Business resources · Promote events
Event weather updates: a contingency communication plan
Set decision triggers and prepare factual messages before weather changes the event experience.
Weather communication works best when the organiser decides in advance who assesses conditions, who makes the call and where customers will find the latest confirmed information.
This communication plan does not replace event risk, emergency or safety planning. Use appropriate official advice and qualified operational judgement for the event.
Name the decisions and owners
List the conditions that could change setup, access, program, capacity or cancellation. For each one, record the decision-maker, evidence source, latest useful decision time and people who must be consulted.
Choose one source of truth
Use the event page for the current status, then point email, social posts, partners and customer support to it. Put a visible update time on weather notices so an old screenshot is less likely to circulate as current advice.
Prepare four short message shapes
- Monitoring: the event remains scheduled; next confirmed update at a stated time.
- Changed: explain the exact venue, time, access or program change.
- Postponed or cancelled: state the decision, customer options and when further information will arrive.
- Proceeding with conditions: explain what attendees should bring or do differently.
Do not speculate about conditions or promise a decision before the responsible person can make it. Cancellation, transfer and refund wording should be checked against the event's terms and Australian consumer obligations.
Reach the people affected
Separate booked-attendee updates from general promotion. Include suppliers, performers, volunteers and accessibility contacts in the operational communication tree. Test who can update the page and send the attendee message if the usual owner is unavailable.
Close outdated messages
Mark earlier updates as superseded, publish the final status and record what customers still asked. After the event, review whether the decision timing and channels gave people a fair chance to adjust plans.
For booked-attendee timing, use the event reminder guide.