Education marketing
Open days
that enrol.
Most open day effort goes into getting registrations. The enrolments are won after: reminders so people turn up, a visit that answers the real questions, and a follow-up within days. In PheedLoop's analysis of over 1,070 events, free events had a median no-show rate of about 28%, so reminders alone can recover a lot. Follow up with consent, under the Spam Act.
Written by Dan Picken, a marketer who checks the sources. Last checked 2 November 2026.A crowded
calendar.
University open days cluster: most NSW and ACT university open days fall in August, with a few in late July and early to mid September, often several on the same day. Big ones draw crowds: UNSW reported over 40,000 visitors in September 2025.
For schools and smaller colleges, the competition is the family's calendar. Offer more than one date, a weekend option, and private tours for families who can't make it.
Getting people
to turn up.
PheedLoop's analysis of over 1,070 events found a median no-show rate of about 20%, rising to about 28% for free events. That's across industries, not education alone, but open days are free events.
Send a reminder a week out and the day before, with parking, what to bring and a map. Ask on the registration form what they most want to see, and plan the day around the answers.
Open day leak
Where do open day
registrations go?
Put in last year's numbers. It shows how many people you lose at each step, and which step is worth fixing first. The default attendance rate is from free events across industries; use your own.
Enrolments
The follow-up
decides it.
Within 48 hours, send a thank-you from a named person, the answers to anything they asked, and one clear next step: apply, book an interview, or book a private tour. Then follow up once more a week later.
Under the Spam Act, you need consent, accurate sender details and a working unsubscribe. A registration for one open day isn't consent to market every course you run. A simple approach: ask on the form, with a box people tick themselves.
Two details catch schools and colleges out. Unsubscribe requests must be actioned within 5 working days, and the unsubscribe has to keep working for at least 30 days after each message. Keep a record of who ticked the box, when, and on which form. If someone complains, it's on you to show they agreed.
On the
day itself.
Plan the day around the questions people ask most, not the order of the buildings. Put fees, scholarships and entry requirements somewhere obvious, with a person who can answer them. Give children and students something to do, not just to listen to.
Capture the right details at check-in: who came, what they were interested in, and whether they agreed to hear from you again. That turns the follow-up from a generic email into a reply to their own questions, and makes the Google Ads you run before the next open day easier to measure.
What I see most often
What I see
most often.
- 1
No reminders
One confirmation email at registration, then nothing until the day.
- 2
A generic thank-you
The same follow-up for every visitor, whatever they came to see.
- 3
Follow-up weeks later
By the time it arrives, the family has visited three other schools.
- 4
Every registrant added to every list
Open day sign-ups receiving marketing they never agreed to.
The honest bit. If the day itself disappoints, follow-up won't save it. Ask a few families on the way out what they thought, and act on it before the next one.
Questions
people ask.
How do you increase open day attendance?
Remind registrants a week out and the day before. The median no-show rate for free events is about 28%, so reminders matter.
What should you send after an open day?
A personal thank-you within 48 hours, answers to their questions, and one clear next step, from a named person.
How many people register but don't attend?
Across events generally, around a fifth to over a quarter. Track your own rate.
Can I email open day registrants about other courses?
Only with consent. Under the Spam Act, registration for one event isn't consent to all your marketing.
Related
Keep
going.
Get a free
search audit.
Takes a minute. Audits come back within 1 to 2 business days. For anything else, I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
What happens next
- 1I'll ask for read-only access, or just your website for a search audit.
- 2I go through it and write up the 3 biggest fixes.
- 3A 20-minute call to walk you through it. No pitch unless you ask.