Write better event invitation emails with these examples, templates, and tips

Just ask Because of Marketing’s Rachael Higgins, who sold 20 event tickets within an hour of sending her invite email. Or Nomer.Studio’s Remon De Jong, who regularly boosts attendance at his art exhibitions with timely invitation emails. 

Email marketing works for events because your list is packed with your most engaged followers—AKA, the people who are most likely to attend. The only hard part is knowing what to include in your messages. That’s what we’ll share today! Read on for more.

The best way to discover what makes an effective event invitation email is to analyze successful examples. And we looked at plenty for this article. Here are the key elements that these invitations have in common.

Clear event details

All the event invitation emails contain the essential information someone needs to know when deciding whether to attend.

This typically includes: 

• Date and time

• Location and address

• Speakers

• Pricing (if relevant)

The exact information you include will depend on your event. An online webinar won’t need a location, while an art show won’t need to include information about speakers.

Enticing event introduction

Each email includes a short introduction with a description of the event. They highlight the event topic, who should attend, what participants will learn, speakers, and other essential details. The key is to get people excited about your upcoming event. 

The text also typically talks directly to the reader, using phrases like “You’re invited” and “Join us” to add a personal touch to the message.

Unmissable CTA button

The event invitation emails have a super clear call-to-action button that readers can use to register for the event. Providing a clear next step ensures subscribers know exactly how to confirm their attendance. 

When creating a CTA, use a button so it stands out. Then add text that shows what will happen when someone clicks, such as:

• Purchase your ticket

• Book a seat

• Reserve your spot

• Find out more

• Register now

This button will typically lead the recipient to a landing page or event page where the subscriber can find out more and confirm their attendance. 

MailerLite customers can also use our RSVP block to automatically add anyone who clicks on this button to a group for event attendees or people interested in the event.

Attention-grabbing subject line

The emails have a subject line that makes it clear that the message contains information about an event. The best ones also start to build excitement. 

The aim isn’t necessarily to get as many people to open as possible, rather it’s to ensure that people who might be interested know what the email contains. 

If you’re unsure what to write in your subject line, use our AI subject line generator to write multiple suggestions in seconds. You can also use our A/B testing feature to test different versions of a subject line to see which one resonates with your audience the most. 

A clear and cohesive design

The emails all have clear yet eye-catching designs that make it easy for readers to get the information they need. 

They use:

• A large title with the name of the event

• Bullet points or highlighted text for essential details

• Graphics and images to highlight speakers 

• Boxes to showcase benefits

• Clear buttons and links to find out more

The emails also use clear branding so it’s obvious who the message is from. They share fonts, colors and graphics with the brand’s other digital assets. 

Consider starting the design process with an event invitation email template, like the one below. You can easily add your brand styles including your company name, logos, fonts, and colors in the MailerLite email editor. 

The timing of your event invitation email can impact its success. The best time to send your event invitation email will depend on the type of event you are running.

Think about how long people will need to prepare for the event. You could promote a webinar just a few days before it takes place. But you’ll need to send the invitation email much earlier for a multi-day conference in another country. 

If in doubt, lean towards sending your email earlier rather than later. You can always send a follow-up email (or multiple) closer to the time. 

Send multiple messages

Always send multiple messages when promoting your event with email. Think about it: even an email with a very respectable 40% open rate is still not seen by over half of your list!

Consider using our resend to unopened feature to send a second version of the email campaign to people who missed the first. Our customers report getting 45% more opens thanks to this one-click feature!

You can also send reminder emails in the run-up to the event. Send one a week before and one a day or two before. Also, mention the event in your other newsletters. 

Larger events will benefit from sending even more emails. Look at the screenshot below to see how many reminders the no-code app builder Bubble sent when promoting its Bubblecon conference. This image includes event invitation emails, newsletter mentions, and post-event follow-ups.

You can even use our targeting features to send messages to people who opened or clicked on your previous emails but didn’t respond, as you know these people are interested in the event. 

Just create the follow-up message as usual and then when choosing who to send it to, select the Advanced filters option, then add the filter Campaigns, Was opened, [your event invitation email].

Finally, include a mention of your event in your other newsletters. Just add a block that mentions the event and provide a link people can use to confirm their attendance.

Here are 11 event email examples. We’ve included examples for various use cases, from online webinars to offline exhibitions. The examples come from the MailerLite customers featured in our email marketing case studies and some of our favorite brands. 

Look at each example to see what makes it special, then use the ideas for your own content.

1. In-person event invitation

Rachael Higgins from Because of Marketing recently sold out her first in-person event. She told us that her email marketing strategy was a big part of what made it successful. 

She sold 20 tickets in just the first hour after sending. In fact, she estimates that 40% of total sales came from email marketing, despite her total email following being a small fraction of her social following. 

Rachael starts the email with all the essential details:

• Date and time

• Location with address

• Speakers

She then builds on this basic introduction with a description of the event. She highlights what makes the event valuable (“talks from industry experts”) and who the event is for (“anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding of the marketing world”).

Rachel also makes the invitation feel personal by using phrases like “You’re invited” and “Join us.” 

The invitation email finishes with a call to action asking the readers to click to purchase their tickets. This leaves interested subscribers in no doubt about how to sign up. 

2. Webinar event invitation email

At MailerLite we run regular webinars and always promote them with marketing emails. See an example in the screenshot below.

Our messages include all the essential details, a graphic to promote the event, and a call-to-action with a registration link people can use to book their place. 

We also added a box with the key points people will learn in the upcoming session. Highlighting the specific benefits of attending gives subscribers all the more reason to sign up right away.

The example also includes a subject line that makes it clear what is inside. Here’s the subject line we used for this email:

• Upcoming webinar: Win at Black Friday with AI 🤩 

We added the emoji since our data shows that adding an emoji to your subject line can increase opens. 

3. Art exhibition event invitation

Artist Remon De Jong finds that email is one of the most effective ways to get people to attend his exhibitions. 

Since the people on his list have taken a proactive step to learn more about him, he explained to us that there’s a high chance they’ll also visit a show he’s featured in. 

Remon doesn’t typically send emails specifically for an event. Rather, he includes information about events in his newsletter, like in the screenshot below.

4. Event invitation reminder email

Always send a reminder email in the days before your event. This is easy to do since you can reuse much of the content from the original email, such as graphics and event descriptions. 

Just make sure you add text to highlight that the event is coming up and that there’s still time for people to join.

Zapier adds a sense of urgency to the reminder by highlighting that the event is coming soon and encouraging people to avoid the feeling of FOMO.

5. Conference invitation email

No-code development platform Bubble sent out several emails promoting its Bubblecon event, but this event preview is our favorite. 

The email starts with a graphic that includes the conference name so people know what the email is about.

It then highlights that the event is coming up soon and that in-person tickets are available. It provides details about what in-person and virtual attendees can expect from the event, as well as links to the entire agenda people can use to find out more.

This works because rather than simply rehashing the same content in a reminder email, it delivers new information that may encourage people to open the email and attend the event. 

6. AMA event invitation

This AMA event email from AppSumo does 2 things we love. First, the heading “Let’s hang” suggests the event will be fun and casual.

Second, it says that 5 lucky attendees will win free tacos. It’s cool to offer a prize, but it’s even more intriguing to discover how he’ll give out free tacos at a virtual event.

7. Concert event invitation email

This concert invitation email from The Strokes makes recipients feel special by highlighting that they get advanced access to the sale, increasing their chances of getting tickets. 

The band also lists its other tour dates so subscribers can find concerts nearby. Plus, the band links to its latest merch collection as a final chance to earn some extra revenue.

We also love the design since it’s instantly recognizable as being from The Strokes. Any fan will see the email and instantly know who sent it. 

8. Promote multiple events in a single email

If you have multiple events to promote, use a single content block and duplicate it as many times as needed. 

This ensures you end up with a consistent design for each event promotion, just like in the Spotify example below. 

This example also uses customer data to only show events near the recipient’s location. You could create a similarly targeted email by using customer data to curate events a particular group is likely to be interested in. 

9. Early bird discount event marketing email

This event marketing email from analytics tool HotJar encourages people to buy tickets by offering a 33% early bird discount. This kind of offer is a good way to get people to commit and relieve some of the inevitable nerves you have when putting on an event. 

The email also shows that the brand has signed up plenty of industry leaders to speak. This is plenty for advanced buyers and potential attendees to get excited about. 

10. Invite people to watch a recording 

If you’re hosting a live event, why not send a follow-up email inviting people to watch a recording of the session? 

This email from WriteSonic links to the recording and highlights some of the key learnings from the session. It also includes 2 buttons, so the link to the recording is impossible to miss. 

11. Event recap email

If your event was offline, you may not have a recording. But you can still recap what happened and send it to your list. People will see what a great event it was and be more likely to attend the next one. In a way, recap emails are the first stage of promotion for your next event. 

This event recap email from Classic Football Shirts showcased all the event highlights and included a link to a photo gallery so people can find out more. It also mentioned that 10,000 people attended, proving that it was a big success. 

MailerLite offers 4 templates built specifically to help you promote your events. Each one is professionally designed and includes content to help you get more attendees. Access these templates by signing up for a free trial of MailerLite’s Advance plan. 

Here’s a look at each one.

Mindfulness event

This event email template has space for a description of the event and a section on what you will learn. It also uses the RSVP block to let people tell you they are attending with a click. Find out how to use the RSVP block in this article. 

Conference invite

The conference invite template is built to help promote an online conference. But you could easily adjust it to any kind of event. It includes blocks to promote the individual sessions as well as a link to a survey people can use to make suggestions for upcoming sessions.

Community events

The community events email has space you can use to invite people to multiple events. You can easily duplicate the block to add more events or delete them to reduce the number of events in your email. 

Conference promotion

The conference promotion template includes conference information and an RSVP section. It includes a content block you can use to introduce your event’s speakers and a final button to send people to your landing page.

Now you’re almost ready to send. Here are 3 final strategies to help you boost the impact of your emails.

1. Target emails with personalization 

There are 2 main ways to add dynamic personalization to your emails: adding custom fields to the email and using dynamic content blocks. 

Add recipient data with custom fields

A simple personalization strategy is to add the recipient’s name to the email using custom fields. This can make the message feel like it’s speaking directly to the recipient. 

To use this strategy, you’ll need to have the recipient’s name in your MailerLite profile. Collect this data via your signup form, surveys, or by adding it manually.

As well as the recipient’s name, you can also add other information that you have in their customer profile. 

Use dynamic email content 

Use MailerLite’s dynamic content settings to only show content to chosen groups. For example, add promotional content and show it to people who are yet to confirm attendance. Then add an event reminder block and show it to those who have already signed up. 

2. Streamline event marketing with automated workflows 

Automate your event emails with an email sequence. Use this feature to either send reminders to attendees or conversion-focused content to people who are yet to buy. 

Automate reminder emails to boost attendance

Build excitement and remind people about the event with an automated sequence sent to signups. Include details like the event date, dress code, keynote speakers, or other essential information.

You can use MailerLite’s workflow timing features to send these emails a specific number of days before the event. Once the event is finished, send a follow-up email asking people to complete a feedback survey. 

See an example sequence below. 

Automate sales emails to boost conversions

Boost conversions with an email workflow that goes out to people who click on the link to the event landing page but don’t buy. Use these emails to highlight the benefits of the event, send reminders, or offer discounts to get people over the line. 

See an example conversion sequence below. This will go out to anyone who clicks on the link to the event landing page in any of the emails but isn’t already in the group for attendees. 

As long as you don’t check the box for Allow subscribers to repeat the workflow, subscribers will only get these emails once, even if they click the link multiple times. 

3. Optimize campaigns with A/B testing

Use A/B testing to discover the most impactful version of an email and send this to your entire list. The easiest way to do A/B testing is to test the impact of multiple subject lines on your open rate. 

Just choose A/B split campaign when creating your campaign and then choose to test the Email subject. You can then add two different subject lines in the relevant location. Either think of options yourself or use our AI subject line tool to make suggestions for you. 

When you hit send, the tool will send each version to the chosen percentage of your email list, see which one results in the most opens, and then send this version to the rest of your list. This ensures the maximum number of people see the most impactful email. 

You can also choose to test the Sender name, sending time, and even the email content. 

Use the tips in this article to send more effective event promotion emails. As a reminder, here are all the main steps to follow:

1. Include all the essential details 

2. Write a description that entices people to join

3. Add a CTA that links to your sign-up form

4. Send multiple messages

5. Consider automating follow-up emails

Take these steps to send more effective emails and boost attendance at your next event!