How to Create Your First Event in Ripluo

You have an event to plan, and you need a place to organize everything. Ripluo gives you a free, all-in-one workspace where schedules, checklists, budgets, and more live under one roof. This tutorial walks you through creating your account and setting up your very first event - step by step.

Step 1: Create Your Free Account

Head to app.ripluo.com/register and fill in your first name, last name, email, password, and confirm your password. You will also enter an Account Name (your business or organization name) and choose an Account URL - a short identifier for your organization. These can be changed later, so pick whatever feels right for now. Click "Create Account" and you are in. No credit card. No trial countdown. The free plan includes up to 5 active events with full access to every event planning tool.

Creating a free Ripluo account with name, email, and password fields

Step 2: Explore Your Dashboard

After signing up, you land on your dashboard. This is your command center. You will see cards for Active Events, Pending Tasks, Open Opportunities, and Vendor Quotes. Ripluo also creates a sample event called "My First Event" so you can poke around without starting from scratch. The left sidebar lists all your navigation options - event planning tools on top, CRM tools below (available on paid plans).

Ripluo dashboard showing active events, pending tasks, and sidebar navigation

Step 3: Create Your Event

Click the "Create Event" button on your dashboard. By default, you land on the AI creation tab where you can describe your event in a sentence or two and let Buildr AI generate everything for you - name, type, schedule, checklists, and more. It is the fastest way to get started.

Prefer to do it yourself? Switch to the manual form, which asks for:

Event Name - Give it a clear, descriptive name (e.g., "Annual Fundraiser Gala 2026")
Event Type - Select the category that fits (wedding, corporate, fundraiser, 5K, etc.)
Start Date and Time - When does the event begin?
Number of Guests - Your best estimate of headcount
End Date and Time (optional) - When does the event end?
Budget (optional) - Your total estimated budget
Description (optional) - A short summary of the event
Venue (optional) - Where the event takes place

Click "Create Event" and Ripluo builds your event workspace instantly. You now have a dedicated space with its own sidebar, tools, and settings.

Creating a new event with name, type, date, and attendance fields

Step 4: Customize Your Planning Tools

Click into your new event and look at the left sidebar. You will see tools like Event Details, Schedules, Checklists, Notes, Budget, People, Vendors, and more. Click the "All Tools" button to see every available tool for your event.

Here is the key: you can enable or disable tools per event. Planning a small birthday party? You probably only need Schedules and Checklists. Running a multi-day conference with sponsors? Turn on Vendors, Sponsors, and Public Pages too. Disable what you do not need so your sidebar stays clean and focused.

Toggling event planning tools on and off in the sidebar settings

Step 5: Configure Event Settings

Click Event Details in the sidebar to open your event overview. Here you can:

Upload a cover image or change the banner color to brand your event
Add your venue name and address
Set the planning stage (e.g., Planning, Pending, On Track, Completed)
Write a short event description for your team

These details appear across your workspace and on any Public Pages you create later, so it is worth filling them in now.

Editing event details including cover image, venue, and planning stage

Step 6: Let Buildr AI Give You a Head Start

If staring at a blank schedule, checklist, or budget feels overwhelming, Buildr AI is your shortcut. Click the Buildr AI button in the bottom-left corner, describe your event in a sentence or two, and let it generate a complete starting point.

For example: "Create a during-event schedule for a 200-person charity gala at a hotel ballroom." In seconds, you get a structured timeline loaded directly into your event. You can edit, reorder, or delete anything it generates. Buildr AI also works for checklists and budgets.

Using Buildr AI to auto-generate a schedule from a text description

Get Started for Free

Ready to try it yourself? Create your free Ripluo account and have your first event set up in under five minutes. No credit card required, and you get full access to every event planning tool on the free plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ripluo really free?

Yes. The free plan includes up to 5 active events with full access to schedules, checklists, budgets, notes, floor plans, and Buildr AI. No credit card is required to sign up. The CRM, team collaboration, and additional capacity are available on paid plans.

Can I delete the sample event?

Absolutely. Click into "My First Event," go to Settings, and delete it. You can also keep it around as a sandbox for testing features before you start building your real event.

How many events can I create on the free plan?

You can have up to 5 active events at a time. If you complete or archive an event, that slot opens up for a new one.

Can I change my event type or date after creating it?

Yes. Everything on the Event Details page is editable at any time. You can change the name, type, date, venue, headcount, and planning stage whenever you need to.