Fairs and festivals thrive on great attendance, strong community engagement, and successful vendor and sponsor partnerships. While social media and digital ads help spread the word, email marketing remains the most effective way to connect directly with attendees and drive ticket sales.
Investing in an email list doesn’t just benefit one event—it helps build long-term relationships, improve marketing ROI, and create new revenue opportunities. If your fair or festival isn’t prioritizing email list growth, here’s why you should start now.
4 Reasons Email Lists Are a Must for Fairs and Festivals
1. Email Marketing is One of the Most Cost Effective Options
Email marketing consistently outperforms social media when it comes to conversions. While algorithms limit reach on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, email campaigns land directly in your audience’s inbox. Whether you’re announcing ticket sales, offering early bird discounts, or promoting VIP experiences, email is one of the most reliable ways to sell more tickets. Unlike social media ads or traditional advertising, email marketing provides a direct, low-cost line of communication to your audience. On average, email marketing earns businesses $36 for every dollar spent. Once you’ve built an email list, you own that audience and can reach out to them repeatedly without ongoing ad spend. With a simple, targeted email, you can announce event updates and share exciting concert and performer news and exclusive discounts without worrying about your advertising budget.
2. Presale Access Builds Loyalty & Past Attendees Engaged
Returning attendees are the backbone of any successful event. By maintaining a strong email list, you can keep past attendees informed about dates, new attractions, and special offers—giving them even more reasons to return. Plus, sending exclusive pre-sale access or loyalty discounts builds excitement and increases repeat attendance.
3. Improve Event Awareness & Communication
Building an email list lets you inform your audience with pertinent information from performer announcements to ‘know before you go’ logistics. Subscribers should always be the first to know event related news, creating anticipation and maintaining engagement long before show day. By providing valuable, exclusive content, you keep your audience engaged and give them reasons to stay subscribed and not just receive but interact with your emails. This sense of exclusivity will make your audience feel special and appreciated.
The key to maximizing this communication tool is personalization and segmentation. Simply sending mass emails to everyone on your list won’t drive the best results. To optimize your email marketing efforts, sending tailored messages to different segments of your list is crucial. For example, ticket buyers should receive engaging content that creates excitement surrounding the event, not just generic invitations to purchase tickets they’ve already bought. Previous attendees and new subscribers need different messaging to keep them engaged, with exclusive offers or updates that resonate with their relationship with your local community event.
4. Reduced Need for Ad Spend
While initial investments in growing an email list might involve ads or giveaways, you’ll have a ready-made audience at your fingertips as your list expands. Over time, this reduces the need for continued heavy ad spending, as email becomes your primary channel for direct communication. This gives you the power to control your marketing efforts, reaching out to your subscriber base before diving into more costly promotions, effectively lowering overall marketing expenses.
As your email list grows, the need for spending on ads diminishes. Instead of continually paying for new audiences through ads, you’ll have a dedicated list of engaged subscribers already interested in your event. This makes your promotion efforts more efficient and cost-effective. This efficiency will give you confidence in your marketing strategy, knowing you’re reaching the right people without unnecessary costs.
How to Build & Grow Your Email List
Now that we’ve covered the “why,” let’s dive into the “how.” Growing an email list takes thoughtful strategy and effort, but the payoff is worth it.
Capture Emails at Ticket Purchase
Make sure attendees provide an email address during checkout and encourage opt-ins for event updates and promotions.
Offer Presale Access to Ticket Sales
The promise of early access to tickets can be a powerful motivator for people to join your email list. Add an “County Fair / Festival Alerts” form to your website, social media, and checkout to collect emails and encourage early ticket sales. Promote this benefit consistently, highlighting how subscribers will have first access to high-demand tickets.
Offer Giveaways to Boost Email List Sign-Ups
One of the quickest ways to grow your email list is by offering a compelling giveaway. Partner with local businesses or sponsors to offer prizes like VIP tickets or exclusive meet-and-greets with performers. Promote the giveaway on social media and other platforms, encouraging people to subscribe to your email list for a chance to win. This approach helps you build your list while also generating excitement for the event.
Utilize Popup Forms
Popup forms are a highly effective tool for capturing email addresses and growing your event subscriber list. According to OptiMonk, popups convert between 5.1% and 20% of visitors. Offer clear incentives like a discount code, percentage off, or exclusive perks. Use a simple design with a strong call to action.
Timing is critical. Whether scroll-activated or time-delayed, popups can engage visitors without overwhelming them. The most important thing to do is capture the email address, so strongly consider the form’s messaging, timing, and placement to turn website visitors into email subscribers.
Turn Your Email List into a Revenue-Generating Asset
Your email list is one of the most valuable marketing tools for growing your fair or festival. Whether you’re driving ticket sales, keeping attendees informed, or offering sponsorship opportunities, email marketing ensures your message reaches the right audience—at the right time.
At AttendStar, we specialize in helping fairs and festivals maximize their ticketing and marketing strategies. If you’re ready to build an email marketing plan that works, we’re here to help.
