How to Add Optional Attendees to Meetings in Outlook for Mac [2020]

To add optional attendees to an Outlook event on Mac, click the ‘+’ button beside ‘Invite Others’ under the ‘Event’ tab.

how to add optional attendees in outlook mac

Outlook for Mac allows users to add one or more optional attendees to email invitations that can either be accepted or declined. This is a great way to gauge the availability of people for meetings, conferences, and events. The process of adding an optional attendee to an event is quite intuitive and user-friendly. Follow this simple guide and find out how to add optional attendees to your Outlook invitation in no time!

First, open Outlook for Mac and select the Home tab. Here you will see a button labeled New Meeting that you’ll need to click next. It will open up a form which contains all the settings necessary for the event invitation such as Subject, Start time, End time, Location, etc. Then in the top right-hand corner of this form locate the section labeled Optional attendees. Here you can type or paste the email address of whichever optional attendee you wish to invite you may include multiple people as well if need be and then click on Create at the bottom when all is ready. The invitation will be sent out immediately and optional attendees will then be able to accept or decline it according to their preferences.

Introduction – What is Outlook? – What does adding optional attendees mean?

Outlook is a personal information manager application from Microsoft. It is used for managing emails, calendars, contacts, tasks and notes. It also allows users to share and collaborate on documents with others. Adding optional attendees means inviting people to an event or meeting but not requiring them to be present. They can choose whether or not to attend the event or meeting. This feature is especially useful for events or meetings that may require additional people’s input but don’t necessarily need everyone in attendance.

Prerequisite – Understanding calendar functions in Outlook Mac – Accessing meeting options in Outlook Mac

Before adding optional attendees, it is important to understand how calendar functions work in Outlook Mac. Accessing meeting options through the Meeting tab allows users to invite individuals, groups and set up filters for selecting attendees automatically from their contacts list. Once the invitee has been selected, they will receive an email notification for the event or meeting with a link that allows them to accept or decline the invitation.

Adding Optional Attendees

The first step in adding optional attendees is creating a new event in the Calendar page of Outlook Mac. This can be done by clicking on New Event located at the top of the Calendar page and filling out all of the necessary fields such as date, time, location and description of the event or meeting. Once this has been completed, manually inputting an optional attendee can be done by clicking on Add Attendees located at the bottom of the page under Attendees and typing in their name or email address into the field provided.

Inviting Attendees Automatically from Contacts Section of Outlook

In addition to manually inputting an optional attendee into an event or meeting, users can also select contacts from their address book manually or set up filters for automatically selecting invitees from their contacts list located in the Contacts section of Outlook Mac. To select contacts manually, users can click on Contacts located at the top of the page under People and choose which contacts they would like to invite by clicking on their name or email address under Name or Email Address respectively.

Managing Groups for Invitations

Outlook Mac also offers users a way to manage groups for invitations so that multiple people can be invited with just one click instead of having to individually input each person’s name or email address when creating an event or meeting invitation. To do this, users can create new groups by clicking on New Group which will open a new window where they can add members as well as give their group a name which will appear when selecting members from their contacts list using filters set up under Meeting Options located at the bottom of each event page created within Calendar tab. Alternatively, users can use existing groups if they have already been created previously within Contacts tab instead of creating new ones every time they need to send out invitations for events or meetings with multiple people involved

Opting For Expressions of Interest

Expressions of Interest (EOI) is a great way to determine the availability and preferences of potential attendees in Outlook Mac. It involves creating a questionnaire to find out the exact details about possible participants. This questionnaire can include questions such as the time slot they are available, their personal and office commitments, and any special seating arrangements they may require. The questionnaire should be brief but comprehensive enough to capture all the important parameters. Additionally, the EOI can also provide an opportunity for participants to give feedback or suggest alternatives timeslots that would work better for them.

Analyzing Individual Preferences

Once the responses have been collected from the EOIs, it is important to analyze each individual’s preferences. This can be done by using a system of priority points, which assigns different values to each answer given in order to determine which person has the most availability and flexibility with their schedule. For example, someone who can only attend at certain times may get fewer priority points than someone who can attend at any given time. Additionally, this system can also help in allocating seating arrangements as it allows organizers to identify who should be given priority when assigning seats.

Using Third Party Apps and Services

Organizers can also make use of third party applications and services to simplify their Outlook process. There are many scheduling applications available online that allow users to connect with potential attendees directly without having to worry about manually sending out emails or setting up meetings themselves. These applications usually offer features such as free/busy functions and automatic scheduling which make adding optional attendees much easier and faster than before. However, it is important for organizers to weigh up the pros and cons of manual versus automated approaches before opting for one or the other in order for them to decide which option would work best for their particular scenario.

FAQ & Answers

Q: What is Outlook?
A: Outlook is an email service provided by Microsoft. It allows users to send, receive, and manage emails, as well as schedule meetings, share documents, and collaborate with other team members.

Q: What does adding optional attendees mean?
A: Adding optional attendees to a meeting in Outlook Mac means that you can invite people to join your meeting even if they cannot commit to attending. They will receive the invitation but wont be required to attend.

Q: How do I add optional attendees in Outlook Mac?
A: To add optional attendees in Outlook Mac, you can manually input the names of the people you want to invite or use the contacts section of Outlook to automatically invite them. You can also create groups or use existing groups for invitations.

Q: How do I suggest alternative timeslots?
A: You can use the Scheduling assistant in outlook Mac to suggest alternative timeslots for your meeting. You can also use the Free/Busy functions to view when people are available and coordinate schedules accordingly.

Q: How do I analyse individual preferences?
A: To analyse individual preferences when planning a meeting, you can allocate seating arrangements using a priority points system or alternate between personal and office commitments depending on what works best for everyone involved. You can also consider using third-party apps and services to simplify the process.

The process of adding optional attendees in Outlook Mac is relatively simple. You can quickly add them to your calendar invitations using the ‘optional’ box in the invite window. With this feature, you can easily and quickly inform other people about an upcoming meeting or event without having to worry about the details of who will be attending.