Write Arrival Directions for Someone Who Has Never Been There

A street address can bring someone to the right building and still leave them outside the wrong door. Good arrival information describes the last part of the journey: which entrance to use, where to go inside and how to recognise the gathering.

Walk that route as a first-time visitor would, using only the information you plan to send. If you need to supply an unwritten explanation, the directions need another detail. Keep the eventual message short by recording the few decisions that actually matter.

Begin where the visitor has a choice

Identify the building name and the relevant street entrance. If several doors look similar, describe a stable feature and confirm that it will be present for the event. Avoid relying solely on a temporary sign that may not yet be installed.

Inside, explain the next decision: stairs or lift, corridor direction, room number or staffed reception point. Ask the venue to confirm the route and any restrictions before publishing it. Do not send people through an entrance that happens to be open during your visit but is not intended for event access.

Use clear text even when you include a map or photograph. Someone may read the message on a small screen or have difficulty interpreting the image. A picture can support the directions without carrying all the essential information.

Keep transport advice within what you can confirm

Link to the relevant transport operator or venue for current journey information when appropriate. Do not copy a timetable into a message that may circulate long after it changes. If you describe parking, use the venue’s current instructions and distinguish a suggestion from a reserved space.

Tell people where the actual meeting point is. “Meet at the centre” leaves a group scattered across a lobby, café and courtyard. “Meet beside the staffed desk inside the main entrance” is more usable if the venue confirms that arrangement.

If participants arrive independently, explain whether they can join after the start and how to do so. Some activities can absorb late arrivals easily; others need a specific handover. Describe your event’s arrangement rather than leaving people to guess outside a closed door.

Ask about access without making broad promises

Share confirmed practical details that help attendees decide what they need. Where a participant requests something more specific, check it with the venue and respond directly. Avoid treating the word “accessible” as a complete description of a route.

Provide a contact method for arrival questions and state when it will be monitored. Ensure the person responsible knows they have that role. A phone number buried in an old email is not an arrival plan if nobody is watching it during setup.

Test the finished message with someone who has not visited. Ask them to explain the route back to you. Their questions will often identify missing landmarks or a room name that means nothing outside the organising team.

Before sending a reminder, recheck the details that could have changed. Then keep one current version in circulation. The result should allow a newcomer to spend their attention on joining the gathering, rather than wondering whether they have reached the right place.