During the implementation process, administrators need to decide how they should handle the “I’m Interested” option, as well as the options for  allowing users to post comments and photos, and allowing users to see who else is planning to attend your events that require official ticketing or registration.

 Our answer is simple: the benefits of the "I’m Going" button vastly outweigh any potential confusion.

 The benefits of having the "I’m Going" functionality as a complement to your ticketing service include:

To gauge interest: If a user is interested, or intends to attend an event, then they can click the "I’m Going" button to add the event to their personal calendar, which also adds them to the list of “People Going.” Whether they have purchased a ticket or not, this interest is an integral piece in showing your community what events are popular with a literal display of people and by adding factors to Localist’s trending algorithm.

This can also be used for marketing analysis – how does the amount of “interest” compare to the number of tickets actually bought/number of attendees?

Remind your users. If a user selects "I’m Interested," they will automatically receive a reminder about an event. If a user elects not to continue with official registration or purchasing a ticket after selecting "I’m Interested," then the reminder can prompt them to take the next step. This is similar to how users on Facebook can say that they are “attending” an event, but that does not necessarily mean they have already registered or bought a ticket.

Request a review. Like the reminders, a user will automatically receive a prompt to review the event the day after the event occurs. This can provide your organization with invaluable feedback and data that you wouldn’t necessarily receive had the user only used your ticketing service.

Allowing user interaction. And finally, allowing users to see who else is interested in your event as well as allowing them to post comments and photos will engage them more and make them much more likely to attend. The more you let them interact and see who else is interacting with your events, the more interested you make them.

Other articles about working in Localist:

• How do I add an event to the Localist Calendar as an administrator?
• What size image should I upload in the Localist calendar?
• Can a PDF be attached to an event?
• Why doesn’t the Localist calendar have a 30-day grid-view?
• What is the approval process for getting events on the Localist calendar?
• How do I gain Administrator rights to the Localist Calendar?
• What if I need an approved event modified or deleted from the Localist calendar?
• I’m an administrator for the Localist calendar. How do I create featured events for my college or school?
• How do I create a past events disclaimer in the Localist calendar?
• Should I include social interactions such as an "I’m Going" + Ticketing/Registering button on my Localist calendar event?
• Why are past events still appearing in the Localist calendar?
• Can I add a Localist Calendar event to my personal calendar?
• How do I create a widget in Localist for my Georgia State website?
• How do I turn off social interactions (e.g. "User comments," "I'm interested," and "Invite friends")?