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Event planning

Events · Propose several dates, let the band say which ones work, and turn the best ones into events.

What it's for

An event planning poll helps you find a date that works for everyone – for a rehearsal, a gig or anything else. Members answer each proposed date, you see the results at a glance, and the chosen dates become real events with everyone's answers already filled in.

When to use it

  • You need a rehearsal date and don't know who is free.
  • A promoter offers several dates and you want to know which one the band can play.
  • You are planning a band meeting, photo shoot or recording day.

How to

Create a poll

You need: The Create events permission.

  1. Open Event planning and select New poll.
  2. Under What are we planning? choose Rehearsal, Gig or Other. The Title and default times follow your choice; change them if you like.
  3. Optionally fill in Place and a Note for the band.
  4. Set the Default time (From and To), then select the days in the calendar. Each day gets the default time.
  5. Under Proposed dates change a time, Add another time for the same day, or Remove a date. Apply to all dates copies the default time to all of them.
  6. Leave Notify members ticked and select Create poll.

Result: The poll opens and band members are asked to mark the dates that work for them.

Answer a poll

  1. Open Event planning, or the Open polls quick filter in the menu. The list shows how many dates you have answered.
  2. Open the poll. Under Your answers select Available, Maybe or Unavailable for each date.
  3. Select the same answer again to clear it. Answers are saved straight away.

Result: Your answers count in the Results. You can change them as long as the poll is open.

Read the results

  1. Under Results each date shows a bar and the counts of who can, maybe and can't.
  2. Everyone can marks a date that suits all members; Best marks the dates with the most positive answers.
  3. A note like Has a constraint that day names members whose unavailable days or weekdays fall on that date.
  4. If your band shows individual answers, you also see names next to each date and who Haven't answered yet.

Turn dates into events

You need: The Create events permission.

  1. In Results, tick the dates you want to keep.
  2. Choose whether to Notify members about the new events and whether to Close the poll.
  3. Select Create events.

Result: Each ticked date becomes an event of the poll's type, with the poll's title, place and note. Everyone's answers carry over as their availability. Gigs are created as Tentative until the venue confirms. The date then shows Event created with a link to it.

Remind, close, reopen or delete a poll

You need: The Create events permission.

  1. Open the poll.
  2. Remind those who haven't answered sends a reminder to members who haven't answered every open date.
  3. Close poll stops all answers. Reopen poll allows answers again.
  4. Delete poll removes the poll and its answers. Events created from it stay.

Permissions and limits

  • Everyone who can see events (View events) can see polls.
  • Answering needs Answer own availability (all default roles have it).
  • Creating, scheduling, reminding, closing and deleting polls needs Create events (Band Admin and Band Manager by default).
  • Whether members see each other's answers or only the totals is a band setting. People with See everyone's availability always see all answers.
  • Dates in the past and dates already turned into events can't be answered any more.

Examples

Two rehearsals before a tour

Create a Rehearsal poll with five evenings over the next two weeks. When everyone has answered, tick the two dates marked Everyone can or Best, and select Create 2 events with Close the poll ticked.

A festival offers three slots

Create a Gig poll with the three dates and the festival as Place. After the band answers, schedule the best date – it is created as a Tentative gig. Confirm it once the festival does.

Common mistakes

  • Closing the poll before everyone has answered. Use Remind those who haven't answered first.
  • Forgetting to tick Notify members – nobody knows the poll exists.
  • Proposing the same day twice at the same time. Each time on one day must be different.

Troubleshooting

The answer buttons are greyed out.
The poll is closed, the date is in the past, or the date has already been turned into an event. Ask whoever created the poll to reopen it if needed.
Create poll shows an error about the highlighted fields.
Every date needs a start time, and the same time can't be used twice on one day. Pick at least one day in the calendar.
I only see totals, not who answered what.
Your band shows individual answers to admins only. Ask a band admin if you need to know.
How do I add a date to an existing poll?
Polls can't be changed after they are created. Create a new poll with the extra dates, or delete the old one and start again.