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 header for an individual send.
Follow-up 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 header for that campaign.
Send to newly assigned contacts — sends only to those who joined after the original send.
A PDF ticket with a QR code as an attachment (typically the morning e-mail on event day).
Send statistics with a history of sends.
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 direct link in a campaign to a selected list of imported contacts.
Follow-up to no-response — target only the "no response" 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.
Send to new sign-ups — send the campaign repeatedly with the Send to newly assigned action 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.
Situation Use 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 (Send to newly assigned) Guest list with a direct link on a paid event Campaign 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.
Use a campaign with the Send to newly assigned action. It sends the campaign only to those who have not received it yet.
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.
