[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1951},["ShallowReactive",2],{"regions":3,"news-\u002Fnews\u002Fhow-venues-fill-rooms-with-hire-enquiries":36,"news-all":156},[4,17],{"slug":5,"name":6,"region":7,"host":8,"appUrl":9,"website":10,"websiteHost":10,"url":9,"isGlobal":11,"primary":12,"spark":13,"lat":14,"lng":15,"logoUrl":10,"iconUrl":10,"pages":16},"eventstack","Business Event Stack","United Kingdom","businesseventstack.com","https:\u002F\u002Fbusinesseventstack.com",null,true,"#1a1a1a","#737373",52.8,-1.5,{"events":10,"venues":10,"organisers":10},{"slug":18,"name":19,"region":20,"host":21,"appUrl":22,"website":23,"websiteHost":24,"url":23,"isGlobal":25,"primary":26,"spark":27,"lat":28,"lng":29,"logoUrl":30,"iconUrl":31,"pages":32},"hampshire","Hampshire Business Events","Hampshire","app.hampshire.events","https:\u002F\u002Fapp.hampshire.events","https:\u002F\u002Fhampshire.events","hampshire.events",false,"#0f9d6e","#84e635",51.0632,-1.308,"https:\u002F\u002Fhampshire.events\u002Fbrand\u002Fmark\u002Fpin-512.png","https:\u002F\u002Fhampshire.events\u002Ficon-512.png",{"events":33,"venues":34,"organisers":35},"https:\u002F\u002Fhampshire.events\u002Fevents","https:\u002F\u002Fhampshire.events\u002Fvenues","https:\u002F\u002Fhampshire.events\u002Forganisers",{"id":37,"title":38,"author":6,"body":39,"date":136,"description":137,"extension":138,"image":139,"imageAlt":140,"imageCredit":141,"meta":145,"navigation":11,"path":146,"readMins":147,"reviewed":148,"seo":149,"stem":150,"tags":151,"__hash__":155},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fhow-venues-fill-rooms-with-hire-enquiries.md","How venues can fill rooms through hire enquiries",{"type":40,"value":41,"toc":126},"minimark",[42,46,51,60,63,67,70,78,82,85,92,96,99,103,110,113,117,120],[43,44,45],"p",{},"Every business event happens in a room somebody hired. The organisers browsing a regional events calendar are, very often, the next people looking for a room: for a breakfast group, a training day, a launch. A venue that is listed where they already look, with its rooms and a simple way to ask, is in a good position.",[47,48,50],"h2",{"id":49},"start-with-a-page-worth-landing-on","Start with a page worth landing on",[43,52,53,54,59],{},"On the system, a venue's page is an ",[55,56,58],"a",{"href":57},"\u002Fnews\u002Farrival-information-and-accessibility-for-business-events","arrival guide"," first: the entrance, parking and its time limits, stations and stops, step-free access, facilities. It also shows every business event held there. That alone does useful work for a venue: organisers can see the room is already used for events like theirs, and guests know how to get there.",[43,61,62],{},"A venue that is already listed can be claimed by the people who run it. The network confirms each claim before the venue changes hands, so nobody can take over a listing by typing its name. Once confirmed, the venue's team can edit its details and visitor information, and add colleagues.",[47,64,66],{"id":65},"list-the-rooms","List the rooms",[43,68,69],{},"Each room gets its own entry: a name, the capacity, a short description and, if you want to show it, an hourly rate. A function room, a boardroom and a breakout space are three different offers, so list them separately.",[43,71,72,73,77],{},"Then mark when you are ",[74,75,76],"strong",{},"not available",": weekly rules (closed on Sundays, the boardroom is ours on Monday mornings) and one-off closures, for the whole venue or a single room.",[47,79,81],{"id":80},"take-enquiries","Take enquiries",[43,83,84],{},"Organisers enquire from the venue's page, or from a hire form on the venue's own website (more on that below). An enquiry arrives in the venue's Enquiries queue in Studio and by email to every owner and admin of the venue, with the times in UK time and the person's email address to reply to.",[43,86,87,88,91],{},"The venue confirms or declines, with a reply. Confirmed hires move into the venue's ",[74,89,90],{},"bookings schedule",", which warns about clashes with other hires and respects the times you have blocked out. A declined enquiry can't be quietly reopened, and a hire that was meant to be paid can't be confirmed at no charge by mistake.",[47,93,95],{"id":94},"take-payment-if-you-want-to","Take payment, if you want to",[43,97,98],{},"A venue can connect its own Stripe account and take payment for confirmed hire online. The money goes to the venue's account, and if a booking is declined or cancelled the refund is made from the same place.",[47,100,102],{"id":101},"put-hire-on-your-own-website","Put hire on your own website",[43,104,105,106,109],{},"A ",[74,107,108],{},"venue hire feed"," puts your rooms on your own website: capacities and rates, a calendar showing when you are booked out or unavailable, and the enquiry form. It can run as a step-by-step flow (pick a room, pick a time, add your details) or with everything on one page. Times are picked from half-hour slots, with booked and unavailable slots shown and not selectable.",[43,111,112],{},"Enquiries from your website land in the same queue as the rest, and nobody has to create an account to send one.",[47,114,116],{"id":115},"what-makes-the-difference","What makes the difference",[43,118,119],{},"The venues that do well from enquiries tend to do a few simple things: they reply quickly, they keep blocked-out times up to date so people don't ask for dates that were never available, and they keep the arrival details right so the first visit goes smoothly. The system can carry the rest.",[43,121,122],{},[55,123,125],{"href":124},"\u002Ffor\u002Fvenues","What venues get on the system",{"title":127,"searchDepth":128,"depth":128,"links":129},"",2,[130,131,132,133,134,135],{"id":49,"depth":128,"text":50},{"id":65,"depth":128,"text":66},{"id":80,"depth":128,"text":81},{"id":94,"depth":128,"text":95},{"id":101,"depth":128,"text":102},{"id":115,"depth":128,"text":116},"2026-09-30","People booking meeting rooms often browse business events too. How venues on Business Event Stack list rooms, take enquiries and avoid double bookings.","md","\u002Fimg\u002Fnews\u002Fvenue-hire-enquiries.jpg","An empty meeting room with an oval table, chairs and a screen on the wall",{"name":142,"username":143,"photoId":144},"john renzzel","johnrenzzel","rr12y4qEbps",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fhow-venues-fill-rooms-with-hire-enquiries",5,"2026-10-22",{"title":38,"description":137},"news\u002Fhow-venues-fill-rooms-with-hire-enquiries",[152,153,154],"Venues","Room hire","Guides","x9Mc6lRF4W1Lg58ic3fTjl4Fd-V5KmMjQcL6dp0jV1U",[157,417,576,738,857,996,1057,1214,1322,1469,1594,1834],{"id":158,"title":159,"author":6,"body":160,"date":148,"description":403,"extension":138,"image":404,"imageAlt":405,"imageCredit":406,"meta":410,"navigation":11,"path":411,"readMins":147,"reviewed":148,"seo":412,"stem":413,"tags":414,"__hash__":416},"news\u002Fnews\u002Foctober-2026-product-update.md","October 2026: arrival guides, your listings on any website, and your own sign-in look",{"type":40,"value":161,"toc":394},[162,165,169,209,213,239,243,275,279,282,324,332,336,372,376,379,383,386],[43,163,164],{},"October has been the busiest month since go-live, with a run of improvements between 16 and 22 October. Here is what changed, grouped by who it matters to. Every change is listed on the Releases page in the back office.",[47,166,168],{"id":167},"venues-pages-that-get-people-to-the-door","Venues: pages that get people to the door",[170,171,172,179,185,191,197,203],"ul",{},[173,174,175,178],"li",{},[74,176,177],{},"Venue pages are arrival guides."," They open with a photo of the entrance, whether something is on now or when the doors next open, and directions to the right door. Then parking, with any time limit made clear, how to get there, finding your way inside, facilities, accessibility, wifi and safety.",[173,180,181,184],{},[74,182,183],{},"Every station, stop and car park."," A venue can list each train station, bus stop, car park, bike rack and drop-off point nearby, shown on the map with walking times. Car parks can show spaces, cost, time limit, opening hours, electric car charging and a link to book a space.",[173,186,187,190],{},[74,188,189],{},"Event pages carry the arrival guide too",", and warn guests if an event runs longer than a car park's time limit.",[173,192,193,196],{},[74,194,195],{},"Adding a venue is six short steps."," Only the name and address are needed to start.",[173,198,199,202],{},[74,200,201],{},"Help filling in the arrival details."," The network team can look up a venue's surroundings and its own website for parking and access notes. Suggestions only fill empty fields, say where they came from, and stay marked as unconfirmed until someone checks them.",[173,204,205,208],{},[74,206,207],{},"Safer claims and enquiries that reach the right people."," Claiming a venue already on the network is now a request the network confirms. Room hire enquiries go to every owner and admin of the venue.",[47,210,212],{"id":211},"organisers-repeating-events-and-teams","Organisers: repeating events and teams",[170,214,215,221,227,233],{},[173,216,217,220],{},[74,218,219],{},"Repeating events",": weekly, fortnightly or monthly, up to 52 dates in one go. Any event can also be copied.",[173,222,223,226],{},[74,224,225],{},"The whole team can run events",": edit, unpublish, download the guest list and decide requests, not just the person who created them.",[173,228,229,232],{},[74,230,231],{},"Changes reach everyone",": moving a time or cancelling now emails and notifies everyone holding a place. An event that wasn't approved can be fixed and sent again.",[173,234,235,238],{},[74,236,237],{},"Events booked elsewhere"," can say where their tickets are sold and link straight there.",[47,240,242],{"id":241},"guests-booking-that-tells-the-truth","Guests: booking that tells the truth",[170,244,245,251,257,263,269],{},[173,246,247,250],{},[74,248,249],{},"Finished events stop selling"," and no longer sit at the top of lists. Booking emails now show the right time; they had been an hour early all summer.",[173,252,253,256],{},[74,254,255],{},"Signing in to book brings you back"," to the event you were looking at.",[173,258,259,262],{},[74,260,261],{},"The Tickets page shows each booking as it is",": going, on the waitlist, request sent, approved, not approved or not paid.",[173,264,265,268],{},[74,266,267],{},"Map bubbles list their events"," when you hover, or tap on a phone.",[173,270,271,274],{},[74,272,273],{},"Readable on every device",": forms that were hard to read on phones set to dark mode are fixed.",[47,276,278],{"id":277},"put-it-in-studio-once-show-it-on-any-website","Put it in Studio once, show it on any website",[43,280,281],{},"The biggest theme of the month: whatever you enter in Studio can now appear, looking right, on almost any website.",[170,283,284,290,296,302,308,314],{},[173,285,286,289],{},[74,287,288],{},"A map beside the list."," Every event on a map, with the list showing only what the map shows. A Near me button finds what's close.",[173,291,292,295],{},[74,293,294],{},"Make it match your site",": colours, fonts, capitals or sentence case, date and time style, your own wording, and a warning when two colours are hard to read.",[173,297,298,301],{},[74,299,300],{},"Pages that suit you",": choose a Showcase, Standard or Compact page for events, venues and organisers, or send visitors to your own pages instead.",[173,303,304,307],{},[74,305,306],{},"A search box"," for your website's header or homepage, with suggestions as people type.",[173,309,310,313],{},[74,311,312],{},"Works with the site you have",": WordPress (with a plugin), Squarespace, Wix, Webflow or any other website, and it sizes itself to fit the page.",[173,315,316,319,320,323],{},[74,317,318],{},"Your own website, built from Studio."," A region or organisation can build its whole site from what is in Studio, the way ",[55,321,24],{"href":322},"\u002Fnews\u002Fbuilding-a-regional-site-from-feeds"," does.",[43,325,326,327,331],{},"See ",[55,328,330],{"href":329},"\u002Fnews\u002Fembedding-events-on-your-website","putting your events on your own website"," for how it works.",[47,333,335],{"id":334},"regions-their-own-look-their-own-website","Regions: their own look, their own website",[170,337,338,344,350,356,366],{},[173,339,340,343],{},[74,341,342],{},"Region teams get the whole back office"," for their own region: overview, fonts, app icon, fees, memberships, website listings and the team.",[173,345,346,349],{},[74,347,348],{},"Your own app icon"," for browser tabs, phone home screens and the installed app.",[173,351,352,355],{},[74,353,354],{},"Your own sign-in screen",": a picture on the left or right, or the form over a full-screen picture or film, with your own headline.",[173,357,358,361,362,365],{},[74,359,360],{},"Send visitors to your own website",": the app's public pages pass visitors to the matching page on the region's own site, and the logo can link there. Events booked in the app keep their page in the app. ",[55,363,364],{"href":322},"How hampshire.events uses it",".",[173,367,368,371],{},[74,369,370],{},"Regions shown in their own colours on businesseventstack.com",", with their own icon and a link to their website.",[47,373,375],{"id":374},"pictures-for-listings","Pictures for listings",[43,377,378],{},"Events, venues and organisers can now have pictures: the event's own image, the venue's own photo, the organiser's own logo. Where there is none, an event gets a photo of that kind of event and a venue a photo of its town. Those stand-in photos always carry the photographer's credit and are never presented as the event or venue itself.",[47,380,382],{"id":381},"changes-show-everywhere-within-minutes","Changes show everywhere within minutes",[43,384,385],{},"And the last change of the month: anything you update in Studio now reaches every website showing your listings within about five minutes, including listings written into WordPress pages.",[43,387,388,389,393],{},"The ",[55,390,392],{"href":391},"\u002Fnews\u002Fseptember-2026-go-live-and-first-updates","September summary"," covers the changes before these.",{"title":127,"searchDepth":128,"depth":128,"links":395},[396,397,398,399,400,401,402],{"id":167,"depth":128,"text":168},{"id":211,"depth":128,"text":212},{"id":241,"depth":128,"text":242},{"id":277,"depth":128,"text":278},{"id":334,"depth":128,"text":335},{"id":374,"depth":128,"text":375},{"id":381,"depth":128,"text":382},"A busy month: venue pages became arrival guides, listings got easier to show on any website, and regions can send visitors to their own site.","\u002Fimg\u002Fnews\u002Fproduct-update-october.jpg","A laptop screen showing lines of code in an editor",{"name":407,"username":408,"photoId":409},"Emile Perron","emilep","xrVDYZRGdw4",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Foctober-2026-product-update",{"title":159,"description":403},"news\u002Foctober-2026-product-update",[415],"Product updates","SiMwkn61vf7zQeVrPvJ5fyI_bDh8l9V6PsChzTjvNvQ",{"id":418,"title":419,"author":6,"body":420,"date":559,"description":560,"extension":138,"image":561,"imageAlt":562,"imageCredit":563,"meta":567,"navigation":11,"path":322,"readMins":568,"reviewed":148,"seo":569,"stem":570,"tags":571,"__hash__":575},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fbuilding-a-regional-site-from-feeds.md","One Studio, its own website: how hampshire.events works",{"type":40,"value":421,"toc":551},[422,430,436,440,443,446,450,453,456,460,463,478,481,485,488,491,495,521,525],[43,423,424,425,429],{},"Hampshire was the first region on Business Event Stack, and it has its own public website: ",[55,426,24],{"href":23,"rel":427},[428],"nofollow",". It looks nothing like the app. It has its own design, its own photography and its own way of organising the county, area by area and town by town. Yet every event, venue and organiser on it comes from Business Event Stack, and nobody copies anything across by hand.",[43,431,432,433],{},"It is the clearest example of the idea behind the whole system: ",[74,434,435],{},"put the information into Studio once, and it shows everywhere.",[47,437,439],{"id":438},"organisers-and-venues-only-update-studio","Organisers and venues only update Studio",[43,441,442],{},"A networking group adds its next breakfast in Studio. A hotel updates its parking notes. A chamber moves an event's start time. That is the only place any of them make the change.",[43,444,445],{},"From there it appears on the region's app, on hampshire.events, on any partner website showing the region's listings, and in the calendars of people who subscribe. Nobody has to email the website team or remember to update a second site.",[47,447,449],{"id":448},"a-page-for-everything","A page for everything",[43,451,452],{},"hampshire.events has its own page for every upcoming event, every venue, every organiser, every town and every area, each written so search engines can find it. Venue pages carry the full arrival guide from Studio: the right entrance, parking and time limits, the nearest stations and bus stops, step-free access and facilities, shown in the website's own design.",[43,454,455],{},"On 22 October 2026 its homepage showed 406 dates coming up, 263 venues, 92 organisers and 41 towns, all kept up to date from Studio.",[47,457,459],{"id":458},"the-live-parts","The live parts",[43,461,462],{},"Two parts of the site are live, straight from the system:",[170,464,465,471],{},[173,466,105,467,470],{},[74,468,469],{},"search box"," on the homepage that searches the region's events, venues and organisers, with suggestions as you type.",[173,472,473,474,477],{},"An ",[74,475,476],{},"events map"," on the What's on page, with the map beside the list. Move the map and the list follows; search, categories and Near me all work.",[43,479,480],{},"Both are styled to match the website, so they look like part of it, and clicking an event or venue opens hampshire.events' own page for it.",[47,482,484],{"id":483},"one-brand-from-website-to-booking","One brand, from website to booking",[43,486,487],{},"The region has told the app about its website. So someone who lands on the app's public events, venues or organisers pages is passed to the matching page on hampshire.events, search and all.",[43,489,490],{},"Booking still happens in the app, because that is where tickets, waitlists and check-in live. An event booked in the app keeps its page there; the logo on the sign-in screen links back to hampshire.events, and the sign-in screen and app icon use the website's own film and tile. Someone moving between the two sees one brand.",[47,492,494],{"id":493},"why-do-it-this-way","Why do it this way",[170,496,497,503,509,515],{},[173,498,499,502],{},[74,500,501],{},"One place to update."," Organisers and venues keep their listings right in Studio, and everything else follows.",[173,504,505,508],{},[74,506,507],{},"Freedom of design."," The website can look however the region wants.",[173,510,511,514],{},[74,512,513],{},"Found in search."," Every venue and event has its own proper page.",[173,516,517,520],{},[74,518,519],{},"The app does the hard parts."," Bookings, tickets, waitlists, approvals, check-in and accounts stay in the system built for them.",[47,522,524],{"id":523},"doing-the-same","Doing the same",[43,526,527,528,530,531,535,536,540,541,545,546,550],{},"Any region on the system can run its own website like this. Organisers and venues can do a smaller version on their own sites, whether they use WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Webflow or something else: see ",[55,529,330],{"href":329}," and the ",[55,532,534],{"href":533},"\u002Fintegrations","integrations page",". This website is built the same way: the ",[55,537,539],{"href":538},"\u002Fevents","events",", ",[55,542,544],{"href":543},"\u002Fvenues","venues"," and ",[55,547,549],{"href":548},"\u002Forganisers","organisers"," pages all come from Studio.",{"title":127,"searchDepth":128,"depth":128,"links":552},[553,554,555,556,557,558],{"id":438,"depth":128,"text":439},{"id":448,"depth":128,"text":449},{"id":458,"depth":128,"text":459},{"id":483,"depth":128,"text":484},{"id":493,"depth":128,"text":494},{"id":523,"depth":128,"text":524},"2026-10-20","The first region on Business Event Stack runs its own website, with its own design. Organisers and venues update Studio once and every site follows.","\u002Fimg\u002Fnews\u002Fregional-site-from-feeds.jpg","The Spinnaker Tower and Portsmouth Harbour under a blue sky",{"name":564,"username":565,"photoId":566},"Léa Debroise","lea_debroise","kje2ZduA8EU",{},4,{"title":419,"description":560},"news\u002Fbuilding-a-regional-site-from-feeds",[572,573,574],"Case study","Integrations","Regions","wPdZyI3GOI-pWwI9dpiM_SmBt7rELcHtgHDZhRUQGtk",{"id":577,"title":578,"author":6,"body":579,"date":725,"description":726,"extension":138,"image":727,"imageAlt":728,"imageCredit":729,"meta":733,"navigation":11,"path":329,"readMins":568,"reviewed":148,"seo":734,"stem":735,"tags":736,"__hash__":737},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fembedding-events-on-your-website.md","Putting your events on your own website: WordPress, Squarespace, Wix and more",{"type":40,"value":580,"toc":717},[581,584,591,595,602,630,633,637,640,643,647,650,676,679,683,686,690,703,707],[43,582,583],{},"If you run a networking group, a chamber, a venue or a business park, your website probably has an events page that somebody has to remember to update. Usually it falls behind: last month's breakfast is still there, and next week's isn't.",[43,585,586,587,590],{},"Business Event Stack takes that job away. ",[74,588,589],{},"You put your information into Studio once, and it shows everywhere you want it",": on the region's site, on your own website, on partners' websites and in people's calendars. Change a time or cancel a date in Studio and every one of those places follows within a few minutes. Nobody copies anything across by hand.",[47,592,594],{"id":593},"what-you-can-show-on-your-site","What you can show on your site",[43,596,597,598,601],{},"In Studio this is called a ",[74,599,600],{},"feed",". You can make one for:",[170,603,604,610,620,625],{},[173,605,606,609],{},[74,607,608],{},"Your events",", as a list or with a map beside the list.",[173,611,612,615,616,619],{},[74,613,614],{},"A venues directory"," or ",[74,617,618],{},"an organisers directory",", with each venue's arrival details: parking, the nearest station, step-free access and the right door.",[173,621,622,624],{},[74,623,153],{},", so people can see when your rooms are free and send an enquiry.",[173,626,627,629],{},[74,628,306],{},", for your header or homepage, that searches events, venues and organisers as people type.",[43,631,632],{},"You choose what it covers (your own events, a set of venues, a few towns, certain kinds of event) and which tools visitors get, such as search, filters and a Near me button.",[47,634,636],{"id":635},"make-it-look-like-your-site","Make it look like your site",[43,638,639],{},"You pick the colours, fonts, corners, date style and wording, and see the result change as you go. Studio warns you if two colours would be hard to read. You can also choose how an event or venue page looks when someone opens it: a big Showcase page, a Standard one or a Compact one.",[43,641,642],{},"If you already have your own page for each venue or event, the feed can link to those instead, so visitors stay on your site.",[47,644,646],{"id":645},"works-with-the-website-you-already-have","Works with the website you already have",[43,648,649],{},"Once your feed is ready, Studio gives you a short piece to copy and a step-by-step guide for your kind of website. You paste it where the listings should appear, the same way you would add a video or a map. It works with:",[170,651,652,658,670],{},[173,653,654,657],{},[74,655,656],{},"WordPress",", including WordPress.com, with a plugin you can download from the app. The plugin can also write your listings into the page itself, so search engines read them as part of your site.",[173,659,660,540,663,545,666,669],{},[74,661,662],{},"Squarespace",[74,664,665],{},"Wix",[74,667,668],{},"Webflow",", using each one's own \"embed\" or \"custom code\" block.",[173,671,672,675],{},[74,673,674],{},"Any other website",", whoever built it. If your web designer looks after it, send them the piece Studio gives you; it takes them a few minutes.",[43,677,678],{},"The feed sizes itself to fit, so it sits in your page like any other part of it, and you can put more than one on the same page. You can also lock a feed to your own website, so nobody else can show it on theirs.",[47,680,682],{"id":681},"in-peoples-calendars-too","In people's calendars too",[43,684,685],{},"Guests can add any event to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook with a click, and their booking confirmation carries the calendar entry. Regions can also offer a calendar people subscribe to, so new events appear in their own diary without them visiting any website at all.",[47,687,689],{"id":688},"building-a-whole-website-from-it","Building a whole website from it",[43,691,692,693,695,696,540,698,545,700,702],{},"A region, or a larger organisation, can go further and build its whole public website from what is in Studio, with its own design. That is how ",[55,694,24],{"href":322}," works, and it is how the ",[55,697,539],{"href":538},[55,699,544],{"href":543},[55,701,549],{"href":548}," pages on this site are made.",[47,704,706],{"id":705},"who-can-make-feeds","Who can make feeds",[43,708,709,710,714,715,365],{},"Each region decides who can make feeds and whether they carry a fee. If your region hasn't switched them on for you, ask its team. If you, or the agency that builds your website, would like a hand, ",[55,711,713],{"href":712},"\u002Fcontact?topic=feeds","get in touch",". There is more on the ",[55,716,534],{"href":533},{"title":127,"searchDepth":128,"depth":128,"links":718},[719,720,721,722,723,724],{"id":593,"depth":128,"text":594},{"id":635,"depth":128,"text":636},{"id":645,"depth":128,"text":646},{"id":681,"depth":128,"text":682},{"id":688,"depth":128,"text":689},{"id":705,"depth":128,"text":706},"2026-10-14","Add your events, venues, room hire or a search box to any website and to people's calendars. Put it in Studio once and it shows everywhere, up to date.","\u002Fimg\u002Fnews\u002Fembedding-events-website.jpg","A laptop showing code on a desk beside a phone and a notebook",{"name":730,"username":731,"photoId":732},"Christopher Gower","cgower","m_HRfLhgABo",{},{"title":578,"description":726},"news\u002Fembedding-events-on-your-website",[573,154],"bVqiQD_t87pxbebZFNLq4PqoP1FBZa_96gScgdyhGXI",{"id":739,"title":740,"author":6,"body":741,"date":841,"description":842,"extension":138,"image":843,"imageAlt":844,"imageCredit":845,"meta":849,"navigation":11,"path":850,"readMins":568,"reviewed":148,"seo":851,"stem":852,"tags":853,"__hash__":856},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fqr-passes-and-check-in-on-the-door.md","QR passes and check-in on the door",{"type":40,"value":742,"toc":835},[743,746,750,757,760,764,771,804,807,811,822,826,829],[43,744,745],{},"The first minute at an event sets the tone. A queue at a table while someone scrolls a printed list is not a great welcome. Check-in on Business Event Stack is designed to take a few seconds a person and to run on the phone the organiser already has.",[47,747,749],{"id":748},"the-pass","The pass",[43,751,752,753,756],{},"Every confirmed booking comes with a ",[74,754,755],{},"QR pass",", sent in the confirmation email and kept on the guest's Tickets page. That includes places at no charge, paid tickets, approved requests, and people promoted from the waitlist. The pass carries a signed code, so it can't be guessed or made up.",[43,758,759],{},"The confirmation also carries the event's time in UK time and the venue's details, so the same email gets people to the right door.",[47,761,763],{"id":762},"the-desk","The desk",[43,765,766,767,770],{},"The organiser's team opens the event's ",[74,768,769],{},"Check in"," page in Studio. From there they can:",[170,772,773,779,785,791,797],{},[173,774,775,778],{},[74,776,777],{},"Scan"," a pass with the phone or tablet camera, straight from the browser. Nothing to install.",[173,780,781,784],{},[74,782,783],{},"Search"," the guest list by name and tap to check someone in, for the guest whose phone is flat.",[173,786,787,790],{},[74,788,789],{},"Undo"," a check-in made by mistake.",[173,792,793,796],{},[74,794,795],{},"Add a walk-in"," there and then, so the numbers stay right.",[173,798,799,800,803],{},"Watch a ",[74,801,802],{},"live count"," of who has arrived against who booked.",[43,805,806],{},"Anyone on the organisation's team can run the desk, so the person on the door doesn't need the organiser's login.",[47,808,810],{"id":809},"before-the-day","Before the day",[170,812,813,816,819],{},[173,814,815],{},"Make sure whoever is on the door is on the organisation's team in Studio, and has signed in on their phone before they leave.",[173,817,818],{},"The desk works online, so check the venue's signal or wifi, and ask for the wifi details if you need them.",[173,820,821],{},"Remind guests in your joining instructions that their pass is in the confirmation email and on their Tickets page.",[47,823,825],{"id":824},"afterwards","Afterwards",[43,827,828],{},"Check-ins feed straight into the event's attendee list and reports: who booked, who came, who was on the waitlist and who walked in. The attendee list, with check-in status, can be exported as CSV. Over a few months that tells you a lot about your real attendance, which events need a bigger room, and which time of day suits your crowd.",[43,830,831],{},[55,832,834],{"href":833},"\u002Fnews\u002Fticketing-waitlists-and-approvals-explained","More on bookings, tickets and approvals",{"title":127,"searchDepth":128,"depth":128,"links":836},[837,838,839,840],{"id":748,"depth":128,"text":749},{"id":762,"depth":128,"text":763},{"id":809,"depth":128,"text":810},{"id":824,"depth":128,"text":825},"2026-10-07","How guests get a pass, how the door checks them in with a phone, and what to do about walk-ins, mistakes and a weak signal.","\u002Fimg\u002Fnews\u002Fqr-passes-check-in.jpg","A hand holding a mobile phone showing a QR code",{"name":846,"username":847,"photoId":848},"Markus Winkler","markuswinkler","Q6uqw_Hjye8",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fqr-passes-and-check-in-on-the-door",{"title":740,"description":842},"news\u002Fqr-passes-and-check-in-on-the-door",[854,855,154],"Organisers","Check-in","PiicH5AcmXopDayZzJ2jfY66ALLWi5lik1DAJnGarco",{"id":858,"title":859,"author":6,"body":860,"date":982,"description":983,"extension":138,"image":984,"imageAlt":985,"imageCredit":986,"meta":990,"navigation":11,"path":391,"readMins":991,"reviewed":148,"seo":992,"stem":993,"tags":994,"__hash__":995},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fseptember-2026-go-live-and-first-updates.md","September 2026: go-live and the first fortnight of updates",{"type":40,"value":861,"toc":974},[862,869,873,893,897,923,927,930,934,937,941,944,948,968],[43,863,864,865,868],{},"Business Event Stack went live on ",[74,866,867],{},"18 September 2026",". Since then we have shipped improvements every few days, each one written up in plain words on the Releases page in the back office. This is a summary of the first fortnight, up to 1 October, grouped by what it means for you.",[47,870,872],{"id":871},"day-one-go-live-18-september","Day one: go-live (18 September)",[170,874,875,881,887],{},[173,876,877,880],{},[74,878,879],{},"Checked before launch."," We had the system reviewed for security before anyone signed up, and closed the gaps it found.",[173,882,883,886],{},[74,884,885],{},"A new region sets itself up."," Adding a region's own web address now sorts out the address and its security certificate for you, with a clear status and a retry button if something needs another go.",[173,888,889,892],{},[74,890,891],{},"Emails in the region's own colours."," Sign-up codes, password resets and a note when you change your password all arrive branded for your region.",[47,894,896],{"id":895},"an-easier-back-office-for-the-network-team-22-september","An easier back office for the network team (22 September)",[170,898,899,905,911,917],{},[173,900,901,904],{},[74,902,903],{},"Problems are logged for us to fix."," If something goes wrong on a page, it is recorded with enough detail for us to put it right.",[173,906,907,910],{},[74,908,909],{},"A list of what has changed",", so you can see each improvement as it lands.",[173,912,913,916],{},[74,914,915],{},"Add an organisation or venue for someone, then hand it over"," by inviting the person who runs it to take charge.",[173,918,919,922],{},[74,920,921],{},"Add lots at once from a spreadsheet",", with a preview first. Anything already on the network is skipped, never duplicated.",[47,924,926],{"id":925},"every-region-gets-its-own-icon-30-september","Every region gets its own icon (30 September)",[43,928,929],{},"The little icon in the browser tab, on a phone's home screen and on the installed app now uses each region's own letter mark and colours. Before, every region borrowed the first region's icon.",[47,931,933],{"id":932},"add-a-season-of-events-in-one-go-30-september","Add a season of events in one go (30 September)",[43,935,936],{},"Organisers and region teams can add events from a spreadsheet, with a preview first. A date that is already listed is skipped, so the same file can be used again safely. We also fixed times from spreadsheets coming in an hour early during British Summer Time; they are now read as UK time.",[47,938,940],{"id":939},"show-the-regions-events-on-other-websites-30-september-to-1-october","Show the region's events on other websites (30 September to 1 October)",[43,942,943],{},"A region's own team can now put the region's listings onto other websites, such as a chamber's or a business park's, styled to match each one. The events still only need to be entered once, in Studio. The network team can do the same for every region at once. We also fixed maps that were sometimes showing blank or missing their pins.",[47,945,947],{"id":946},"run-any-event-see-whos-coming-1-october","Run any event, see who's coming (1 October)",[170,949,950,956,962],{},[173,951,952,955],{},[74,953,954],{},"The network team can open and edit any event",", choose which organisation runs it and which regions an organisation appears in.",[173,957,958,961],{},[74,959,960],{},"A clear guest list for every event",", with search, filters and sorting. Organisers can remove a place or refund a ticket from it.",[173,963,964,967],{},[74,965,966],{},"Member details can be updated by the network team",", including taking someone off updates when they ask.",[43,969,970,971,365],{},"What came next is in ",[55,972,973],{"href":411},"the October update",{"title":127,"searchDepth":128,"depth":128,"links":975},[976,977,978,979,980,981],{"id":871,"depth":128,"text":872},{"id":895,"depth":128,"text":896},{"id":925,"depth":128,"text":926},{"id":932,"depth":128,"text":933},{"id":939,"depth":128,"text":940},{"id":946,"depth":128,"text":947},"2026-10-02","Business Event Stack went live on 18 September 2026: what was ready on day one, and what improved for organisers, venues and regions in the next fortnight.","\u002Fimg\u002Fnews\u002Fproduct-update-autumn.jpg","A laptop on a table showing wireframe sketches of page layouts",{"name":987,"username":988,"photoId":989},"Amper","amperag","FvpVY7TpwNY",{},3,{"title":859,"description":983},"news\u002Fseptember-2026-go-live-and-first-updates",[415],"fMtALSOuHK-GETCS2c4BpNhImqOCkq5y_ukTk4N9j2A",{"id":37,"title":38,"author":6,"body":997,"date":136,"description":137,"extension":138,"image":139,"imageAlt":140,"imageCredit":1053,"meta":1054,"navigation":11,"path":146,"readMins":147,"reviewed":148,"seo":1055,"stem":150,"tags":1056,"__hash__":155},{"type":40,"value":998,"toc":1045},[999,1001,1003,1007,1009,1011,1013,1017,1019,1021,1025,1027,1029,1031,1035,1037,1039,1041],[43,1000,45],{},[47,1002,50],{"id":49},[43,1004,53,1005,59],{},[55,1006,58],{"href":57},[43,1008,62],{},[47,1010,66],{"id":65},[43,1012,69],{},[43,1014,72,1015,77],{},[74,1016,76],{},[47,1018,81],{"id":80},[43,1020,84],{},[43,1022,87,1023,91],{},[74,1024,90],{},[47,1026,95],{"id":94},[43,1028,98],{},[47,1030,102],{"id":101},[43,1032,105,1033,109],{},[74,1034,108],{},[43,1036,112],{},[47,1038,116],{"id":115},[43,1040,119],{},[43,1042,1043],{},[55,1044,125],{"href":124},{"title":127,"searchDepth":128,"depth":128,"links":1046},[1047,1048,1049,1050,1051,1052],{"id":49,"depth":128,"text":50},{"id":65,"depth":128,"text":66},{"id":80,"depth":128,"text":81},{"id":94,"depth":128,"text":95},{"id":101,"depth":128,"text":102},{"id":115,"depth":128,"text":116},{"name":142,"username":143,"photoId":144},{},{"title":38,"description":137},[152,153,154],{"id":1058,"title":1059,"author":6,"body":1060,"date":1198,"description":1199,"extension":138,"image":1200,"imageAlt":1201,"imageCredit":1202,"meta":1206,"navigation":11,"path":1207,"readMins":1208,"reviewed":148,"seo":1209,"stem":1210,"tags":1211,"__hash__":1213},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fdata-and-privacy-for-event-organisers.md","Data and privacy for event organisers: the basics",{"type":40,"value":1061,"toc":1188},[1062,1071,1075,1078,1115,1119,1126,1130,1139,1143,1146,1150,1153,1157,1165,1169,1178,1182,1185],[43,1063,1064,1065,1070],{},"Run an event and you hold personal data: names, email addresses, job titles, sometimes dietary or access needs. UK data protection law applies to it. This is a short introduction for organisers, written in plain words. It is general information, not legal advice; the ",[55,1066,1069],{"href":1067,"rel":1068},"https:\u002F\u002Fico.org.uk\u002F",[428],"Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)"," is the regulator and has detailed guidance for small organisations.",[47,1072,1074],{"id":1073},"the-principles-in-brief","The principles in brief",[43,1076,1077],{},"The UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 set out a few principles that are worth keeping in mind for every event:",[170,1079,1080,1091,1097,1103,1109],{},[173,1081,1082,1085,1086,365],{},[74,1083,1084],{},"Have a reason."," Each use of personal data needs a lawful basis. For a guest list, that is usually that you need it to run the event the person booked. The ICO explains the six ",[55,1087,1090],{"href":1088,"rel":1089},"https:\u002F\u002Fico.org.uk\u002Ffor-organisations\u002Fuk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources\u002Flawful-basis\u002F",[428],"lawful bases",[173,1092,1093,1096],{},[74,1094,1095],{},"Be clear."," Tell people what you collect and why, at the point you collect it. A short privacy notice on the booking page does the job.",[173,1098,1099,1102],{},[74,1100,1101],{},"Collect only what you need."," If you don't need a phone number, don't ask for one.",[173,1104,1105,1108],{},[74,1106,1107],{},"Keep it safe."," Don't leave printed guest lists on the registration table afterwards; don't email spreadsheets around.",[173,1110,1111,1114],{},[74,1112,1113],{},"Don't keep it forever."," Decide how long you need the data and delete it after that.",[47,1116,1118],{"id":1117},"sensitive-details","Sensitive details",[43,1120,1121,1122,1125],{},"Dietary needs can reveal religious belief, and access needs can reveal health information. Both are ",[74,1123,1124],{},"special category data"," under the UK GDPR and need extra care. Ask only what you need, explain why, share it only with the people who need it (the caterer, the venue) and delete it after the event.",[47,1127,1129],{"id":1128},"follow-up-emails","Follow-up emails",[43,1131,1132,1133,1138],{},"Emailing guests about the event they booked is part of running it. Sending them marketing afterwards is different. Electronic marketing is covered by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) as well as the UK GDPR, and usually needs consent, unless a narrow \"soft opt-in\" applies. The ICO has a ",[55,1134,1137],{"href":1135,"rel":1136},"https:\u002F\u002Fico.org.uk\u002Ffor-organisations\u002Fdirect-marketing-and-privacy-and-electronic-communications\u002Fguide-to-pecr\u002F",[428],"guide to electronic marketing",". The simple approach: offer a clear, unticked opt-in on the booking form, and honour unsubscribes.",[47,1140,1142],{"id":1141},"sharing-attendee-lists","Sharing attendee lists",[43,1144,1145],{},"Attendee lists are tempting to share with sponsors and speakers. Only do it if people were told clearly when they booked and you have a lawful basis. Opt-in networking features, where guests choose to be visible to each other, are safer than a list handed over afterwards.",[47,1147,1149],{"id":1148},"photos","Photos",[43,1151,1152],{},"If you are taking photos, say so in the joining instructions and at the door, and give people an easy way to avoid being photographed.",[47,1154,1156],{"id":1155},"peoples-rights","People's rights",[43,1158,1159,1160,365],{},"People can ask for a copy of the data you hold about them, ask you to correct it or, in many cases, delete it. You normally have one month to respond. The ICO sets out the ",[55,1161,1164],{"href":1162,"rel":1163},"https:\u002F\u002Fico.org.uk\u002Ffor-organisations\u002Fuk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources\u002Findividual-rights\u002F",[428],"individual rights",[47,1166,1168],{"id":1167},"the-data-protection-fee","The data protection fee",[43,1170,1171,1172,1177],{},"Many organisations that process personal data must pay a data protection fee to the ICO, unless they are exempt. The ICO has a ",[55,1173,1176],{"href":1174,"rel":1175},"https:\u002F\u002Fico.org.uk\u002Ffor-organisations\u002Fdata-protection-fee\u002F",[428],"short self-assessment"," to check.",[47,1179,1181],{"id":1180},"how-the-system-helps","How the system helps",[43,1183,1184],{},"On Business Event Stack, guests book through the region's app, which publishes its own privacy policy, and they accept the region's required documents when they sign up. Guests can download everything held about them, or close their account, from their profile without having to ask. Organisers see their own guest lists and can export them as CSV when they need to, so it is worth agreeing in your team who does that and where the file goes. Embedded feeds on other websites don't set analytics cookies.",[43,1186,1187],{},"None of that removes your own responsibilities for the data you hold, but it does mean the common requests can be answered without a long email chain.",{"title":127,"searchDepth":128,"depth":128,"links":1189},[1190,1191,1192,1193,1194,1195,1196,1197],{"id":1073,"depth":128,"text":1074},{"id":1117,"depth":128,"text":1118},{"id":1128,"depth":128,"text":1129},{"id":1141,"depth":128,"text":1142},{"id":1148,"depth":128,"text":1149},{"id":1155,"depth":128,"text":1156},{"id":1167,"depth":128,"text":1168},{"id":1180,"depth":128,"text":1181},"2026-09-16","Guest lists, badges, follow-up emails and photos. A plain introduction to UK data protection for people who run business events, with links to the ICO.","\u002Fimg\u002Fnews\u002Fdata-privacy-organisers.jpg","A gold padlock resting on a laptop keyboard",{"name":1203,"username":1204,"photoId":1205},"Towfiqu barbhuiya","towfiqu999999","FnA5pAzqhMM",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fdata-and-privacy-for-event-organisers",6,{"title":1059,"description":1199},"news\u002Fdata-and-privacy-for-event-organisers",[854,1212,154],"Privacy","zThsU0F3FAs42lSWdl-rcaKxefNUt7ADd3mP1X3k6Ow",{"id":1215,"title":1216,"author":6,"body":1217,"date":1308,"description":1309,"extension":138,"image":1310,"imageAlt":1311,"imageCredit":1312,"meta":1316,"navigation":11,"path":1317,"readMins":1208,"reviewed":148,"seo":1318,"stem":1319,"tags":1320,"__hash__":1321},"news\u002Fnews\u002Flaunching-a-region.md","Launching a region: what it takes to start a local business-events platform",{"type":40,"value":1218,"toc":1298},[1219,1222,1226,1229,1233,1236,1240,1243,1246,1250,1253,1256,1260,1263,1267,1270,1274,1277,1280,1284,1287],[43,1220,1221],{},"A regional business-events platform is a simple idea: one place where everyone in an area can see what is on, and the people running events and venues can reach them. The software is the easy part now. What makes a region work is local knowledge and a bit of steady effort. Here is what it takes.",[47,1223,1225],{"id":1224},"decide-the-area","Decide the area",[43,1227,1228],{},"Start with how people in the area think about it, not the map. A county is an obvious unit, but a city and its commuter towns can be a better fit, and some areas naturally split in two. When a region is set up on Business Event Stack its area is drawn on a map, and venues and events are placed in the region by where they are, so the boundary matters.",[47,1230,1232],{"id":1231},"find-the-team","Find the team",[43,1234,1235],{},"Someone needs to own the platform: approve new listings, answer questions, talk to venues, and keep an eye on quality. In most places that is one or two people to begin with, often from a chamber, a business network or an events business that already knows the scene. They become the region's owners and admins, with a back office that covers only their region.",[47,1237,1239],{"id":1238},"gather-what-is-already-on","Gather what is already on",[43,1241,1242],{},"An empty calendar puts people off. Before launch, gather the events already happening: the regular breakfasts and chapter meetings, the monthly socials, the annual shows. Many will already be on a ticketing site, and that is fine: they can be listed with a link to where tickets are sold.",[43,1244,1245],{},"On the system, listings can come in by CSV with a preview before anything is saved, by pasting a link to an event page, or as a checked research pack of venues, organisers and events. Each import skips anything already there, so it can be run again safely.",[47,1247,1249],{"id":1248},"start-with-the-venues","Start with the venues",[43,1251,1252],{},"Venues are the backbone of a regional directory. Every event happens somewhere, and people want to know how to get there. Good venue pages cover parking and its time limits, the nearest stations and bus stops, the entrance and step-free access. Arrival details can be gathered from public sources to start with, marked as not yet confirmed, and then checked with each venue.",[43,1254,1255],{},"Venues also have a reason to take part: a page that answers guests' questions, and a way to take room hire enquiries.",[47,1257,1259],{"id":1258},"talk-to-the-organisers","Talk to the organisers",[43,1261,1262],{},"The regular organisers in the area are the people who will keep the calendar full. Show them what they get: their events in front of a wider audience, bookings and tickets if they want them, check-in on the door and their calendar on their own website. Then make it easy to claim their listings and add new ones.",[47,1264,1266],{"id":1265},"make-it-look-like-the-region","Make it look like the region",[43,1268,1269],{},"A region on the system has its own name, colours, fonts, logo, app icon and sign-in screen, and its own domain. Lists such as event categories and venue types can be reworded for the region. It should feel local, because it is.",[47,1271,1273],{"id":1272},"sort-out-the-paperwork","Sort out the paperwork",[43,1275,1276],{},"Every region publishes its own terms, privacy policy and cookie policy. The system starts each one from a network template, which the region then edits for its own circumstances; people accept the required documents when they sign up, and the version they accepted is recorded. Take advice on your own legal pages; a template is a starting point, not legal advice.",[43,1278,1279],{},"Decide, too, whether anyone pays: memberships for organisers or venues, a fee on paid tickets, paid feeds, or nothing at all.",[47,1281,1283],{"id":1282},"launch-then-keep-going","Launch, then keep going",[43,1285,1286],{},"Tell people where to find you: partner newsletters, the venues' own channels, organisers' websites (a feed of the region's events can sit on any of them), and a subscription calendar for people who want new events to appear on their own. Then keep going. A regional calendar earns trust slowly, by being complete and right week after week.",[43,1288,1289,1290,1294,1295,365],{},"If you are thinking about a region, ",[55,1291,1293],{"href":1292},"\u002Fstart-a-region","here is how setting one up works",", or ",[55,1296,713],{"href":1297},"\u002Fcontact?topic=region",{"title":127,"searchDepth":128,"depth":128,"links":1299},[1300,1301,1302,1303,1304,1305,1306,1307],{"id":1224,"depth":128,"text":1225},{"id":1231,"depth":128,"text":1232},{"id":1238,"depth":128,"text":1239},{"id":1248,"depth":128,"text":1249},{"id":1258,"depth":128,"text":1259},{"id":1265,"depth":128,"text":1266},{"id":1272,"depth":128,"text":1273},{"id":1282,"depth":128,"text":1283},"2026-09-02","The area, the team, the first listings, the venues, the legal pages and the launch. A practical guide for anyone thinking of running a regional platform.","\u002Fimg\u002Fnews\u002Flaunching-a-region.jpg","People walking along a busy pavement near Piccadilly Circus in London",{"name":1313,"username":1314,"photoId":1315},"Massimo Virgilio","massimovirgilio","K_2FePJYIJc",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Flaunching-a-region",{"title":1216,"description":1309},"news\u002Flaunching-a-region",[574,154],"P24a-rBUMFohQsXw0KE2iVeEuTQiLwIHHlRXdIj_SwU",{"id":1323,"title":1324,"author":6,"body":1325,"date":1455,"description":1456,"extension":138,"image":1457,"imageAlt":1458,"imageCredit":1459,"meta":1463,"navigation":11,"path":833,"readMins":1208,"reviewed":148,"seo":1464,"stem":1465,"tags":1466,"__hash__":1468},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fticketing-waitlists-and-approvals-explained.md","Ticketing, waitlists and approvals, explained for organisers",{"type":40,"value":1326,"toc":1445},[1327,1330,1334,1341,1344,1348,1355,1358,1361,1365,1372,1375,1379,1386,1389,1393,1396,1400,1403,1407,1410,1414,1440],[43,1328,1329],{},"How people get a place at your event shapes who comes. A breakfast at no charge that anyone can book behaves very differently from a paid workshop with twelve seats, or a members' dinner where you choose who sits at the table. Here are the options on the system, and when each one fits.",[47,1331,1333],{"id":1332},"places-at-no-charge","Places at no charge",[43,1335,1336,1337,1340],{},"The simplest set-up. People book, get a confirmation email with a QR pass, and turn up. You can set a ",[74,1338,1339],{},"capacity"," or leave it open.",[43,1342,1343],{},"Use it when you want as many of the right people as possible and the cost per head is small or covered.",[47,1345,1347],{"id":1346},"paid-tickets","Paid tickets",[43,1349,1350,1351,1354],{},"If you charge, tickets are sold through ",[74,1352,1353],{},"Stripe Connect",". You connect your own Stripe account, and money is taken on that account: you are the merchant, so the payment lands with you, and VAT, refunds and chargebacks are yours to handle, from the same place. Card details go through Stripe's hosted checkout and never touch the system.",[43,1356,1357],{},"You can offer more than one ticket type, such as early bird, standard and member. A region may add a platform fee to paid tickets, either shown to the guest at checkout or absorbed by you; your region's team will tell you if it does. A ticket at no charge on a ticketed event works too, and gets its pass like any other booking.",[43,1359,1360],{},"A few safeguards come with it. Once an event has started, booking closes. A date with paid tickets can't be deleted until those tickets are refunded. If you move the time or cancel, everyone holding a place is emailed and notified.",[47,1362,1364],{"id":1363},"waitlists","Waitlists",[43,1366,1367,1368,1371],{},"When an event with a capacity fills, people can join the ",[74,1369,1370],{},"waitlist"," instead. When a place opens up, the next person on the list is promoted automatically and sent their QR pass. Nobody has to watch the inbox.",[43,1373,1374],{},"Waitlists are also a signal. If one fills every month, you need a bigger room or a second date.",[47,1376,1378],{"id":1377},"approval-required-events","Approval-required events",[43,1380,1381,1382,1385],{},"Some events need a short list: a roundtable, a members' dinner, a session for one sector. Mark the event as needing approval and it stays visible everywhere, but people ",[74,1383,1384],{},"request a place"," instead of booking one. The page tells them plainly that a request may not be approved.",[43,1387,1388],{},"You then decide each request. Approve it with a place at no charge, or with a specific ticket type for them to pay for; payment happens only after approval, so nobody pays for a seat they won't get. Decline with a polite message you can edit and save for next time. Requests can be withdrawn by the person who sent them.",[47,1390,1392],{"id":1391},"members-only-events","Members-only events",[43,1394,1395],{},"An event can be marked as private for members, so it is clear who it is for. Use it alongside approvals if you also want to check each person.",[47,1397,1399],{"id":1398},"events-booked-somewhere-else","Events booked somewhere else",[43,1401,1402],{},"If you already sell tickets on another site, you can still list the event. Set it to \"booked on another site\" and add the link. The listing then says where tickets are sold, links straight there and shows when the details were last checked. Bookings, waitlists and check-in stay with the other site.",[47,1404,1406],{"id":1405},"what-guests-see","What guests see",[43,1408,1409],{},"Each guest has a Tickets page that shows every booking as it really is: going, waitlisted, request sent, approved, not approved, or not paid. Cancelling or leaving the waitlist asks for confirmation first.",[47,1411,1413],{"id":1412},"which-to-choose","Which to choose",[170,1415,1416,1422,1428,1434],{},[173,1417,1418,1421],{},[74,1419,1420],{},"Open networking, no charge:"," places with a capacity and a waitlist.",[173,1423,1424,1427],{},[74,1425,1426],{},"Workshop or course:"," paid tickets, a capacity, a waitlist.",[173,1429,1430,1433],{},[74,1431,1432],{},"Roundtable or invitation-only:"," approval required, with or without payment after approval.",[173,1435,1436,1439],{},[74,1437,1438],{},"Already on another ticketing site:"," booked somewhere else, so it still appears on the regional calendar.",[43,1441,1442,1443,365],{},"Whichever you pick, the people who come get the same joining details: the time in UK time, the venue's parking and entrance information, and a pass for the door. More on that in ",[55,1444,740],{"href":850},{"title":127,"searchDepth":128,"depth":128,"links":1446},[1447,1448,1449,1450,1451,1452,1453,1454],{"id":1332,"depth":128,"text":1333},{"id":1346,"depth":128,"text":1347},{"id":1363,"depth":128,"text":1364},{"id":1377,"depth":128,"text":1378},{"id":1391,"depth":128,"text":1392},{"id":1398,"depth":128,"text":1399},{"id":1405,"depth":128,"text":1406},{"id":1412,"depth":128,"text":1413},"2026-08-19","Places at no charge, paid tickets, waitlists, approval-required events and events booked elsewhere: how each works, and when to use which.","\u002Fimg\u002Fnews\u002Fticketing-waitlists-approvals.jpg","Two people at a registration table with name badges laid out in front of them",{"name":1460,"username":1461,"photoId":1462},"Product School","productschool","R7mvaKQf-IA",{},{"title":1324,"description":1456},"news\u002Fticketing-waitlists-and-approvals-explained",[854,1467,154],"Ticketing","Si4jhnlEu0j9sPB7H6cXtUZU0QpWs3FfX82xlYPIT58",{"id":1470,"title":1471,"author":6,"body":1472,"date":1580,"description":1581,"extension":138,"image":1582,"imageAlt":1583,"imageCredit":1584,"meta":1588,"navigation":11,"path":57,"readMins":1208,"reviewed":148,"seo":1589,"stem":1590,"tags":1591,"__hash__":1593},"news\u002Fnews\u002Farrival-information-and-accessibility-for-business-events.md","Arrival information and accessibility for business events",{"type":40,"value":1473,"toc":1574},[1474,1477,1480,1484,1487,1493,1503,1509,1515,1521,1525,1534,1537,1541,1544,1548,1551,1565,1568],[43,1475,1476],{},"Most event pages spend a paragraph on the speaker and one line on the address. For someone who has never been to the venue, the address is where the questions start. Where do I park? For how long? Is there a station nearby? Which of the three doors is the right one? Can I get in without steps?",[43,1478,1479],{},"When those answers are missing, some people work it out, some arrive late and flustered, and some quietly decide not to come. Good arrival information is one of the cheapest ways to get more of the people who booked through the door.",[47,1481,1483],{"id":1482},"what-guests-want-to-know","What guests want to know",[43,1485,1486],{},"Think about the journey in order.",[43,1488,1489,1492],{},[74,1490,1491],{},"Getting there."," The nearest railway station and how long the walk takes in practice. Useful bus routes and the stop to get off at. Somewhere to leave a bike. A drop-off point for taxis.",[43,1494,1495,1498,1499,1502],{},[74,1496,1497],{},"Parking."," Whether there is parking on site or nearby, how many spaces, the cost and how to pay, and above all the ",[74,1500,1501],{},"maximum stay",". A two-hour limit and a three-hour event is a parking ticket waiting to happen. If there are electric vehicle chargers, say so. If spaces can be pre-booked, link to it.",[43,1504,1505,1508],{},[74,1506,1507],{},"Finding the door."," A photo of the actual entrance does more than any description. Add a line such as \"main entrance on the side street, not the front\" and a map pin on the door itself, not the middle of the building.",[43,1510,1511,1514],{},[74,1512,1513],{},"Getting in."," Whether to sign in at reception, which floor, whether there is a lift, and what to do if the door is locked.",[43,1516,1517,1520],{},[74,1518,1519],{},"Inside."," Toilets, accessible toilets, a hearing loop, food and drink, cloakroom, wifi, somewhere to charge a phone.",[47,1522,1524],{"id":1523},"accessibility-is-information-first","Accessibility is information first",[43,1526,1527,1528,1533],{},"The Equality Act 2010 places a duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people; ",[55,1529,1532],{"href":1530,"rel":1531},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fguidance\u002Fequality-act-2010-guidance",[428],"GOV.UK has guidance on the Act",". What counts as reasonable depends on the circumstances, and an organiser and a venue may each have their own duties, so take advice if you are unsure.",[43,1535,1536],{},"Whatever the adjustments, accurate information comes first. Someone who uses a wheelchair, has a hidden disability or is anxious about new places needs to know what to expect before they decide to come. Be specific: \"step-free from the car park entrance; the main entrance has three steps\" is far more useful than a wheelchair symbol. Give a named contact for questions, and ask on the booking form if anyone needs anything.",[47,1538,1540],{"id":1539},"keep-it-current-and-say-how-current-it-is","Keep it current, and say how current it is",[43,1542,1543],{},"Car park charges change, entrances move during building work, a lift goes out of service. Arrival details should record when they were last checked and where they came from, and the page should say so. \"Checked 14 October 2026 with the venue\" earns more trust than a confident paragraph that might be three years old. If the details came from public sources and the venue hasn't confirmed them yet, say that too.",[47,1545,1547],{"id":1546},"how-business-event-stack-handles-it","How Business Event Stack handles it",[43,1549,1550],{},"On the system, a venue's page is built as an arrival guide. It holds:",[170,1552,1553,1556,1559,1562],{},[173,1554,1555],{},"an entrance photo with its label, and a pin on the door that Directions take you to;",[173,1557,1558],{},"every station, bus stop, car park, bike rack and drop-off point that serves the venue, each on the map with its walk time, and each car park's cost, spaces, opening hours, EV charging and time limit;",[173,1560,1561],{},"how to get in, facilities, step-free access and other access notes;",[173,1563,1564],{},"when the details were checked, where they came from, and whether the venue has confirmed them.",[43,1566,1567],{},"Every event held at the venue carries the same details on its page, and if an event runs longer than a nearby car park allows, the event page says so. The venue's own team keeps it up to date from Studio.",[43,1569,1570,1571,365],{},"You can see the format on any venue in ",[55,1572,1573],{"href":543},"the venues directory",{"title":127,"searchDepth":128,"depth":128,"links":1575},[1576,1577,1578,1579],{"id":1482,"depth":128,"text":1483},{"id":1523,"depth":128,"text":1524},{"id":1539,"depth":128,"text":1540},{"id":1546,"depth":128,"text":1547},"2026-08-05","Where to park, which door, how far from the station, and is it step-free. Why arrival details matter as much as the agenda, and what to tell guests.","\u002Fimg\u002Fnews\u002Farrival-information-accessibility.jpg","A ramp with handrails running beside steps up to a shop entrance",{"name":1585,"username":1586,"photoId":1587},"Sergio Artnoart","sergioartnoart","qsYpu5eLLv4",{},{"title":1471,"description":1581},"news\u002Farrival-information-and-accessibility-for-business-events",[152,1592,154],"Accessibility","odceSp0NLHJF2vvKyXlXov2kPmrPcV_zRJHutrNhFeE",{"id":1595,"title":1596,"author":6,"body":1597,"date":1819,"description":1820,"extension":138,"image":1821,"imageAlt":1822,"imageCredit":1823,"meta":1827,"navigation":11,"path":1828,"readMins":1829,"reviewed":148,"seo":1830,"stem":1831,"tags":1832,"__hash__":1833},"news\u002Fnews\u002Frunning-a-business-event-in-the-uk-2026.md","Running a business event in the UK in 2026: a practical checklist",{"type":40,"value":1598,"toc":1806},[1599,1602,1606,1637,1641,1644,1671,1675,1688,1692,1701,1705,1714,1718,1721,1741,1748,1752,1759,1763,1766,1770,1784,1788,1799,1803],[43,1600,1601],{},"Whether it is a monthly breakfast for twenty or a one-day conference for three hundred, the same jobs come round every time. This is a working checklist, in roughly the order you'll need it. Where a legal rule applies we link to the official source; the details depend on your event, so check them for yourself.",[47,1603,1605],{"id":1604},"_1-pick-the-date-with-the-calendar-open","1. Pick the date with the calendar open",[170,1607,1608,1619,1625,1631],{},[173,1609,1610,1613,1614,365],{},[74,1611,1612],{},"Bank holidays."," The dates for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland differ. The ",[55,1615,1618],{"href":1616,"rel":1617},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fbank-holidays",[428],"official list is on GOV.UK",[173,1620,1621,1624],{},[74,1622,1623],{},"School holidays."," They are set locally, so check the council for the area. Parents in your audience will thank you.",[173,1626,1627,1630],{},[74,1628,1629],{},"What else is on."," A big match, a concert or a show nearby fills car parks and trains. A good regional calendar will show these alongside business events so you can plan around them.",[173,1632,1633,1636],{},[74,1634,1635],{},"Your own audience's rhythm."," Breakfasts suit people who start early; early evening suits people who can't leave the office at lunchtime.",[47,1638,1640],{"id":1639},"_2-choose-a-venue-people-can-actually-reach","2. Choose a venue people can actually reach",[43,1642,1643],{},"Before you sign anything, ask the venue:",[170,1645,1646,1649,1655,1658,1665,1668],{},[173,1647,1648],{},"How many people the room takes in the layout you want (theatre, cabaret, boardroom, standing).",[173,1650,1651,1652,1654],{},"Where guests park, what it costs, and whether there is a ",[74,1653,1501],{},". Note it for your joining instructions.",[173,1656,1657],{},"The nearest station and bus stops, and how long the walk really is.",[173,1659,1660,1661,1664],{},"Which entrance to use, and whether it is ",[74,1662,1663],{},"step-free",". Ask about accessible toilets and a hearing loop.",[173,1666,1667],{},"What the hire includes: screen, microphone, wifi, refreshments, set-up and clear-down time.",[173,1669,1670],{},"What they need from you: a deposit, proof of insurance, a risk assessment, final numbers by a date.",[47,1672,1674],{"id":1673},"_3-make-reasonable-adjustments-part-of-the-plan","3. Make reasonable adjustments part of the plan",[43,1676,1677,1678,1681,1682,1687],{},"Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. ",[55,1679,1532],{"href":1530,"rel":1680},[428],", and the ",[55,1683,1686],{"href":1684,"rel":1685},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.equalityhumanrights.com\u002F",[428],"Equality and Human Rights Commission"," publishes more detail. In practice, the cheapest adjustment is information: say clearly how to get in, what the room is like and who to contact, and ask on the booking form whether anyone needs anything.",[47,1689,1691],{"id":1690},"_4-food-and-drink","4. Food and drink",[43,1693,1694,1695,1700],{},"If you serve food, people need allergen information. Food businesses must be able to tell customers about the ",[55,1696,1699],{"href":1697,"rel":1698},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.food.gov.uk\u002Fbusiness-guidance\u002Fallergen-guidance-for-food-businesses",[428],"14 allergens set out by the Food Standards Agency",". If the venue or a caterer provides the food, ask them how they will do it, and ask guests about dietary needs when they book. Always have a decent alcohol-free option.",[47,1702,1704],{"id":1703},"_5-music-and-screenings","5. Music and screenings",[43,1706,1707,1708,1713],{},"Playing recorded music in public usually needs a licence. ",[55,1709,1712],{"href":1710,"rel":1711},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Flicence-to-play-live-or-recorded-music",[428],"GOV.UK explains when you need one",". Many venues already hold it; ask rather than assume.",[47,1715,1717],{"id":1716},"_6-tickets-places-and-money","6. Tickets, places and money",[43,1719,1720],{},"Decide early:",[170,1722,1723,1726,1732,1738],{},[173,1724,1725],{},"Is there a charge to attend, or is it members only?",[173,1727,1728,1729,1731],{},"Do you need a cap on numbers, and a ",[74,1730,1370],{}," for when it fills?",[173,1733,1734,1735,1737],{},"Should people simply book, or ",[74,1736,1384],{}," that you approve?",[173,1739,1740],{},"If you charge, where does the money go, and who handles refunds?",[43,1742,1743,1744,1747],{},"Our guide to ",[55,1745,1746],{"href":833},"ticketing, waitlists and approvals"," goes through each option.",[47,1749,1751],{"id":1750},"_7-personal-data","7. Personal data",[43,1753,1754,1755,1758],{},"A guest list is personal data. Collect what you need to run the event, say why, keep it secure and delete it when you no longer need it. Marketing emails afterwards need a proper basis. Our ",[55,1756,1757],{"href":1207},"data and privacy guide for organisers"," covers the basics, with links to the ICO.",[47,1760,1762],{"id":1761},"_8-tell-people-where-to-find-you","8. Tell people where to find you",[43,1764,1765],{},"List the event where people in the area look: the regional calendar, your own website, partner organisations' newsletters. Put the time, place and price at the top. Link to joining instructions that cover parking, the entrance and access.",[47,1767,1769],{"id":1768},"_9-the-week-before","9. The week before",[170,1771,1772,1775,1778,1781],{},[173,1773,1774],{},"Send a reminder with the start time (UK time), the address and how to get in.",[173,1776,1777],{},"Confirm numbers, dietary needs and room layout with the venue.",[173,1779,1780],{},"Print or prepare a guest list, or set up check-in on a phone.",[173,1782,1783],{},"Have a plan for walk-ins.",[47,1785,1787],{"id":1786},"_10-on-the-day","10. On the day",[170,1789,1790,1793,1796],{},[173,1791,1792],{},"Arrive early enough to test the screen, the microphone and the wifi.",[173,1794,1795],{},"Put someone on the door. Check people in, hand out name badges and point the way.",[173,1797,1798],{},"Introduce people to each other. It is the one thing everyone came for.",[47,1800,1802],{"id":1801},"_11-afterwards","11. Afterwards",[43,1804,1805],{},"Thank people the same day, share anything you promised, and note what you'd change. Look at who booked, who came and who was on the waitlist: it tells you whether the room was the right size.",{"title":127,"searchDepth":128,"depth":128,"links":1807},[1808,1809,1810,1811,1812,1813,1814,1815,1816,1817,1818],{"id":1604,"depth":128,"text":1605},{"id":1639,"depth":128,"text":1640},{"id":1673,"depth":128,"text":1674},{"id":1690,"depth":128,"text":1691},{"id":1703,"depth":128,"text":1704},{"id":1716,"depth":128,"text":1717},{"id":1750,"depth":128,"text":1751},{"id":1761,"depth":128,"text":1762},{"id":1768,"depth":128,"text":1769},{"id":1786,"depth":128,"text":1787},{"id":1801,"depth":128,"text":1802},"2026-07-22","Dates, venues, access, food, music, data and the morning itself. A plain checklist for anyone organising a networking event, workshop or small conference.","\u002Fimg\u002Fnews\u002Frunning-a-business-event-uk-2026.jpg","An audience seated in rows facing a speaker on a lit stage",{"name":1824,"username":1825,"photoId":1826},"Headway","headwayio","F2KRf_QfCqw",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Frunning-a-business-event-in-the-uk-2026",7,{"title":1596,"description":1820},"news\u002Frunning-a-business-event-in-the-uk-2026",[854,154],"09PUYScOACuGot9RDcCvHIGoiwk9kU8FTULKmDcAZFI",{"id":1835,"title":1836,"author":6,"body":1837,"date":1937,"description":1938,"extension":138,"image":1939,"imageAlt":1940,"imageCredit":1941,"meta":1945,"navigation":11,"path":1946,"readMins":147,"reviewed":148,"seo":1947,"stem":1948,"tags":1949,"__hash__":1950},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fwhat-makes-a-good-regional-events-directory.md","What makes a good regional events directory",{"type":40,"value":1838,"toc":1927},[1839,1846,1849,1853,1856,1859,1863,1866,1869,1873,1876,1880,1883,1886,1890,1893,1897,1900,1904,1907,1911],[43,1840,1841,1842,365],{},"Ask anyone who goes to business events where they hear about them and you get a list: a social media group, a chamber newsletter, a ticketing site, a WhatsApp message from someone who was there last month. Each source has part of the picture. None of them has all of it, and none of them is organised around the one thing people search by first, which is ",[1843,1844,1845],"em",{},"where",[43,1847,1848],{},"A regional directory sets out to fix that. Plenty have tried. The ones that people actually use tend to get the same handful of things right.",[47,1850,1852],{"id":1851},"it-is-complete-or-honest-about-what-it-isnt","It is complete, or honest about what it isn't",[43,1854,1855],{},"A directory that lists a third of what is on is worse than none, because people stop checking it. Coverage matters more than polish.",[43,1857,1858],{},"That means listing events the directory doesn't run. Plenty of good events sell tickets on another site, and that is fine. The listing should say so plainly (\"Tickets on Eventbrite\"), link straight there, and say when the details were last checked. Hiding the fact that booking happens elsewhere only annoys people when they find out.",[47,1860,1862],{"id":1861},"time-place-and-price-come-first","Time, place and price come first",[43,1864,1865],{},"The three questions anyone asks of an event are when, where and how much. They belong at the top of every card and every page, in the same order, every time. A long description is useful once someone is interested; it should never be the thing they have to read to find the start time.",[43,1867,1868],{},"Times should be shown in UK time and say so, including in confirmation emails. It sounds obvious until a system quietly stores times in UTC and every summer booking email arrives an hour early.",[47,1870,1872],{"id":1871},"it-speaks-the-regions-language","It speaks the region's language",[43,1874,1875],{},"People search by town, not by \"the local area\". A directory for a county should name its towns, group them the way people there think about them, and let someone say \"near me\" and set a radius. Categories should match what the region actually has: a city with a big conference scene needs different labels from a rural area full of breakfast clubs.",[47,1877,1879],{"id":1878},"it-helps-people-get-there","It helps people get there",[43,1881,1882],{},"Most of the anxiety about going to an event for the first time is practical. Where do I park, and for how long? Which entrance? Is there step-free access? How far is the station?",[43,1884,1885],{},"A directory that answers those questions on the event page, rather than leaving people to piece it together from the venue's website, removes a reason not to go. It also removes the classic mistake of parking in a two-hour car park for a three-hour event.",[47,1887,1889],{"id":1888},"finished-events-disappear","Finished events disappear",[43,1891,1892],{},"Nothing undermines trust faster than a list that opens with last Tuesday. Events that have finished should drop out of lists straight away, stop selling, and keep their page only so that old links and confirmation emails still work.",[47,1894,1896],{"id":1895},"someone-looks-after-it","Someone looks after it",[43,1898,1899],{},"Open submission is how a directory gets coverage. Moderation is how it keeps quality. Someone in the region should see new listings before they go live, fix the obvious problems and turn away the spam. That person also knows which venues have changed hands and which groups have stopped meeting.",[47,1901,1903],{"id":1902},"it-goes-where-people-already-are","It goes where people already are",[43,1905,1906],{},"Few people make a new website part of their routine. They do visit their chamber's site, their networking group's page, their own calendar. A directory that can put its listings onto other websites, and into people's calendar apps by subscription, reaches far more people than one that waits to be visited.",[47,1908,1910],{"id":1909},"how-this-shapes-business-event-stack","How this shapes Business Event Stack",[43,1912,1913,1914,1917,1918,1921,1922,1926],{},"These are the things the system was built around: external listings that say where tickets are sold, time, place and price up front in UK time, towns and lists that each region rewords, venue pages that work as ",[55,1915,1916],{"href":57},"arrival guides",", moderation by the region's own team, and ",[55,1919,1920],{"href":533},"feeds"," for other websites and calendars. The ",[55,1923,1925],{"href":1924},"\u002Ffeatures","features page"," has the detail.",{"title":127,"searchDepth":128,"depth":128,"links":1928},[1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936],{"id":1851,"depth":128,"text":1852},{"id":1861,"depth":128,"text":1862},{"id":1871,"depth":128,"text":1872},{"id":1878,"depth":128,"text":1879},{"id":1888,"depth":128,"text":1889},{"id":1895,"depth":128,"text":1896},{"id":1902,"depth":128,"text":1903},{"id":1909,"depth":128,"text":1910},"2026-07-08","Most local business-event listings fail in the same few ways. Here is what a directory for a county or city has to get right before people trust it.","\u002Fimg\u002Fnews\u002Fregional-events-directory.jpg","A hand pressing a red pin into a paper street map",{"name":1942,"username":1943,"photoId":1944},"GeoJango Maps","geojango_maps","Z8UgB80_46w",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fwhat-makes-a-good-regional-events-directory",{"title":1836,"description":1938},"news\u002Fwhat-makes-a-good-regional-events-directory",[574,154],"S8JKUfGhojBMu-ZasP6foTr9H6ovOH_I_op_7uR-bxY",1792668101571]