Menu

online-invitations

This is what the best online invitation service looks like-

This is What The Best Online Invitation Service Looks Like

,

Last year, we wrote about the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI), and why event managers can’t afford to ignore the potentially devastating effect that non-compliance can have on their business. While there’s been a lot of talk about the POPI Act in mainstream media, many companies aren’t yet up to speed with the minutiae of this law. One of the most important things you (and many others) may have failed to take into account is that all of your services and suppliers need to be POPI compliant too.

As far as online invitations are concerned, the POPI Act has separated the men from the boys, so to speak.

One of the most important qualities of an online invitations service is POPI compliance. Many online invitation providers may purport to be the best in the industry, but even the most beautiful  Pinterest-worthy designs don’t make up for non-compliance. In short, make sure your online invitations services is first and foremost, POPI compliant.

That said, merely because an online invitation service complies with POPI, doesn’t mean that they’re the best online invitation service out there. So what makes us better than the rest?

1. Our online invitation software facilitates ROI.

Your events need to result in a return on investment, which means that your online invitations have to land up in the right inboxes, pique the interest of your guests and then persuade them to attend your event. We’ve created software that enables you to do just this. How? Via the use of a vetted email provider (we’re white-listed with Sendgrid), professional graphic designers and wordsmiths worth their weight in gold.

2. Our software is driven by innovative technology.

If you want to cast your brand in the most professional light possible, you need cutting-edge tools at your disposal. Our RSVP software can be accessed remotely; runs on iPad, tablets or mobiles; entails the use of QR codes and can be customised according to your brand’s needs.

3. Our clients are industry heavyweights.

We provide the best online invitation service to international brands like Audi, FNB, McDonald’s, Standard Bank, Visa, Volkswagen, and more. Our online invitations are used and endorsed by the best of the best to successfully attract guests to their events, time and time again.

4. Our software enables you to gather vital consumer insight.

The more you know about your target market, the better. We’re the only company that offers software that facilitates ERM™(Event Relationship Management). In short, our event management software not only allows you to orchestrate streamlined events, it gathers crucial information about your guests too.

Get your FREE guide to turning your events into
marketing gold!

Enter your details below and we will send over some magic for you to use. By entering your details below you
consent to receiving our mailers. *No spam we promise. Only valuable tips and updates.

Name(Required)

4 e-invites statistics every event manager should know

2014: A year in online invitations

The RSVP Agency works with leading brands, enabling them to create online invitations that not only reflect their corporate identities, but engage guests too – two crucial elements that facilitate optimal attendance rates.

2014 has seen us do work for Aspen, Sasol, Pfizer, Adcock Ingram, McDonald’s, KFC and ABB – to name a few. (For a full list of companies who’ve used our RSVP services and software, have a look here.)  If you’re curious about what our online invites look like, you’re in luck.

Strata Health

Strata Health used both our Quantum app, as well as our software for onsite registration that was fast, efficient and professional.

Sasol  

Sasol hosted the New Signatures Awards art competition – and used our services for both the awards ceremony, the opening event, as well as Posting Presence – a solo exhibition by the 2013 Sasol New Signatures winner, Dot Vermeulen.

ABB 

ABB used our services for their three golf days in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

Pfizer 

Pfizer held two large-scale medical conferences – the Africa Paediatric Summit and Diabetic Summit.Thanks to our software, Pfizer was able to co-ordinate travel plans, flights and guest lists that consisted of delegates from 12 African regions.

Adcock Ingram 

 Adcock Ingram hired The RSVP Agency for the launch of Myprocam, where we assisted with onsite registration. Contact us to find out more about our RSVP and online invitations services.

Get your FREE guide to turning your events into
marketing gold!

Enter your details below and we will send over some magic for you to use. By entering your details below you
consent to receiving our mailers. *No spam we promise. Only valuable tips and updates.

Name(Required)

Why large corporates need to outsource their online invitations solution

Why large corporates need to outsource their online invitations solution

,

Large corporate events have a high volume of influential and important guests, which means that they require the utmost attention to detail. The stakes are high and dropping the ball on any aspect isn’t an option. Unlike smaller, intimate events, prominent corporate functions mean the reputation of the brand is at stake. It’s of pivotal importance that this process isn’t only streamlined, but professionally managed too.

Using a professional online invitations solution elevates your brand in the eyes of your clients.

Attempting to co-ordinate a large-scale corporate event that can either promote or detract from the all-important equity of your brand can be a risky endeavour. Guests attending an industry-leading brand’s event will demand professionalism from every single interaction they have with the company. By opting not to use a professional online invitations service, you’re putting the success of the event – and the reputation of your client, on the line. Ensure that your guests’ experience is a pleasant as possible – from the invitations and registration process to correspondence sent after the event.

While there are several other online invitations solutions on the market, they’re all limited in some way or another.

When tasked with planning an event for an influential client, you’ll need to ensure that every single aspect is given the attention it deserves. You’ll need a solution that enables you to streamline the process into one that will result in a function that makes the best impression possible – on your client as well as their guests. The RSVP Agency provides event companies with software that is continually updated in line with innovative technology and the changing requirements of event companies.

Ensuring ROI is your priority, but without the right guests, it’s unlikely that you’ll meet your targets.

The RSVP Agency’s Enterprise tool contains a “forward-on” invitation feature that can mean the difference between a function populated by potential clients, or individuals who’re only attending because of the open bar. Enticing the right people can be a difficult task, but by allowing your guests to invite their own networks, you’ll instantly up the chances of making an impression on the people who count. We’ve written a bespoke set of software that allows you to do just that. If you’re holding a conference for a group of brokers, for example, you’ll be able to send them their invite, and then give them the tools needed to invite clients of their own. Instead of merely forwarding on the invite, they’ll be able to create an invitation that’s specifically from them. A nifty feature if we do say so ourselves.

Establishing ROI relies on accurate reporting capabilities.

Without the use of a detailed reporting function that provides you with a clear picture of all aspects of an event, gauging the exact ROI of an event is reduced to a guessing game. If you want precise data about everything from the time invitations were opened, the time an RSVP was sent, as well as suggestions and comments from your guests, our Enterprise solution is an essential tool as we offer you access to the back end of our system so that you can view and extract all the crucial data you need.

Exclusive corporate events often require a highly-controlled setting.

Making sure that VIP guests are secure and assured of an event that’s safe from the prying eyes of the media or competitors can be a stressful job. It’s crucial that your company can convince brands that their guests will enjoy a discreet function without having to worry about interlopers.

We’re aware that this requirement is of absolute importance, which is why we’ve developed a QR code generator that guarantees everyone involved has peace of mind. The QR code is sent to your guests’ mobile devices and acts as their invitation.

Corporate functions often involve the sale and purchasing of tickets.

If you’re planning a charity gala dinner, for example, you’ll need to provide your guests with a secure and convenient way of buying their tickets. Ensure they’re not put off by a complicated process by making use of our “shop cart” online system. Like TicketWeb or Computicket, this feature provides companies with an online ticket portal that’s linked to your online invitations solution. If you’re after a streamlined, simplified payment method, our Enterprise solution has got you covered.

Besides the fact that The RSVP Agency’s online invitations software saves you time and guarantees the utmost in professionalism, our solution provides you with all the tools needed to plan and manage an event to the best of your ability – right down to every last detail.

Image Credit: brandingstrategyinsider

Get your FREE guide to turning your events into
marketing gold!

Enter your details below and we will send over some magic for you to use. By entering your details below you
consent to receiving our mailers. *No spam we promise. Only valuable tips and updates.

Name(Required)

How online invitations can help you with last minute guest list changes

How online invitations can help you with last minute guest list changes

,

All event managers know last-minute changes to a guest list are inevitable.Trying to keep abreast of developments when and as they happen requires round-the-clock vigilance, as well as the ability to think and act under pressure.

Ask any event planner and they’ll tell you that receiving a call from a guest that goes along the lines of: “So sorry! Been struck down with the flu. My PA will come instead”, is a common occurrence. There are a myriad of reasons why guests cancel or send a replacement at the last minute – having to travel for work, attending an urgent meeting or a family crisis are some of the few. Attempting to re-configure your guest list, table settings and name-tags on the day results in wasted time that could be spent on more pressing tasks.

Speed up your reaction time by utilising easily-accessible online invitations.

Most event managers are constantly glued to their phones – and for good reason.  It’s where they co-ordinate and plan every single detail of an event. From sending emails to suppliers to communicating with their colleagues – a mobile phone is an event planner’s lifeline. However, if you’re not using online invitations, you’ll end up wasting huge amounts of time as you check and reply to emails one by one. Having to deal with last minute changes over email isn’t conducive to an efficient and streamlined event. An online management system instantly reflects changes, cutting down time spent on admin, and ensuring you’re up- to-date at any given moment.

Ensure that everyone involved with the management of your event is aware of changes as they occur.

Most of the time, you’ll be communicating directly with a supplier or guest, and without an online invitation platform, the rest of your staff will be in the dark about last-minute changes. Having to relay crucial information – like that fact that your florist has double-booked and you’re now without centrepieces – will result in even more unnecessary time being spent on coordinating the logistics. Avoid an information vacuum by using an online invitation system, where changes are instant and happen in real time. Whether they’re on a mobile or are stuck at the office, all of your event managers will immediately be aware of any changes, enabling them to act timeously.

This is especially useful for those doing registrations off a tablet or iPad, so that when John Smith arrives instead of Paul Jones, they’ll be aware of the change and have a name-tag and personalised gift bag ready for him. Without the ability to view last-minute changes, you risk the implications of being unprepared, and worse, looking unprofessional.  

Online invitations allow you to efficiently streamline operations – even if last-minute changes have to be implemented.

Managing any event is stressful at the best of times, even when everything is going according to plan. Instead of having to run backwards and forwards from the dining hall to the registration desk to the kitchen, an online system allows you to view your updated guest list, altered seating plan and new menu requirements. It’s imperative that if a vegetarian attends in the place of their boss who’s fond of steak, you can quickly communicate with the kitchen enabling you to serve the replacement guest mushroom risotto instead of beef wellington. Being aware of personal details about your guests goes a long way in cementing the image that your brand is one that values and understands their clients.

Optimise your event management further by asking a third-party to communicate with suppliers on your behalf.

If you’re outsourcing your RSVP function to a company like The RSVP Agency, you can arrange with the company to notify your suppliers of any last-minute changes.  Instead of going backwards and forwards with conflicted updates, your event management company can devote a dedicated team to co-ordinate this for you. Having to call the catering company and tell them that you’ll only be needing 15 Halal meals instead of 10, only to find that the number has changed again to 12, is a laborious and unnecessary endeavour. Arrange that the company sends out notifications every hour, on the hour, so that there’s no chance of crossed wires.

Ensure that all of your post-event communication with guests is accurate.

Once an event is over, you’ll want to send out an email or SMS to thank your guests. An online invitation management system will enable you to personalise these message according to whether the guest attended your event or not. Nothing conveys indifference and unprofessionalism like receiving a message that doesn’t apply to you. Avoid the embarrassing scenario of someone thanking them for their attendance, when in fact they were holed up at home with the flu. Instead, send them a message that says: “We’re sorry you missed our Annual Gala. Attached are some photos of the evening and our list of prize winners.” This will differ from those who did attend, who could receive something like: “Thank you for helping to make our Annual Gala a roaring success! Please fill out this short survey about your experience.”

Image Credit: Always Lauren

Get your FREE guide to turning your events into
marketing gold!

Enter your details below and we will send over some magic for you to use. By entering your details below you
consent to receiving our mailers. *No spam we promise. Only valuable tips and updates.

Name(Required)

markex2013

The RSVP Agency at Markex 2013

, ,

Markex World of Events is the definitive marketing, promotions, and special events trade exhibition, and this year’s event promises to be the biggest three days in marketing in 2013. Attracting 10,000 visitors from all sectors of business, including marketing, creative agencies, advertising, PR professionals, event organisers, and resellers, Markex is a great opportunity to get your product out there.

The vast majority of attendees are in a position to either make or influence purchasing decisions, and Markex provides a platform for innovative thinking, inspiration and ideas, and of course, excellent opportunities for doing business, networking, and building relationships.

For this year’s exhibition, Markex have added cutting-edge marketing developments – boosting innovation, visitor and customer interest, and attendance rates. They’ve added a ‘Digital Village’ – where The RSVP Agency will be have its stand. The Digital Village is specialised: approximately 30 exhibitors, in all fields of Online and Digital Marketing solutions, are expected to campaign their products and services.

A new solution

The RSVP Agency provides the most affordable and comprehensive online RSVP management software and service offering available in the market today. We have designed an online system to manage the entire RSVP process. We will be showcasing our products and services to the events industry for the first time – and are expecting a very good response.

The strong shift towards Digital Integration for events means that The RSVP agency is at the forefront of this innovation. It’s a chance for us to show event professionals the value that they can receive with our products and services. We’re very excited to be a part of Markex for the first time, to be leading the way in digital integration through the Digital Village at Markex, and to showcase our product and network with like-minded individuals. Taking the corporate and eventing world by storm, we’re hoping to sign up event ‘resellers’ and make contact with new clients.

Understanding events and event requirements

The RSVP Agency is owned by Terry Sutherland and Sue Aerts, who between them have 30+ year’s event experience.

Terry Sutherland, CEO: “It was apparent to us that guest management and the RSVP process could either make or break an event. We contracted many agencies over the years to manage our RSVP, but were never satisfied with the level of service we received, or the limited features that the various software systems had to offer. Because of our vast experience in managing events, conferences, gala dinners, exhibitions, high level VIP guest management and roadshows, we decided to develop our own unique software system. Online Invitation Management is as much about building your brand as ATL advertising, and clients are beginning to realise this. It is how we speak to our clients that makes all the difference. Having 25 years of eventing experience helps us to understand exactly what it is that makes for a professional RSVP experience. Writing and owning our own software, allows us to constantly update our offering. We keep our clients up to date with what they want.”

Find The RSVP Agency at

Markex 2013 11–13 June 2013 Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa Show Times: 9am – 5pm  The RSVP Agency: Digital Village, Hall 2, Stand C4

Get your FREE guide to turning your events into
marketing gold!

Enter your details below and we will send over some magic for you to use. By entering your details below you
consent to receiving our mailers. *No spam we promise. Only valuable tips and updates.

Name(Required)

istock_000019484712xsmallv2

Why use an online invitation service

,

Signed, sealed, delivered? Why go to so much effort? With the advent of online invitations via email, invitation services are changing the face of event coordination as we know it. There’s no waiting for invitations to make their way through the postal system, or for RSVPs that get lost in the mail…

These days, invitation management services issue invitations online, and have all the tools to remind guests about the event, send updates, text messages, and more. The virtual invites can be customised and make RSVP easier than any other aspect of event planning. Guest list management has embraced the 21st century – you should too.

An online invitation service helps event managers or coordinators design an attractive digital invitation, customised to your event and company or client, and track RSVPs and invitee responses with almost no effort. With time being a luxury not many of us can claim to have, online event invitation and registration management is useful not just for event planners, but also for the guest who just doesn’t remember or have the time to officially RSVP.

Digital gets even more personal

The internet has changed so much of our lives and made many organisational and time management tasks easier. There’s absolutely no reason why it shouldn’t be the same for every aspect of your event management – right from the design and wording of your invitations through to tracking RSVPs and event reminders.

Responding to invitations should be easy, and software that both sends out invites and tracks RSVPs is a lifesaver in this regard – most people nowadays are attached to their smartphone, tablet, or computer, so it’s easy to catch their onscreen attention with an email, and makes the RSVP process as simple as it could be.

An online invitation management service is exactly what it sounds like – a facility that makes use of email to allow you to issue online invitations to an event. It’s also much more than just an invitation service – it’s a collection of tools that you can use to remind your guests about your event as well as send updates, text messages and manage your guest lists from one convenient, central location.

Why do you need an online invitation service?

In case you need convincing, here are our top five reasons to use an online invitation service…

1. Invitations simplified

Whether you’re a professional event manager or a corporate, you can make use of such a service to design an appealing digital invitation. You could use one of any number of attractive templates – they’re flexible enough to accommodate just about any design and can be personalised for each individual invitee.

Digital certainly doesn’t have to mean impersonal and an online invitation service can help you with every detail right down to the wording of your invitation. Should you choose to use your own designers, the service will simply integrate the guest registration process into your designs.

Benefits:

  • Create beautiful invites instantly (with or without the help of a designer).
  • Personalise your invites.
  • You have the option to allow guests to invite other guests – this makes sure your invitation gets to the right people!

2. RSVPs made easy

Using an online invitation service ensures that your online invitations have a high delivery rate. Gone are the days of paying a fortune to have an invitation designed and printed, only to have it get lost in the mail or tossed in the bin, unopened.

Once the email invitations are delivered, the invitation service tracks invitation bounces and out-of-office notifications to show you the status of guests who haven’t yet accepted or declined your invitation. Those that accept your invitation are then instructed on how to register online for the event. It’s at this point that you can gather information (like dietary preferences) from your guests. This data is stored on a secure server and utilised to give you live reports with up-to-date information on guest numbers and any guest preferences gathered.

Benefits:

  • Get a real-time view of all RSVP statuses.
  • Get tangible figures for people opened/read your invitation – takes the guess-work out of following up on RSVPs.
  • Gather guest preferences to ensure the smooth running of your event.

3. Automatic Reminders

You’ll find it extremely convenient that the system reminds your confirmed guests of the event via SMS the day before. Just in case the automatic iCal/ calendar integration and reminder that they received wasn’t enough…

Benefits:

  • You won’t have to waste a second of your precious time reminding guests to RSVP or attend – everything can be done for you.
  • Increased attendance at your event, less of a likelihood of guests ‘forgetting’ to RSVP or attend.

4. Ultimate list efficiency

An online invitation service caters for multiple guest RSVP lists which allow you to set up multiple lists for each event to enable customised communication for your VIPs, media and staff – making light work of staying on top of your inbox, and ensuring that important emails never go unnoticed.

An online invitation service consists of a sophisticated system that will identify duplicates in your guest lists. This means that none of your guests will be annoyed by duplicate information. This process of data cleansing happens automatically, every time you upload a list. For your convenience, guest information is uploaded from and downloaded to a spreadsheet.

The right online invitation service can also help you to ensure that your guest lists are accurate, comprehensive, and useful. When it comes to successful event planning, the importance of a detailed guest list cannot be overstated.

Benefits:

  • You won’t miss any important communications about your event.
  • Your guest list will be useful, detailed and usable for future events.

5. Complete integration Event invitations and guest list management isn’t something that should be managed in isolation, or using separate services. For the ultimate in convenience, the right event management software will maximise the success of your event by managing email invitations as well as event registration. A

n email invitation service is perfectly complemented by an event registration facility and software that handles everything for you, allowing you to spend less time managing guest lists and more time managing the event itself.

Benefits:

  • All the organisational assistance you need, all in one place.
  • Easy to use tools that makes your online invitation and registration process run smoothly. If these top 5 reasons caught your eye, then Contact The Professional RSVP Agency today to find out more about how you can make an online invitation service work for you.

Get your FREE guide to turning your events into
marketing gold!

Enter your details below and we will send over some magic for you to use. By entering your details below you
consent to receiving our mailers. *No spam we promise. Only valuable tips and updates.

Name(Required)

Privacy settings

Decide which cookies you want to allow. You can change these settings at any time. However, this can result in some functions no longer being available. For information on deleting the cookies, please consult your browser’s help function. Learn more about the cookies we use.

With the slider, you can enable or disable different types of cookies:

  • Block all
  • Essentials
  • Functionality
  • Analytics
  • Advertising

This website will:

This website won't:

  • Essential: Remember your cookie permission setting
  • Essential: Allow session cookies
  • Essential: Gather information you input into a contact forms, newsletter and other forms across all pages
  • Essential: Keep track of what you input in a shopping cart
  • Essential: Authenticate that you are logged into your user account
  • Essential: Remember language version you selected
  • Functionality: Remember social media settings
  • Functionality: Remember selected region and country
  • Analytics: Keep track of your visited pages and interaction taken
  • Analytics: Keep track about your location and region based on your IP number
  • Analytics: Keep track of the time spent on each page
  • Analytics: Increase the data quality of the statistics functions
  • Advertising: Tailor information and advertising to your interests based on e.g. the content you have visited before. (Currently we do not use targeting or targeting cookies.
  • Advertising: Gather personally identifiable information such as name and location
  • Remember your login details
  • Essential: Remember your cookie permission setting
  • Essential: Allow session cookies
  • Essential: Gather information you input into a contact forms, newsletter and other forms across all pages
  • Essential: Keep track of what you input in a shopping cart
  • Essential: Authenticate that you are logged into your user account
  • Essential: Remember language version you selected
  • Functionality: Remember social media settings
  • Functionality: Remember selected region and country
  • Analytics: Keep track of your visited pages and interaction taken
  • Analytics: Keep track about your location and region based on your IP number
  • Analytics: Keep track of the time spent on each page
  • Analytics: Increase the data quality of the statistics functions
  • Advertising: Tailor information and advertising to your interests based on e.g. the content you have visited before. (Currently we do not use targeting or targeting cookies.
  • Advertising: Gather personally identifiable information such as name and location
Save & Close