Invites

An invite is how a host tells Kenai that a visitor is expected. It creates the visitor record, sends the visitor a branded email with a pre-registration link, and lets you track who's coming before they arrive. Only a host can create an invite, and only at a site where they're authorised to host.

There are three ways to create one: from the Kenai dashboard, from your calendar (the Kenai iCal bot), or through the Kenai REST API. They all produce the same result: an invite that the visitor can pre-register against and check in with on the day.

Create an invite from the dashboard

If you have dashboard access, you can create an invite from several places: the Invite Visitor button on the home page, the Invite a visitor link in the My expected visitors panel, or the New Invite button on the Invites log (under Visitors in the left navigation). Each opens the same New Invite form, where you set the schedule, host and event, visitor details, and whether the visitor gets an email or SMS pre-registration link.

The dashboard supports single invites and group invites (Invite and add another adds more guests to the same event).

Walkthrough: creating a visitor invite from the Kenai dashboard.

Create an invite

Invite from your calendar (the iCal bot)

If you'd rather not open the dashboard, add the Kenai iCal bot as an attendee on a calendar event in Outlook, Google Calendar, or any iCal-compatible system, alongside your visitor. Kenai receives the event and emails you a Set up Visitor Invites link. You verify with a one-time pin, confirm the event details, and click Create invites. After the first setup, adding the bot to a meeting is all you need.

Walkthrough: setting up visitor invites from a calendar event via the iCal bot.

Invite through the API

You can also create invites programmatically through the Kenai REST API, driven from an upstream tool such as a booking or scheduling system. The visitor receives the same branded invitation and pre-registration flow as a dashboard or calendar invite.

What the visitor receives

Every invite delivers a branded email to the visitor with host details, arrival instructions, a location map, and an embedded pre-registration link. Opening the link starts the pre-registration flow, where the visitor verifies their mobile number, confirms or builds their profile, and completes any required steps before arrival.

Note: an invite is anchored to a single host and event. Track who's invited, due, and arrived on the Invites log.