Events Workbook | TwendeTrips

Chapter 1

Find an event worth hosting

The best first events come from a crowd you already know and something you would happily organise. Start with who will come and why, before you book a venue.

Your one-sentence event

I will host

for

in

Is it worth hosting?

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I can name who the event is for, and I know at least 10 of them personallyA launch, a party, a workshop, a screening, a fundraiser: the clearer the crowd, the easier it is to fill.
I asked those people if they would pay, and at least 3 said yesNot "sounds fun", but "I'd buy a ticket". WhatsApp polls and status replies count.
I can say in one sentence why someone should come to this oneThe lineup, the venue, the theme, the price, the people who will be there. Pick one.
I checked the date does not clash with something bigger my guests care aboutA big match, a holiday weekend, exams, payday week, another event in the same crowd.
I picked a size I can run safely and fillA full small room beats an empty big one. You can raise the number of tickets later, but you cannot lower it below what is sold.

Kinds of event that work well on Twende

Ticketed nights: parties, dinners, concerts, comedy, launches.
Learning events: workshops, masterclasses, panels, networking mornings.
Community events: fundraisers, reunions, markets, faith and family gatherings.
Guest-list events: free, invite-only tickets for named guests, so everyone arrives with a QR ticket.

Chapter 2

Know the rules

Kenya's rules for events are set mostly by your county and by a few national bodies. This chapter is a list of things to ask and settle before you take any money. It is a checklist, not legal advice.

Ask first, then publish

Permits, licences and their costs differ by county and change over time. We name who to ask rather than quote a fee, because a number from us would go out of date. Start early: some of these take weeks.

Before you take any money

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I asked my county government's licensing office what an event like mine needs, and how far ahead to applyAsk about an events or entertainment permit and, if the event is outdoors or loud near homes or businesses, a noise permit. Rules and fees are set by each county, so ask the one the venue is in.
If alcohol will be sold or served, I have the licence for that day, or the venue's licence covers it in writingThe Alcoholic Drinks Control Act provides for county alcohol licensing, including licences for a single occasion. Ask your county's alcohol licensing committee what to apply for and when.
If music will be played or performed, I checked which music licensing body is currently licensed, and I got the licence before the dayKAMP, PRISK and MCSK have offered a joint licence for concerts, shows and similar events. Which societies are licensed to collect has been disputed, and the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has recently posted notices on it, so check its current list before you pay anyone.
The venue's owner or manager agreed in writing: the date, the hours, the capacity, who pays for what, and what happens if either side cancelsAsk for the venue's own permits and fire and safety arrangements, and for how many people they allow.
I asked about public liability cover for the event, and whether the venue requires itTwendeTrips does not insure events, hosts or guests. Say so in your listing if it matters.
I will use guest names, emails and phone numbers only for this event, keep them safe, and delete them when I no longer need themThe Office of the Data Protection Commissioner says names, emails and phone numbers are personal data. Registration is expected of most organisations, with an exemption only for very small ones in sectors that are not listed, so ask the ODPC whether you need to register.
I keep a record of what the event earns and spends, and I asked KRA or an accountant what applies to meTicket income is income. KRA's site explains PINs and business income tax. Your payouts page on TwendeTrips shows what you were paid.
If the event has an age limit, I set it in the event, and I will check ID at the doorA minimum age makes buyers confirm they meet it at checkout. The door check is yours.

Who to ask

Your county government's licensing and enforcement offices: events or entertainment permit, noise permit, alcohol licence.
The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO): which collective societies are currently licensed to collect music licence fees.
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC): whether you must register, and how to handle guest details.
KRA or an accountant: PIN, records and tax on what the event earns.
Your venue: its own permits, capacity, fire and safety arrangements, and insurance.

Chapter 3

Plan it like a professional

Events fail on the details nobody wrote down. Type your event date and get every step as a real calendar date, counted back from the day.

Planning timeline

What date is your event?

Pick a date and we’ll turn the plan below into real dates you can tick off.

Chapter 4

Price and ticket it

A ticket price has to cover your costs when the room is half full, not only when it is packed. Work it out before you publish, because prices lock once an event is live.

Ticket price calculator

List what the event costs you. “Whole event” costs are paid once however many come (venue, sound, security). “Per guest” costs grow with the crowd (a wristband, a drink, a meal).

Ticket price you are considering (KES)

Guests you honestly expect

Most the venue can hold

Who pays the TwendeTrips ticket fee?

The guest, on top of the priceYou receive the full ticket price.Me, out of the priceGuests pay exactly the ticket price.

Type a ticket price to see what a guest pays, what you receive and how many tickets cover your costs. A free ticket (KES 0) has no fee at all.

TwendeTrips takes 4.6% of each paid ticket, at least KES 20, and nothing on free tickets. Your first paid event carries no fee at all. The numbers here are only the ones you type in.

How tickets work on TwendeTrips

Up to 12 ticket types per event, for example Early bird, General and VIP, each with its own price, number of tickets and most per order.
Free tickets and free events are always free for you and your guests. A fee applies to paid tickets only.
Guests pay by M-Pesa, card or bank, and get a QR ticket by email and in My tickets.
Guest-list tickets are free and never sold. You add guests by name, and each gets their own QR ticket.
Every ticket carries a name, so you know who is coming. Guests can transfer a ticket, and the old QR stops working.
Your earnings are held safely. Orders whose tickets were all scanned at the door are paid as soon as you close the event (or after it ends). Any other order is paid 24 hours after the event ends. Scan every guest in, and press Close the event.

Chapter 5

Venue, safety and crowd

Guests forgive a late start. They do not forgive feeling unsafe. Walk the venue, rate the hazards, and write down what you will do.

Safety checklist

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The number of tickets I sell is within what the venue allows and what I can safely manageSet your tickets on TwendeTrips to match, and do not let anyone in without a scanned ticket.
I walked the venue: exits are clear, lighting works, and there are toilets and drinking waterDo this at the time of day the event will happen.
At least one person has a current first aid certificate, and there is a first aid kitSt John Ambulance Kenya runs recognised first aid courses. For bigger crowds, ask whether a medic should be on site.
I decided what security I need, and I briefed them, including how to refuse entry and whom to callAgree in writing who they are, how many, and what they will and will not do.
I filled in the risk worksheet for this eventDo it again for every event. The method is the same one used for tours: name the hazard, rate it, decide what you will do.
I wrote my emergency plan, and a second person has itNames and numbers, written down, with someone who is not you holding a copy.
I thought about how guests get home, especially late at nightTell guests about parking and transport in the listing, and about the last matatu or ride options if it ends late.
If children or teenagers may come, I have a plan for lost children and for who is allowed to collect whom

Risk worksheet

For each hazard, rate how likely it is and how serious it would be, then write what you will do about it. Do this again for every event.

Overcrowding or a crushEntrances, stairs, a full dance floor, everyone leaving at once

Not rated

Likelihood

How serious

What I will do about it

Fire or an electrical faultStage power, extension leads, fog machines, blocked exits

Not rated

Likelihood

How serious

What I will do about it

A guest becomes unwellFainting, allergies, alcohol, an existing condition

Not rated

Likelihood

How serious

What I will do about it

A fight or a security incidentAlcohol, gatecrashers, tension between groups

Not rated

Likelihood

How serious

What I will do about it

A child or a vulnerable guest gets separatedLost children, someone left alone and unwell

Not rated

Likelihood

How serious

What I will do about it

Weather turnsRain on an open-air event, heat, wind on a stage or tent

Not rated

Likelihood

How serious

What I will do about it

Power or sound failsGenerator, backup, who decides to pause or stop

Not rated

Likelihood

How serious

What I will do about it

Theft or lost propertyPhones, bags, cars, cash at the bar

Not rated

Likelihood

How serious

What I will do about it

Guests cannot get home safelyLate finish, no transport, drink driving

Not rated

Likelihood

How serious

What I will do about it

Not rated

Likelihood

How serious

What I will do about it

Not rated

Likelihood

How serious

What I will do about it

Emergency action plan

0 of 8 filled in

In an emergency call 999 or 112.

Nearest hospital or clinic, with phone

Nearest police station, with phone

First aider or medic on site

Venue manager (who can open exits and cut the power)

Who decides to pause or stop the event, and how they tell the crowd

Exits and where people gather outside

A person not at the event who has this plan and can call for help

Insurance details, if any

If something happens: 1. Keep people safe and calm, and move them away from the danger. 2. Give first aid. 3. Call for help and say exactly where you are. 4. Tell the venue manager and the person at home. 5. Write down what happened and who was there.

Chapter 6

Write a listing that sells

Most people decide from the photo, the first two lines, the date and the price. Make those clear and your event gets shared.

Let the event planner draft it for you

On a new event, the form offers Plan it for me. Describe the event in your own words and we draft the name, the description, ticket types and extras.
Add what happens and when (doors, acts, speakers, last order) and the ticket types you want. The planner keeps every time and every ticket type you give.
It also lists the permits, licences and costs it finds on public pages for this kind of event in Kenya, each with a link. Check every one with the county or the licensing body before you publish.
Not right yet? Type what to add or change, for example: add a VIP ticket, make it 18 and above, and press Update the draft.
It never sets a ticket price or a number of tickets. Those are yours to decide, using the price calculator in chapter 4.

Things to remember

You need a profile photo and a verified identity to publish, so guests know who is hosting.
Your first live listing on TwendeTrips is checked by our team before it goes public. After that, listings go live straight away.
Photos and text are checked automatically for anything unsafe before they go live.
You can save a draft and come back to it. The date and time pickers will not offer a moment that has already passed.

Chapter 7

Sell your tickets

Nobody finds an event by accident. Tell people directly, repeatedly, and give them something new each time.

Share toolkit

Fill these in once and get a WhatsApp message and an Instagram caption ready to paste. Once your event is live, its Share button does the same with your real details.

Event name

Venue and town

Date

Start time

Ticket price (KES, 0 if free)

Your event link (after you publish)

One line on why it is worth coming

WhatsApp message

Hey! I'm hosting [event name] at [venue and town].
[date], [time].

[one line on why it is worth coming]

[ticket price]. Pay with M-Pesa and your QR ticket arrives on your phone.

Get your ticket here: [your event link]

Instagram or TikTok caption

[event name] | [venue and town] | [date]

[one line on why it is worth coming]

[ticket price]. Link in bio.

#Twende #TwendeEvents #KenyaEvents

Getting the word out

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I messaged my first 10 people personally, with the link
I posted it on WhatsApp status and in 2 or more groups I belong to
I posted on Instagram or TikTok with the cover photo and the link in my bioThe Share button on your event opens a ready-to-post message, with the Twende hashtags, for WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Telegram, and a copy button for Instagram and TikTok.
I asked the venue, performers, speakers or sponsors to share it to their own followersTheir audience is the one you cannot reach alone.
I post again every week with something new (a lineup reveal, a photo, how many tickets are left)
I made a promo code for a group I want to reward (early supporters, a community, a sponsor's guests)Codes can be a percentage or an amount off, with a limit on uses and an expiry time.
I know that guests can join a waitlist if a ticket type sells out, and that they are told if tickets come back

Tools on your event page

Promo codes: a percentage or an amount off, with a use limit and an expiry time.
Waitlist: guests can join when a ticket type sells out, and are told if tickets come back.
Message your guests: one note to everyone with a ticket, for the doors time, parking and any change.
A Featured badge costs KES 1,000 for 7 days and puts a star on your event's card and page. It never changes where your event sits in the list.
Repeat this event: copy it to new dates every week, two weeks or month.

Chapter 8

Run the door

The door is where your event feels organised or chaotic. Plan it as carefully as the programme.

Run sheet

Write the day in order: setup, sound check, doors, the programme, the close, the pack-down. Each line needs a time, what happens, and who is responsible.

Before and on the day

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Sound, lights, security, food and any hired equipment are confirmed in writing, with phone numbers
Everyone on my team knows their job, the run sheet and the emergency plan
I made a door-staff link for each helper on the door, so they scan without needing my loginYou can switch any link off at once from your event's manage page. A link works only for that event.
Before doors, I saved the guest list for offline on each scanning phoneOn the scan page, press Save guest list for offline while you have signal. If the venue's network fails, scanning carries on and syncs later.
I tested the scanner with a real ticket (a free guest-list ticket works) and charged every phone
I have a second scanning phone and a printed or saved guest list as a backup
If there is an age limit, my door team checks ID
I know the headcount at any moment, from the checked-in count on the scan page
If anything changes, I told ticket holders using Message your guests on my event pageGuests are also emailed automatically when the time or venue changes.

A 60-second team briefing before doors

Who is on the door, who is on the floor, who is the single person that decides to pause or stop the event.
How to scan a ticket, and what to do when a ticket says already used or not found.
Where the exits, first aid and the emergency plan are.
What to say if someone is refused entry, and who to call.
The headcount, and when the doors close.

Door staff can scan with a link only, with no account. If two phones scan the same ticket while both are offline, the second is flagged when they reconnect. Keep guest details private and delete them when you no longer need them.

Chapter 9

After the event

The event ends, but the crowd is still there. How you follow up decides whether the next one fills itself.

After the event

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I thanked guests, personally where I could
I answered the reviews, including the harder ones, calmlyYou can reply to a review from your event page. Guests also get a review request automatically.
I wrote down what to change: price, timing, venue, the door, the crowd
I checked my payout details are saved before the event endedOrders whose tickets were all scanned at the door are paid as soon as you close the event. Any other order is paid 24 hours after it ends.
I decided whether to repeat it, and used Repeat this event for the next datesRepeating copies the event, tickets and extras to new dates, weekly, every two weeks or monthly. Guests see the other dates on each page.

Turn one event into a series

Reviews: guests get an automatic request. You can reply to each one from your event page.
Repeat the ones that sold well, with early-bird tickets for the people who came this time.
Take notes while it is fresh: what would you change about the price, the timing, the venue and the door?
Thank your suppliers and partners. They are the team for the next one.

Sources

Each source says whether we read it directly. Where we could not, we say so and rely on it only for the idea that you should ask, never for a fee or a deadline. Open them yourself before you rely on anything, because laws, fees and requirements change. How TwendeTrips works (fees, locks, tools, payouts) matches the platform today.

Office of the Data Protection Commissioner: FAQs Read directly. Who must register, the exemption for very small organisations, and that names, emails and phone numbers are personal data.
KAMP: what is a music licence Read directly. The joint KAMP, PRISK and MCSK licence and the kinds of event and venue it covers, including concerts and road shows.
Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) Read directly. It licenses collective management organisations and has posted recent notices on them. Check it for who is currently licensed before you pay for a music licence.
Kenya Revenue Authority Read directly. PIN registration and business income tax. Ask KRA or an accountant what applies to your event.
Alcoholic Drinks Control Act, 2010 (Kenya Law) We could not open this page automatically, so we have not quoted it. It is the Act that sets up county alcohol licensing, including licences for a single occasion. Read it, and ask your county, before you serve alcohol.
K24: Nairobi noise permits for weddings, churches, roadshows and events A news report, which we could not open automatically. We rely on it only for the idea that noise permits are handled by the county. Ask your county what applies and what it costs.
St John Ambulance Kenya: training First aid training and certification.
CBI: how to manage risks in tourism The general method of assessing risk before each activity and writing down a response. Written for tourism, and the method carries over to events.

The Events Workbook

Find an event worth hosting

Know the rules

Plan it like a professional

Price and ticket it

Venue, safety and crowd

Write a listing that sells

Sell your tickets

Run the door

After the event

Sources

Ready to host your event?