Managing Your Event

Once your event is approved, you have several tools to manage it effectively. This guide covers editing events, managing attendees, sending messages, handling waitlists, and cancelling events.

Viewing Your Event Dashboard

Access your event management tools:

• Go to your IRL dashboard or the event page
• Click "Manage Event" or access the event edit page
• View attendee list, RSVP requests, and waitlist
• See event statistics and payment information

Editing Events

Editing approved events works differently than editing drafts:

• Draft events: Edit freely at any time
• Approved events: Submit change requests through the admin review system
• Changes must be approved before they go live
• This ensures consistency and prevents confusion for attendees

To request changes to an approved event:

1. Go to your event edit page
2. Make the changes you want
3. Submit the changes for review
4. Wait for admin approval
5. Once approved, changes go live

Managing RSVPs

For events using "Request to Attend" mode, you'll need to review RSVP requests:

• View requests: See all pending RSVP requests on your event page
• Approve: Click "Approve" to confirm an attendee
• Reject: Click "Reject" if you need to decline a request
• Bulk actions: Approve or reject multiple requests at once

For paid events in request-to-attend mode, attendees will be redirected to payment after you approve their request.

Managing Attendees

View and manage confirmed attendees:

• Attendee list: See all confirmed attendees with their names and RSVP dates
• Payment status: For paid events, see who has completed payment
• Export list: Download attendee information if needed
• Remove attendee: In rare cases, you can remove an attendee (they'll be notified)

Waitlist Management

When your event reaches capacity:

• New RSVPs are automatically added to the waitlist
• View waitlist order and positions
• When spots open up (from cancellations), waitlisted users are automatically offered spots
• They have 24 hours to accept before the offer goes to the next person
• For paid events, they'll need to complete payment when accepting

You can also manually manage the waitlist if needed, though the system handles it automatically.

Sending Messages to Attendees

Communicate with all confirmed attendees:

1. Go to your event management page
2. Click "Send Message" or "Message Attendees"
3. Compose your message (updates, reminders, changes, etc.)
4. Send to all confirmed attendees
5. Messages are sent via email and displayed on the event page

Use messages for:

• Important updates or changes
• Reminders about what to bring
• Parking or location details
• Last-minute information
• Post-event follow-ups

Payment Management

For paid events, you can manage payments:

• View payments: See who has completed payment
• Pending payments: Track attendees who haven't completed payment yet
• Payment reminders: Send reminders to attendees with pending payments
• Refunds: Process refunds when needed (see cancellation section)
• Payouts: Receive payouts through Stripe Connect (minus platform fee)

Cancelling an Event

If you need to cancel an event:

1. Go to your event management page
2. Click "Cancel Event"
3. Provide a reason for cancellation (optional but recommended)
4. Confirm the cancellation

What happens when you cancel:

• All confirmed attendees are notified via email
• For paid events, automatic refunds are processed for all attendees
• The event is marked as "Cancelled" and visible on the event page
• The event is removed from upcoming events lists
• You can still view the event in your dashboard

Important: Cancellations should be done as early as possible to give attendees time to make other plans. For paid events, refunds are typically processed automatically.

Event Status

Your event can have different statuses:

• Draft: Not yet submitted, only you can see it
• In Review: Submitted and awaiting admin approval
• Approved: Live and visible to everyone
• Changes Pending Review: You've requested changes, awaiting approval
• Changes Requested: Admin requested changes, event returned to draft
• Cancelled: Event has been cancelled
• Concluded: Event has ended (automatically set after end time)
• Rejected: Event was rejected and cannot be republished

After the Event

Once your event concludes:

• Event is automatically marked as "Concluded" after the end time
• Event is removed from upcoming events lists
• Event remains visible on your profile and dashboard
• Attendees can share photos and event recaps
• You can view attendee feedback and engagement

Best Practices

• Respond to RSVP requests promptly (within 24-48 hours)
• Send helpful updates before the event (location, parking, what to bring)
• Monitor your attendee list and waitlist
• Communicate clearly about any changes or issues
• Handle cancellations professionally and process refunds promptly
• Follow up after events to encourage engagement
• Learn from each event to improve future ones