How to create an event online

You’re organising an event and want to take it online to sell tickets, manage registrations and deliver a smooth experience for your attendees. Whether it’s a concert, workshop, conference or festival, the creation process is the same.

This article walks you through every step, from planning your event to the big day.

• Define your event and what you need to prepare
• Choose and set up your ticketing platform
• Create an effective event page
• Configure your ticket types and pricing
• Publish and promote your event
• Manage check-in and access control on the day

Define your event before going online

Before opening a ticketing tool, take the time to lock in the essentials. The clearer your choices at this stage, the faster the setup will go.

Format and capacity. A 30-person workshop isn’t configured the same way as a 2,000-person festival. Define your maximum capacity, the number of ticket categories you’ll need and whether you’re planning seated, standing or mixed attendance.

Venue and date. Confirm these details before publishing your event online. Many organisers start setting up their page before the venue is locked in, then have to make changes after publishing, which confuses buyers who already have their tickets.

Budget and sales targets. How many tickets do you need to sell to cover your costs? What’s your target fill rate? These figures determine your pricing strategy and promotion timeline.

Choose and set up your ticketing platform

Your ticketing platform is the central tool for your online event. It handles the purchase flow, processes payments and centralises your sales data.

PassPass lets you create your event in minutes. You fill in the basic information and the platform automatically generates your event page with a shareable sales link. No technical skills needed, the setup process is designed to be intuitive.

Payment methods. Make sure your platform offers the payment methods your audience uses. In Belgium, Bancontact is essential. PassPass natively integrates Bancontact, Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Klarna.

Fees. Understand what each ticket sold will cost you before setting your prices. Transparent fees let you calculate your net revenue from the start, with no surprises when you withdraw your earnings.

Create your event page

Your event page is your storefront. It’s often the first point of contact between a potential attendee and your event, and it’s where they decide whether to buy.

A quality visual. Invest time in a cover image that captures the atmosphere of your event. A polished visual builds trust and makes people want to click. If you use AI tools to generate your visuals, take the time to refine the output. A generic image or text that sounds artificial puts visitors off rather than convincing them.

A clear, descriptive title. "Namur Electro Festival 2026" works. "NEF26" doesn’t. The title should stand on its own when someone sees it in a share or search result.

A concrete description. Detail the programme, speakers or artists, and practical information. Exact venue with Google Maps link, times, access conditions. The more complete your page, the fewer questions you’ll receive and the more visitors you’ll convert into buyers.

If it’s not your first edition, mention it. "3rd edition" or last year’s attendance figure reassures hesitant buyers.

Configure your ticket types and pricing

How you set up your tickets directly affects your sales. A few simple principles make the difference.

Offer multiple categories. Even for a simple event, an early bird and a standard rate boost your revenue and create an initial wave of sales. For larger events, add VIP or group rates.

Name your tickets clearly. "Standard ticket" says nothing. "Entry + 1 drink" or "2-day access" immediately explains what the attendee gets.

Use scarcity and urgency. Limit the number of early bird tickets or set an end date. These are simple levers to configure on PassPass that directly impact your fill rate.

Check how much you actually receive after fees are deducted. See PassPass pricing to simulate your net revenue before launching sales.

Customise and publish your event

Before making your event public, take the time to customise the experience and double-check everything.

Colours and branding. On PassPass, you customise the colours and visuals of your event page so it matches your brand identity.

If you have a website, you can also embed the PassPass sales module directly. Your visitors purchase without leaving your site, which reduces friction and strengthens your brand.

Automatic emails. Your attendees receive a confirmation email after purchase with their ticket and QR code. Verify the information is complete and correct before launching sales.

Final review. Open your page in preview mode. Check the title, description, pricing and sale dates. Run a test purchase if possible. A mistake caught before publishing saves you from embarrassing corrections after the first sales.

Once everything checks out, publish your event. Your sales link is live and you can start sharing it.

Promote your event online

Publishing your event isn’t enough. Promotion is what fills your venue.

Your direct network. Share the link in your WhatsApp groups, on your personal social accounts and in relevant local Facebook groups. Ask your co-organisers and speakers to share too. First sales almost always come from your direct network.

The Facebook event. It generates automatic reminders and organic sharing. Add the sales link directly in the description.

Instagram and social media. Post regular content in the weeks before the event. Stories with a link to your ticketing page convert well, especially in the final days before the event.

Email. A dedicated email to your contact list converts better than a social media post. Send a reminder one week before sales close.

For more on promotion strategies and tracking your sales by channel, read our guide on selling tickets online.

Event day and access control

Access control is the final step of your journey. Every ticket sold contains a unique QR code that you scan with the PassPass app on any smartphone.

Smooth check-in. No more paper lists, no more searching through a spreadsheet. The scan takes one second and immediately confirms whether the ticket is valid. If an attendee has lost their ticket, they can find it in their email or wallet.

Real-time tracking. During the event, you can see how many people have entered, how many tickets haven’t been scanned and your no-show rate. Useful data for adjusting your capacity and forecasts for the next event.

After the event. You leave with your attendee list, sales statistics by category and channel. This is your foundation for preparing your next edition. Send a short satisfaction survey within 48 hours and you’ll have a complete picture of what worked and what can be improved.