Repeating and Recurring Events

In addition to standalone events, users can (depending on their role) create either repeating or recurring events.

These repeating and recurring events allow hosts to organize things like: monthly meetings, weekly phonebanks, monthly movie nights, weekly lobby days, etc. The tools are flexible to ensure that your hosts are able to host any sort of event they're interested in leading.

Repeating and recurring events are similar but they do have some key differences: who has access to the tools and how automatically the events are created.

Repeating Events

Repeating events can be thought of as a light version of recurring events. With repeating events, only one event is created at a time, but the host is automatically prompted via email to create the next event in the series.  Repeating events can be created by any user without special permissions on the platform. The option to repeat an event is shown at the bottom of the normal event creation form.

For events marked as repeating, we'll send an automatic prompt to create the next event immediately after the already-scheduled event ends (or two hours after the event's start time if no end time is set by the host).

If the host clicks the link in the email, they'll be brought to the new event form, with details pre-filled based on the previous event they created. In particular, the following information will be copied to the new event:

• title and description
• location, including unconfirmed status, private status, and/or additional location details
• start and end times
• attendee limit
• web conference URL
• cohosts (who will also be granted host-level access to the new event)

If needed, the host can edit any of the pre-filled event details. After creating their new event (which will require moderation) the host will also be prompted to invite their previous event's attendees to the new event. Clicking the button in the banner will bring them to their previous event's Email Supporters page. Any promotional email will need to be approved by admins.

We'll continue to prompt the host to create new versions of the event as the already-scheduled versions end. Because each event needs to be manually created, we can ensure that the host is still active and engaging with their event. Also, because these events can be created by any user, the manual creation process ensures that they're still sent through the moderation queue for approval.

Recurring Events

Creating Recurring Events

The Recurring Events feature is limited to user accounts with more advanced permissions. Currently, it's only available to local group organizers, but access will be extended to organization and partner administrators in the future.

Like repeating events,  recurring events can be used for things like: monthly meetings, weekly lobby days, weekly trivia nights, etc.

Recurring events are created in batches – with weekly events created 6 at a time and monthly events created 3 at a time. Batches ensure that users searching for events aren't overwhelmed by hundreds of the same event in their search results. It also ensures that lists do not include orphaned events (e.g. events that have been auto-created even though the host is no longer active and engaging with the event).

Group organizers can set up a recurring event by going to the group's normal event creation page (the local group's main page > Add Event.

The recurrence options available on this page will update based on the details already entered by the event host.

When the host clicks to publish their new event, the first batch of events will be created immediately. We'll also schedule the email that prompts the host to create additional events in the series.

Each event in the recurring series will have its own event RSVP page. These pages will look mostly the same as all other events on the platform, but will include a badge denoting that they're a recurring event and a link to see all upcoming dates in the event series.

These events will also be shown in the group's event list and on public listing pages (unless the group is unlisted).

Attendees of a recurring event will receive an automatic email inviting them to attend the next event in the series.

Managing Recurring events

Local group organizers (and org admins) can manage their group's recurring events by going to the group page > Settings > Group Settings > Recurring Events.

From the recurring series page, organizers can view upcoming events and edit event details. This includes changing the title, description, location, start and end times, recurrence pattern, attendee limit, and event image for all newly created events in the series.  From this page, organizers can also cancel an event series.

When an event series has a limited number of upcoming events remaining, group organizers will be asked if they want to create the next batch of events in the series. Regularly prompting the organizers to create the next batch of events allows us to ensure that event lists aren't overwhelmed by hundreds of the same event and that there are not 'orphaned' events hosted by users who are no longer actively engaged.

Any group organizer can click to extend the series and we'll then create the next batch of events in the background. These events will be automatically added to public lookup pages (if the group is not unlisted).