CaliDiary is an event booking system that lets event organisers sell tickets on their own WordPress website. An event can run on one or several dates, with ticket types that have their own prices and limits, a QR ticket for every guest, and check-in at the door from any phone. Free events book with no payment step, and guest lists stay on your own website.
Lanternhouse EventsBook an appointment
Live demoCheck and confirm
Demo only: a made-up business. Nothing is sent or stored.
Made-up businesses, real CaliDiary features. Each example names the features that do the work.
Lanternhouse Events (a made-up organiser) runs a free evening talk in a room that seats 80. Guests book up to 2 places each on the organiser's website, get a confirmation email and a reminder the day before, and the talk stops taking bookings when the last place has gone. When people drop out, the waiting list offers their places to the next guests by email.
A one-day conference sells Standard tickets at $60 (150 places) and Concession tickets at $30 (40 places), with an early-bird price until a set date. Guests pay by card through the organiser's own Stripe account when they book, and each one is emailed a QR ticket made on the organiser's website.
On the night, two staff open Check in on their phones and scan each guest's QR ticket. The screen says "Checked in" with the guest's name and ticket type, or "Already used at 19:02" if someone tries the same ticket twice. A live count shows how many guests have arrived, and guests without their phone are found by name.
For a product launch with limited space, the organiser chooses I'll confirm each booking myself. Guests request a place and answer a few questions (their organisation and any access needs); each request holds its place while the team checks the list, then accepts or declines.
Appointments several people can book at the same time.
AvailableThe time is held until you accept or decline.
AvailableNo price, no payment step.
AvailableDates, ticket types with their own prices and limits, QR tickets.
AvailableAn example to adapt: change the names, lengths and prices to your own.
| Service | Length | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Evening talk80 places, up to 2 per booking | 90 min | Free |
| Hands-on workshop16 places on each of three dates | 3 h | $45 |
| Conference: Standard ticket150 places | 1 day | $60 |
| Conference: Concession ticket40 places | 1 day | $30 |
| Launch eveningRequests you approve | 3 h | Free |
One-off events with ticket types, their own prices and limits, QR tickets and check-in.
Paid up front, in full or by deposit, into your own Stripe, PayPal or Mollie. No commission.
When a time is full, people join a list and are offered freed places by email.
Codes customers enter when booking, for offers you choose to run.
Hold the time and decide yourself whether to accept or decline each booking.
Download bookings and customers as spreadsheets; a Reports screen on paid plans.
Solo runs events: ticket types with their own prices and limits, QR tickets and check-in, card payments, discount codes, the waiting list and invoices. The free plan covers appointments, group places and simple classes, free or paid, and shows events in the plugin with a Solo badge, so you can try them free for 14 days. A team that shares the work, with staff checking guests in and access set per person, or several venues, needs Pro.
The hardest part of running an event is the number: too few bookings and the room feels empty, too many and people are turned away at the door. CaliDiary counts places as people book, inside the same database lock that prevents double bookings. When two people try to take the last ticket at the same moment, the first gets it and the second is told straight away, shown the dates that still have room, and keeps what they typed. An event can never sell more than its capacity, and each ticket type stops at its own limit too. See how the booking lock works.
On Solo and Pro, an event can have as many ticket types as you need: Standard and Concession, a VIP table, a staff-only ticket hidden from the public. Each one can go on sale and stop on its own dates, which is how early-bird prices work. Discount codes can be used for partners and members, and the discount comes off before tax.
Many organisers mix both: a free talk to bring people in, a paid workshop for those who want more. The price is set per ticket, so free and paid events sit on the same booking form. A free event books straight through with no payment step. Paid tickets can be paid by card when people book, through your own Stripe, PayPal or Mollie account, with no fee from CaliDiary, or by bank transfer with the guest's own reference. More in free and paid bookings.
The booking form asks what you need to plan the day, once per order or for every guest: names, access needs, dietary needs, the organisation someone represents. Answers are kept with each booking, shown to your team, and included in the guest list download.
Every ticket carries a unique, signed QR code made on your own website, with no outside service involved. Staff scan tickets with any phone browser while signed in; results show in colour and in words, so they are clear in a busy doorway. Cancelled or refunded tickets stop working, and a check-in made by mistake can be undone. See events with tickets.
The booking form is built and tested to WCAG 2.2 AA. It works by keyboard alone, with screen readers and at large text sizes, which matters for public events where you cannot choose your audience. See accessible booking.
Guest lists are personal data. CaliDiary keeps bookings, answers, tickets and payment records in your own WordPress database; they never reach CaliDiary's servers. When a guest asks what you hold, WordPress's own export tool includes their bookings.
Cookery and art classes, tours, escape rooms and training workshops.
Portrait sessions, headshots and mini-session days, with the shoot details asked up front.
Room and hall hire, group sessions, repair cafés and club events.
Venue viewings, menu tastings, fittings and planning meetings.
Start on the free plan, with no booking limit. Upgrade only when you need to.
