Events

FreeGuides has three event types — choose the one that matches what you're offering: **1. Regular Event** — A hostel-hosted activity you run yourself, like a pub crawl, breakfast, cooking class, or BBQ. You set the date, time, price, and guest list. This is the most common type. **2. Self-Guided Tour** — Links to one of your existing FreeGuides Tours. Guests follow the GPS route independently. Use this to promote a tour you have already created as a schedulable event. **3. External Event** — Links to a partner URL (e.g. a local concert, festival, or third-party experience). Guests tap the event and are taken directly to an external booking page.

Go to the **Events** tab in your dashboard and click **+ Create Event** in the top right. [IMG:https://hebbkx1anhila5yf.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/2-DmyvHGeLTu9s9zyuSYKpRgx6eHe3Fs.jpg|Events dashboard showing the Create Event button] (1) **Choose an icon** — Click the icon box and browse by category (Nightlife, Food & Drinks, etc). Pick one that matches your event.[IMG:https://hebbkx1anhila5yf.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/4-5wPeUY8PXsvwGCIRj316EDhxMqlMQL.jpg|Create Event screen showing icon picker and event type selector] (2) **Select Event Type: Regular Event** — Make sure "Regular Event / Hostel-hosted event" is selected (highlighted in green).[IMG:https://hebbkx1anhila5yf.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/3-tvqBxxRkfF6LX9gcpUtVn0JlaZcInS.jpg|Event Type selector with Regular Event highlighted] (3) **Fill in Basic Information** — Add your Event Title (e.g. "Morning Yoga"), a Description of what guests can expect, and the Starting Location (e.g. "Hostel Bar", "Rooftop", "Reception").[IMG:https://hebbkx1anhila5yf.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/6-7nUVANQmmwqaComZF982Y2I2SPHBjk.jpg|Basic Information fields — title, description, starting location] (4) **Set Capacity and Price** — Enter a number for max guests (0 = unlimited). Leave Price blank for free events. To charge guests, complete Stripe onboarding first under Events > Finance.[IMG:https://hebbkx1anhila5yf.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/8-E4TW5F4oIi4yHtzZsSj4IHYKFRPyPR.jpg|Capacity and price fields with starting location filled in] (5) **Upload Event Photos** — Click the Cover slot and upload your first image. The system will open a crop tool — drag and zoom to fit the 800x600px frame, then click Crop & Save. Repeat for Photo 2 and Photo 3. Events with 3+ photos get 40% more bookings.[IMG:https://hebbkx1anhila5yf.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/9-0EmVSw3Nl2YiILBZJJHBb49IZ2qd5n.jpg|Event Photos upload area with 3 slots] (6) **Crop your photo** — Drag to reposition, use the zoom controls to adjust, then click Crop & Save.[IMG:https://hebbkx1anhila5yf.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/11-mLIvgAdOSfKgItHU5bYMOgHdiiKRNL.jpg|Photo crop tool showing 800x600px fixed crop window] (7) **Set Date, Start and End Time** — Pick the event date, then enter the start and end times. Make sure to set the correct timezone from the dropdown.[IMG:https://hebbkx1anhila5yf.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/10-1pgaic2qhkbbXLMuCiTqdWf03CvWYC.jpg|Date and Time fields with date picker] (8) **Add What's Included / Not Included** — Type an item (e.g. "Coffee", "Welcome drink") and click + to add it as a tag. Do the same for Not Included (e.g. "Transport"). This sets clear expectations for guests.[IMG:https://hebbkx1anhila5yf.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/16-OXb8sIRCRUWF7f9AY5XUKKLsoGUZ9i.jpg|What's Included fields with tag chips for Coffee, Pastries, Cereal, Fruit] (9) **Click Create Event** — Hit the green Create Event button at the bottom right. You'll see a "Creating event…" spinner while it saves.[IMG:https://hebbkx1anhila5yf.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/17-OjBig3DwA3icFv7EspwNDa6kzhMzvs.jpg|Creating event loading spinner] Your event is now live on your guest profile.

Click **+ Create Event** from the Events tab, then fill in: (1) **Choose an icon** — browse by category and pick one that matches. (2) **Select event type** — Regular Event, Self-Guided Tour, or External Event. (3) **Title & Description** — what guests can expect. (4) **Starting Location** — e.g. "Hostel Bar" or "Reception". (5) **Capacity** — set to 0 for unlimited. (6) **Price** — leave blank for free (requires Stripe for paid events). (7) **Photos** — upload at least 3 images at 800x600px for 40% more bookings. (8) **Date, Start & End Time** — and confirm your timezone. (9) **What's Included / Not Included** — sets clear guest expectations. Click **Create Event** when done.

Regular Events are your own hosted activities (pub crawls, classes, BBQs). Self-Guided Tours link to an existing FreeGuides Tour so guests can follow it as a scheduled event. External Events link to a partner URL for third-party experiences or concerts. All three appear in your guest-facing Events tab.

Yes. Set your price in the Price field when creating the event. You must first complete Stripe onboarding under Events > Finance. Transaction fees are 2.9% + $0.30 per card payment, with an additional 1.5% for international cards. Fees are automatically deducted from each transaction.

Go to **Events > Finance** and click **Open Stripe Dashboard** to complete your Stripe Connect onboarding. You are ready to accept payments when both show green: (1) **Charges Enabled** — Yes (2) **Payouts Enabled** — Yes If your account shows "Partially Setup", email support@freeguides.com for help.

When creating an event, toggle on **Recurring** on the right-hand panel, then: (1) Set the **Repeat Frequency** — Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Custom. (2) Choose which **days** it repeats on (e.g. Mon, Fri). (3) Set a **Repeat Until** end date. Recurring events appear in the **Recurring** tab with a calendar view. Editing a parent event updates all linked instances automatically.

Enable the RSVP toggle when creating an event. Go to Events > RSVP to find your 4-digit hostel code — keep this secure and only share it with staff. At check-in time: (1) Staff arrives at the venue with phone ready. (2) Scan the QR code on the guest's phone or printed ticket. (3) The RSVP web app opens automatically — no app download needed. (4) Enter your 4-digit hostel code to confirm attendance. The system works offline after the initial scan and sends automatic email reminders to late guests.

It is a 4-digit code that unlocks the RSVP scanning process. Only share it with staff who will be checking in guests. You can change it under Events > RSVP > Change Code, but note that changing it means all staff must use the new code immediately.

Go to Events > Analytics. You can see Total Revenue, Total Attendees, Upcoming Events count, and Average Attendance per completed event. Revenue and Attendee charts are shown for the last 7 days, 30 days, or custom ranges. Use this data to see which events are most popular and adjust your programme accordingly.

Go to Events > Distribution. Connect your accounts for Eventbrite (requires OAuth 2.0 with Private Token), Facebook Events (requires Meta App with pages_manage_events permission), Meetup (requires Meetup Pro subscription and OAuth 2.0), or Universe (requires OAuth 2.0 with Client ID and Access Token). Once connected, your events will automatically publish to those platforms when you create them.

No. The RSVP system works entirely in the browser — no app download needed. It also works offline after the initial scan, with real-time attendee tracking syncing when back online.

Upload at least 3 photos at 800x600px. Events with 3 or more photos get 40% more bookings. Use a cover photo plus two additional images showing the experience, venue, or past events.