# Remind participants before your event

> An automation that waits until the day before your event, then emails every participant the time, venue and a link to their ticket.
>
> Source: https://docs.bcl.my/automation-event-reminder/

People buy tickets weeks ahead and then forget. This automation holds every new participant until a date you choose, such as 9:00 the morning before the event, and then emails them the time, the venue and their ticket. You build it once per event.

## What you need

An event form with a date, and the date and time you want the reminder to go out. The example uses the demo event "Kopi Kampung Coffee Festival 2026" on 17 October 2026 at 9:00.

## Build it

Start from a blank automation (see [Create an automation](/create-automation/)):

1. Go to **Automations**, click **New Automation**, name it after the event, such as "Coffee Festival Reminder", and click **Create**.
2. Click **Add Node** and pick **Participant Created**. Double-click the trigger, pick your event in **Specific Event Form** and click **Save Trigger**.

   *(Screenshot: Participant Created Trigger Settings with the Coffee Festival picked in Specific Event Form)*

3. Click **Add Node** and pick **Delay**. Double-click it, choose **Until a Date & Time**, and set **Date & Time** to the moment the reminder should go out, for example 16 October 2026, 09:00. Click **Save Delay**.

   *(Screenshot: Delay Action Settings with Until a Date & Time and the Date & Time field)*

4. Click **Add Node** and pick **Send Email**. Double-click it, fill it in as below and click **Save Email**.

   | Field | Enter |
   | --- | --- |
   | **Action Name** | Festival reminder |
   | **Recipient Email** | `{attendee_email}` |
   | **Email Subject** | `See you tomorrow at {event_name}` |
   | **Email Content** | The message below |

   ```text
   Hi {attendee_name},
   {event_name} is tomorrow, {event_date} at {event_time}.
   Venue: {event_location}
   Your ticket: {ticket_name}, seat {seat_number}
   Show your ticket at the door: {ticket_url}
   See you there,
   {business_name}
   ```

   *(Screenshot: Email Action Settings with the festival reminder text)*

5. Click **Update Automation**.

The finished workflow:

*(Screenshot: The workflow canvas with Participant Created, Wait Until Oct 16, 2026 at 09:00 and Festival reminder)*

The message fills in from each participant's ticket:

| Variable | Example |
| --- | --- |
| `{event_date}` / `{event_time}` | 17/10/2026 / 09:00 |
| `{event_location}` | Dewan Kopi Kampung, Jalan Kopi 1, 50450 Kuala Lumpur |
| `{ticket_name}` / `{seat_number}` | Normal / B1-006 |
| `{ticket_url}` | A link to the participant's ticket |

Leave out `{seat_number}` if your event has no seating. One email goes to each participant, so a buyer with three tickets gets three reminders if all three use their own email.

## Test it

Check the recipe with a test run before you rely on it:

1. Buy a ticket for the event in Test Mode.
2. Open the automation and click **Overview**. The new participant shows as **Running**, with "Resumes" and the time left.

   *(Screenshot: Execution History with the waiting run of the new participant highlighted)*

3. Click **View** on the run: **Pending Delays** says when it will resume, and the email step waits as a pending node.

   *(Screenshot: Execution details showing Will resume on Oct 16, 2026 at 09:00)*

On the chosen date, BCL sends the email and the run turns **Completed**.

## Tips

A few ways to get more from this recipe:

- **Build the automation when you open ticket sales.** Only participants created while it is active are queued.
- **Keep it active until the reminder has gone out.** If you deactivate it, waiting runs are cancelled when their time comes.
- **Send a WhatsApp reminder too.** Add a **Send Wabot** or **Send WasapBot** step after the delay with `{attendee_phone}`; most people read WhatsApp sooner than email.
- **Cancel reminders for a postponed event.** Use **Actions** → **Cancel 3 Pending** on the **Overview** page (the number is how many runs are waiting). Runs already waiting keep the date they started with, so change the **Delay** before new registrations come in.

## Common issues

### The Event Registration Reminder template waits 1 day. Does it remind people before the event?

No. Its delay counts from the moment each person registers, not from the event date. For a reminder the day before the event, use a Delay of the type Until a Date & Time, as in this recipe.

### What happens to people who register after the reminder date?

When the workflow reaches a date that has already passed, that branch stops and the history shows the delay as skipped. Late registrants get their ticket email but no reminder.