Event invitation email templates and samples

Planning an event is an exhaustive (and exhausting) process. From idea, to planning to execution, there’s one thing no event can go without: guests.

There’s also one thing most guests don’t have a lot of: time. Which is why creating the perfect, concise event invitation email is essential.

In this article, we show you what an effective email looks like. We also provide samples and templates for various types of occasions to help you level up your event email marketing campaigns.

What makes an effective invitation email?

Whether you’re using a template or coding from scratch, there are a few things that make any invitation email more effective.

Here are some structure and branding ideas to improve your email invite performance.

Send name

Event invitations that come from your business email rather than your personal address are more likely to capture a reader’s attention. That’s because business emails carry more authority and assure guests that the event is official and sponsored by your company.

Use your company name as the send name on your invitations. Alternatively, if you want invitations to come from an individual, include the company name somewhere in the subject line.

Subject line

With well over 300 billion emails sent and received every day, inboxes are crowded by nature. If you want your invitation to stand out, your email subject lines need to inspire the click-through.

Your event invitation email’s subject line should feature the most exciting and interesting aspects of your event in order to boost open rates. For example, “Want to see our CEO tightrope across a lake of fire?”

Save the less interesting event details for inside the email itself and focus on writing a catchy subject line instead. It’s a crucial part of every email marketing strategy.

Preview text

Preview text displays either directly next to or below the subject line. This so-called “second subject line” gives you a second chance to explain what’s inside the email and incentivize recipients to open it.

While there’s no magic subject line and preview text formula that will guarantee your audience’s attention, focus on being both exciting and informative and include the event name. For example, “Join us for our spectacular ‘Night at the Fairground’ birthday bash next month.”

That way, readers know why they’re clicking and what to expect once they do. This will have a big impact on your email’s click-through rates.

Header logo

If an email recipient misses your send name, your header logo can remind them who’s invitation they’ve just opened. Your logo design is the heart of your brand, so make sure to feature it prominently in all of your invitation email campaigns.

Brand identity

Your company’s logo isn’t the only element of your brand identity to feature in your invitation designs. You also need to consider your company’s colors, fonts and image style.

Portraying consistent brand assets will help your event invitation emails build on the brand awareness generated by your other marketing efforts. After all, events can be an expensive investment, so ensuring they are aligned with your overall marketing efforts and process will help you get your money’s worth.

Email content

While the body copy of your event invitation emails needs to be functional, it also needs to be exciting. Why people should attend your event, not just how or when, should be front and center in your email design and content.

• What is your audience looking for in an event?

• Are you motivating people to attend this event?

• Does it sound interesting?

• Is your value proposition and its biggest selling points being pushed?

• Would you want to attend this event if you weren’t running it?

If you have a world-famous speaker or an open bar, mention those in your invitation email to drum up interest and build anticipation.

Rich media

Some aspects of an event look better than they sound. When highlighting things like location, venue and swag, you should show, not tell.

Rich media like photos of your venue or videos of your speakers will likely motivate attendees to RSVP more than your descriptive copy.

Aim to keep your content snappy, as readers may otherwise lose interest and click away. A minimalist image, video or gif can cut the number of words you use to get your point across. You can always follow up with a more detailed reminder email later if required.

Email layout

Space is at a premium in your event invitations, so choose an event email invitation template that keeps things short, as well as a prominent call-to-action button (CTA button) leading to a landing page.

If you can’t convince people to attend your event in the first few paragraphs, adding five extra paragraphs won’t help.

Footer signature

You started your event invitation with your name and logo, so aim to finish it the same way.

Including your brand name, colors, logo, phone number and links to your social media in the footer lets unconvinced readers check you out online. With more information, they might be persuaded to attend your next event.

Types of events and event invitation emails

Different events have different selling points and needs, and so do the emails you send out for them.

To make things a little easier for your events team, we’ve put together a few event-specific tips and templates. With this advice and these examples, you can be sure you’re sending the best event invitation possible.

Webinars

These online, interactive seminars offer a quick way for office workers to brush up on industry-relevant information. Use your invitation to make sure your audience knows why this webinar is worth their while.

Focus on explaining what attendees will learn. Get to the core of your webinar’s takeaways, emphasizing exactly what attendees will get in return for an hour or two with your team.

You can use this email invitation template as a way to remind your audience about an upcoming webinar:

Exclusive sales

Whether they’re taking place online or offline, exclusive sales let you create a sense of urgency while treating your best customers to a VIP experience. However, invitation emails for sales need to look like more than just a cash grab.

Focus on the selectivity of the event, along with benefits and discounts.

If you’re offering a free gift with a purchase or 50% off for early birds, emphasizing those points in your event invitation can potentially increase attendance. Remember not to skimp on the fine print as customers should know details and exclusions before they shop. Here’s what an exclusive sale email might look like in action:

Product launch

Announcing a new product to the world can be exciting (and terrifying) for any company. When you bring an audience into the mix, a product launch can be a daunting task.

Whether you’re inviting people to join you in person or via a live webcast, you want to generate hype without spoiling the surprise.

While webinars and exclusive sales require you to be upfront with why attendees should show up, product launches need a little mystery.

Remember: the whole point of the launch is to make a big, splashy announcement. This becomes almost impossible if your event invitations spoil the news.

Here’s an enticing product launch announcement email invitation template to inspire your own:

Conferences

Email invitations for seminars should highlight key takeaways. If you have high-profile speakers presenting or on your panels, dropping those names in your invitation emails can encourage people to purchase tickets for your upcoming event.

If you’re throwing an industry-specific trade show, feature the companies in attendance as sponsors along with any relevant educational sessions they’ll be hosting. You can be a little more niche here as attendees will normally be limited to a particular industry.

For all conference events, don’t be afraid to go beyond business. If you’ve got afterparties or after-hours events, emphasize these as networking opportunities. This will highlight additional value in your conferences, beyond what’s only said in booths or onstage.

To get you started, take a look at this conference invitation email template:

Awards

Looking to celebrate the stars of your industry, customers or company? An award presentation is a powerful way to show appreciation and win a little loyalty.

For award events, attendees should know the award categories, nominees and any entertainment accompanying the occasion.

That said, if someone is nominated, they shouldn’t find out from your event invitation email. A separate email informing nominees should also go out so they’re not the last to know.

This is what an award invitation email might look like:

Customer appreciation event

Awards aren’t the only way to show customers a little love. Customer appreciation events bring your best and biggest patrons together in one room.

While these occasions can have an educational element, your emphasis here is human connection.

Tell customers you’re excited to see them in person. Explain who they can look forward to meeting and what else their event will include. Customers are the stars here, so your invitation emails should put their experience in the spotlight.

Here’s an example of a customer appreciation event invitation email template you might send out:

Executive retreats and incentive programs

These exclusive events give your organization’s biggest players a chance to talk strategy, alongside time to unwind. A mix of business and leisure makes these events unique. It also makes the way you structure your invitations important.

Highlight the location and leisure time and provide a schedule for the business components of the corporate event. This ensures attendees know their obligations before clicking “‘Attend”’.

Take a look at this sample invitation:

Charity events

Charity and fundraiser events can offer an opportunity for networking and relationship management. Whether you keep your charity choice internal or invite external parties to join, clearly state your cause in your event invitation email.

A vague charity golf event with no real objective might make for a good time, but it doesn’t make for a good look. This is especially true if your business is trying to grow its philanthropic efforts.

Here’s an example of a thoughtful charity event invitation email template, to inspire your own:

Team-building events

Executives aren’t the only ones who benefit from mixing work and play. Large-scale team-building events bring different departments together to create new connections.

Beyond offering internal networking opportunities, team-building events can also reinforce your company’s culture and brand. Your idea can be as simple as an office “happy hour” or brunch, but it all starts with the event invitation emails you send out.

Begin by leveraging your brand logo, colors, fonts, images, visuals, messages and values. This adds a sense of authenticity while also priming employees for any culture-related team-building activities.

Here’s a team-building invitation template to inspire your own:

Parties

All work and no play can leave both your employees and customers feeling a little down. So when you’re planning a holiday party or celebrating an anniversary, grand opening or other milestone, make sure your invitation emails are appropriately fun.

You could include entertaining elements, such as:

• Arranging a “Secret Santa” gift exchange for a Christmas party

• Picking a nostalgic theme for a retirement party

• Sending out silly engagement party or wedding invitations for a new brand partnership

• Using baby-themed birthday invitations for a startup anniversary

Feel free to get a little more creative on these invitations (while still staying appropriate for the context).

A simple party invitation email template might look like this:

FAQs

Final thoughts

Whatever kind of event invitation you’re sending out, focus on your target audience and those you’re inviting. Your invitation emails should inspire excitement but be informative enough that attendees know all the important details. Here are a few guiding takeaways to humanize your email invitations:

• For webinar invitation emails, explain what people will learn before they spend an afternoon attending

• With select sales, a sense of exclusivity can be just as important as a discount

• When it comes to product launches, people are more excited by anticipation than the news itself

• With conferences, give a list of learnings upfront, while also highlighting networking opportunities

• For most attendees, awards are just as much about the entertainment as they are about the winners

• If you’re looking to throw a customer appreciation event, keep your focus strictly on the experience

• Charity events can be a lot of fun, but people will be skeptical if the cause gets lost in your invitation email content

• While executive retreats are about giving top players a getaway, you still need to set expectations for productivity

• When you want to get some team building in, bring your brand front and center to make your efforts more authentic

• As for parties, the rule above all else is to remember to have fun

Gain inspiration from the event emails you receive. Which do you most want to attend and why? If some leave you wondering how to formally accept, that’s not a good sign – instructions on how to RSVP should always be clear.

If you wouldn’t want to receive your event emails, chances are your invitees and subscribers won’t either. So, stay human and watch your event attendance numbers soar.