Setting up an event in Happenee follows a logic that respects the dependencies between steps. Groups have to exist before you can target visibility on them in the Registration form. Contacts have to be in the workspace before you can assign them to an event. The Agenda has to exist before you can assign speakers to sessions. This article gives you the order that has worked in practice — first the launch of registration, then the operational phase, then the event itself, and finally reporting.
Before you start, make sure you have ready: basic contacts and groups in the workspace, your GDPR settings, and the e-mail footer.
Work in stages — do not try to have everything done at once. Some things only get configured in the second phase.
For each stage, finish the "blocking" decisions before you dive into the details.
Note: If you run recurring events, you can save time by duplicating an existing event — Happenee copies the setup (graphics, the Registration form, the microsite, e-mails, content and engagement features) into a new event, without attendees or transactional data. For what carries over and what to watch for, see Duplicating an event. Event templates as reusable blueprints are still in development. Either way, keep a clear group structure, custom contact fields, and GDPR templates in your workspace settings — those parts do not need to be reconfigured across events.
Separate the event date from the date when you need to send invitations and open registration. Required materials, any domain setup, training, and testing must be ready first. Confirm the scope and dates for your agreed service; offer validity and the license period are separate.
To open registration, complete the content attendees need to decide and register. You can prepare further Agenda content or the attendee app later if registration does not depend on them. Decide who will supply the remaining content and when attendees will receive it.
This stage applies to the whole workspace. For a later event, review changes to the company, sender, access, and input materials. If everything matches the current brief, continue to Stage 1.
Workspace settings — company information, the default e-mail and microsite footer (typically handled by customer support at your request).
Custom contact fields — if you know you will want to track specific information on contacts across all your events (company, job title, internal ID), set the fields up now.
Personal data protection (GDPR) — the processing template, plus consents beyond the baseline (marketing, photos). Without this, you cannot legally launch registration.
Importing the contacts database — if you already have a database of attendees, import it.
Creating the basic groups — VIP, speakers, client segments, internal team.
Create a new event — name, date, time, time zone, type (In-Person, Virtual, Hybrid).
Primary language — decide based on the expected nationalities of your attendees. If international guests are coming, the primary language is English. Once the event is created, this decision is irreversible.
Secondary languages — add the other languages in which you will publish content.
Decide on the registration type — public, closed, nominated, approved? With additional information or automatic? Paid or free? (See Choosing the right registration type.)
Group structure for this event — create the groups you will use in the Registration form, in visibility targeting, and in communication.
Assign contacts to the event — from the workspace, assign who belongs to this event. With closed registration, this is how you decide who gets the personal link.
In this phase, you fill in the informational backbone of the event. Order within the stage is not strict, but a few dependencies still apply:
Venue — where the event takes place.
Contact — who the contact person on the organizing side is.
Agenda — first the session types (when relevant), then the individual sessions.
Speakers — only after the Agenda is in place, so you can assign them to sessions.
Sponsors, Exhibitors — if they are part of the event.
Custom content, FAQ, info blocks — specific information for attendees.
For each content feature, decide:
Where it shows (microsite, app, both)?
Who sees it (everyone, or selected groups)?
Contact details — decide which fields are required, optional, or hidden.
Additional questions — add questions specific to this event (meals, parking, workshop, accommodation).
Conditional questions — if some questions depend on other answers, link them.
Visibility by group — if a question should only be visible to some attendees, configure that.
Form preview — walk through the full flow from the attendee's perspective.
Invitation e-mail — content, design, embedded links. Short and direct; the goal is to get the attendee onto the microsite.
Confirmation e-mail — contains the QR ticket, links to the app, and other information.
E-mail campaigns — if you plan further communication before the event (reminders, details, practical info).
Test send — send the invitation and confirmation e-mails to a test address yourself, and verify the links and rendering.
Microsite — verify the visual look, the languages, and the content of each feature and module.
Attendee app — if you use it, walk through how the content shows in the mobile and web versions.
Feature and module visibility — review once more what is enabled and where.
Final check — previews on the microsite and in the app, every language, a test registration.
Launch — share the link (public or personal, depending on the registration type), send invitation e-mails.
In this phase, the event is public. Watch for:
Registration statistics
Error e-mails (invitation did not arrive, link does not work)
Capacity changes, approval flows (when enabled)
E-mail campaigns — reminders, agenda details, practical information
Check on the check-in setup — who handles arrivals, which zones, which QR scanners.
Accounts for event staff — if you delegate check-in to a third party.
Badge printing — if you print badges, review the layout and prepare the export.
Seating — if you use it, finish assigning seats.
Notifications for day one — push notifications drafted and ready.
Checking attendees in (Check-in).
Operational notifications (agenda changes, practical info).
Responding to attendee questions through the app.
Statistics — overall attendance, workshop fill rates, registration trend.
Survey / feedback — if it is enabled.
Follow-up communication — thank-you, materials, next steps.
Data export — if you need data for internal reporting.
Work in stages. Decide the language, registration type, and groups first. Before launch, complete and test the registration journey and the content attendees need for it. Later content need not block registration if neither the form nor the promise to attendees depends on it.
The order in Stage 3: session types first, then sessions, then speakers. If you keep that order, you will not have to backtrack.
Plan your groups in Stage 2, before the Registration form. For the form to assign them automatically, they have to exist.
Always run a test — go through registration as an attendee, let every e-mail land in your inbox, open the QR ticket, look inside the app. It is better to find a bug an hour before launch than an hour after.
After every edit, switch the language with the flag and verify. Especially before launch, walk through every language end to end.
When the date, company, links, or agreed scope changes, review what has already been sent and what is still being prepared. Identify the current materials and test the changed journey from the attendee’s perspective. An earlier offer or a copied event does not replace the current brief.
