How to book members on a first come first serve basis

Before you continue, go to your event settings and make sure you have the Display other members option is turned off. This prevents your artists from seeing who else has been assigned to the event.


Booking Members on a First-Come, First-Served Basis

There are several ways to manage bookings in Band Pencil, and most users develop a process that mirrors how they’ve worked previously. We encourage you to choose an approach that works best for you and to clearly communicate that process to your members.

One of the most effective and commonly used methods for first-come, first-served bookings is outlined below.

Recommended workflow

  1. Assign members to the event
    Assign all members or artists you may wish to book for the event.

  2. Hide the event if needed
    If you need time to finalise event details, set the event as not visible so members cannot see or respond yet.

  3. Make the event live and notify members
    When ready, make the event visible and send an email to all assigned members at the same time.
    Clearly state that the booking is first come, first served, and that the selected member will receive a confirmation email.

  4. Track responses in Band Pencil
    Use Band Pencil to monitor availability responses and see who replied first.
    Alternatively, you can rely on email notifications when a member updates their availability.

  5. Confirm the booking
    Once the first respondent is identified, email them to confirm the booking.

  6. Remove other members
    Remove all remaining members from the event to avoid confusion.
    Optionally (but recommended), email them to let them know they have not been booked.


Saving time with member groups

To speed things up, you can create member groups and assign an entire group to an event instead of adding members individually. This can significantly reduce admin time when managing gigs.


Identifying the first respondent

On the event page, look for the gold trophy icon 🏆. This automatically highlights the first member to submit their availability.

Please note:

  • The trophy is not awarded if availability is set by an admin.
  • If an admin later changes a member’s availability, that member is excluded from first-response tracking.

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