Running events can be incredibly rewarding, but they often take more time than you expect. When you’re just starting out, it’s easy to underestimate all the small tasks that add up—booking confirmations, reminders, payments, waiting lists, and attendance tracking can take up valuable time and mental energy.

What if you could simplify these tasks and focus on the parts of your events you enjoy most? With Bookwhen’s automation features, you can do exactly that.

What is automation in Bookwhen? 💡

Think of automation as your virtual assistant. Once set up, it takes care of everyday admin tasks in the background, helping your events run smoothly without adding to your workload.

From sending confirmations and reminders to managing payments and waiting lists, automation keeps things moving for you. This means fewer manual checks and fewer follow-ups, giving you more time to focus on your customers and your business.

You stay in control at every step. Choose the tools that suit the way you work, adjust settings as your needs change, and turn features on or off at any time. Set things up in a way that works for you, then trust Bookwhen to handle the rest.

Automation is there to support you, not replace you. It helps you stay organised, consistent, and responsive, even when things get busy.

What can you automate? ⚙️

Bookwhen offers a range of automation features designed to make running your events effortless. You can automate:

• Bookings and confirmations: Automatically send confirmation emails when someone books anything with you: Tickets, passes, memberships – you name it.

• Payments: Collect payments through Stripe or PayPal without manual tracking.

• Reminders: Send pre-event reminders to customers so no one misses a session.

• Waiting lists: Notify customers automatically when spaces become available.

• Passes and discount codes: Track usage and apply pre-paid sessions or discounts automatically.

• Memberships: Manage recurring access, member-only exclusive tickets, and ongoing payments.

• Cancellations: Return pass usage or credit automatically if a customer cancels. You manage refunds separately through your payment provider or your preferred means, so you stay in control of your payments.

• Attendance tracking: Record who attends without manual updates.

Setting these features up once means Bookwhen works in the background, reducing your workload and helping your events run smoothly. You can then tweak them as your business grows, making sure they always match the way you work and what you need.

Why use automation? 💭

Automation is not just about saving time. It also helps you:

• Stay organised
• Save hours each week
• Reduce mistakes like double-bookings and missed follow-ups
• Keep customers informed and engaged
• Focus on teaching, hosting, or creating rather than admin
• Feel confident that important information is shared with your customers without extra effort
• Keep customers happy by sending the right messages at the right time

The less admin you have to handle, the more time you gain to grow your community and focus on what really matters. And who wouldn’t want that? 💚 When you spend more time on the things you love, that energy rubs off—on you and everyone around you.

Examples of automation in action 🚀

Here are a few ways organisers use Bookwhen automation to make life easier:

Yoga studios

• Automate reminders for multi-class passes so students never miss a session
• Set up passes, bulk-booking discounts or courses as an incentive for repeat bookings
• Use the Zoom integration for online classes. When someone books, the integration automatically creates a new, unique meeting.

Children’s activities

• Notify parents when spaces open on waiting lists and track attendance automatically
• Set up custom children's booking forms to ensure that all the important details are captured during booking

Workshops and courses

• Apply discount codes or track bulk booking discounts without extra admin
• Utilise post-event emails to link to certification or congratulate students on completing the workshop or course

Membership programmes

• Give recurring access and manage payments without manual work
• Create exclusive offers using specific ticket options

How to get started 🙌

• Decide which tasks to automate that are included in your plan, such as reminders, or attendance tracking
• Set up automation in your account by visiting the relevant settings in Bookwhen
• Test a booking to ensure emails, payments, and notifications are triggered correctly
• Relax and let your automation do the work for you

Pro tip ⭐️

Once automation is set up for one type of event, you can replicate it for other classes, workshops, or activities. This way, every part of your schedule benefits from automation without extra effort.

Discover how Bookwhen can help grow your community. Sign up for a free trial, or reach out via live chat or email to learn more! 🕺