Get Started with Event Smart
Welcome to Event Smart!
Everyday event organizers across the world use Event Smart to power their events and now it is your turn. We've put together short video tutorials to get you up and running quickly so let's get started.
Collaborating with a team member on your Event Smart website? Share this getting started guide with them!
Below is the order of the steps that we recommend getting started with Event Smart. Steps 1 - 3 and 6 are for all event organizers. Steps 4, 5, and 7 may be optional depending on the type of events you are planning.
Update your timezone
Your timezone setting affects the times that are used for your events.
Before creating any events, we recommend updating your time zone to a city or region near you through your Event Smart dashboard --> Settings --> General. Look for the Timezone setting and click on the dropdown menu and then choose a region or city near you. Then click on the Save Changes button.
Check out the video below and toggle fullscreen in the lower left area of the video.
Next action step: Continue to the section below ↓.
Update your organization settings
Are you organizing events outside of the United States or Canada? If so, then follow the steps below to update the countries on your Event Smart website. If you are located in Canada or the United States, then click here to learn how to update your organization settings.
Update your country settings
Canada and the United States are enabled by default on Event Smart. If you are located in another country, then you can remove these countries and enable your own country.
From your Event Smart dashboard, go to General Settings and then click on the Countries tab towards the top of the page. You'll now see the United States selected in the dropdown menu. Look to the lower left and you'll see an option for Country Appears in Dropdown Select Lists. Update the setting to No and then scroll down the page and click on Save Country Details.
Then select Canada from the dropdown menu towards the top of the page and then look for the Country Appears in Dropdown Select Lists setting again and change it to No. Then scroll down the page and click on the Save Country Details button.
You can now enable your own country. Using the dropdown menu at the top of the page, select your country and then look for the Country Appears in Dropdown Select Lists setting and change it to Yes. Then scroll down the page and click on the button that says Save Country Details.
Check out the video below and remember to toggle fullscreen.
Next action step: Continue to the section below↓.
Your organization settings contain basic contact information such as your organization's name, address, and email address. It also affects the currency that you'll accept payments in.
From your Event Smart dashboard, go to General Settings. Then update your Contact Information and save changes by clicking on the Save button in the top right area of the screen. The other settings on the page are optional.
Check out the video below.
Next action step: Continue to the section below ↓.
Follow this recommendation: Keep moving forward
Learning something new can be challenging and its more likely that it will be fun and exciting. Don't worry about breaking anything while trying to set up your events on Event Smart.
Remember that you have access to our support team for getting feedback so you can move forward with your events. You can reach us by clicking on the blue help icon in the lower right area of your screen.
Check out the video below. As a reminder, you can toggle fullscreen through the lower right area of the video.
Next action step: Will you have paid events? If so, then continue to the section below ↓. Otherwise, jump to the section on creating a venue for your events.
Set up a payment method
Event Smart supports accepting payments offline such as checks (e.g. an attendee mails you a check) and online (e.g. credit cards). We recommend accepting online payments so you can:
- Know who is attending your event so you can plan ahead
- Avoid the hassle of handling paper checks and needing to follow up with attendees who registered but haven't paid
Ready to accept online payments from your attendees? Subscribe to a payment gateway upgrade so you can receive online payments directly to your own merchant account. Popular payment services with our event organizers are Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, and Braintree. We also support other payment services. We don’t add any commission or ticketing fees but transaction fees from your chosen payment service will still apply.
Go to your Event Smart dashboard --> Payment Methods. You can set up an existing payment option and then save changes or click on the Get More Payment Methods button towards the top right area of the page to see all available payment services. If you are new to online payments, then we recommend accepting online payments through Stripe.
Check out the video below.
Next action step: Continue to the section below ↓.
Create a venue for your events
A venue is where an event will take place. You can think of it as the location for your events. A venue is created once and can then be used for multiple events.
Go to your Event Smart dashboard --> Venues. Then click on the Add New Venue button towards the top of the page. You'll now be viewing the venue editor.
Most event organizers use these areas:
✓ Venue description (top area)
✓ Physical Location (lower right area)
✓ Google map (lower right area)
Update these fields along with any others that you would like and then publish your venue by clicking on the Publish button in the top right area of the venue editor.
Check out the video below.
Next action step: Continue to the section below ↓.
Create your first event
Event Smart can be used for different types events and events are created through the event editor.
❗️Note, the event interface has been updated with the new editor.
From your Event Smart dashboard, go to Events and then look in the top of the page and click on the Add New Event button. You'll now be viewing the event editor. The minimum information that Event Smart needs to create an event is an event title, a description, and a date time and pricing option.
Most event organizers use these areas:
✓ Event title (top area)
✓ Event description (top area)
✓ Datetime and pricing option (middle area)
✓ Venue (middle area)
✓ Registration questions (lower right area)
✓ Featured image (lower right area)
Update your event for the various fields above along with any others that you would like and then save it as a draft by clicking on the Save as Draft button which appears in the top right area of the event editor. You can then preview it to see what it looks like by clicking on the preview link at the top of the event editor.
When you are ready to make your event live, then click on the Publish button which appears in the top right area of the event editor.
Check out the video below to get an overview of how the main areas of the event editor work. We use a conference as an introduction to the event editor and remember you can toggle full screen in the lower right area of the video.
❗️Note, the event interface has been updated with the new editor.
You can also see more video tutorials for creating other kinds of events with Event Smart.
Next action step: Do you need to create different pricing options or does your event have multiple dates? If so, then continue to the section below ↓. Otherwise, check out the section for creating a custom registration question.
How to use the multiple datetimes and pricing options feature
The multiple datetimes and pricing options feature will let you grant a pricing option access to one or more datetimes for an event. Remember that a datetime is when an event takes place.
Here is an introduction to the multiple datetimes and pricing options feature:
Next action step: Continue to the section below ↓.
How to use the required tickets feature
The required tickets feature will let you force an attendee to register using a specific pricing option (free or paid) by default. For example, if you have an event that has a main pricing option with add-ons or extras, then you can use this to force an attendee or registrant to choose the main pricing option and optionally select add-ons as needed.
It can be found in the advanced area (gear icon) of a pricing option within the event editor. Then place a checkmark next to the this ticket is required option.
Check out the video below.
Next action step: Continue to the section below ↓.
How to use the maximum tickets option feature
The maximum tickets feature will let you set a limit on the number of pricing options that can be selected during a registration. If you are wanting to offer group registrations where multiple attendees register, then skip this option.
It can be found in the top right area of the event editor under Event Registration Options and then Maximum number of tickets allowed per order for this event.
Check out the video below.
That concludes our example of setting up a conference with sessions/workshops using the event editor.
Video tutorials of different events in Event Smart
Here are a few more examples of how to set up different kinds of events on your Event Smart website.
| Camps |
Classes, workshops |
Conferences |
| Courses Festivals |
Fundraisers - A golf tournament fundraiser |
|
| Seminars |
Socials |
|
| Other |
|
|
Remember that you can replay the how-to videos above.
Next action step: Continue to the section below ↓.
Create a custom registration question
Event Smart will ask an attendee/registrant for their name and email address by default.
You can also collect their address and phone number. These existing questions are considered system questions and are organized by question groups. A question group bundles a series of questions together. For example, the personal question group has the name and email address and the address question group has address related questions and a phone number. If you would like to collect a custom registration question, then it can be created using the questions editor.
Go to your Event Smart dashboard --> Registration Form. Towards the top of the screen, you'll see a button that says Add New Question. Go ahead and click on it and you'll then be taken to the question editor. Enter a name for the question in the Question Text field. Then select a Question Type. Here is an overview of the most popular question types:
- Text: a free-form text field
- Textarea: a free-form text field intended for a paragraph of information
- Checkboxes: select one or more responses
- Radio: select only one option from multiple choices
- Dropdown: select only one option from multiple choices in a dropdown menu
Next, you can select if this question should be required. If you set it to required, then an attendee will only be able to proceed with registration checkout if they complete the required question (e.g. a terms and conditions question).
Check out the video below.
Next action step: Continue to the section below ↓.
Create a custom registration question group
A question group organizes or holds a set of questions. For example, the Personal Information question group includes the name and email address questions and the Address Information question group includes questions for an address and a phone number.
You can create a custom question group for your custom questions so you can enable them for your events. This offers the best flexibility since you'll be able to collect basic information (e.g., a name and email address) for one event and then different information (e.g. a name, email address + meal choice, how did you hear about us, etc) for another event.
Go to your Event Smart dashboard --> Registration Form. Near the top of your screen, you'll see a tab that says Question Groups. Go ahead and click on the Questions Groups tab and you'll then be taken to the question groups overview screen. Click on the Add New Question Group button and you'll be taken to the question groups editor. Enter a name for the question in the Group Name and then place a checkmark next to each question that you want to enable and then save changes.
Check out the video below.
Next action step: Continue to the section below↓.
Using feature upgrades
Each new website on Event Smart begins with a 14 day trial of the business plan. After two weeks, then your site will be automatically downgraded to the basic plan which is free and premium features like these will be removed from your website:
- Advanced Event Editor - create multiple pricing options and/or multiple dates for an event, duplicate events, and customize event page layout
- Custom Registration Forms - create and collect custom information from your attendees
- Customizable Tickets & Confirmation Emails - automatically send your attendees tickets through email after a successful registration and scan them using a physical barcode scanner or a mobile phone
- Promotion & Discount Codes - create discount codes to allow certain attendees to register at a lower cost
- Events Calendar - automatically show your events that are created on an events calendar so a registrant can browse and register for various events
You can subscribe to the Personal or Business plan through your My Account page to maintain access or subscribe to individual features that are needed for your events.
There are no contracts at Event Smart so you can subscribe month to month and then cancel after your event. You'll be able to return in the future and reactivate your premium features in a couple of clicks from your My Account page.
Next action step: Continue to the section below ↓.
How to get help with Event Smart
If you get stuck or are not sure about something, then you can click on the Help button at the top of your Event Smart dashboard and you'll be taken to our Help Center. The Help button looks like this:
Once you are on the Help Center page, then try running a couple searches by typing in some words and you'll see results appear instantly. Click on one of the results to learn more.
If you run some searches and can't find what you are looking for, then click on the Open a Ticket link at the top of the Help Center page to get in touch with us.
You can also reach out for help by clicking on the blue help icon in the lower right area of your Event Smart dashboard.
Next action step: Found something confusing in this guide? Let us know so we can help you (and improve the guide). Otherwise, continue to the section below ↓.
Common questions about Event Smart
Here are some common questions about Event Smart.
Are there specific use cases where Event Smart is not a good fit?
Event organizers all over the world trust Event Smart for conferences, nonprofit events, church events, classes, workshops, seminars, reunions, fundraisers, socials, seasonal events, festivals, and more! Event Smart is not a good fit for the following projects:
- event directories / event marketplaces
- one-on-one appointment bookings
- events across multiple time zones
Event Smart supports the English language at this time.
What happens when I start my 14-day trial?
A new account on Event Smart begins with a complimentary two-week trial of the business plan. During your 14-day trial, you’ll experience the best of what Event Smart has to offer. After the trial ends (about midnight Eastern time of the 14th day), you can subscribe to a plan which includes a bundle of upgrades or pick up a la carte (individual feature) upgrades for your events. We do not delete any event or attendee information when the trial ends -- you’ll only lose access to premium features that were part of your free trial of the business plan.
What if I get stuck or need some help?
We understand that as a busy professional, you need a solution that allows you to focus on your events. To help you get up and running quickly, we’ve created a getting started guide for Event Smart that takes you from setting a timezone on your website through publishing your first event. And we have a help center that has answers to other questions. We’ll even proactively check-in with you about getting your first event published. If you get stuck or have a problem, then you can send us an email, and we’ll help you get moving forward again.
What payment options do you accept?
We accept online payments through credit and debit cards including VISA, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. We also accept payments through PayPal.
Payments through an invoice are available for annual plans with an added service fee. Contact us for more information about paying for an annual plan through an invoice.
Do you charge any commission or ticketing fees for each event or each registration?
We do not charge any commission or ticketing fees on your events or your attendee registrations which means that you keep more funds from each registration. Connect your merchant account from a service like PayPal, Authorize.net, Braintree, Stripe, or another supported payment service for $10 per month and receive payments directly as your attendees register and pay.
Which plan is for me?
We recommend choosing a plan that best fits your needs for your events. Remember that we don’t have any contracts or hidden fees and you can subscribe to a monthly plan or an annual plan. Here is an overview of the premium plans:
- Personal: create events with multiple dates and different pricing options; add custom registration questions; customize the confirmation emails; display your events in a calendar; no advertisements on your Event Smart website
- Business (most popular): the features above plus automatically send attendees tickets after registration, and check-in attendees by scanning the tickets with a mobile app. You can also create promotion codes, display your events in a beautiful grid or table-based format, allow attendees to register for multiple events at once, transfer attendees between events, and more!
Need help choosing? Start a conversation with us about your events, and we’ll help you with a recommendation today.
Can I subscribe to just a few feature upgrades?
Yes, you can pick up upgrades while on the basic plan to help you with your events. Here are some popular feature upgrades with our members:
- Advanced Event Editor: create multiple pricing options and multiple dates for an event, duplicate events, and customize your event page layout
- Advanced Registration Forms: create and collect custom information from your attendees
- Customizable Tickets and Confirmation Emails: automatically send your attendees tickets through email after a successful registration and scan them using a physical barcode scanner or a mobile phone
You can see more questions in our FAQ about Event Smart.