How do I keep one calendar when several staff take bookings?
Choosing a shared system
A shared calendar works best when everyone looks at the same place. That might be a dedicated venue booking tool or a carefully managed shared calendar with color coding for holds, deposits and confirmed events. Whatever you pick, avoid keeping parallel records in personal notes or texts.
Pick one person to own the master calendar each week, even when everyone can see it. A named owner makes it clear who resolves conflicts when two inquiries land at once.
Setting rules everyone follows
Give each booking a status such as inquiry, hold, deposit paid or confirmed. Ask staff to check the calendar before promising a date, even when the call is informal. Review the calendar at the same time each day so changes do not sit unseen.
Training and access
Give edit access only to people who have been trained on the booking rules. Keep a short written guide near the calendar that explains how to log events. Changes should leave a record of who made them and when.
Review access once a quarter, and remove anyone who no longer handles bookings.
Common mistakes
- Letting each staff member keep a separate list of holds.
- Promising a date on the phone before checking the shared calendar.
