Why host events?

Before digging further into things, it's worth taking a minute to ask the questions: why would you host events, and what exactly is an "event" as it relates to CiviCRM?

Many not-for-profits exist as organizations that people donate to, become members of, or support in other ways. The purpose and services many organizations provide are not oriented around "walk-in" support or other face-to-face interactions with constituents, apart from events.

Events provide an important (and often, the only) in-person interaction with your supporters, members, and others committed to the mission and vision of your organization. As such, the face and voice of the organization is most clearly seen and realized during events.

So what exactly is an "event"? In CiviCRM, event management tools allow you to do the following:

• Publish and advertise an event description including date, time, and location

• Register participants

• Calculate and collect fees

• Collect data about participants

• Track registrant's...