FAQs - Events in the Spond App
FAQs - Events in the Spond App
Who will be notified when I send out an event invitation?
Everyone within the group that has the app will receive a push notification when you send out an invitation (as long as they are invited)
The exception is if someone has turned off push notifications for Spond in their phone settings, or turned of “Invitations for events” within “Push notifications” under the tab“Me” in the app.
Those that are registered with email will receive an email with the event invite. Those who have not yet accepted the group invite will receive a reminder and need to accept the group invite before they can respond to the event.
Who can view an event in the Spond App?
Events are by default only visible to those invited but the administrator can chose if the event should be visible for all group members. This can be set when the event is created or by editing it Who can view an event in the Spond App?. The administrator can also edit the groups default event visibility setting inside group settings (the three dots in the menu inside the group).
Members who’s not invited can see these events by going into the group overview. (On the Home page they can only see the events they are invited to) They can also send a message to the host and comment on the event.
How can I be both a host and an attendee for a Spond event?
If you are the host of an event, but would also like to respond so you can attend as a member, you can add yourself as a member to the group.
You can do this by going to the Members tab > Add.
Add yourself with your name and use the same contact details as your admin account.
If you then invite yourself to any new events, you'll be asked to reply as both host and member. You will be included on both the host list and the attendee list.
How can admins register attendance at a Spond event?
Once an event is set up, recipients will be asked to register attendance in the Spond app. Once the attendance is registered, the attendees won't be able to change their reply, but the admin can edit the attendance manually. This allows attendance to be accurately recorded, which can help coaches, assist with attendance-based incentives, etc.
By ticking the circle next to the participants name you can record that they attended. If you don't tick the box, they'll be recorded as 'Didn't attend'. You can also select to add a note; either Valid absence or Late. This will be visible to the whole group.
This can also be used to record an audience at a match:
If there are non-members who attend an event, the administrator can invite the member to the event (without adding them to the group) with their phone or email, then register their attendance as well.
You can also invite parents and guardians to events and register their attendance.
Group admins can download the full attendance statistics from the group and also the participant list of an event, this includes phone numbers and other custom fields.
How can I edit or delete multiple Spond events simultaneously?
You can edit and delete multiple single events at once (such as the events you created with the season planner) in the web interface. This is not possible in the app.
Edit
On the home screen, press 'Edit events' at the top of the page, below the menu as shown below. Here you can select the events you would like to edit, which will then open in a spreadsheet. Here you can also add a deadline responses and a maximum number of attendees.
Delete
On the home screen, press 'Edit events' at the top of the page, below the menu as shown below. Mark the events you would like to delete and press Delete at the bottom left corner.
NOTE: When an event is deleted, it's deleted for the whole group and cannot be restored. It is also removed from the attendance statistics.
How do I cancel or delete a single event in Spond?
To cancel a single event, go to the event and press the three dots in the menu, then 'Cancel event' and a 'Cancel and notify recipients'. The event will be marked as cancelled in the event list.
To delete a single event, go to the event and press the three dots in the menu, then 'Cancel event' and 'Delete'. The event will be removed from the event list and nobody will be notified. Attendance history for the event will also be deleted.
What happens if I cancel an event in Spond?
If the people that are invited have the app they will receive a push notification if the event is cancelled (unless they have turned off push notifications in the app or phone settings, or declined the invitation).
Those that have not yet responded to the event, or declined it, will not be notified. Recipients that have previously registered their e-mail or at www.spond.com, will receive an email.
If the person is only registered with an email account, he or she will be notified if they accepted the invitation to the event, or it they have not yet replied.
Can the event organiser manually updates responses from invitees to a Spond event?
Yes, this is possible. There's two ways you can do it.
In the Spond App
Enter the specific event, click on the attendee list and set to either 'Going', 'Unanswered' or 'Can't go' and find the person that you wish to change the answer for.
Click the three dots to the right of that person’s name and the option 'Change answer' will appear.
You can also remove members from the event by selecting 'Remove from event'.
For repeating events, you will be asked if you want to remove from 'This event' or 'This and all future events' in this series.
Desktop Interface
Enter the specific event, click on the attendee list and set to either 'Going', 'Unanswered' or 'Can't go' and find the person that you wish to change the answer for.
Individual tabs are located right next to the their names and you can change their response status there.
You can also remove members from the event by pressing the X next to their name.
For repeating events, you will be asked if you want to remove from 'This event' or 'This and all future events' in this series.
How do I remove an attendee from one or more events in Spond?
Removing an attendee is simple.
In the Spond App:
Go to the event and the participant list
Press the three dots next to the person you wish to remove and select remove from event
For repeating event you can also select this and all future occurrences
On the web user interface:
Go to the event and the attendee list.
Press the X next to the person you wish to remove and select Remove.
For repeating events you can also select this and all future occurrences.
NOTE: It doesn't matter whether or not the person you wish to remove has already responded to the event invitation.
How does the 'automatic attendance' feature work in Spond events?
The administrator can choose “attending by default” on events. With this feature, participants who are invited will continually be set to attend events when new events are sent out.
The players (and/or the guardians) may only withdraw from the event if they are not able to attend. They can do so before the event invite is sent as well.
Spond will still send a reminder in the form of a push notification unless the participant decides to turn this feature off. They can do so by pressing the three dots in the top right corner and 'stop push notifications' or 'stop invite notifications for series'
How can I tell if an invitee has seen the event?
When it says 'Seen' under a member that has not yet responded to the event invitation, it means that the member has seen the invitation but not yet responded. This is whether they reply in the app or by email.
You can find the 'Seen' feature in Events, and on the Posts that you publish in a group.
Why can't I find the Spond event I've been invited to?
Follow these steps to find your event:
First check that you logged in with the correct phone number or email address.
Did the event organiser invite you with the right contact details? Did they use the correct phone number or email address?Contact them to make sure.
Did you already decline the invitation to the event?
NOTE: You can view declined and past events in the Events section of the Spond App under 'Upcoming'.
How do I change my response to an event invitation?
It's easy to change your attendance if you have the app. If you enter the event and press the button that says “Attending” or “Decline” the opposite alternative will appear and you can simply choose another answer.
How does the Response Deadline feature work for Spond events?
If the organiser of an event requires needs to know who can attend by a certain time, they set a response deadline that will be visible to everyone who has been invited. Members will not be able to press attend or decline after the deadline has passed without sending a message to the host. If a member has not responded by the deadline ,they can still decline the event to clean up their app.
You can set a response deadline on both one-off and recurring events.
Administrators can still change the status of the participants after the response deadline has passed.
Admins can also set an automated reminder to be sent out 48hrs before the response deadline.
NOTE: The response deadline setting is only available for events where default attendance is set to unanswered.
What is the 'Maximum participants' feature and how does the waiting list feature work?
If you choose the 'Maximum participants' option when setting up an event in the Spond app, the first members to accept the invitation will be able to attend. It's first come, first served, up to the limit you have set. Once this threshold has been reached, members will be placed on a reserve list, with spaces allocated in order of who responded first as they become available.
EXAMPLE:
Your event has 10 spaces. Member A is the 11th member to sign up and Member B is the 12th member.
Member A is first in the reserve list and Member B is second.
One of the 10 original responders drop.
Member A is allocated the spare slot.
Member A is now attending and Member B moves to first place in the reserve list.
If someone attending withdraws from the event, the first person on the waiting list will receive a push notification regarding the free space, and will be able to accept or decline. If they decline, the next person on the waiting list will be offered the space, and so on.
The administrator cannot override the waiting list by moving someone up the list. However, they can add members to the waiting list, decline or remove them by going into the attendance list.
NOTE: To disable the 'Maximum participants' feature and the waiting list, go to the event, select 'Edit' and press 'Remove" next to the max attendees number.
If there is a registration fee for the event, the member will not be asked to pay until they have accepted their place.
How do I find find declined or past events?
To see past or declined events, press "upcoming" in the event overview to change the filter. You can also chose if you would like to show repeating and declined events in the overview.
Email: Those who reply through email notifications can change their answer by using the same link they received the first time they were invited to the event. If you register and log in on www.spond.com you will be able to get a full overview over your events.
How do I set up recurring events in Spond?
Recurring events is a really useful feature if your group have regular practice sessions or matches at the same time every week, fortnight or month.
You decide how far in advance the invitations are sent out (from 1 to 14 days). You also specify the day and time of day they will be sent.
You can set a participation fee, which can be collected via Spond.
The group admins receive a push notification before the invitations are sent out, unless this option is turned off, which gives you time to cancel or reschedule the next event if needed.
You can also add a maximum number of attendees, with the option to automatically create a waiting list if this figure is exceed. Read more.
You can set participants as automatically attending ,which means they only have to respond if they can't attend.
You can set a response deadline, after which new attendees will no longer be accepted.
The invitees can turn off notifications by pressing the three dots within the event then "Stop invite notifications for series".
To remove someone from a recurring event, you can press the X next to the participant's name in the participant list. This will remove them from this and/or all future occurrences.
To edit recurring events, go to the relevant 1event and press Edit > Edit this and all future occurrences.
You can also include attachments, registration fees, meet time and a response deadline for each event.
How do I cancel or delete a recurring event in Spond?
It's simple to cancel or delete a recurring event in your group.
To Cancel a recurring event, go to the event, press the three dots ('More'), then select either 'Cancel only this occurrence' or 'Cancel this and all future occurrences', then 'Cancel and notify recipients'. The event will be marked as cancelled in the event list.
To Delete a recurring event, go to the event, press the three dots ('More'), then select either 'Cancel only this occurrence' or 'Cancel this and all future occurrences', then 'Delete'.
The event will be removed from the event list and nobody will be notified. Attendance history for the event will also be deleted.
If you would like to notify members about deleting an event, first cancel the event, then delete afterwards.
NOTE: When an event is deleted, it's deleted for the whole group and cannot be restored.
How can I 'track and trace' Spond event attendees?
There are a few useful functions in Spond that can help you track and trace the attendees for your events:
Create events, set a maximum number of participants who can attend and automatically create a waiting list if that number is exceeded.
Invite members to events, plus parents/guardians and non-members who might want to attend, either as participants or spectators.
Once an event has started, you can log all the participants in attendance.
Once an event has ended and you've logged the attendees you can, export the list of participants. This includes names and contact information.
You can also download attendance history to see the overall statistics for everyone attending.
NOTE: If you want the host to be a participant in the attendance history you also need to add him or her as an attendee.
If you wish to contact the attendees at a particular event, you can send a direct message through the event or use the participant list, which contains their contact information.
What do Spond event invitations look like?
The appearance of the invitation will depend on the device receiving it. It will appear differently whether it is sent to an email or directly in the app (Push notification).
THE APP (PUSH NOTIFICATION)
Where can I change the calendar settings for events in Spond?
In the app
The 'Calendar' option will appear within your Profile tab. This feature will let you choose which calendar you would like to synchronize with the invitations you receive through Spond.
On the web interface.
This is not an option on the web interface.
Can I synchronise Spond events with my calendar?
Yes. You will be able to synchronise events with your calendar if you have the Spond app. The app can be synchronized with both iCal (iOS) and Google Calendar (Android). You can also set reminders for events that you are attending.
If you declined this option the first time you downloaded Spond, your preferences can be changed your profile in the app (the profile icon in the top left corner).
If you can't find the calendar you wish to synchronise with in Spond's calendar settings, you need to add the calendar into the devices accounts:
iOS: Phone settings > Passwords and Accounts > Add account > Enable 'Calendar'
Android: Phone settings > Account > Add account > Enable 'Calendar'
Can I add multiple calendars to Spond events?
Yes. If you add several colours/alternatives in your calendar settings on your phone you will be able to choose these in your Spond app going to your profile (top left corner) and press Calendar Settings and select different calendars for different groups under Group Calendar Settings.
This is very useful if you wish to differentiate between subgroups or several teams, as it will become easier to see which team is going to play
You can also add an alarm in the app. This alarm will not replace another alarm if you previously have added this manually to your calendar on events from Spond, but it will add the alarm as an extra alert. You can turn off the alarm you have manually added if you want to avoid getting two alarms.
Who will be notified when I send out an event invitation from the Spond app?
Everyone within the group that has the app will receive a push notification when you send out an invitation (As long as they are invited).
The exception is if someone has turned off push notifications for Spond in their phone settings, or turned off 'Invitations for events' within 'Push notifications' under the tab Me in the Spond app.
NOTE: Those that are registered with e-mail will receive an email with the event invite. Those who have not yet accepted the group invite will receive a reminder and need to accept the group invite before they can respond to the event.
How do I change the payment method for an event in the Spond App?
If you want to change a payment method for events in the Spond app, you must go through all your active payment requests or events and change to the new payment method. If you're part of a club that shares an account in Spond Club, you can't always choose payment methods other than those prescribed by the club. Speak to your Spond Club admin to find out what your club's policy is.
How to change the payment method:
Go to Events and find events with payment requests.
Select Edit by pressing the three dots in the top right corner
Choose whether it applies only to this event or to all in a series.
Go to Registration fee and Payment method and change to the new one you added or the one shared with in Spond Club. If you have access to a Spond Club account, it will be marked with your club's logo and name.e club.
Save your new settings.
Repeat this for all the paid events and groups.
How do I send a reminder to a Spond event?
This feature works as a friendly reminder to those that have not yet responded to the invitation. Those who have downloaded the app will receive a push notification on their phone, while those that don’t have the app will receive a reminder through SMS or email.
Why are Spond event photos cropped?
The image you choose as the featured photo for each event is automatically customised for the Spond app, with dimensions of 720 x 405 pixels. Spond selects a section of the original image for the app, and another section of the original image for the desktop user interface.
How are Spond event photos cropped?
The picture that you choose as the event photo is primarily customised for the app, with dimensions of 720 x 405 px. Spond selects a section of the original image for the app, and another section of the original image for the web.
Why is there no 'Maybe' or 'Interested' option for event attendance in the Spond app?
Spond is all about getting definitive and straightforward answers, which is the reason that 'Maybe' is not an option.
The Spond team thought long and hard about this and, while it may be fine to say you might attend a party or night out, this is not something that coaches can work with.
This is mainly because it is easier for the organiser to plan an event when they know how many will actually show up. Difficulties may arise if 10 people have replied 'Maybe' to an event, but then everyone shows up on the day. Those who are invited need to consider the event immediately, or wait to respond until they know if they can make it or not. When someone takes a long time to respond to an event, the app will prompt you to send out a friendly reminder to the people who have yet not replied.
NOTE: Users that were previously surprised that 'Maybe' did not exist as an option when they started to use Spond, have later reported that it made the job of managing events significantly easier.
How do I import events into the Spond App?
Spond's Season Planner feature. allows you to upload several events at the same time (for example several different sporting matches). In this feature, a digital spreadsheet will appear, allowing you to copy and paste from an excel spreadsheet or any other overviews that you already have. This feature is only available through web (www.spond.com).
You can also import a calendar file (.ics) from Google Calendar and iCalendar. You will also have the option to paste a web address directly into the calendar file. 'Import' is located at the top right corner within “season planner”.
All the events will appear in a digital spreadsheet allowing you to choose how long in advance the invitations will be sent out by. We will send out the invitations close to each individual date in order to receive the most accurate answers by the members. You will get a notification 24 hours before each invitation is sent out, allowing you to make changes to or cancel the event if required.
How do I download the attendee list for a Spond event?
You can download the attendee list for an event on the web UI or in the app. To get an accurate overview, register the participants' attendance first.
On the web interface:
Enter the event and press the 3 dots in the menu, then Export participants.
In the app
Enter the event and click the participant overview The symbol below will then appear in the top right corner; Press this to export the list.
The export includes:
Members name
Guardian
Phone number
Email
DOB
Custom member fields
How do I turn off notifications for comments in Spond events?
Every single invitation will give you the option of turning off notifications for comments. There could be several reasons as to why you would like to turn this off, for example you may find that the comment field is used too much or if the content is of no interest to you.
You can turn off the notifications if you enter the event or group in the app. Choose the “More” tab to the top right corner, and then “Stop push notifications”. You will no longer receive comments (alerts) from this particular event if you choose this option, but you can always change your mind. This process is done in the same way.
NOTE: You'll still receive a push notification if the event is changed or cancelled by the administrator.
Find Out More
How to set up an event in Spond (Coming soon)