Grand opening invitation video: a 30-second film for an open house, showroom, clinic or office
How to make a grand opening invitation video: a 30-second film plus the date and RSVP, formats for email, WhatsApp and Instagram, and when to send each one.
In this article
A new showroom, clinic, office or model home opens in four weeks, and the invitation is still a flyer with a date on it. A short film of the space shows people why the trip is worth it, but the film alone isn't an invitation. It needs the date, the address and a way to say yes, and it has to arrive in a format each channel can show. This guide covers what the film and its message should contain, how to make it from renderings or photos, the right format for email, WhatsApp, Instagram and Google, and a sending schedule from four weeks out to the day after.
Key takeaways
- A grand opening invitation video works best as a film of about 30 seconds plus one message carrying the date, time, address and an RSVP link.
- Put the event details in the caption, message or a final card added in an editor, not only inside the film, so they survive when the video is muted, skipped or shown as a thumbnail.
- In email, send a still frame linked to the hosted film; Mailchimp notes that most email clients don't support embedded video, and Gmail's attachment limit for personal accounts is 25 MB.
- Start four weeks out with a save-the-date, send the full invitation two weeks out, and remind people one week before and the day before.
- Give each channel its own tagged RSVP link, so you can see which channel filled the room.
What should a grand opening invitation video include?
A grand opening invitation video should show the space in about 30 seconds and then answer four questions in text: what is opening, when, where, and how to RSVP. Keep the film itself free of small print, and put the date, time, address and RSVP link in the message or caption that carries it, plus an optional final card. Send it three to four weeks ahead, with reminders a week before and the day before.
The parts and where each one lives:
| Part | Where it goes | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The film of the space | The video itself | Shows people why the visit is worth it |
| Name of the business and event | Caption or message, and optionally a final card | Viewers need to know what they're looking at |
| Date and time | Caption or message, and the final card | Survives when the video doesn't play |
| Address and parking | Message or RSVP page | Too long for a video frame |
| RSVP link | Message, caption or link sticker | Must be tappable |
| Offer or reason to come (tours, talks, refreshments) | Message | Turns interest into a yes |
Make the film from what you have
You don't need to wait for the space to be finished. Before opening, use the designer's renderings; after fit-out, use photographs. Either way, choose six images that read as a visit: the exterior or entrance, the main space, a second space, a signature detail, the people-facing area (reception, showroom floor, lounge) and a closing view.
Arch2Video turns six images from one project into a roughly 30-second vertical 1080 × 1920 film with an original soundtrack and an optional logo, for $15 per video, as of October 2026. Generation usually takes an hour or more, so order it at least a few days before the first send. Three things to know before you rely on it for an invitation:
- It adds people. Every film includes a small cast of fictional adults in at least one scene, and people in your photos are replaced rather than animated. For a clinic, make sure nothing implies the people shown are real patients or staff.
- It interprets. The motion is AI-generated, so review the whole film before sending, and label renderings as concept images if the space isn't finished.
- It has no text tool. The film carries your logo but not the date. Add a final card in a video editor if you want the details on screen, or keep them in the message.
If you only have photos and want to try other ways of adding motion, our guide to making a Reel from photos only compares pan-and-zoom, template apps and AI. For hospitality openings in particular, our guide to café and restaurant opening videos has a four-week teaser-to-opening plan.
Formats by channel
Each channel shows a video differently. Prepare one vertical MP4, one still frame from its best scene, and a short message, then adapt:
| Channel | What to send | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Still frame linked to the hosted film, plus the details and an RSVP button | Most email clients don't play embedded video | |
| The MP4 itself, then a text message with the details and RSVP link | Send to people who know you; check how the file looks after sending | |
| Instagram feed and Reels | The vertical film, with the details in the caption | Put the date in the first line of the caption |
| Instagram Stories | The film, with a link sticker to the RSVP page | Good for the reminders closer to the date |
| The film, with the details in the post text | Best for office and B2B showroom openings | |
| Google Business Profile | An event post with the dates, a photo or video and a button | Shows on Search and Maps |
| Printed invitation or poster | The still frame, a QR code and a short URL | For the front window, reception desk or mailers |
Mailchimp's help page on video content blocks says "most email clients don't support embedded video," so its video block pulls a thumbnail and links it to the video's URL, as of October 2026. Do the same in any email tool: a still frame with a play symbol, linked to the film on your website or a video host. Don't attach the MP4. Google's Gmail attachment page gives a 25 MB limit for personal accounts and says larger files are replaced with a Google Drive link. Our email newsletter guide covers consent and unsubscribe basics if you're mailing a list.
WhatsApp plays an MP4 inline in the chat, which makes it the most direct channel for local guests, neighbors and clients who already message you. Send the film first, then a separate text with the date, address and RSVP link, so the details are easy to forward. We couldn't verify WhatsApp's current file-size and broadcast rules as of October 2026; a 30-second film is short, but send it to yourself first and check how it looks after WhatsApp processes it.
Post the film as a Reel with the date and the RSVP instruction in the first line of the caption, since the caption is cut off after the first lines. Use Stories for the reminders, with a link sticker to the RSVP page. If your account has the business music library restrictions, keep the film's own soundtrack rather than adding a trending track.
Google Business Profile
Google's help page on Business Profile posts lists Events as a post type, with a title and start and end dates and times; without times, "the event shows as lasting 24 hours on the event dates," as of October 2026. Posts can include text, photos or videos and a button that links to a website. Use it if the business already has a verified profile at the new address.
By venue: open house, showroom, clinic or office
| Venue | Who you're inviting | What the film should show | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open house or model home | Buyers, renters, agents | Arrival, main living space, kitchen, a bedroom, outdoor space | Captions or casting that suggest who should live there |
| Showroom | Customers, trade partners, press | The display floor, product in context, the consultation area | Product claims the space can't back up |
| Clinic | Patients, referring providers, neighbors | Entrance, reception, a calm waiting area, the street view | Anything implying real patients, or showing treatment as it happens |
| Office | Clients, partners, recruits | Arrival, the work floor, meeting rooms, the shared space | Confidential screens, client names on walls |
For residential open houses in the US, Fair Housing Act advertising rules apply to the words and the people you show; our guide to Fair Housing rules for rendering videos covers AI casts and words to avoid.
A sending schedule
| When | What to send | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Four weeks before | Save the date: the film plus the date only | Instagram, LinkedIn, WhatsApp to close contacts |
| Two to three weeks before | The full invitation: film, details, RSVP link | Email, WhatsApp, Google Business Profile event post |
| One week before | Reminder with one new reason to come | Email to those who haven't replied, Instagram Stories |
| Day before | Short reminder with address, parking and arrival time | WhatsApp or text to confirmed guests, Stories |
| Day of | Live photos and a "we're open" Story | Instagram, LinkedIn |
| Day after | Thank-you message with real photos of the event | Email, WhatsApp, a feed post |
Four weeks is a practical lead time for local guests; for trade partners and press who plan further ahead, send the save-the-date six weeks out.
RSVPs and tracking
Use one RSVP page, but give every channel its own link, so you can count which channel actually filled the room. Google's guide to campaign URLs says to always include utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign, as of October 2026. For example, the email link might end in ?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=grand-opening, and the Instagram link in ?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=grand-opening.
Ask for a name, an email or phone number and the number of guests, nothing more. Then send the day-before reminder only to people who said yes.
After the opening
The invitation film has a second life. Once the space is open, photograph it properly, make a new film from the real photos, and replace the rendering-based version on your website, Google Business Profile and project page. If the project had a construction-fence sign with a QR code, point that same URL at the new film; our guide to QR codes on construction site signs explains how to set up a redirect you can update.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a grand opening invitation video be?
About 30 seconds is enough to show the space and hold attention, and it fits every channel from email to Stories. The details shouldn't depend on the length: keep the date, address and RSVP link in the message or caption so they're readable even if someone watches only the first few seconds. Our guide to how long an architecture video should be gives lengths by platform.
Can I send the invitation video by email without a huge attachment?
Yes: don't attach it. Put a still frame from the film in the email with a play symbol, and link it to the film hosted on your website or a video service. Mailchimp notes that most email clients don't play embedded video anyway, and Gmail removes attachments over 25 MB for personal accounts and replaces them with a Drive link.
What should the invitation video say?
Very little on screen. Show the space, add your logo, and if you want text in the video, add a single final card with the event name, date and time. Everything else, including the address, parking, RSVP link and any program, belongs in the message or caption, where people can tap and copy it.
Can I make the invitation video before the space is finished?
Yes. Use the designer's renderings and label them as concept images of the space, then replace the film with one made from real photos once the space is open. Expect AI-generated motion and fictional people in a film made with an image-to-video tool, and review it before sending so nothing promises what the finished space won't deliver.