In Happenee there are two modules for outbound e-mails side by side — the Invitation e-mail and E-mail campaigns. Organizers often confuse them. Short rule: send the Invitation e-mail as the first wave of invitations after you import contacts. For everything else (reminders, follow-ups, segmented messages, follow-up invitations to new contacts), use campaigns. Campaigns do everything the Invitation e-mail does, plus group targeting, scheduling, and follow-up to newly assigned contacts.
If you are sending the very first invitation to assigned contacts and you only need to target by status (not invited), the Invitation e-mail is fine.
If you need to target a specific group (VIPs, speakers, one language), schedule a send for a date, or use a different header from the rest of the event — use a campaign.
For most larger events, it is simpler and cleaner to handle everything through campaigns, including the first invitation.
The Invitation e-mail is a legacy module in the product — it predates campaigns. It has:
An editor with variables.
A registration button (direct or public link).
Individual sending (one by one) and bulk sending by attendee status:
Not invited — who has not yet received the Invitation e-mail.
Did not open the Invitation e-mail.
Not registered (no response).
It does not have:
Targeting by groups.
Scheduling a send to a specific date.
A custom cover image for an individual send.
Resending to newly assigned contacts without affecting history.
Reporting connections at the same scale as campaigns.
An E-mail campaign covers everything the Invitation e-mail does and adds:
Targeting by groups (VIPs, speakers, language, a group from a discount code, and so on).
A scheduled send to a specific date and time.
A custom cover image used only for that campaign.
Resend campaign to newly assigned — sends only to contacts that joined the event after the mailing started.
A PDF ticket with a QR code as an attachment (typically the morning e-mail on event day).
A history of mailings with per-recipient delivery tracking.
The first wave of invitations after import. You import a contact list, assign them to the event, double-check the invitation text, and in the Invitation e-mail you choose to send to "Not invited." All assigned contacts then receive the first invitation in a single, consistent form. For this step, the Invitation e-mail is ready to go and this is its historical role.
Reminder one week / three days / one day before the event — schedule it ahead, it goes out by itself.
Guest list for a paid event — a campaign set to Individual free admission, sent to a selected list of imported contacts.
Follow-up to non-responders — target only the No reaction status with a softer tone.
Info for VIPs or speakers — target the group, send them special information that others do not get.
Morning e-mail on event day — the ticket with the QR code and a short text, targeted to the Registered status.
Post-event follow-up — thank-you, photos, a link to feedback.
Different segments by language — when you want a different text for Czech speakers than for English speakers.
Reaching new sign-ups — run the campaign again with Resend campaign to newly assigned so only the newcomers receive it.
The product author puts it openly: organizers find themselves "drowning a bit in the fact that there's an Invitation e-mail and there are E-mail campaigns." Organizers ask why there are two modules and do not know which one to reach for.
The reason is historical — the Invitation e-mail came first. Campaigns were added because organizers needed to target by groups, schedule, and follow up. Consolidation into a single module is on the roadmap, but right now both are in the product.
The product is moving long-term toward routing all invitation communication through campaigns. If you run repeating, similar events, get used to using campaigns even for the first invitation — you will save yourself the habit change once the Invitation e-mail merges into campaigns.
First invitation, all assigned contacts, one text — Invitation e-mail (or campaign — both fine)
Invitation only for VIPs / speakers / one group — Campaign
Reminder on a specific date — Campaign (scheduled)
Follow-up invitation to no-response — Invitation e-mail (by status) or campaign (status + group)
Campaign for new sign-ups — Campaign (Resend campaign to newly assigned)
Free guest list at a paid event — Campaign (Individual free admission)
Post-event follow-up — Campaign
Morning ticket on event day — Campaign (with PDF ticket attached)
Custom header for a single send — Campaign
Invitation e-mail ≠ Confirmation e-mail ≠ campaign. The Confirmation e-mail is sent automatically after registration and has its own module. The Invitation e-mail and campaigns are for active outreach — you decide when they go out.
To target a specific group, use a campaign. The Invitation e-mail targets only by status.
The Invitation e-mail cannot schedule a send. For timing on a specific date, use a campaign and choose Schedule send.
On the sent campaign, open the Mailings tab, use the Resend campaign to newly assigned panel and the Newly assigned button. Only the people who have not received it yet get the campaign.
If your routine includes reminders, follow-up invitations, or group targeting, start using campaigns as your main channel. Keep the Invitation e-mail for a simple first invitation, or skip it altogether and send the first invitation as a campaign too.
