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Email Marketing Design Inspiration for Event Promotion That Works

Dalila Bonomi
Dalila Bonomi
Aug 14, 2019
Email Marketing Design Inspiration for Event Promotion That Works
Email Marketing Design Inspiration for Event Promotion That Works

If you have an event coming up, you’re probably thinking up a detailed strategy to make sure as many people as possible hear the news — and email should be an integral part of your plan.Why exactly should you use email to promote your events? For one, email gives you a chance to manage your invitations and RSVP’s so you’ll have a head count of who’s planning to show up. For another, email is the perfect channel to keep in touch with your audience — a way to connect with them before, during, and after the event.Here are the key things you should know about creating an invitation email, plus the four-email sequence you should use for event email marketing that works.

Features of an invitation email

There are two types of events you can promote by email — online events and physical events.

Online events

Online events might include webinars, live streaming events or Twitter chats. An invitation email for an online event will include language explaining what’s happening, when it’s taking place and why the reader needs to come. For instance, software development company Workfront promoted their webinar with a simple block of text — a couple of sentences giving an overview of the event, three bullet points listing the main takeaways you’d get from the webinar, and the date and time.Subject line: Webinar: 3 ways to streamline product development

event email marketing example for webinar

Physical events

You can promote nearly any physical event via email — a conference, performance, trade show, or just about anything else you can think of.Event email marketing for a physical event will include the same details, talking about what value attendees will receive. In addition to that, provide the location of the event and any special instructions (for example, “only use upper parking lot”). Here, an email promoting an evening of fine jewelry included a paragraph of detail, provided an address and asked for RSVP’s.Subject line: Join us at 19 Bleecker this Thursday

email marketing for events

How to create an event promotion email series

Your event email sequence should have four emails: invitation, confirmation, reminder and follow up. Here’s a little more detail on what each email should include, plus some email marketing design inspiration you can draw from as you plan your own emails:

#1. Invitation

The first email in your sequence for event email marketing should be sent about two weeks prior to the event (unless you need to get a certain head count in order to book a venue, or participants have to pay). Really good emails will include the basics of the event — what it is, what value attendees will take home, as well as logistical information such as place, time and cost. Start the invitation email with a clear subject line such as “You’re Invited” and end with a strong, highly visible call to action (CTA) asking your readers to register for the event. Don’t overwhelm your readers with information in this initial email, though; specifics can come later.Subject: You’re invited: A webinar for event marketers

event email marketing example for webinar from Emma

#2. Confirmation

Once your readers have opted in to the invitation and signed up for your event, immediately send them an email confirming they have a spot. This email can be a little beefier, including more details on what’s going to happen (if relevant, send the event schedule) and where people should go. The idea is that, if needed, people can save the confirmation email and refer back for details. In some cases — such as this email from Atom Tickets in partnership with Fathom Events — the email might even serve as a ticket into the event.Subject line: Atom order confirmation

confirmation email example for event

#3. Reminder

People are busy, and upcoming events can easily slip their minds. So it’s up to you to send them reminders. Be clear from the very beginning what the reminder email is, including the event name and date in the subject line. In the body of the email, reiterate what’s happening, when and where it’s taking place, and why the reader should come (but keep this part concise, because you’ve already covered these details in previous emails). For newsletter design bonus points, consider including unique imagery like a map of the venue or a photo from last year’s event.When should you send a reminder email? Depending on the type of event, one to four days in advance is ideal. You can send it closer to the time for an online event (“Don’t forget, webinar in 24 hours”), or a few days ahead of time if people are preparing to travel (“We’ll see you in Chicago this weekend”). If you aren’t sure when to send a reminder email, the sweet spot is two days in advance. You could also do a series of countdown emails during the week leading up to the event, sending one email each day with a fun fact about the event or something else relevant; countdown emails are a great way to create hype around your event.Subject line: Reminder: Crit Group 2019 Opening Reception this Saturday

email marketing design inspiration for reminder email

#4. Follow-up

After the event is over, your job isn’t done: Don’t let your attendees slip away! A couple of days after the event, send a follow-up email. For online events, you could send a recording of the webinar or conference in case people want to listen back through and take more detailed notes. If your event was in-person, include a round-up of photos that people posted on social media during the event.If nothing else, say a simple thank you to people for attending — and if this is an annual or recurring event, tell them to keep an eye out for next year. Here, we have some email marketing design inspiration from Counter Culture, a coffee company that sent a follow-up email full of beautiful pastel colors and coffee pots (they even included an exclusive promo code for readers).Subject line: Thanks for coming by! ⚡

follow up email design inspiration

Wrap-up: email marketing design inspiration

With this four-email sequence, you’ll be ready to set your event email marketing plans in motion and draw attendees. Ready to build your own event marketing emails? Check out BEE’s free email templates! The templates are beautiful and painless to use, and BEE's email editor makes it simple to drag-and-drop images, text, and other design elements to create some really good emails. It's the quickest, most effective way to promote your next event.

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Email strategies you’ve likely heard of but haven’t implemented yet

While email marketing has come a long way and is changing faster than ever, there’s only so much you can do within 600x1,500 pixels. However, there are no limits to where your creativity can take you. 
Kruti Shah
Kruti Shah
5 Feb
2025

Now, let's be honest—you’ve likely heard about all of these rotating for the last few years. While email marketing has come a long way and is changing faster than ever, there’s only so much you can do within 600x1,500 pixels. However, there are no limits to where your creativity can take you. 

Let’s get into it.  

#1. Unique, tailored experiences 

Damian Grabarczyk, the co-founder and growth marketer of PetLab Co., says, “We faced the challenge of connecting meaningfully with an audience that expects more than one-size-fits-all communication.” 

When we speak about crafting tailored emails we mean going beyond the recipient's first name in the subject line. We’re talking about optimizing your entire email strategy to design multi-stage touchpoints to nurture leads across the customer lifecycle. As well as, leveraging data to send hyper-personalized, relevant, and engaging emails that feel less like a broadcast message and more like a conversation. 

Many are using AI machine learning algorithms and AI automation to analyze customer interactions, past purchases, browsing habits, website visits, and even social media behavior to curate engaging email content that resonates deeply with the real-time needs of recipients.

For PetLab Co this looked like including content such as an individual’s pet health history or product usage timelines. Damian Grabarzyk expands, “This approach transformed the conversion rate and strengthened customer loyalty. As we look ahead, I see brands in 2025 moving beyond generic personalization to adopt strategies that make customers feel truly understood and valued.”

On the other hand, many are leaning into user-generated content (UGC) for crafting tailored experiences. Customers today are more likely to trust the opinions of peers over branded messages. UGC like customer reviews, testimonials, videos, and photos are the best form of social proof depicting real people using and benefitting from your products or services. 

We see the benefits of using both AI and UGC to get the most out of your email conversions ;). 

#2. AI tools as an addition, not a substitution

Experts at NordPass state, "AI-powered content generation tools are not here to replace email copywriters and marketers. These tools make us more efficient. The smarter the tool is, the better equipped we are to create high-performing email content that drives results." 

AI tools can support us by significantly enhancing the speed, precision, and effectiveness of your emails. For instance while traditionally A/B testing has required a lot of time to analyze small variations with AI you quickly implement and test multiple email elements and make adjustments based on real-time engagement data. There are AI algorithms that can even predict which variations are most likely to resonate with different audience segments, leading to more accurate targeting and faster optimization.

In short, AI tools are revolutionizing the way we craft and optimize our email’s deliverability. There are many different types of AI solutions so we suggest finding the right one for your needs. 

#3. Even more transparency around data

With AI continuing to rise, folks are more and more concerned about where their data is going. That’s where zero-party data collection becomes a key strategy in email marketing, allowing you to gather data directly from customers rather than relying on third-party sources. 

Zero-party data includes information that consumers willingly share, such as preferences, interests, and purchase intentions. This data is often collected through surveys, preference centers, quizzes, or interactive content and is highly valuable because it is shared explicitly, ensuring accuracy and deeper personalization without privacy concerns associated with third-party tracking.

As privacy regulations tighten, zero-party data will empower you to deliver hyper-personalized email experiences while respecting user privacy. This approach will help you build trust, as customers feel more in control of their data, and you gain insights that lead to more relevant and engaging email content.

#4. The death of static emails

With attention span getting shorter day after day, digest-format emails are expected to rise in popularity in 2025. Presenting email content in an easy-to-scan, organized, and minimalistic layout will surely help deliver the most relevant information in a fraction of the time. 

Additionally, interactive emails will allow recipients to directly engage within the email without having to visit a landing page or website. Interactive elements like product carousels, polls, and quizzes create a dynamic experience that keeps subscribers engaged, especially in visually driven industries like fashion brands

So what now? 

You’ve heard these strategies before, but now it’s time to actually put them into action. The brands that win at email marketing in 2025 won’t just be sending emails—they’ll be creating experiences. Whether it’s hyper-personalized content, AI-driven efficiency, zero-party data collection, or interactive emails that break the mold, the key is to stay ahead of the curve.

So, what’s the first strategy you’ll finally implement? Your inbox (and your audience) are waiting.

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