In the fast-paced world of event management, streamlining processes and maintaining a consistent schedule are key to ensuring long-term success. For organizers, hosting events that occur regularly—whether they are weekly yoga sessions, monthly webinars, or annual conferences—can offer numerous advantages in both planning and attendance. These are called recurring events.
Understanding what recurring events are, why you should incorporate them into your strategy, and how they work can help you unlock better engagement and operational efficiency. Read the blog to learn about recurring events and how to host them with EventZ– an event management and ticketing platform.
What are Recurring Events?
Recurring events are also termed repeating events. It’s a type of event that is hosted multiple times on a repeating schedule. Rather than being a one-off occurrence, it follows a structured schedule—be it daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.
Examples include:
- Fitness Classes: Daily or weekly yoga, pilates, or gym sessions.
- Webinars/Workshops: Monthly knowledge-sharing sessions with industry experts.
- Concert Series: Seasonal or annual music festivals or performances.
- Corporate Meetings: Regular team sync-ups or business review meetings.
With recurring events, organizers can streamline the scheduling process by setting up all future occurrences in one go, rather than creating individual events from scratch each time.
What is the Difference Between Recurring and One-time Events?
In event management, understanding the distinction between recurring events and one-time events is crucial to building an effective strategy. Both types of events serve different purposes and come with their own sets of benefits. Here’s an in-depth look at the differences and how each type can help you achieve your event goals.
| Aspect | Recurring Events | One-Time Events |
| Frequency | Repeats at set intervals (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, annually). | Happens only once and does not follow a fixed schedule. |
| Planning | Requires initial planning for multiple instances but can be automated. | Requires detailed, all-in planning for a single occurrence. |
| Audience Engagement | Builds long-term relationships through repeated engagement. | Creates a lasting impact for a single occasion with a larger crowd. |
| Revenue Model | Generates ongoing revenue through subscriptions or series-based tickets. | Relies on one-time ticket sales, sponsorships, or fundraising. |
| Flexibility | Consistent format with minor variations across events. | Complete creative freedom for format and structure. |
| Operational Efficiency | Saves time through automation and streamlined processes. | Intensive planning for a single, high-impact event. |
| Brand Building | Helps establish long-term brand presence and authority. | Ideal for making a big splash with a limited-time event. |
| Community Building | Fosters’ ongoing community participation and loyalty. | Typically doesn’t build long-term relationships due to its one-off nature. |
| Revenue Predictability | Provides predictable, steady income from repeated attendance or memberships. | Generates significant income quickly but only for a short time. |
| Goal Focus | Ideal for long-term engagement and community growth. | Best for achieving a specific, immediate goal, such as launching a product. |
How to Choose Between Recurring and One-Time Events
When deciding whether to host a recurring event or a one-time event, consider the following factors:
Revenue Strategy
If your business model thrives on subscriptions or repeat customers, recurring events offer steady growth. One-time events, however, can generate significant income quickly if marketed effectively.
Purpose
If your goal is to build long-term engagement and community, recurring events are ideal. For goals that require a high-impact, short-term push (such as product launches), opt for one-time events.
Resources
Recurring events can be more time-efficient over the long run but require a well-thought-out system for managing multiple sessions. One-time events require an intense focus of resources for a short period but are done after the event ends.
Why Must You Create Recurring Events?
There is a boost in ad spending from recurring events in 2024 including the US election and the Olympics. The US ad market adds tens of billions to the ad market, however, non-cyclical advertising is performing extremely well.
Source: (eMarketer)
Let’s explore more on why to create recurring events or the benefits of creating recurring events.
Consistency and Predictability
When you create recurring events, you establish a rhythm that helps your audience know what to expect.
Regular attendees become familiar with your schedule, which builds trust, brand recognition, and anticipation. Knowing that every Tuesday at 7 PM there’s a yoga class, or that your annual conference takes place every January, encourages ongoing participation.
Operational Efficiency
Setting up recurring events allows you to automate key processes, such as ticketing, marketing, and reminders. This not only saves time but also reduces errors that might arise from creating new events manually every time. Our event management systems simplify these processes, making event setup and attendee management a breeze.
Increased Engagement
Recurring events foster community and long-term engagement. Attendees of regular events often form relationships with each other and the organizer. This creates a loyal base of participants who are more likely to promote your events through word-of-mouth or social media, leading to higher attendance rates and stronger networks.
Better Financial Planning
From a business perspective, recurring events provide a stable and predictable revenue stream. When you know that an event will happen every week or month, you can forecast ticket sales more accurately.
Recurring events also open opportunities for subscriptions, offering attendees packages where they pay upfront for multiple sessions at a discounted rate. This improves cash flow and ensures a higher level of commitment from participants.
Brand Authority
When you regularly host events, especially in a specific niche or industry, it positions you as an authority. Consistency showcases your reliability and dedication, helping you build trust within your community or industry. Over time, this increases your credibility and influence.
How Does a Recurring Event Work?
Creating and managing a recurring event can be done in a few steps:
Initial Setup
First, you decide the nature of the event and its schedule. This includes setting dates, times, and intervals for each occurrence. Most event management apps allow you to set the frequency, whether it’s daily, weekly, or monthly, and define how long the recurring schedule should last (for example, for six months or indefinitely).
Ticketing and Registration
Platforms that support recurring events offer seamless solutions for handling multiple event occurrences. Organizers can create a single event page with ticket options that apply to all occurrences or allow participants to select individual dates. The system automatically generates tickets for every event instance, reducing manual input.
Automated Reminders and Notifications
Recurring events typically come with built-in automation for reminders and marketing. Attendees receive automated emails or notifications about the upcoming event, ensuring they don’t forget. This hands-off approach is critical for long-term engagement, especially for events with multiple sessions.
Data Collection and Analysis
Recurring events also provide the opportunity to track attendance and collect feedback across multiple instances. This data can be used to optimize future occurrences, understand trends, and improve overall event performance. Organizers can analyze which sessions perform better, adjust timings, or offer tailored experiences to specific audiences based on insights gained.
Flexible Changes
Recurring event schedules can often be updated without disrupting the entire series. Whether you need to cancel a single instance, change the venue for just one session, or adjust timings, event platforms allow you to make these changes while maintaining the overall schedule.
How to Create Recurring Events with EventZ- Event Management Platform?
Creating a recurring event using EventZ, an event management platform, is straightforward and efficient. Recurring events allow you to host sessions that repeat on a scheduled basis, automating much of the process so you can focus on delivering a seamless experience. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up a recurring event with EventZ.
Signup and Login to EventZ
Start by logging into your event ticket-selling platform account with your credentials. If you’re new to the platform, you can sign up for an account by following the appropriate process.
Navigate to the ‘Create Event’ Section
Once logged in, head over to the event dashboard. Here, you’ll find a button or menu option like ‘Create New Event’. Click on it to start the creation process for your event.
Configure Event Details
Now enter event details like “Event Name”, “Organizer Name”, and Note. Choose whether the event will be hosted in person, online, or hybrid. If it’s an online event, you need to enter the online link to integrate platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, or any other conferencing tool that EventZ supports. Also, choose “Category” and Sub-category” for your hosted event.
Define Recurrence Pattern
After entering the event details, select your time zone. When creating a new event, you’ll be prompted to choose the type of event. In this case, select Event Recurring from the available options.
Event Frequency: You’ll now have the option to set how often the event should recur. You can choose from daily, weekly, monthly, or custom intervals (such as every two weeks or every third Friday).
Start and End Dates: Set the start date and time for the event. If you have a specific end date for the recurring events, you can define it here or choose to let it recur indefinitely.
Other Event Details
After entering recurring event frequency, start and end date, update the additional details like “Event Image”, “Description”, and “Refund Policy”.
Create Ticket
Once you create your recurring event, it’s time to create a ticket for a hosted event. Choose the “Paid” or “Free’ ticket option. If you’re going for the “Paid Ticket” option, set the ticket price (if applicable) for each session. You can offer recurring attendees subscription packages or allow them to purchase individual session tickets.
Enter “Ticket Name”, “Price”, “Quality”, and “Tickets Per Users” information. Also complete the advance setting by filling in details including, “Sale Start Date”, “Sale Start time”, “Sale end date”, “Sale end time”, “Ticket Visibility” and “Ticket description”. The event management platform also provides you access to show or hide the number of remaining tickets on your event listing at your convenience.
Publish Event
Review your event information to ensure accuracy once all the details are filled in. Double-check the schedule, ticket prices, and notification settings before moving on.
After review, click ‘Publish’ or ‘Save Draft’. Your recurring event is now live and available for attendees to register. You can even control Who can see your event by selecting the “Public” or “Private” option.
Manage/ Edit
After publishing the event you can manage it easily on an open-source event ticketing system. Besides you can view events, update event details, or delete events through the event management platform dashboard. Advanced features of Eventz enable you to copy and share event URLs and Pause Sales
Customize Reminders and Notifications
EventZ allows you to set automated email reminders and notifications for your attendees. You can configure reminders for each session, sending them a day or a few hours before the event begins. You can also set up promotional emails or text reminders to boost attendance for each occurrence.
Manage Attendee Options
Ticket Purchase: Allow attendees to purchase tickets for individual sessions, or offer a full package for the entire recurring event.
Capacity Management: If your event has limited seating (physical or virtual), you can set attendance limits for each session or the entire series.
Payment Integration
Ensure that you integrate your preferred payment gateway (PayPal, Stripe, etc.) to handle ticket sales smoothly for every session of the recurring event. EventZ supports multiple payment platforms, making this process easy.
Monitor and Manage Event
Post-launch, you can use the EventZ dashboard to monitor ticket sales, attendance, and engagement across all recurring sessions. If needed, you can edit, reschedule, or cancel individual sessions without affecting the entire event series.
Tips for Managing Recurring Events with EventZ
Engage Attendees with Regular Updates: Use EventZ’s built-in communication tools to keep your audience engaged between sessions by sending updates, tips, or reminders about upcoming sessions.
Leverage Analytics: EventZ provides analytics for tracking attendance and engagement. Use this data to optimize future sessions or adjust your marketing strategies.
Offer Flexible Ticketing: Provide options for attendees to purchase tickets for individual sessions, full event access, or membership packages to boost recurring attendance.
Handle Changes Efficiently: If you need to make adjustments to your schedule (such as changing the time or date of a session), EventZ allows you to edit single occurrences or the entire series with minimal effort.
Conclusion
Recurring events are a powerful tool for any organization, business, or individual looking to establish consistent engagement and operational efficiency. From saving time in planning to building stronger attendee relationships, the benefits are clear. By setting up events that occur regularly, you provide your audience with predictability, increase your authority in your field, and generate a steady stream of revenue.
Alphanso Technology’s Eventbrite clone makes it easier than ever to manage recurring events, enabling you to focus on delivering value rather than logistical complexities. If you’re not already creating recurring events, it’s time to start! Not only do they foster consistency, but they also offer long-term benefits for your brand, attendees, and bottom line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the schedule of my recurring event after it’s published?
Yes, EventZ allows you to modify the schedule of your recurring event. You can adjust the time, date, or frequency of individual sessions or the entire series without affecting other instances.
Can I offer tickets for individual sessions within a recurring event?
Yes, you can offer tickets for individual sessions or provide an option for attendees to purchase a package that covers all sessions in the recurring event.
How do I manage tickets and sales for recurring events?
EventZ provides a flexible ticketing system where you can set ticket prices, quantities, and sale durations for each occurrence. You can also manage visibility, offer discounts for recurring attendees, or create subscription packages.
Can I track attendance and engagement for recurring events?
Yes, EventZ provides analytics and reporting tools that allow you to track attendance, ticket sales, and engagement across all instances of your recurring event. This data helps you optimize future sessions and improve the attendee experience.
Can I control who sees my recurring events?
Yes, you can choose whether your event is public (visible to everyone) or private (restricted to a specific audience). This can be set during the event creation process.
What if I need to cancel or reschedule a session within a recurring event?
EventZ makes it easy to cancel or reschedule a single session without affecting the rest of the series. You can update attendees with the new schedule or cancel an instance altogether while keeping the remaining events active.
Can I pause ticket sales for my recurring events?
Yes, EventZ allows you to pause ticket sales for individual occurrences or the entire series. This gives you the flexibility to control when tickets are available based on demand or other factors.
Can I create hybrid recurring events (both in-person and online)?
Absolutely! EventZ supports hybrid events, allowing you to offer both in-person and online attendance options for each occurrence of your recurring event. You can integrate platforms like Zoom or Google Meet for online participants.