--- title: Creating Your First Event description: "Events are at the center of VendorHearth Pro. Vendor applications, booth availability, category limits, payments, agreements, add-ons, Vendor Spotlights, and event operations are connected to an event. You may have created your first event during the Setup Wizard. If not,…" url: "https://vendorhearth.com/docs/creating-your-first-event/" updated: "2026-09-22" category: "Getting Started — installation, activation, Setup Wizard, System Readiness, first-time configuration" --- # Creating Your First Event Events are at the center of VendorHearth Pro. Vendor applications, booth availability, category limits, payments, agreements, add-ons, Vendor Spotlights, and event operations are connected to an event. You may have created your first event during the Setup Wizard. If not, you can create one from the VendorHearth Pro administration area. ## Create a New Event From your WordPress Dashboard, go to: **VendorHearth Pro → Events** Select the option to create a new event. Enter the basic information for your event. ## Event Name Enter the public name of the event. Use a name that will be easy for both your staff and vendors to recognize. For example: **Spring Makers Market** The event name will appear throughout VendorHearth wherever the event is referenced. ## Event Date Enter the date of the event. VendorHearth uses the event date for several features, including event management, automated archiving, Vendor Spotlight scheduling, and event operations. ### Date TBA If the event date has not been finalized, you can mark the date as **TBA**. This allows you to begin configuring the event before announcing a final date. Events marked TBA are not automatically treated as past events until an actual event date has been assigned. ## Event Location Enter the location information for the event. Use information that will clearly identify the event location to vendors. You can update the location later if necessary. ## Configure Booth Types Your event needs booth options before vendors can apply for the spaces you offer. A booth type can include information such as: - Booth name or type - Price - Location type - Capacity Location types can be used to distinguish options such as indoor spaces, outdoor spaces, food trucks, or other booth arrangements. Capacity determines how many of that booth type can be made available through the normal application workflow. Additional booth configuration is covered in the **Booths & Categories** documentation. ## Configure Vendor Categories Choose which vendor categories are available for the event and configure any category limits you want to use. Category limits are separate from booth capacity. For example, your event could still have open booth spaces while a particular vendor category has reached its limit. Detailed category configuration is covered in the **Booths & Categories** documentation. ## Review Application Questions VendorHearth can collect event-specific information from vendors using Form Questions. These questions are separate from the vendor's reusable business profile and can be used when you need information specifically for this event. Configure any necessary application questions before opening applications. ## Review Agreements Make sure the appropriate vendor agreements are available before accepting applications. VendorHearth can display your organization's agreements and record the vendor's acceptance during the application process. Your organization is responsible for the actual terms contained in those agreements. ## Configure Paid Add-Ons If the event offers optional paid items in addition to the vendor's booth, configure them before opening applications. Paid Add-Ons are covered separately in the VendorHearth documentation. ## Review Payment Settings If vendors will pay online, verify that your payment gateway is configured correctly before opening applications. We strongly recommend testing your payment configuration before accepting live vendor payments. ## Applications Can Remain Closed While You Work You do not have to open applications immediately after creating an event. In fact, keeping applications closed while you finish configuration is recommended. Before opening applications, review: - Event name, date, and location - Booth types and prices - Booth capacities - Vendor categories - Category limits - Application questions - Agreements - Paid Add-Ons - Payment configuration Once vendors begin applying, changing important event settings can create unnecessary confusion or exceptions. ## Test the Vendor Experience Before announcing that applications are open, create a test vendor account and walk through the application process as a vendor. Confirm that: - The event appears correctly - Booth options are correct - Pricing is correct - Categories are available as expected - Application questions make sense - Agreements appear correctly - The application can be submitted - Emails are being delivered If you plan to accept online payments, test the payment workflow using your payment provider's testing environment whenever available. ## Open Applications Once the event has been reviewed and tested, you can open it for vendor applications. Vendors will then be able to apply through the VendorHearth vendor portal according to the event configuration you created. ## Continue Learning Your first event is now ready for more detailed configuration and management. Continue to the **Events** documentation to learn about editing events, TBA dates, event maps, duplicating events, automatic archiving, and other event-management features.