Local event organizers, especially bands and clubs need to remember 1st grade, when we learned about the the five Ws (and sometimes H). Back then we were diagramming sentences and would later use those same five Ws (and sometimes H) when we learned how to write a proper event invitation.
With social media it has never been easier to send out event invitations, whether for a private function, or a public one. That ease has has enabled a lot of laziness.
How many times have you been invited to an event that had no start time or end time?
An event that didn’t list the cost, if any? A musical event that didn’t list the band(s)?
An event with four or more bands without the order they would be playing in?
How many times have you read an event invite and been interested in it but were left with more questions than answers about it?
It’s happened to me so many times I’m writing this article.
The five Ws (and sometimes H) are questions whose answers are considered basic in information gathering or problem solving. They are often mentioned in journalism, research, and police investigations.They constitute a formula for getting the complete story on a subject.
But you say, “I’m not writing a story I don’t need the five Ws (and sometimes H)”. Actually you are writing a story. Every time you post an event, make a flyer or engage in any sort of promotion, whether you are promoting your daughters birthday party or her band’s upcoming performance at Shantytown Pub it’s all a story.
The difference in whether that story has a happy ending or everyone dies from dysentery, or something in between, is on how well you answer the basic questions the five Ws (and sometimes H) ask. Whether you’re on the Oregon Trail or in Jacksonville Florida those questions remain the same.
Who? What? Where? When? Why? And sometimes, How?
The 5Ws + H formula has been attributed to English rhetorician Thomas Wilson (1524-1581), who introduced the method in his discussion of the “seven circumstances” of medieval rhetoric: Who, what, and where, by what helpe, and by whose, Why, how and when, doe many things disclose. ~The Arte of Rhetorique, 1560
Then there’s Rudyard Kipling’s I Keep Six Honest Serving Men
I keep six honest serving-men
They taught me all I knew;
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
As you can see, The five Ws (and sometimes H) have been around for a long time. They have been around because they work.
For a club announcement, be sure that the five Ws (and sometimes H) provide enough information to enable a reader to make a decision. For example, the When should include not just the date, but the time of day. Readers will appreciate having an ending time as well as beginning time, for example, “8 PM until 2 AM”
The Where may be familiar to the person writing the notice, but it may not be to the reader. If the place is a restaurant or a hall, it may be helpful to include an address, or directions for getting there, or since it’s 2018, a link to a map. Also if it’s at a place like The Metro, which has numerous bars, don’t just say The Metro, name the specific bar there. Don’t say Black Sheep Restaurant when it’s The Black Sheep Rooftop Bar. If it’s at a place like Rain Dogs that has a front and aback, list front or back.
The Who needs to include more than just a name. If Who is a speaker, use an appropriate epithet: Mixology expert, Shaken Stirs, Hip Hop professor, Busta Rhymes. If it’s a band, include the musical genre. If the Who is an organization, don’t expect everyone to know that SCA stands for the Society for Creative Anachronism. Spell it out at least once.
The What, of course, is the event.
The Why should give the reader an idea of why the event is worth attending: an opportunity to see a film, to learn about making beer or art, making cocktails, drinking cocktails, supporting a charity, or seeing a band, or comedy show.
The How is how much? If there is a cover, or other ticket cost list the amount in the event invite. People shouldn’t have to beg for basic information. Nor should they receive an event invite with no cost listed and show up to what they thought was a free event, only to learn there’s a cover.
You should also share any other event specific information, for instance, if the event is on the third floor roof the how would be getting to the roof….use the east facing staircase as the elevators are small and reserved for handicapped guests only.
Also, next time you send a press release, or an invitation to your local media, it might be a good idea to review the five Ws (and sometimes H) before submitting it. They are usually really nice people but even nice people get tired of having to do your job for you, especially when they are helping to promote your business, band and or event.