# Event Management Overview

Event Management lets you plan, coordinate, and track promotional events across your store. From seasonal changeovers to flash sales, the module provides a centralized dashboard where you can see every event's status at a glance and connect it to other BuyerKiosk systems like Comeback Cash, Digital Signage, Backstock, and more.

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## What Is Event Management?

Every store runs events -- holiday promotions, seasonal transitions, clearance sales, and custom campaigns. Event Management gives you a single place to:

- Define an event with a name, type, date range, and description
- Track the event through its lifecycle from planning to completion
- Connect the event to other store systems (integrations)
- View reports on event performance after it concludes

You can access Event Management from the admin sidebar by navigating to **Admin > Events** for your store.

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## Event Types

Each event is assigned a type that determines its color-coded badge and helps with filtering and organization.

| Type | Badge Color | Use Cases |
|------|-------------|-----------|
| **Season** | Amber/Orange | Seasonal changeovers (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) |
| **Holiday** | Green | Holiday promotions (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Back-to-School) |
| **Sale** | Blue | Sales events (Black Friday, Clearance, Anniversary) |
| **Custom** | Purple | Anything else (Grand Opening, Community Event, Store Remodel) |

> **Tip:** Use the type filter on the dashboard to quickly find all events of a particular category.

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## The Events Dashboard

The default view is a **Kanban board** that displays events as cards organized into status columns. You can also switch to a **List view** for a traditional table layout.

### Kanban Board

The board has four columns, each representing an event status:

| Column | Icon | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| **Draft** | Pencil | Events still being configured. Not yet scheduled. |
| **Scheduled** | Clock | Upcoming events with confirmed dates. Waiting to go live. |
| **Active** | Lightning bolt | Events currently running in your store. |
| **Completed** | Check circle | Past events that have finished their wind-down period. |

Each event card shows:
- The event type badge (Season, Holiday, Sale, Custom)
- The event name
- The date range
- The current phase badge (Build Up, Main Event, Wind Down)
- Integration icons showing which systems are connected
- Quick action buttons based on the event's status

At the top of the page, **summary pills** show counts of active, scheduled, and draft events so you can gauge your workload at a glance.

### List View

Click `List` in the view toggle to switch to a sortable table. The list view adds:
- Status filter tabs (All, Active, Scheduled, Draft, Completed, Cancelled)
- Sortable columns for name, start date, end date, and status
- Checkboxes for bulk actions (activate, archive, or delete multiple events at once)

### Mobile Experience

On mobile devices, the Kanban board collapses into a tabbed interface. Tap a status tab (Draft, Scheduled, Active, Done) to see the events in that group. The Active tab is selected by default.

---

## Event Lifecycle

Events follow a defined status flow. Each transition is validated by the system to prevent invalid state changes.

```
Draft --> Scheduled --> Active --> Completed --> Archived
  |           |           |
  v           v           v
Cancelled  Cancelled  Cancelled --> Archived
```

### Status Definitions

| Status | Description | Available Actions |
|--------|-------------|-------------------|
| **Draft** | Event is being configured. Dates, integrations, and details can be freely edited. | Edit, Activate, Delete |
| **Scheduled** | Event has confirmed dates and is waiting for its start date. | Edit, Cancel |
| **Active** | Event is currently running. The system automatically tracks the current phase. | View Report, End Early |
| **Completed** | Event has finished, including the wind-down period. | View Report, Duplicate |
| **Cancelled** | Event was cancelled before completion. | View, Duplicate |
| **Archived** | Event moved to long-term storage. Not shown on the main dashboard. | Unarchive, Permanent Delete |

> **Tip:** Only draft events can be permanently deleted. All other events must be archived first via **Admin > Events > Archive**.

---

## Event Phases

While an event is active, it progresses through three phases automatically based on the current date:

| Phase | Timeline | Purpose |
|-------|----------|---------|
| **Build Up** | Starts X days before `Start Date` | Preparation period -- set up displays, send early promotions, stage backstock. |
| **Main Event** | `Start Date` through `End Date` | The event is live. Promotions are active, signage is running, coupons are valid. |
| **Wind Down** | Ends X days after `End Date` | Wrap-up period -- transition displays, analyze results, wind down promotions. |

The build-up and wind-down durations are configurable per event (default: 14 days build-up, 7 days wind-down). Phase badges appear on event cards so you always know where an event stands.

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## Integrations

Events can be connected to other BuyerKiosk systems through integrations. When you create or edit an event, Step 3 of the wizard lets you toggle and configure each integration.

| Integration | Icon | What It Does |
|-------------|------|-------------|
| **Comeback Cash** | Ticket | Links a Comeback Cash coupon campaign to the event timeline. |
| **Digital Signage** | TV | Schedules slide rotations on your digital signs for the event period. |
| **SMS Blast** | Chat bubble | Sends promotional SMS messages to your customer list at scheduled points. |
| **SMS Trigger** | Bell | Sets up automated SMS responses triggered by customer actions. |
| **Tasks** | Checkbox | Creates task checklists for your team tied to event milestones. |
| **Notes** | Sticky note | Attaches planning notes and instructions to the event. |
| **Backstock** | Cubes | Links backstock bins and inventory management to the event. |
| **Floor Plan** | Grid | Connects floor plan layouts to visualize event merchandising changes. |

When an event is activated, its integrations are activated in the connected systems. When an event is cancelled or ended early, integrations are automatically deactivated.

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## Permissions

Access to Event Management is controlled by four permission levels:

| Permission | Grants Access To |
|------------|-----------------|
| `uri_events` | View the dashboard, list, and event details (read-only) |
| `uri_events_manage` | Create, edit, delete, activate, and cancel events |
| `uri_events_templates` | Manage event templates |
| `uri_events_reports` | View event performance reports and analytics |

Users without the `uri_events_manage` permission will see `View` buttons instead of `Edit`, `Activate`, and `Delete` actions.

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## Troubleshooting

### I cannot see the Create Event button
- You need the `uri_events_manage` permission. Ask your administrator to grant you access.

### An event is stuck in Draft status
- Ensure the event has both a `Start Date` and `End Date` set before activating.
- Check for scheduling conflicts with other events of the same type.

### Events are not appearing on the dashboard
- Archived events are hidden from the main dashboard. Navigate to **Admin > Events > Archive** to view them.
- Check the year and type filters in the action bar -- they may be hiding events that do not match.

### Integrations are not activating with the event
- Integrations are only activated when an event transitions to Active status.
- If an integration failed to activate, check the event detail page for error messages in the integration section.

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## Related Articles

- [Creating and Managing Events](/support/articles/creating-managing-events)