Listing your first event: an organiser's checklist

Putting your first event online can feel like a lot of small decisions at once. This checklist walks through them in order, so nothing important gets missed between creating a draft and getting your event in front of people.

1. Set up as an organiser

Anyone can list events on IslandLive, but you start by creating an account and completing a short organiser application. This is a one-time step that lets us reach you about your listing and any issues with your event. Once you're approved, the full event tools open up.

2. Write the event details properly

This is where most first-time listings fall short, so give it real attention:

• Title. Clear and specific — the act or occasion plus a hint of what it is. Avoid all-caps and filler.
• Description. Write a genuine few paragraphs: what's happening, who it's for, what the night looks like, the line-up or schedule, age limits, and anything attendees must bring. A published event needs a real description — a one-line note isn't enough, and a fuller page helps people decide to come and helps your event get found on Google.
• Date, time and venue. Set the start (and end, if you have one) in local time, and add the venue with an accurate address so the map pin is right. For multi-day or multi-venue events, add each occurrence as its own date.

3. Add good images

Listings with strong visuals convert far better. Upload a clear cover image — the artwork, poster or a sharp photo — plus a few supporting images if you have them. Avoid blurry screenshots and images with heavy text baked in; they look unprofessional and read badly on small screens.

4. Tell people where to buy

IslandLive doesn't sell tickets — we point each visitor to your official seller, so this is the step that turns a listing into a sale. Pick how people get in:

• Tickets on an external site. Link to your own ticketing page or partner. The link on the event page sends buyers straight to you.
• Book via WhatsApp. Add a WhatsApp number and visitors message you directly.
• Free entry or pay at the door. Mark it so people know there's nothing to book in advance.

You can also list your ticket tiers and prices for reference (for example early-bird, general, VIP) so visitors see what's on offer before they head to the seller. These are informational only — the actual sale, pricing and any fees happen on your own seller's platform, and your payment goes straight to you. We never add a booking fee or take a cut.

5. Publish (and the listing fee)

Publishing charges a one-time flat listing fee, paid securely through PayHere. There's no commission and no subscription — you pay per event, and every ticket sale goes straight to you on your own seller. When the payment is confirmed, your event goes live automatically and appears in search, category and city pages.

Two things worth knowing before you hit publish:

• Your event needs a proper description to go live — if it's too short, you'll be asked to flesh it out first.
• You can keep editing after publishing, but big changes (date, venue) should be communicated through your seller to anyone who's already bought.

6. Reach event-goers

Once live, your event shows up where people are already looking — in search, and on the category and city pages for your event. Every page is built to be found on Google and shared cleanly on WhatsApp, Facebook and X, so the link does the work of sending people to your official seller. Share your event's IslandLive page in your own channels too; it's a tidy, confirmed page that's easier to trust than a flyer in a chat.

7. Keep your details current

Handling tickets, entry and any refunds stays with you and your seller — IslandLive never touches the money or the attendee list. Your job here is to keep the listing accurate: confirm the seller link still works, update the date or venue if anything changes, and keep your organiser contact details current so we can reach you about your listing.

A quick pre-publish checklist

Before you publish, confirm:

• The title is clear and the description is genuinely informative.
• The date, time, venue and map pin are correct.
• A sharp cover image is set.
• The "where to buy" link or WhatsApp number is correct and working.
• Any reference ticket tiers and prices match what your seller actually charges.

Get those right and your first event will look as trustworthy as it is — which is exactly what turns a browser into a buyer.