You Announced It in English. Why Japanese Attendees Didn't Sign Up

Your invitation reached people in Japan, but it may never have been read. Here are the four things I changed so Japanese attendees would actually sign up.

I used to run events for the Japan office of an overseas company. In the beginning, I did what headquarters did: I sent our invitation emails in English.

Later, when I met people in person or followed up on Facebook Messenger to say "See you at the event next week," the answer I often got was: "Wait — was there an email about that?" The emails had arrived. They just hadn't been read.

This isn't only about people who don't speak English. Even people who are comfortable in English often skip emails written in English. To be honest, I do it too.

A big name abroad may be unknown in Japan

There's a second trap. A speaker who is famous worldwide may be surprisingly little known in Japan. At home, announcing that person might be enough to fill the room. In Japan, the name may not land.

That's why your invitation needs to be built for Japanese attendees. Here are the four things I did.

1. Write the invitation in Japanese

Write your emails and announcements in Japanese. Even for people who read English well, Japanese is more likely to catch their eye and actually get read.

2. Put a familiar speaker at the top

If one of your speakers is someone Japanese attendees already know, put that name in the email subject line or near the top of the message. It works better than leading with an international name they may not recognize.

3. Always make a Japanese version of your event site

A Japanese email doesn't help much if the link leads to an English-only page. Make sure your event site has a Japanese version too.

4. Say that interpretation will be provided

For an event in English, some people worry about whether they'll be able to follow. If you mention in the invitation that there will be interpretation, people feel more comfortable signing up.

The bottom line

Sending your English announcement to Japan as is won't fill the room. Language, how you present your speakers, your event site, and interpretation: rebuilding these for Japanese attendees is the first step to getting people to come.