Create Weekend Event Mailings for Internal Staff

Updated 04 Apr 2024
2 minute read

Print
Share
Dark
Light
PDF

Article Summary

Share feedback

Thanks for sharing your feedback!

☑️ Prerequisite Skill
Liquid Looping

This article covers the steps required to send mailings to specific staff members in conjunction with certain events. The example used here concerns weekend events, and messages only the facilities manager to inform them which buildings will need to be open on the day of the event.

Create the mailing

First, develop the text of the mailing you'd like to send.

From the main navigation, select Deliver.
Click New Mailing. In the popup:
Name: Give your mailing a descriptive internal name. In this example, Notify Facilities of Weekend Events
Folder: Keep organized by placing the new mailing in an existing folder, or select Other to create a new one.
Click Save.
Click Edit Message. In the popup:
Add a Subject. In this case, Campus Buildings Required for Weekend Event.
Compose your message in the WYSIWYG editor.
Click Save.

Create the recipients list query

This query will:

✅ Pull events with a dictionary export,

✅ Filter them to events happening this weekend, and

✅ Filter recipients based on their GUID

Create the query

Click Edit Recipients List.
Click New Query. In the popup:
Name: Give your query a descriptive name. In this example, Notify Facilities Weekend Events.
Sharing: Select this option if you want to share this query with other users with the query and query base permissions.
Type: Configurable Joins
Category: Related
Base: User
Click Save.

Create the events export

Click Edit Query.
Click Subquery Export.
In the popup, configure the following:
Name: Events
Type: Independent subquery
Category: Related
Base: Form
Output: Dictionary
Exports: Create exports for any detail about an event you'd like to pull in to the mailing as merge fields. Note: All export names must be computer-friendly (lowercase, no spaces) for liquid looping purposes.
Click Save.

Filter for weekend events

Create a Subquery Filter that targets this weekend's events. In the popup:
Name: Give the subquery filter a descriptive name. In this example, Events Happening This Weekend.
Type: Independent Subquery
Category: Related
Base: Forms
Aggregate: Events
Create filter logic that restricts exports to only events happening this weekend:
(
IN Folder (add folders as needed)
OR
IN Template (add templates as needed)
)
IN Status: Confirmed/Active
Start Date: >= today + 1
Start Date: <= today +2
Click Save.

Filter for relevant personnel

If the facilities manger does not yet have a user account in Slate:
From the main navigation, select Settings, then User Permissions.
Click New User.
Enter the individual's name and email.
Click Save. A dialog appears saying "This account has not been enabled for access. Do you want to continue?"
Click Continue.
On the right, under Users & Activity, select Inactive Users.
In the page's URL, you'll find the user GUID after /user?id=
Copy the GUID.
If the facilities manager already has a user account in Slate, copy their GUID using the previous method. You can also query on user GUID using the configurable join related base User.
Return to the Create a Filter.
Select GUID. Click Continue.
In the GUID field, paste the facilities manager's user GUID.
Click Save.

Add liquid looping and merge fields to the mailing

Using the breadcrumb navigation, return to the mailing overview page.
Click Edit Message.
Click the Source button.
Add the following to the mailing's HTML:
{% for event in events %} Date and Time: {{event.startdate}}

Event: {{event.title}} in {{event.location}}

{% endfor %}

📖 Further Reading

You can find more resources covering liquid markup in the article Fundamental Liquid Markup and Conditional Logic and in the webinar The Joy of Liquid Markup.

Was this article helpful?

What's Next

Slate External iCal Integrations

Table of contents

Create the mailing
Create the recipients list query
Add liquid looping and merge fields to the mailing