How to Create Events and Complete Event Related Tasks

Action Builder's Events tool helps organizers boost event turnout by streamlining event creation and management. Users with the Organizer role or higher (including Admins and Leads) can create and edit events, as well as assign themselves or others as hosts. Any user assigned as a host, regardless of their overall user type, can edit the event details.

Activists have more limited permissions. They can view events and any RSVPs within their assigned turf and complete any event-related tasks assigned to them, but they cannot create or edit events.

Here's how it works:

• Automated Tasks: Automatically generated tasks manage outreach for recruitment, confirmations, and attendance tracking.
• Integrated RSVPs: Gather key information like dietary needs and accessibility requirements through customizable RSVP forms.
• Collaborative Hosting: Any user with Organizer access or higher can create events and assign multiple hosts.
• Action Network → Action Builder Events Sync: If your organization uses Action Network to collect RSVPs, you can connect the two platforms so that RSVP data syncs into Action Builder automatically. This is a one-way sync from Action Network into Action Builder only. RSVPs made before the two events are linked will not carry over. Learn more about the Action Network → Action Builder Events Sync.

Note: Bulk event and RSVP uploads and API access for event data are not yet supported. The Events Sync is one-way only. See Current Limitations below for full details.

Article Sections:

• Getting Started with Events
• How the Events Tool Works with Tasks
• Filtering for Events with Query Builder
• Completing Event-Related Tasks in Action Builder
• Current Limitations

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Getting Started with Events

To begin using the Events feature in Action Builder, you'll need to enable it at the campaign level.

1. Enable Events for Your Campaign

• Go to your Campaign Customization tab within the campaign you want to use Events.
• Look for the Enable Events option.
• Toggle Enable Events to turn on the feature for that specific campaign.

Note: Events must be enabled for each campaign individually. If you don't see the option, make sure you have admin access and are working within the correct campaign.

Set Default Task Types for Event Tasks

When enabling Events, you'll see a dropdown to set the default task type for auto-created event tasks.

Options include:

• Standard (default)
• Home Visit
• Text Bank
• Phone Bank

When event tasks are auto-created for recruitment, confirmation, and attendance, they will automatically use the selected task type. For example, if you choose Phone Bank, all event tasks will default to Phone Bank as the canvassing type. Be sure to click Save Changes.

2. Create Events

Once Events is enabled, an Events tab will appear in your campaign navigation and as an option in the dropdown user menu.

To create an event:

• Click New Event.
• Add key event information:
  • Event name
  • Date and time
  • Location for in-person events or virtual meeting link for online events
  • Description
• Fill out the required details:
  • Host: Select a host from the campaign users. By default, the logged-in user creating the event will be selected.
  • Tasks Associated with the Event: Toggle on or off the following:
    • Confirm 5 days before the event.
    • Double-confirm 2 days before the event.
    • Attendance tracking on the day of the event.

Video How-to

3. Outreach for Event Turnout

Events automatically create tasks for recruitment, confirmation, and attendance. These tasks function like any other task in Action Builder and can be managed within the Tasks tool.

Info Fields on RSVPs

Use Info Fields to collect RSVP-specific details like dietary needs or accessibility preferences tied to a specific event.

 

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How the Events Tool Works with Tasks

Activating task generation within your Action Builder event will automatically create tasks for recruitment, confirmation, and attendance tracking.

1. Enable Tasks in the Events Tab

• Locate the task you want to activate, such as a Turnout Task, and click the circle with a plus sign icon.
• This will launch the task in the Tasks tab for further customization.

2. Types of Event-Related Tasks

• Turnout Task: Automatically created for initial outreach.
• Confirm Task: For confirming attendance.
• Double-Confirm Task: To follow up closer to the event.
• Attendance Task: Tracks attendance on the day of the event.

Each task will have a default To-Do pre-selected, tailored to the event.

 

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Filtering for Events with Query Builder

The Query Builder in Action Builder helps you find and organize information in your campaign. You can use it to create lists based on specific event criteria, including RSVP status, attendance status, outreach status, and custom Info Field values.

 

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Completing Event-Related Tasks in Action Builder

Action Builder automatically creates tasks to help you manage your events, including outreach, confirmations, and attendance tracking.

To complete event tasks:

1. Go to the Tasks page by clicking the three dots in the top right corner of Action Builder and selecting Tasks.
2. Under Your Assigned Tasks, you will see your assigned tasks listed by due date.
3. Click on a task to open it and see the To-Dos.
4. Complete your To-Dos as listed.
5. Action Builder automatically updates the person's record when you complete a To-Do.

Types of Event Tasks:

• Turnout: Initial outreach to potential attendees.
• Confirm: Confirm attendance before the event.
• Double Confirm: Follow up closer to the event date.
• Attendance: Track attendance during the event.

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Current Limitations

While Events is a powerful tool, the following features are not yet available:

• Bulk Event Uploads: Uploading events in bulk is not currently supported.
• Bulk RSVP Uploads: RSVPs cannot be added in bulk to events.
• Events Sync: The Action Network → Action Builder Events Sync is one-way only. Data flows from Action Network into Action Builder. Two-way syncing, attendance syncing back to Action Network, and syncing custom fields into Action Builder event Info Fields are not yet available.
• API Access: Event data is not accessible via API at this time.

Please keep these limitations in mind when planning your workflows.