I’m continuing to experiment with the messaging. Without A/B testing (and maybe even with, given the small list size) it’s hard to know what works, or doesn’t. If nothing else we’ll poll on it post event. I have some guidelines:

• Message every Tuesday. If they read them all good, but even if they don’t, it builds rhythm and makes it feel consistent (or so I’d like to think)
• Make them fairly consistent. Look at the subject list below, I’m making it easy to see which messages are about SQLSaturday Orlando (and to filter them, if needed)
• Make the subject line useful. I don’t want to send “update #7” or “59 days out”, I want something that informs them and gives them a reason to open it. Steve thinks maybe the subject lines are too long – don’t know? Thoughts?
• Include the seminar information and the event information in every email
• Include oPASS/MagicPASS logos in every email
• Include all paid sponsors in every email
• Check that it renders ok in Outlook and Gmail

Here are the subject lines we’ve used so far this year with 5 weeks to go (which means 5 more ‘standard’ messages, plus some extras):

• SQLSaturday 318 Orlando – Full Day Training
• Registration for SQLSaturday Orlando Is Open – Please Register Today!
• SQLSaturday Add-On: Spend a Day Learning Monitoring Strategies for SQL Server for only $120
• SQLSaturday Orlando – The Presentation Schedule Has Been Published! (54 Reasons To Register)
• SQLSaturday Orlando – Presentation Schedule Now Available!
• SQLSaturday Orlando – Sign Up For Our Dimensional Modeling Seminar on September 26th
• SQLSaturday Orlando – Meet The Speakers, Lunch, And The After Party
• SQLSaturday Orlando – Why The Boss Will Say Yes To Paid Training, How To Get Your Own SQLSaturday Polo, and Asking Your Colleagues to Attend With You

And here is last year:

• 7th Annual SQLSaturday Orlando – Register today!
• SQLSaturday #232 Orlando – Final Agenda is now LIVE!
• SQLSaturday Orlando – SpeedPASS and other details
• SpeedPASS Error
• SQLSaturday Orlando – Sept 11-14th
• SQLSaturday Orlando – Sept 11th – 14th

Note that that doesn’t include any email sent to the oPASS or MagicPASS list. I think our list this year is somewhat bigger than last year, it’s the distinct list across all SQLSaturday Orlando events. About 2000 on the list this year. The combination of a bigger list and more email I think accounts for the increased sign up so far. The subject line/message is NOT as important as those two things. Note to event marketeers, you can see the messages from previous years AND all other events. Fun to browse for ideas.

We’re at 308 registered. Here’s the chart and notes:

• Kendal has added a forecast line. We’re either over/under the line and still on track, or about to nose over to our previous year count. We shall see!
• Leigh Freijo plugged the event at the Pinellas meeting last night – good (and thanks!)
• I also mentioned our “special event” coming up on October 15th

Just to add a little sauce to things, here is the most recent message (copied as three images, sorry!). Feedback always appreciated.