How to Write a Launching Invitation

Including the Essentials

Tell the guest who’s hosting the launch party. This could be a person, company, or organization. Include the host’s name by saying something like, “The Soda Company is releasing their new product, and we’d like you to be there!” Make it clear who is in charge of the event so the guest has a better idea as to what the event is about. You might say, "The Book Co invites you to celebrate our new launch!" or something similar.

Explain what the launch party is celebrating. Maybe your company is putting out a new product, or you’re celebrating the start of a new organization. This is the main purpose of your invitation, so be clear and concise when describing what it is you’re launching. You might say, “Please join us to celebrate the launch of our new app,” or "Come see our new product in action with a live demonstration." Avoid explaining the product in detail (less is more so they’ll be intrigued!), but state what it is so the guest understands what the event is for.

Give the date and time of the launch event. For example, write out “The event will be held on Monday, June 17th, 2020 at 4 pm EST.” Including as much information regarding the date as possible, like the exact day and the time zone, will make your invitation much clearer. It’s also a good idea to state the end time, if there is one. You might say, "Mark your calendars for Thursday, December 5th, 2020 at 7 pm PDT." If your launch party doesn’t have an end time, just put the start time. Clarify in the invitation if people need to arrive at the start time or if the event is an open house.

Write out the venue’s full address and name to make finding it easy. If you’re holding the launch party at a specific venue like a hotel, restaurant, or community center, state the name of the venue first. Write out the full address, including the street, city, state, and zip code. For instance, the address might be “The Red House, 1234 Blue Road, Richmond, VA 23223.” Mention any parking information, if needed.

Say what the dress code for the event is, if applicable. Whether you’re throwing a fancy launch party or a casual one, it’s helpful for your guests to know how they should dress. State whether the dress code is formal, semi-formal, or casual so they can plan accordingly. For instance, you might throw a product launch held at a nice hotel requiring formal clothing, or opt for a laid-back party outdoors and ask guests to dress more casually. State something on the invitation like, "Dress code: Casual" or "Come dressed in formal attire."

Ask the guests to RSVP and include an easy way to do so. If you send your launch invitations out through an evite site, many of them have a button that guests can click on at the bottom of the invitation to RSVP easily. You might also ask guests to RSVP by email, phone, or even social media. Include the contact information they’ll need to RSVP to make it as simple as possible. For example, say, "Please RSVP by October 7th" or something similar. Give guests a date to RSVP by (such as 1 week before the event) to give you an idea as to how many people are coming. Have guests email you to RSVP, offer the option to text you, or direct them to the event’s Facebook page so they can RSVP there. If possible, ask guests to RSVP no later than 1 month before the event is scheduled. That way you'll have plenty of time to make adjustments based on the headcount.

Include a schedule in the invitation so guests can see what’s planned. If your event has several things happening at specific times, such as a demonstration of the product, include a simple schedule for guests to see. Write the time the smaller event is happening and a brief explanation of what it is, creating an easy-to-read table. For example, you might say, “4 pm: Guests arrive, 4:30 pm: CEO speaks, 5 pm: Product demonstration.”

Making the Invitation Stand out

Use the font and formatting to make your invite visually appealing. Include a cohesive color palette and bold lettering to make your invitation stand out. Experiment with different fonts to find a couple that work well together. The goal is to create an invitation that’s colorful but easy to read, so opt for fonts that are legible and in a large enough font size. For instance, you might have a color scheme of blue and gold with two separate fonts that are clear and legible. A font size of 14 or greater is usually good for an invitation. Leave space between key pieces of information so your wording isn't too crowded.

Highlight the most important information to make it noticeable. Make important pieces of information stand out the most like the date and time, product that’s being launched, and RSVP information. Highlight these things on your invitation by choosing a font that stands out against another font or by putting the wording in bold lettering. You could also highlight information by changing the color of the font.

Use an image of your company or product as a focal point. Adding a picture to your invitation can be a great way to show the guests what you’ll be launching. Use an image of the product you’ll be demonstrating, a picture that goes with the theme of your launch if there is one, or even just display an outline of your business’s building or city.

Make the invitation personable through your wording. Use the launch invitation to get guests excited about coming by using phrases that are welcoming and friendly. For instance, you might say, “We hope you’ll come relax and socialize with us!” You could end the invitation with, “Let’s kick this project off together!” or "We can't wait to celebrate with you!"

Mention prizes to get people excited about attending. A great way to draw a crowd is to offer prizes or fun activities related to your launch. For example, if you’re launching a new product, you might hold a raffle and give away one (or more!) of the product to get people’s attention and support. You might say, "Prizes will be included in the evening's festivities!"

Send an e-vite for a quick and easy invitation option. E-vites are great for launch parties because you're able to customize the invitation easily and send it out to a lot of people with just the click of a button. Many times, the e-vites are even free to send. If you're sending out e-vites, make sure you have the correct email address for each guest you're inviting. Choose e-vites as your invitation method if you're planning a casual launch, want the invitations sent out immediately, or are centering your launch around technology.

Opt for a paper invitation for a more formal and sophisticated method. Sending out paper invitations will cost more than e-vites between the envelopes, stamps, and invitations themselves. Paper invitations can be great for a formal party, a small launch where only a select amount of people are invited, or if the launch is many weeks away and the mailed invites have time to reach the guest. Include RSVP slips in the envelope for the guest to mail back to you, if you'd like. For example, a black-tie launch party might require a paper invite.