Event Registration - RSVP

Last Update : August 2026

RSVP is not the same as registering for an event. An RSVP is a simple declaration of intent — "yes, I'll be there" or "no, I won't" — with an optional reason and comment. There's no package, no payment, no custom fields, no attendee record created. It's an interest-gauging tool that runs alongside the full registration flow, not a replacement for it.

The typical workflow looks like this:

1. You set up the event normally with packages, custom fields, and everything else attendees will need at registration time.
2. You build an invitee list and send a first round of invitations through the invites tool, with an RSVP link in the email.
3. Recipients RSVP yes or no — giving you an early read on how many people plan to come, without them having to commit to a full registration yet.
4. Over subsequent rounds of invitations, people who have already RSVPed (yes or no) are automatically excluded, so you only nag the people who haven't responded at all.
5. When someone is ready to actually attend, they go through the full registration form (typically linked from the invitation) to pick their package, fill in custom fields, and pay if applicable.

The RSVP layer gives you visibility into event interest weeks before final headcounts are required, and lets you target follow-up communication precisely.

Enabling RSVP for an event

The RSVP option is enabled per event. Open the configuration editor, go to the Advanced Options tab, and check Include RSVP Option in Invitations for this Event. This option causes the invitation emails you send through the invites tool to include an individualized RSVP link for each recipient.

Sending invitations with the RSVP link

RSVP links go out through the event's invites tool (the Send Invitations sub-page of the Manage Invitee List). That tool is separate from the regular event Messages tool — Messages is for general event-wide communication; the invites tool is specifically for sending invitations to your invitee list with the appropriate links and tracking.

The flow:

1. From the event list, click the Event Hub link on the event's card.
2. Click Manage Invitee List from the Attendees section of the hub.
3. Add the members you want to invite to the invitee list.
4. Click Send Invitations to open the invitation composer.
5. Write the subject and body of the invitation. The merge code ##EVENT_RSVP_LINK## is automatically appended to the end of the email body when RSVP is enabled on the event.
6. You can move ##EVENT_RSVP_LINK## anywhere in the body of the message. Where it sits is where the link will appear in each recipient's email.
7. Pick the invitees to send to (members who haven't been notified yet are pre-checked by default), then send.

The default text that surrounds the RSVP link in the email can be customized through the global Event Registration configuration (Configuration menu > Event Registration). Use that page to set your standard "please click below to RSVP" verbiage that applies across every event your organization sends invitations for.

Iterative invitation rounds

The invites tool is built for multi-round campaigns. Once someone has RSVPed — whether yes or no — they're automatically excluded from future invitation sends. The tool shows you only the people who haven't yet responded as the pre-checked recipients for the next round.

In practice this means you can send a series of invitations without manually tracking who's already replied:

• First round. Sends to every invitee on the list. Most people will respond after this one.
• Second round. A week or two later, sends only to people who haven't responded yet. The tool pre-checks just those names; anyone already RSVPed is excluded.
• Third round. Same idea — only the still-unresponded.

This gentle follow-up cadence dramatically improves response rates without requiring you to remember who's heard from you and who hasn't.

How recipients RSVP

Each invitee gets an email with their own personal RSVP link. Clicking the link takes them to a one-click Yes / No response page where they can pick:

• Yes, will be attending.
• No, will not be attending. When picked, the page asks for a reason: Not Interested, Date/Time conflict, Location, or Other. Choosing Other reveals a text field for them to type a specific reason.

A comment box is available either way for the recipient to leave a note.

The link is unique per recipient, so the system records the response against their member account automatically without asking them to log in or type their email. Each member can update their response by clicking the same link again — "yes" can change to "no" or vice versa right up until the event begins.

Saying yes to the RSVP doesn't register the attendee for the event — it just records their intent. To finalize their attendance, they still need to go through the regular registration form (typically linked from the invitation alongside the RSVP link).

Notification emails when RSVPs come in

When someone RSVPs, the system sends a notification email to two places:

• The RSVPer themselves, as confirmation that their response was recorded.
• The notification email address configured on the event (set on the General Information tab as Notification Email Address). If multiple addresses are set, all of them receive the notification.

The default text of both emails can be customized through the global Event Registration configuration so the messaging matches your organization's voice.

Viewing RSVPs

From the event list, click the Event Hub link on the event's card, then click RSVP from the Event Features section of the hub. The RSVP page opens with the response data.

The page is laid out in three parts:

Stats

• Total RSVPs — how many people have responded.
• Yes — how many said they'll attend.
• No — how many said they won't attend.
• No Response Yet — how many invited members haven't replied at all.

The response list

Every recorded RSVP appears as a row showing the member's name, a green Yes or red No pill, the response date, the decline reason (for No responses), and a snippet of any comment they left. Edit and Delete action icons sit on the right of each row.

Click any row's name or Edit icon to open the RSVP in a slide-out panel where you can update the response, reason, or comment. You can also use the Add RSVP button at the top to record an RSVP manually — useful when someone calls or replies in person and you want their response tracked alongside the rest.



Invited — No Response Yet

Below the responses, a separate section lists members who were invited but haven't responded. Each row shows the member's name, email, and the date their invitation was last sent. Use this list to gauge who to target with the next round of invitations.