Organising a tasting: limited places, participants checked in

A tasting has a number of places set by the number of glasses and bottles; Carton Blanc closes registration at capacity, puts later requests on a waiting list and sends the reminder to those who are registered.

A tasting of wines, spirits, teas or cheeses is prepared around the number of participants. The number of glasses, the volume of each opened bottle and the length of the session all depend on it. A poorly kept registration costs unused bottles or guests left standing.

Wine houses, wine merchants and enthusiast clubs use Carton Blanc for their evenings on a list: one page, one capacity, an exact count. The software does not sell tickets. If you charge for the tasting, payment is collected outside Carton Blanc.

How Carton Blanc handles this event

Invitations

You invite your customer file or your members, with a flyer in a fitting style. You read the first invitation yourself, and Carton Blanc checks it at its first mailing.

Registration

Participants register on the tasting page and receive a confirmation. The page gives the venue, the time and the theme.

Waiting list

Once capacity is reached, later registrations go on a waiting list. If a participant withdraws, you know who to call first.

Reminders

The D-14 reminder goes to customers who have not replied. The reminder the day before gives the address, the time and a calendar link.

Check-in

On arrival, you check participants off on a phone. The next day, the follow-up message thanks those who came and offers absentees the next date.

The recommended mailing calendar

A tasting fills quickly when the list is well targeted. A mailing four weeks ahead is often enough, with a reminder at two weeks to complete it. You set the date of each email.

1. D-42 · Six weeks before

   The date announcement, with the theme and the flyer. Useful for a series or an evening with a guest winemaker.

2. D-28 · Four weeks before

   The invitation: tasting programme, host, venue and booking link.

3. D-14 · Two weeks before

   The reminder, sent only to customers who have not replied.

4. D-1 · The day before

   The reminder to registered guests, with the address and arrival time.

5. D+2 · Two days after

   The follow-up message: thanks, pairings mentioned, next date.

Organiser's tips

1. Work out the capacity from the bottles. Each bottle serves only a limited number of tastings. Multiply the number of references by the number of participants to set the capacity before you open registration.
2. Say whether food pairing is included. A participant who expects dinner leaves disappointed by a three-glass tasting. One line in the invitation avoids the misunderstanding.
3. Use the waiting list as a barometer. A growing waiting list signals that a second session is possible. You offer it to those who found no place.
4. Ask permission to invite them again. The registration page offers a box to receive the same organiser's future invitations. Ticked, it lets you build a list of enthusiasts that belongs to you.

The flyer for this event

The tasting flyer takes up the world of wine: a burgundy background, a large italic title and touches of copper. It is created free of charge in your account.

See the flyers for this occasion

What Carton Blanc does not do

Carton Blanc is not a ticketing tool: it takes no ticket payments and sells nothing to guests. No email is sent without the organiser's approval. There is no advertising, no resale of data and no free plan.