constant challenge. The GDPR limits which interests and personal data you can store and use for marketing. In many companies that means anything that isn’t strictly necessary doesn’t get collected at all. Yet interests and preferences are exactly what you need to send targeted invitations.
The discussion brought up a different way of looking at it: data protection can also be an opportunity. Being open about how you use data builds trust and strengthens the relationship with your guests.
Approaches from the discussion:
Explain the purpose: Tell your guests what you use their data for. People who understand why are more willing to share.
Ask for less: Only ask for what you really need for the invitation and personalisation.
Data as a service: Show that the information is useful to them, for example through relevant session recommendations.
Let people choose: Let guests decide for themselves, for example with a question like “Which events are you interested in?”. That way, the question feels like an offer rather than an obligation.
The key insight: data protection isn’t going away. That is why it should be part of your email planning from the start. Trust comes from clear communication and only collecting what you need.
The Event-Held:innen are always ready for a bit of fun too.
Event Management Software as the First Step Toward More Effective Event Marketing
Event marketing has moved more and more into focus in recent years. Many teams now promote their events in a more targeted and personal way than before. That takes a new way of thinking and the right technology.
Event management software like Sweap brings invitations, registrations and guest data together in one place. That saves time on every event. At the same time, you can segment your audiences more precisely, and data protection requirements are built into the process instead of being agreed on from scratch each time.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Email Marketing
The future of email marketing lies in personalisation. On that, the Event-Held:innen agreed. But how do you scale personalisation? Artificial intelligence can do a lot more here than put a name in the subject line.
One question that came up in the group: Will AI soon read our emails for us? Instead of scrolling through a full inbox yourself, an AI assistant could sort messages by importance. Only truly relevant content would still reach us. For event teams, that would mean only well-thought-out emails with real value get seen at all.
Another idea: emails that adapt to the recipient’s habits. Content and send times would match what someone opened in the past, and when. One participant summed it up like this: “I get my content exactly at the time I usually open it.”
There was also a counterpoint: Are we going back to the post? As digital channels get more and more crowded, a handwritten invitation or postcard stands out again and shows appreciation. With sustainable events in mind, however, it is a compromise.
Conclusion: Email Is Here to Stay - But We Need to Rethink It
Crowded inboxes, stricter spam filters and clear data protection rules make it harder for event teams to reach their audience. Even so, email remains an essential channel when it is used well.
The discussion at the Event-Held:innen showed that this is not the end of the email era. We just need to approach it differently. Fewer emails, but targeted and personal ones that match the recipient’s interests.
AI is already changing how emails are read. At the same time, it pays to stay open to other channels, such as a dedicated event newsletter or a printed invitation for special occasions. With a clear structure, email stays a strong part of your event communication.
Frequently asked questions about event emails
Yes. For most event teams, email is still the most direct way to reach guests, from the invitation to the follow-up. What matters is that your emails are set up properly on the technical side and match the recipients’ interests.
Often the sending domain isn’t properly authenticated with SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Other reasons include outdated contact lists, a high number of spam complaints or sensational subject lines. It is best to check the technical setup with your IT team and keep your guest list up to date.
Only to a limited extent. Apple Mail preloads messages automatically and counts them as opened, even if nobody has read them. Clicks, registrations and the attendance rate on the day of the event are more reliable.