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Workflow Action: Set Event Start Date

The "Set Event Start Date" action in Stack is a powerful tool for scheduling tasks and reminders within your workflows, ensuring seamless event management. Whether you're organizing webinars, conferences, or personalized notifications, this feature helps keep everything on track.

Covered in this Article​

  • What is the Set Event Start Date Step in Workflows?
  • Benefits of this Feature
  • Practical Usage Cases
  • How to Use the Event Start Date Action
  • FAQs

What is the Set Event Start Date Step in Workflows?​

The "Set Event Start Date/Time" action allows you to define a specific date and time as a reference point for subsequent steps in your workflow. This is particularly useful for scheduling tasks, reminders, or actions that need to occur before or after a particular event. Once set, you can use "Wait" steps in your workflow to pause execution until a specified time relative to this event date, enabling effective time management.

Benefits of this Feature​

  • Automated Scheduling: Automatically schedule tasks, reminders, or emails to occur at specific times relative to an event, reducing manual work.
  • Timely Reminders: Send reminders to attendees days or hours before an event, boosting engagement and attendance.
  • Follow-up Actions: Schedule follow-up tasks or communications after an event, like surveys or thank-you emails.
  • Flexibility: Use with any date-related field, triggering tasks based on individual customer dates, such as renewals or birthdays.
  • Recurring Events: Manage recurring events like weekly webinars by setting up automatic reminders.
  • Time-specific Actions: Precisely schedule actions like social media posts or sales announcements.

Practical Usage Cases​

  • Webinar Management: Specify the webinar date and time, then add "Wait for Event/Appointment Time" steps to send reminder emails leading up to and following the event.
  • Subscription Renewals: Pair with a custom date field for renewal dates to send timely reminders.
  • Conference Planning: Automate communications like registration reminders and event schedules.
  • Birthday Promotions: Use with a custom field for birthdays to send greetings and discounts.
  • Product Launches: Establish the launch date to schedule teaser emails and announcements.
  • Training Sessions: Mark session start times and schedule reminders and follow-ups.
  • Product Trials: Set trial expiration dates to send purchase reminders.
  • Sales or Promotions: Schedule teaser emails and last-chance reminders around sales events.
  • Annual Checkups or Maintenance: Remind customers of upcoming appointments and follow up afterward.
  • Project Deadlines: Mark deadlines and send reminders or tasks to the team.

How to Use the Event Start Date Action​

Step 1: Add the Event Start Date/Time Action to Your Workflow​

  1. Navigate to the Workflow you want to modify.
  2. Add the "Set Event Start Date/Time" action.

Step 2: Customize the Event Start Date/Time​

  • Choose from options like Custom Field, Specific Date/Time, or Specific Day.
  • For Custom Fields, use pre-created Custom Date Field values.
  • Accepted formats include:
    • MM-DD-YYYY HH:MM (e.g., 12-21-2021 08:30)
    • DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM (e.g., 21-OCT-2021 08:30)
  • Enter the necessary information and save the action.

Step 3: Add a Wait for Event/Appointment Time Action​

  1. Add a "Wait for Event/Appointment Time" action.
  2. Set the action to wait a specified time before or after the event start date/time.
  3. Configure how to handle instances where the wait time is past due:
    • Move to the next step.
    • Move to a specific step.
    • Skip outbound communication actions until the next wait or event start date.

These actions can be repeated within the workflow to create sequences leading to or following the Event Start Date.

FAQs​

Q1: Can I use the "Set Event Start Date/Time" action for recurring events?
A1: Yes, set the date/time for the first instance and loop back for subsequent instances.

Q2: Can I set multiple Event Start Dates/Times in the same workflow?
A2: Yes, you can add multiple actions for different events or appointments.

Q3: What happens if a contact enters the workflow after the Event Start Date/Time has passed?
A3: The contact will skip the wait action based on your settings, like moving to the next step.

Q4: Can I use the "Set Event Start Date/Time" action without a corresponding "Wait for Event/Appointment Time" action?
A4: While possible, it's not very useful without subsequent wait actions to reference the date/time.

Q5: If my workflow settings respect Contact time zones, how does that affect the "Set Event Start Date/Time" action?
A5: The action adjusts based on each contact's time zone, defaulting to your account's time zone if none is available.

For more visual guidance, explore these community video tutorials: