Design an event enquiry form with clear expectations

Explain what sending the form does

Introduce the form with a sentence such as “Tell our events team what you are planning. We will contact you to discuss availability and arrangements.” Show basic venue information, location and the types of events you support nearby, so visitors can decide whether to continue.

Keep the button and confirmation consistent with that introduction. “Send event enquiry” describes the action accurately. Avoid “Reserve my date” when someone still has to check a calendar and confirm the terms. If you also run a separate booking system, provide a clear link to that process rather than letting the two journeys look interchangeable.

Collect the outline, not the final guest list

A first enquiry rarely needs every operational detail. The field plan below gives your team enough context to prepare a useful reply. Review the starter's required event date: if people often enquire before choosing a date, change that setting and offer a place to describe their preferred period.

Allow uncertain plans and accessibility requests

GOV.UK's date guidance distinguishes precise dates from approximate ones. Apply that distinction to an organiser who knows the month but not the day: allow “A weekday in June” in a text answer rather than requiring an invented date. If a time matters, explain the venue's time zone in the question.

WAI's event guidance recommends inviting accessibility requirements. For an initial venue enquiry, an optional prompt might be: “Are there access arrangements you would like to discuss?” Let the organiser describe practical needs without requesting medical explanations. Provide a contact route for a private conversation if that is easier for them.

Consider which details can wait for the planning conversation. A preliminary enquiry usually does not need individual attendee names, a final seating chart or uploaded identity documents. If the team keeps asking for one specific missing detail, add a focused question later and explain why it helps.

Test the handover to your events team

Write a confirmation such as “Your event enquiry has been received. Our team will check the details and contact you. Your date is not reserved yet.” This gives a clear next step without treating the enquiry as a completed booking. Include a response window only when the team has agreed to it.

Test one enquiry with a fixed date, one with flexible timing and one with an accessibility request. Check the stored answers and notification, then ask the events team to draft the response they would send. If they cannot tell what the visitor is asking for, improve the event-description question before adding more required fields.

Using Accessible Forms

Adapt the Event enquiry starter to the level of detail your team actually needs.

In Free: Free provides date, number, email and message fields, configurable required settings and notifications for this enquiry flow.

With Pro: Pro can show extra questions for a selected event type. This remains an enquiry workflow; booking inventory, ticketing and payment collection are separate services.