How to Write an Event Invitation Email

There are many good reasons to attend a trade show: to gain visibility, to present your products and services and even to win new customers.

However, first you need to get people to show up.

In this article, we’ll teach you how to entice your customers to come see you at your next business event. To help you with this, we’ll explain why and how to write a trade show invitation email. We’ll even provide you with a free sample that is sure to get the highest possible number of responses!

Why send a trade show invitation email?

The probability that you’ll sell a product to an existing customer is 60-70%. The probability of selling to a new customer is only 5-20%.

In other words, inviting your current customers to come see you at your next trade show will help you to attract more visitors to your booth and sell more products. These customers may then talk about you to their friends, and a satisfied customer’s opinion is always very convincing.

It’s also a great way to build loyalty and develop a more authentic and personal relationship with your customers. By inviting a customer to an event like this, you remind them of your existence and show them that they are important to you.

It’s the same for old customers: contacting them can help you to reconnect and get them to reconsider you. And even if they don’t show up on the day, you’ve still created an opportunity to converse again with that invitation email.

Since it can be expensive to host a booth at a trade show, it’s important to attract as many people as possible to make it profitable.

Trade show invitation email writing tips

There are a few important things to include in an invitation to a trade show. You need to carefully craft your message and make sure it includes all the essential event details.

Here are 6 tips to get the highest possible number of opens and maximize the number of attendees!

1. Be clear and concise

It’s very important to answer the basic questions of who, when, where and why:

• Who: Include your company name, logo and contact information.

• When: Specify show date and times.

• Where: Include the location of the event and indicate where your custom trade show booth will be located at the show, as well as its number and any other information that can help your visitors find you and stop by to visit.

• Why: Instead of just announcing you’ll be at the event, explain to your customers why their presence will be beneficial. Give relevant reasons and explain what the exhibition is about.

These elements are all key to an effective invitation email!

2. Attract customers’ interest with an appealing subject and opening paragraph

Once you’ve put all this essential information in your email, it is time to expand on it. An invitation email to a trade show should go beyond basic facts and grab the recipient’s attention.

A professional receives 50 emails on average every day. If you don’t grab their attention, your email could end up in the trash.

Following this logic, the first thing to do is to prepare your email’s subject line. Write a catchy subject line, using keywords and images that your customer will relate to and that will make them want to continue reading as soon as they open your invitation. You need to capture their attention from the start.

3. Personalize your invitation

Show your close relationship with your customer by mentioning their first and last name in the first few lines, as well as the name of their company. This way, they will feel directly involved and they’ll be more likely to respond as they’ll notice that it’s not a generic email.

4. Highlight the benefits of participating

An effective invitation will highlight the advantages and benefits of your event and motivate potential participants by piquing their curiosity.

As an event organizer, you should clearly indicate:

• The program: topics to be covered, speakers and their expertise, event format (conference, seminar or webinar).
• The benefits for participants: the knowledge and skills they can acquire, networking opportunities, exclusive advantages such as access to product previews, premium content, etc.

The idea is to make participants want to find out more about your event. Be clear, concise and precise, without revealing too much. Make them feel that there is even more to discover if they attend.

Make them want to visit your booth at the trade show by mentioning any gifts, promotional offers or contests you’re organizing that might interest them. And stick to it!

5. Get them engaged with powerful calls to action

Create a sense of urgency to encourage them to confirm their attendance quickly. For example, you could create a confirmation deadline or explain that there’s a limited number of spaces.

You may also want to direct your customer to your website, where you can give more details about the event. This way, you avoid writing an email that is too long, but you leave the door open to more information, which will pique your reader’s interest. A call-to-action button can be a good idea, directly integrated within the body of the email.

6. Make your email invitation visually appealing

Visually appealing content will go a long way to enticing recipients to read your invitation. A polished presentation contributes to a positive brand image and makes people want to find out more about your message.

Keep the design clean, and consistent with your corporate identity. Aim for elegant, professional results. Strategically position the call-to-action button to optimize sign-ups and encourage your readers to take the next step.

Free sample trade show invitation email

To help you with the writing part, here’s a sample trade show invitation. This one is specifically addressed to a long-standing customer, but you can adapt it to any type of event or customer by using all the above tips.

Dear [client’s name],

We are very grateful that you’ve been a loyal customer for [number of years].

In the near future, our company will be taking part in the [name of trade show], which will take place on [date] in [city].

We would love to invite you to visit us at the [exhibit number] booth.

You should find this event interesting because [personal reason].

As a thank you for coming to see us, our team will present you with an amazing gift on entry and you will be entered into a prize contest for a free trial of [your product]. We’d be delighted if you decide to join us.

Spaces are limited, so please confirm your presence before [date] so that we can send you your free access card.

For more information, feel free to contact [person in charge’s name] at [phone number] or by email via [email address].

You can also find more information on our website: [web address].

Hope to see you soon at our event.

[Signature]

[Position/professional title].

When to send a trade show invitation email

We suggest that you send your invitation email well in advance. Generally speaking, you should contact your audience around 6 weeks in advance for local customers, and up to 2 months before the event for international audiences, so that they have time to make their arrangements for attending the event.

Planning the use of your event communication tools – such as e-mail invitations – is one of the keys to a successful trade show.

Should you follow up after sending an invitation email?

If you still haven’t received a reply 1 week after sending your invitation email, you can contact the customer again.

How do you follow up with your customer?

You can follow up your trade show invitation by email or phone. When you follow up with your customer, be friendly and avoid turning it into a sales pitch. That isn’t the goal here.

Instead, seek to establish a relationship that goes beyond the general provider/customer framework.

Be human and talk to them honestly and coherently. Talk to them as if you were talking to a friend, while remaining professional. You are only trying to confirm their presence, not sell them your product or service. Instead, save that work for the day of the trade show.

Thanks to marketing automation, you can easily monitor who has registered for your event and send reminder emails to those who haven’t yet registered. This will free you up to concentrate on organizing and managing your event. You can send another reminder email in the two weeks leading up to the event, and another message one or two days before the registration deadline. However, avoid overdoing it, as this could have the opposite effect and discourage them from attending. 

Example of a professional invitation

Dear [client’s name],

We have noticed that you have not yet registered for [Name of event], taking place on [date] at [location]. This event will be a unique opportunity to [state the interest or objective of the event].

Don’t miss this opportunity to [attend a conference, network with professionals, discover the latest trends, etc.]. We’ve planned inspiring keynotes, interactive workshops and plenty of networking opportunities.

To register and secure your place, click on the link below: 

[Insert sign-up link]

If you have any questions or require assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to welcoming you at [Name of event]!

See you soon,

[Signature]

[Position/professional title]

Send a registration confirmation and reminder email

Remember to send a registration confirmation to people who have registered for your event. You can also send them a reminder by email or SMS 24 hours before the event starts. This is an especially good idea if they registered well in advance, as they may have forgotten the date. You can always use the advanced filters in your marketing software to send additional targeted emails.

Sample event registration confirmation email

Dear [client’s name],

We are delighted to confirm your registration for [Name of event], which will take place on [date] at [location]. Thank you for your interest and participation.

Here are some important details to help you prepare for the event:

Program: [Brief program description or link to full program].

Venue: [Full address of venue].

Times: [Event start and end times].

If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at [e-mail address or telephone number].

We’ll send you a reminder with practical details 24 hours before the event. In the meantime, you can also visit our website [insert link] for more information.

Once again, thank you for joining us. We look forward to welcoming you at [Name of event]!

We look forward to seeing you soon,

[Signature]

[Position/professional title]

Sample pre-event reminder message

Dear [client’s name],

We would like to remind you that [Name of event] will take place in [number of days] days, on [date] at [location]. We’re thrilled you’re part of this event, and hope you’re as excited as we are.

Here are a few details to help you prepare:

Venue: [Full address of venue].

Start time: [Event start time].

Program: [Brief program description or link to full program].

Instructions: [For example, safety instructions, practical tips, specific requirements, etc.].

Don’t forget to bring [e.g. your e-ticket, ID, business cards, etc.].

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at [e-mail address or telephone number].

We look forward to seeing you at [Name of event]!

 See you soon,

[Signature]

[Position/professional title]

How to respond if your trade show invitation is refused

If your event invitation is refused, it’s important to respond in a respectful and professional manner. Here are 4 tips for writing an appropriate response:

1. Start by thanking the person for their response and for taking the time to consider your invitation.
2. Indicate that you understand the reasons for the refusal.
3. Mention that you would be delighted to collaborate or interact with the person in the future, should another opportunity arise.
4. Close your message on an optimistic or cordial note, wishing the person good luck or success in their projects.

Sample response to a refusal

Dear [client’s name],

Thank you for your reply. I fully understand that you cannot accept my invitation at this time. I look forward to collaborating with you in the future should another opportunity arise.

I wish you every success in your projects.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

[Position/professional title]”

By following these tips, you demonstrate that you respect the other person’s decision and still maintain a positive professional relationship.

Send an invitation email for trade show success 

Planning your next trade show should not be left to the last minute. To attract a crowd and grow your business, we recommend that you send an email ahead of time to invite your current customers to your next trade show event.

If you send the email at the right time and in the right way, you will likely get a good response rate.

We wish you great success and hope you enjoy writing your invitation email!