Your choice of invitations for business events is your chance to be a bit creative, but you still need to stay within the constraints of your business identity. If your event has a theme, the invitation can creatively communicate what the event is all about while not doing anything to conflict with your corporate brand or your customer expectations.

Besides your business image and brand, there are many things to think about when deciding where to obtain corporate event invitations. Basics to consider when choosing your invitations include:

1. The quantity you need to send and whether you want to include a response card;

2. The budget for your event;

3. And the style of your business invitations.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn about the options involved when choosing business event invitations

Within your budget constraints, there are still many options you can choose when deciding on the best invitations. The quality and color of the paper, the font and design elements and whether to print it yourself or have a printer do it will all have an effect on the final look of the invitations. Your goal is to appeal to your audience while also representing your business identity.

I recommend: Read advice about the role your invitations play in the planning of your event at Express Invitations. Get tips on choosing a corporate event invitation from MyExpression.com.

Consider printing your own business invitations

Use online templates to help create a design if you want to print invitations on your own paper. Some invitation vendors sell invitations that have a pre-printed motif which allows for you to add your specific event information when you print the invitations on your computer printer.

I recommend: Download templates for corporate party invitations compatible with Microsoft Word from Microsoft. Buy invitations with a pre-printed design that you can use with your computer printer to print customized invitations from Party-Invitations. Get suggestions on an appropriate message to print on your invitations from Verse it.

Order corporate invitations online

Invitations often include a special design and may not be available from your regular printing firm. They often come with matching envelopes that may be a special size. Check with the post office to determine whether they need extra postage due to weight or size.

I recommend: Purchase customized corporate event invitations by choosing from the gallery of designs at eInvite.com. Use the design studio to mix and match layered invitations with unusual shapes and folds at Mygatsby.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When designing your own corporate events invitations, be sure to plan ahead concerning the size, shape and color of envelope, since separate envelopes are somewhat limited in selection. Another option is to create an invitation that is its own envelope, like a self-mailer folded with room for the address on the outside.

Your staff has just received their corporate party invitations for an upcoming themed event. They're printed on traditional white card stock, and they are the most humdrum pieces of paper imaginable. Is that unsightly invitation going to motivate you to go to the party? I doubt it.

Business event invitations set the tone for your event. Regardless if you are a seasoned pro or beginner at pulling together such a function, your corporate party invitations will be the starting point from which everyone bases their opinion of the gathering.

Your business invitations help make a great impression on your invitees and allow you to show off your originality and creativity as well. Corporate invitations come in all varieties, and tailoring high quality corporate event invitations to the gathering allows you to show your recipient how special he or she is to warrant such a tailored invitation extension.

To master the invitation game:

1. Find business event invitations that match your party theme, your event or your industry. Depending on the time of year, you might consider corporate holiday invitations as another option.
2. Ask for samples from at least two corporate party invitation vendors.
3. Choose a trendy font.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Uncover the right corporate invitations vendor

There are many web based companies that sell corporate event invitations on the Internet.

I recommend: FineStationery.com offers a wide variety of professional looking corporate events invitations. The Party Starts Here also carries business event invitations as well.

Inquire about samples of business invitations

If you can't decide between two invitations or you want to see the quality of the card stock, ask the vendors to send you some samples. Invitations can be pricey, and you want to make sure that the quality that you receive is what you are expecting.

I recommend: Ask for samples from at least two vendors. Compare quality and price. Invitation Consultants offer samples for a minimal fee. If it is not stated, ask if your sample costs will be credited to your account if you purchase, as it's done at Style On A Budget.

Use full service for less stress

Are you planning on addressing each corporate event invitation yourself? If not, some companies will address, stuff, and mail your invitations for you.

I recommend: Contact Invitation Consultants for full service invitations. Indelible Events offers full service invitations and they are partnered with a photographer who can capture the memories at your corporate event.

Exercise your creative side

You never know. You may be a budding graphics designer. Don't be afraid to consider printing your own invitations to save time and money.

I recommend: Check out the print it yourself selection from Cambridge Paper, and be sure and read instructions on how to set-up Microsoft Word to help fit your text to your invitation size.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Make sure that you allow yourself ample time to evaluate the need for the gathering, send for samples if necessary, and have enough turn-around time to send the corporate party invitation in a timely fashion.
• •  Have 2 or 3 people help you proof the invitation. Nothing would be more mortifying than to send out a typo on hundreds of business invitations. It never hurts to have another set of eyes read over and advise on the message that you are sending.
• •  Consider having your logo printed on business invitations. It will help with brand awareness and reinforcement, and it gives the invitation an added personal touch.
• •  Ask your supplier if they offer any quantity discounts.

Corporate party invitations are often the result of weeks and months of event planning in the effort to have everything fit just right within your theme and your budget. Business event invitations can be a great opportunity to save money, however, if you are willing to be creative and flexible in the planning process.

While many design and printing services are available to create beautiful corporate event invitations tailored to your needs, one way of saving money on corporate event invitations is to create your own invitations using software or online templates. Other options include buying discount or in bulk, for either printed or blank paper products.

Start saving money on corporate event invitations using one of the following options:

1. Purchase business invitations from an online discounter.
2. Buy paper products for business event invitations in bulk to save.
3. Create your own corporate party invitations in-house to keep the cost low.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy your business invitations online from a discount paper and stationary store

When making your next corporate event invitation, search online discounters for special rates and sales on certain designs and materials. Check out what discounts are available before you begin planning other elements of the event so that you have a wide range of color and theme options for your corporate invitations.

I recommend: Cheap-invitations.net sells business invitations and a wide range of other invitation designs at discount rates. The Invitation Superstore has regular specials on certain types of invitations, including invitations that can be used for corporate events.

Order your corporate invitations in bulk to cut unit costs

Oftentimes, invitations for business events are ordered in large quantities, so look for bulk paper and stationery options that will allow you to save on the cost per invitation. Even if you only need a small number of business invitations for an event, you can still purchase the paper materials in bulk and then print other event invitations as needed over several months or years.

I recommend: At Gartner Studios, you can order blank or printed stationery in bulk. Inspired Design offers a range of corporate printing services in bulk, including business cards, stationery and corporate invitations.

Make your own corporate party invitations and cover the design and printing costs yourself

With some creativity and planning, saving money on corporate event invitations is easy to do by designing your own invitation. You can easily design corporate invitations online and print them using your own printer and copy machine. Creating your own invitations also enables you to print the exact number of invitations you need, whether small or large, and not waste any money on extra services.

I recommend: Invitationland and the Hewlett-Packard Activity Center are two online options for designing your own corporate party invitation. Simply use the free templates to design an invitation that suits your needs, and then print corporate invitations directly from your own high quality printer.

An invitation sets the tone for the event, so learning the key terms of the stationary and printing industry will help you make sure you're getting what you want. Read through the following frequently used corporate event invitations key terms, and you'll soon know whether your event calls for die-cutting or embossing.

Action Steps
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Card announcement

Card announcements are simple invitations that don't require an envelope, which cuts down on the cost of mailing. Like a postcard, announcement cards can be addressed and stamped on one side and contain the event information on the other side.

I recommend: View examples and templates of card announcements at Southworth. Browse through the corporate announcement cards at Invitation Consultants.

Die-cut

If you're looking for something beyond a basic straight-edged invitation, consider die-cut invitations. Die-cutting uses sharp metal rules to create unique edging and cutouts. Die-cut invitations are perfect for themed corporate events.

I recommend: To see an example of a die-cut corporate invitation, visit PaperStyle.com. Mouse over the invitation to see zoomed-in detail. For another example of a die-cut invitation, visit Party Cat.

Direction or map card

Direction cards and map cards are often referred to as supplemental cards when ordering corporate invitations. These cards provide directions to the event and are sent in the same envelope as the invitation.

I recommend: To see examples of a direction card and a map card, visit Custom Creations Unlimited.

Embossing

Embossing creates an elegance ideal for formal corporate events, such as awards banquets and fundraising galas. An embossed invitation is stamped without ink to make an impression of a shape or design. Invitations are typically embossed along the border.

I recommend: Find examples of embossed corporate invitations at FineStationary.com. To see an example of an embossed design on an invitation, visit Crane & Co.

Response set

A response set includes the response card, also known as the RSVP card, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. A response set is generally included with invitations to formal events. For less formal corporate events, it's acceptable to simply include the phone number or email address of the event coordinator if a response is requested.

I recommend: See examples of response sets at PaperDirect. Additional examples can be found at The Stationary Studio.

Foil stamping

Foil stamping is another option for adding extra flair to an invitation. This specialized printing process creates thin metallic designs and lettering on the invitation's stationary. Foil stamping is an ideal option for making the company's logo stand out.

I recommend: See examples of foil-stamped corporate invitations at B&R Custom Foil Stamping. Learn more about foil stamping at the American Binding Company website.