How to make and digitally send a professional event invitation in 10 steps
Hosting a professional event is one of the most effective ways to grow interest in your business. The process starts with creating an engaging, on-brand invitation, curating the perfect guest list, sending it to potential guests, and finally, tracking RSVPs. The question is: how do you ensure the invitation will entice guests to RSVP ‘yes’?
In this article, we’ll show you how to make a business event invitation in just minutes. And with a subscription to Paperless Pro, you can unlock unlimited access to our advanced suite of design features and tools to help craft and customize invitations that grow your brand with every RSVP.
What should a corporate event invitation include?
Designing an efficient and elegant invitation for your next business event is easier than it might seem. However, the first and most important step is deciding what to include in a corporate event invitation so your guests have all the details they need. Be sure to include the following information:
- The purpose of your event
- The name of your company (and logo, if you have one)
- The event’s date, time, and location
- The final deadline to RSVP
- The agenda, including any speakers
- The dress code
- Any information regarding parking and accessibility
- The host’s contact information for guests who may have more questions
After you’ve included this information, you’re ready to design an invitation as eye-catching as it is informative.
How to create a professional event invitation, step by step
1. Browse event invitation designs
Find the right design for you. Whether your company’s identity leans more formal or casual, Paperless Pro has business invitation designs to match. Start by selecting the business event invitation template that best suits your needs from an array of customizable options, or uploading your own design. Don’t let the abundance of options overwhelm you: you can filter by event type, style, color, and more to narrow down your choices and find the right design for you.
2. Customize your design
Personalize your invitation to match your company’s identity. Once you’ve chosen the right design for your event, you can further customize it to reflect your brand. Whether you’re an experienced designer or a novice, you can craft appealing, custom invitations that match your brand. Choose a color palette, add photos, play with fonts, and upload your logo to create an attractive, on-brand invitation.
3. Choose a Page Style
Create a customized guest experience. Select a Page Style, colors, and backdrop to create an event page that is cohesive and professional. You can also brand your page with your company’s logo. In just a few steps, you can give your guests a thoughtful, immersive invitation experience.
4. Add helpful details with Blocks
Give guests every detail they need. Include everything guests will need to know in Blocks that sit just below the invitation on your event page. Add Blocks to your event page as a one-stop shop guests can refer to for any details they need.
There are several different types of Blocks you can add to your page. A Schedule Block will relay the start and end times of your event’s activities, and a Speakers Block is especially useful for a seminar or conference featuring lectures or speeches. Add a Photo Gallery Block or Video Block to give guests a visual preview of what to expect.
5. Add Guest Questions
Ask questions and get answers. Paperless Pro’s invitations for business events aren’t just sophisticated—they’re also interactive, with clever features designed to make event planning a breeze. Add custom Guest Questions and Surveys for potential guests to answer when they RSVP, such as dietary preferences, time slots, and any other useful information. Guest Questions are available in several formats, such as open-ended, multiple-choice, and checkbox-style.
6. Add guests
Invite people who will make the event worth attending. Once you’ve finalized your guest list, you can add their email addresses or phone numbers by uploading them from a spreadsheet, selecting recipients from your address book, or by adding their contact information manually. However you put together your guest list, Paperless Pro keeps everything convenient and easy to manage.
Once your guest list is complete, add internal Guest Tags to keep things organized while you put the finishing touches on your event.
7. Preview your invitation
Take a sneak peek at what your guests will see. Before delivering the finished product to your guests, preview your business event invitation one final time to make sure all the details are just right. Double-check for any typos and confirm that all your design choices look just as you envisioned.
8. Send your professional event invitation
Send the invitation your way. After you’ve made the final tweaks to your business invitation, practice good professional etiquette by considering how your guests prefer to communicate. With Paperless Pro, you can send invitations directly via email or text, or a Shareable Link with a Custom URL that you can embed or share anywhere. You can also utilize the password protection feature to add an extra layer of security.
If you’re sending invitations via email, you can also customize the message guests will receive in their inboxes with your choice of colors, photos, and your logo, so everything is on-brand from the first open.
Another important detail to consider while crafting your invitation is timing, which is almost as important as the contents of the invitation itself. Use the following guide when considering when to send your invitations:
When to send out a corporate event invitation |
|
|---|---|
| Invitation type | Time to send before event |
| Save the date | 6-8 weeks |
| Formal invitation | 3-4 weeks |
| Reminder | 1 week |
9. Track RSVPs
Keep on top of your guest list. Paperless Pro lets you track RSVPs as they roll in. These easy-to-read graphics provide helpful insights into open rates, RSVP responses, and bounced deliveries.
10. Download our app
Stay in the loop with the Paperless Post app. Before your event, download our app for real-time RSVP notifications. You can also confirm your guests’ attendance at the door with our Guest Check-In feature. After your event ends, check who showed up and send them thoughtful, branded thank you notes they’ll remember long after the event is over.
What’s the best way to invite people to a business event?
Digital event invitations are often the most effective way to ensure that your personalized invitation arrives at the correct destination on time. Traditional paper invitations have their benefits, but digital invitations from Paperless Pro offer the choice of sending invitations by text, email, or Shareable Link. Paperless Pro makes it easy to add your company’s logo and color palette to guarantee that your event invitation is on-brand every single time. Subscribe to Paperless Pro to gain access to all of our customization tools and guest management features, including RSVP tracking, so you know exactly who is coming.
FAQ
How far in advance should you send a corporate invitation?
The timing of sending an invitation is an important consideration. Sending the invitation too early presents a risk of the invitation getting lost in the shuffle, but sending it too late might not give guests enough time to plan. A good rule of thumb is to send invitations three to four weeks ahead of your event, and a reminder one week before. Digital event invitations sent through Paperless Pro can make it easy to track RSVPs and send reminders via broadcast messages.
What should a corporate event invitation include?
A corporate invitation should include basic information, such as time, date, location, and the RSVP deadline. The invitation might also include the name of your company, the purpose of the event, the dress code, and information regarding parking and accessibility. Finally, include the host’s contact information in case guests have any questions.
How do I create a professional event invitation?
Once you’ve gathered all of the important information guests need, use Paperless Pro to create the perfect on-brand invitation by browsing our designs, customizing your invitation with your logo, and sending it to your guests. After the event is over, use the RSVP tracking tool to monitor the effectiveness of your invitation, so your next event can be even better.
Should a business invitation be formal?
A corporate event invitation email should match the tone of your business so guests know what to expect. If your brand is more formal, create an invitation that aligns with that voice. However, if your company’s brand is more casual and laid-back, a formal business invitation might catch guests off guard. It’s important to know your brand and stick with what works.
How do I send a formal business event invitation digitally?
Use Paperless Pro’s advanced suite of design tools to create your digital invitation. Customize your invitation with your company’s logo and color palette, then decide how potential guests should receive it. With Paperless Pro, you can send your invitation via text message, email, or Shareable Link—whichever method works best for your audience.
Plan your business events with Paperless Pro
Looking to grow your company and increase awareness of your brand or business? From creating a beautiful online business invitation with RSVPs to engaging business event ideas to invitation wording that gets guests excited to attend professional gatherings, a Paperless Pro subscription can help you bring people together to support whatever goal you’re working towards.
Find sophisticated, business-minded designs that streamline planning and impress guests.
