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Follow these steps after creating your account to get fully set up in under 30 minutes.

Step 1 — Onboarding Wizard

When you first sign in, you'll be guided through a short onboarding flow asking for your business name and time zone. Complete this to unlock your dashboard.

Step 2 — Set Up Your Branding

Go to Settings → Branding. Upload your business logo (PNG or JPG, recommended 400×120px horizontal), choose your primary brand color, and fill in your company name, reply-to email address, support phone number, business address, and website URL. Everything clients see — emails, portal, invoices — will carry your brand, not Booth Genius. Your business address is also used to show accurate local weather on your dashboard.

Step 3 — Connect Stripe

Go to Settings → Billing → Connect Stripe. You'll be redirected to Stripe's secure onboarding flow. If you already have a Stripe account, just log in — it links your existing account, no new account needed. This step is separate from any Booth Genius subscription payment; it's what routes your clients' payments directly to your bank. Booth Genius never holds your money. Required before clients can pay invoices online.

Step 4 — Add Your Service Packages

Go to Settings → Packages. Create packages for your common booth rental options (e.g. "3-Hour Booth — $800", "4-Hour Booth — $1,000"). These populate as quick-add buttons when building quotes, so you don't have to re-type services for every booking.

Step 5 — Create a Contract Template

Go to Settings → Contracts → Templates. Create at least one contract template using merge tags like {{client_name}}, {{event_date}}, {{total_amount}}, {{venue_name}}. This template auto-populates when a client accepts a quote and signs digitally.

Step 6 — Set Up Lead Capture

Go to Settings → Lead Capture (Embed tab). Copy the JavaScript snippet and paste it into your website's HTML — typically in the footer or on a Contact/Book Now page. When a visitor submits the form, a lead will appear automatically in your Booth Genius dashboard. To prevent leads from requesting dates you can't cover, use Calendar → Block Dates to mark unavailable days before going live.

Step 7 — Review Your Default Email Templates

Your account comes with six pre-built email templates and automation rules that cover every major client touchpoint — inquiry auto-reply, quote notification, contract, invoice, booking confirmation, and gallery delivery. Go to Email Templates in the sidebar to preview and customize the wording for each one. Go to Automation to see and adjust the rules that fire them.

Step 8 — Do a Test Run

Create a test event manually (Events → New Event), build a quote, send it to your own email, open the portal link, accept the quote, sign the contract, and pay a $1 test invoice. This gives you the exact client experience before your first real booking.

Your client portal and all outgoing emails use your branding — never Booth Genius's.

Logo

Upload from Settings → Branding → Logo. Appears in your client portal header and outgoing emails. Recommended: horizontal format, transparent PNG background, at least 400px wide.

Primary Color

Pick a hex color that matches your brand. This color is used for buttons, active tabs, and accent elements in the client portal and email header.

Company Name

Displayed in the portal header and email sender name (e.g. "My Booth Co."). If blank, falls back to your account name.

Reply-To Email

When clients reply to your automated emails, replies go to this address — not a generic system address.

Business Address

Your physical business or mailing address (e.g. 123 Main St, Laurel, MD 20707). This is used to show accurate local weather on the dashboard — the weather widget geocodes this address so conditions reflect your business location, not your browser's IP. If left blank, the widget falls back to IP-based location. A note under the dashboard weather widget indicates which source is in use and links directly back here to update it.

Invoice Footer Text

Add custom text at the bottom of invoices — useful for thank-you notes, payment terms, or cancellation policy reminders.

Email Header HTML

Add a custom HTML banner to the top of all outgoing emails for more advanced branding.

Default Deposit % & Payment Timing

Set your default deposit percentage (applied automatically when building new quotes), how many days before the event the balance is due, and a "full payment window" (if the event is within X days, full payment is required upfront instead of a deposit).

Leads are potential clients who have expressed interest. Booth Genius tracks every lead from first contact through booking.

How Leads Come In

1. **Embed Form** — A visitor fills out your inquiry form embedded on your website. A lead is automatically created, and you receive an email notification.

2. **Manual Entry** — Go to Leads → New Lead to manually add an inquiry (useful for phone calls, DMs, or referrals).

Lead Statuses

• **NEW** — Just received, not yet responded to

• **CONTACTED** — You've reached out

• **QUOTED** — A quote has been sent

• **CONVERTED** — The lead became a booked event

• **CLOSED/LOST** — The lead went cold or booked elsewhere

Responding to a Lead

Open a lead to see the inquiry details — event date, event type, venue, guest count, hours needed, and any additional message. Use the message thread to send replies. Your reply goes to the client's email, and their response comes back into the thread. Message threads are retained for **5 months** after the event date (for leads converted to events) or after the message date (for unconverted leads). A booking made a year in advance won't be purged until 5 months after the event actually takes place.

Converting to an Event

Click "Convert to Event" on any lead. Booth Genius creates a new Event and Client record pre-filled with the lead's information. From there you can create a quote immediately.

Lead Form Fields

Customize which fields appear on your embedded inquiry form in Settings → Lead Capture. Toggle fields like venue, guest count, and hours to match what's most relevant to your business.

Events are the central record in Booth Genius — every quote, contract, invoice, message, and gallery for a booking lives inside one event.

Creating an Event

Events can be created three ways:

1. **Convert a lead** — Open a lead and click "Convert to Event." Client info pre-fills automatically.

2. **New Event** — Go to Events → New Event to create one manually (useful for phone or in-person bookings).

3. **From the Calendar** — Click any date to open a pre-filled new event form.

Event Status Lifecycle

• LEAD — Inquiry received, not yet quoted

• QUOTED — A quote has been sent, awaiting acceptance

• BOOKED — Quote accepted, contract signed, deposit paid

• IN_PROGRESS — Event day has arrived

• COMPLETED — Event is over (auto-set overnight after the event date passes)

• ARCHIVED — Closed out; moves here automatically after COMPLETED

• CANCELLED — Event was cancelled (with or without refund)

• LOST — Client went elsewhere before booking

Tabs on the Event Detail Page

• **Overview** — Key event info: date, time, venue, client contact, and internal notes

• **Messages** — Full email thread with the client (client replies come in from email automatically)

• **Checklist** — Task list for setup and day-of coordination

• **Quotes** — All quotes for this event

• **Invoices** — Payment milestones and collection status

• **Contract** — The signed (or pending) contract

• **Designs** — Booth template designs sent for client approval

• **Gallery** — Photo delivery tab (Pro only)

Internal Notes

The Notes section on the event overview is private — clients never see it. Use it for parking details, setup contacts, venue quirks, or anything your team needs to know on event day.

Automated Status Transitions

Events past their date automatically move to COMPLETED overnight. You can also click "Mark Complete" from the event header to close an event out early. COMPLETED events transition to ARCHIVED automatically to keep your active event list clean.

If a client cancels or you need to cancel a booking, Booth Genius handles the status change and optional refund in one step directly from the event detail page.

How to Cancel

Open the event detail page. In the header action buttons, click "Cancel Event." A confirmation panel appears with three options:

• **No refund** — Cancel the event and keep all collected payments. Use this when your cancellation policy doesn't entitle the client to a refund (e.g. a non-refundable deposit clause in your contract).

• **Refund deposit** — Returns the deposit (the first paid milestone) to the client's original card via Stripe. Any balance payment already collected is kept.

• **Refund all payments** — Returns every collected payment to the client's card.

How Stripe Refunds Work

If the client paid online via Stripe, the refund is processed automatically — the client typically sees the credit on their card within 5–10 business days. No action in the Stripe dashboard is needed.

If the original payment was recorded manually (cash, check, Venmo), Booth Genius marks the milestone as REFUNDED in the system but does not move any money — you must return the funds to the client yourself.

Partial Refunds

Booth Genius supports refunding the deposit only or all payments — not a custom percentage. For a custom partial amount (e.g. returning 75% of a deposit), go to your Stripe dashboard → find the payment → issue a partial refund there, then manually update the milestone status in Booth Genius.

After Cancellation

The event status changes to CANCELLED. Cancelled events are separated from your active event list and can be found using the Cancelled filter. No further automation emails are triggered.

Reinstating a Cancelled Event

Events can be reinstated from CANCELLED back to BOOKED using the "Reinstate" button in the event header. If a Stripe refund was already issued, it is not automatically reversed — coordinate any re-charge separately with the client.

The Messages inbox collects all client email threads — from both leads and events — into one view so you never have to hunt across individual records to find a conversation.

Finding the Inbox

Click Messages in the left sidebar (under the Clients section). All conversations are listed, sorted by most recent activity.

How Conversations Are Organized

Each lead or event has one continuous thread. Each row in the inbox shows:

• The client's name and record it's linked to

• A preview of the most recent message

• How long ago the last message was sent or received

Reading a Thread

Click any conversation to open the full thread — all sent and received emails in chronological order, with timestamps and sender details.

Replying from the Inbox

Type in the compose area at the bottom of any open thread and click Send. Your reply goes directly to the client's email inbox. Their next response comes back into the same thread automatically.

Attachments

The reply system does not capture file attachments sent by clients. If a client needs to share a file (e.g. venue floor plan), instruct them to CC your contact email in their reply. A note to this effect appears in the compose area as a reminder.

Lead vs. Event Messages

A lead's message thread carries over when you convert the lead to an event — the conversation history is preserved. Once converted, the thread is accessible from both the event's Messages tab and the main inbox.

Message Retention

Threads are kept for 5 months after the event date (for converted events) or 5 months after the last message date (for unconverted leads). An event booked a year in advance is not pruned until 5 months after the event itself takes place.

A quote is a professional proposal sent to a client before they book. Once accepted with a digital signature, it converts to a contract.

Creating a Quote

From an Event detail page, click "New Quote" (or go to Quotes → New Quote and select the event). You'll see:

• **Packages** — quick-add buttons for your saved service packages

• **Line Items** — add individual services with quantity and unit price

• **Tax Rate** — optional percentage applied to the subtotal

• **Discount** — apply a % or $ discount, or select a saved Coupon code

• **Payment Schedule** — Full payment (100% due now) or Deposit + Balance (set deposit %, balance due before event)

• **Contract Template** — choose which contract auto-generates on acceptance

• **Valid Until** — date after which the quote expires

• **Notes & Terms** — visible to the client in their portal

Sending a Quote

Click "Send Quote." The client receives an email with a portal link. The email includes a summary of what was quoted.

What the Client Sees

The client opens their portal and sees the Quote tab first. They can review all line items, totals, deposit amount due, and your notes. To accept, they type their full name in a signature field and click "Accept Quote." They're then guided to sign the contract immediately.

Quote Statuses

DRAFT → SENT → VIEWED → ACCEPTED or DECLINED

Revising a Quote

After sending, open the quote and click "Revise Quote." This resets it to Draft so you can edit and re-send. The client will need to re-accept the updated version.

Discounts & Coupons

Click "Add discount or coupon" in the line items area. Choose:

• **%** — percentage off the subtotal (e.g. 15% for a referral discount)

• **$** — fixed dollar amount off

• **Coupon Code** — select a pre-created code from Settings → Coupons

The discount appears as a clearly labeled line on the client's quote.

Corporate Client Pricing

If the event's client is flagged as "Corporate" in their client record, the quote builder detects this automatically. A banner appears confirming corporate pricing is active, package quick-add buttons display the corporate price (in indigo), and clicking them fills in the corporate rate. An "Override to consumer pricing" checkbox is available for edge cases. See "Corporate Client Pricing" under Settings for setup details.

Booth Genius includes built-in digital contracts — no DocuSign or HelloSign required.

How It Works

1. You create a contract template in Settings → Contracts → Templates

2. When a client accepts a quote, the contract auto-generates using merge tags from the event and quote data

3. The client is prompted to sign digitally in the same portal session, immediately after accepting the quote

4. You (the operator) countersign from your dashboard (Events → [Event] → Contract tab, or Contracts in the sidebar)

5. Both parties receive a signed copy via email

Merge Tags

Use these placeholders in your contract template — they're replaced automatically with real data:

• {{client_name}} — Full name of the client

• {{client_email}} — Client's email address

• {{event_date}} — Date of the event

• {{event_title}} — Name/title of the event

• {{venue_name}} — Event venue

• {{total_amount}} — Full contract amount

• {{deposit_amount}} — Deposit due

• {{balance_amount}} — Remaining balance

• {{operator_name}} — Your business name

• {{quote_number}} — Quote reference number

Digital Signature

The client types their full legal name in a signature field. The system records their IP address, browser info, and timestamp as part of the legal signing record — this is admissible as a binding digital signature in most jurisdictions (check with your local laws for events requiring notarized contracts).

Saving a Signed Contract

Once both parties have signed, the contract status changes to SIGNED. The PDF is accessible from the event detail and from the Contracts section in the sidebar.

Multiple Templates

Create different templates for corporate events, weddings, school events, etc. When building a quote, choose which template to use for that booking.

Booth Genius handles the full payment lifecycle — deposits, milestones, balances, and card processing via Stripe.

How Invoices Are Created

When a client accepts a quote, an invoice is automatically generated with the line items, tax, and discount from the quote. You can also create a standalone invoice manually from Invoices → New Invoice.

Payment Schedules (Milestones)

• **Full Payment** — Client pays 100% at booking

• **Deposit + Balance** — Client pays the deposit % immediately, with the balance due a set number of days before the event (configured in Settings → Branding)

Stripe Connect

Clients pay via credit or debit card using Stripe. The card processing UI appears directly in the client portal's Invoice tab. Funds are deposited to your connected Stripe account, minus Stripe's processing fee (~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction).

Platform Commission (Commission Plan only)

If you're on the free Commission Plan, a small percentage is automatically deducted from each payment. Upgrade to the Pro Plan to eliminate all commissions.

Invoice Statuses

• DRAFT — Not yet sent

• SENT — Sent to client, awaiting payment

• PARTIALLY_PAID — Deposit received, balance outstanding

• PAID — Fully paid

• OVERDUE — Balance due date has passed without full payment

Gallery Lock

If a client has an overdue balance and a gallery exists, the gallery will be locked in their portal with a "Pay balance to unlock" prompt. Once the balance is paid, the gallery unlocks automatically.

Recording Manual Payments

If a client pays by cash, check, or Venmo outside of Stripe, you can record the payment manually from the invoice detail page. Mark the amount and payment method — the invoice status will update accordingly.

Refunds

To refund a client payment, open the event detail page and click "Cancel Event." Choose from three options: no refund, refund deposit only, or refund all payments. If the client paid via Stripe, the refund is processed automatically — they typically see the credit within 5–10 business days. For a custom partial refund (e.g. 75% of a deposit), go to your Stripe dashboard to issue it there. If the original payment was recorded manually (cash, check), Booth Genius marks the milestone as REFUNDED in the system but does not move money — handle the return yourself. See "Cancelling an Event & Issuing a Refund" for full details.

The client portal is a branded, mobile-friendly web page where clients access everything related to their event — quote, contract, invoice, design, and gallery — all in one link.

How Clients Access It

Each event has a unique portal link (e.g. boothgen.com/portal/abc123). This link is included automatically in quote emails, contract emails, and invoice reminders. Clients do NOT need to create an account — the link itself authenticates them.

Portal Tabs

The portal has up to 5 tabs depending on what's available for the event:

1. **Quote ✅** — View quote details, accept with digital signature

2. **Contract ✅** — Review and sign the contract

3. **Invoice 💳** — View payment breakdown, make deposits and balance payments via card

4. **Design 🎨** — Review booth template designs, approve or request revisions

5. **Gallery 📸** — View and download event photos (Pro feature)

Tab Completion Indicators

Each tab shows a ✅ once the action is completed (quote accepted, contract signed, invoice paid). This helps clients know where they are in the process.

Security — Keep the Portal Link Private

The portal link contains financial and payment information. Advise clients NOT to forward the portal link to wedding guests, family members, or vendors. For sharing event photos with guests, use the separate Guest Gallery Link instead.

Mobile Experience

The portal is fully responsive. Clients can accept quotes, sign contracts, and pay invoices from a smartphone without downloading any app.

What Happens After Each Step

• Quote accepted → Contract auto-generates, client is prompted to sign immediately

• Contract signed → Invoice tab becomes active for payment

• Deposit paid → Confirmation email sent, balance schedule set

• Balance paid → Gallery unlocks (if applicable)

The Photo Gallery feature lets you deliver event photos directly through Booth Genius — no separate photo delivery subscription required. Gallery is available on the Pro plan only.

Uploading Photos

From an event detail page, go to the Gallery tab. Click "Upload Photos" to bulk-upload JPG or PNG files. Photos are stored securely in cloud storage and displayed in the client portal immediately after upload.

Publishing the Gallery

After uploading, toggle the gallery to "Published" to make it visible to the client in their portal. You can keep it in Draft while curating the selection.

Access Code (Optional)

Add an optional access code to the gallery if you want clients to verify their identity before viewing photos. The client enters the code in the portal gallery tab to unlock.

Sharing with Guests — Guest Gallery Link

The client's portal link contains payment information and should NOT be shared with guests. Instead:

1. From the gallery management page or client portal, click "Share Gallery Link"

2. This copies a separate public URL: boothgen.com/g/[token]

3. This guest link shows ONLY the photos — no invoice, quote, or payment details visible

Tell clients: "Share THIS link with your guests — your private portal stays private."

Gallery Expiration

Galleries expire **30 days** after the event date — the gallery is hidden from the client portal after this point. Photos then enter a deletion buffer and are permanently deleted **60 days** after expiry. You and the client will both receive a warning email before permanent deletion.

Balance Lock

If the invoice has an overdue balance, the gallery tab is locked with a "Pay to unlock" message. Once the balance is paid, the gallery unlocks automatically — a great natural incentive for clients to pay the balance.

Photo Count

The gallery tab in the portal shows the total photo count and a photo grid with a lightbox viewer. Clients can click any photo to view full-size and download individually, or click "Download All" to get a ZIP archive.

Add staff, assistants, or co-operators to your account without giving them full admin access.

Inviting a Team Member

Go to Settings → Team → Invite Team Member. Enter their name and email address. They'll receive an invitation email with a link to set up their account (create a password and log in). The invite link expires after 48 hours — resend from the Team page if needed.

Team Member vs. Operator Admin Roles

• **Operator Admin** — Full access to all features, settings, billing, and financial data

• **Team Member** — Limited access controlled by you; cannot see Settings, Billing, or other sensitive areas unless explicitly allowed

Controlling What Team Members Can See

Go to Settings → Team → Team Member Access. Toggle which sections team members can access:

• Events — View and manage assigned events

• Calendar — View the event calendar

• Leads & Messages — View and respond to leads

• Quotes — View quote details (read-only)

• Invoices — View invoice details (read-only)

• Clients — View client records

• Gallery — Access photo galleries (Pro only)

These settings apply to ALL team members on your account. Changes take effect on the team member's next login.

What Team Members Cannot Do

Regardless of access settings, team members can never:

• Access Settings, Branding, Billing, or Packages

• Create, edit, or delete service packages

• View platform commission settings

• Manage coupon codes

• Invite other team members

Removing a Team Member

From the Team Members table, click on a member and change their status to Suspended. They will no longer be able to log in.

Automation lets you send the right email at exactly the right moment — without manual follow-up for every booking.

How It Works

Go to Automation in the sidebar. Each rule has:

1. **Trigger** — The moment in the booking flow that fires the email

2. **Delay** — Send immediately, or wait a set number of hours after the trigger

3. **Email Template** — The message to send (create and edit templates in Email Templates)

Default Templates — Ready on Day One

Every new account comes pre-loaded with six email templates and matching automation rules so your clients start receiving professional emails from your first booking:

• New Inquiry Auto-Reply (fires on Lead Created)

• Your Quote is Ready (fires on Quote Sent)

• Contract Ready to Sign (fires on Contract Sent)

• Invoice Ready for Payment (fires on Invoice Sent)

• You're Booked! — What Happens Next (fires after payment is received)

• Your Photo Gallery is Ready (fires when gallery is published)

These are fully editable. Customize the wording, subject line, and layout to match your brand — or delete and rebuild from scratch.

Automation-First: Your Template Takes Over

When an active automation rule covers a trigger, your custom template is the only email the client receives — the system's built-in fallback is automatically suppressed. If you disable or delete your rule, the built-in email returns as a fallback so no client communication is ever silently dropped.

Available Triggers

• Lead Created — New inquiry submitted through your lead form

• Quote Sent — You clicked "Send Quote"

• Quote Accepted — Client accepted the quote

• Contract Sent — You sent the contract for signature

• Contract Signed — Client signed; waiting on your countersignature

• Invoice Sent — Invoice was sent to the client

• Payment Received — Client completed payment (full payment or final milestone)

• 14 Days Before Event — Countdown reminder

• 7 Days Before Event — Countdown reminder

• 1 Day Before Event — Final reminder

• 1 Day After Event — Follow-up (e.g. review request)

• 3 Days After Event — Follow-up

• Gallery Published — You published the client's photo gallery

Editing a Rule

Click the pencil icon on any rule to edit the name, trigger, or assigned template without deleting and recreating it. Toggle the switch to pause a rule temporarily.

Email Templates & the Visual Editor

Go to Email Templates in the sidebar. Create a new template or click any existing one to edit. The visual editor lets you type and format your message and insert merge tags using the tag picker — click a tag to insert it at the cursor. Tags appear as orange chips while editing and are replaced with real values when the email is sent.

Available Merge Tags

• {{client.first_name}} / {{client.last_name}} / {{client.full_name}}

• {{client.email}} / {{client.phone}}

• {{event.title}} / {{event.date}} / {{event.time}}

• {{event.venue_name}} / {{event.venue_address}}

• {{quote.total}} / {{quote.number}}

• {{invoice.number}} / {{invoice.total}} / {{invoice.balance_due}}

• {{invoice.due_date}} / {{invoice.retainer_amount}}

• {{contract.link}} — Direct link to the contract signing page

• {{portal.link}} — Link to the client's full portal

• {{host.company_name}} / {{host.email}} / {{host.phone}}

• {{host.signature}} — Your signature block (set in Settings → Branding → Email Header)

Example: Post-Event Review Request

1. Create a template called "Post-Event Review Request"

- Subject: "How was your experience, {{client.first_name}}?"

- Body: "Hi {{client.first_name}}, thank you for booking {{host.company_name}} for {{event.title}}! We'd love a quick review: [link]"

2. Create an Automation Rule:

- Trigger: 3 Days After Event

- Delay: 0 hours (fires immediately at that point)

- Template: "Post-Event Review Request"

Set it up once — it runs for every future booking automatically.

Example: Balance Due Reminder

• Trigger: 14 Days Before Event

• Template with {{invoice.balance_due}} and {{portal.link}}

Coupons let you offer promotional discounts that can be applied to any quote.

Creating a Coupon

Go to Settings → Coupons → New Coupon. Fill in:

• **Code** — Auto-uppercased. Example: SUMMER25, WEDDING10, REFERRAL50. Share this code with clients who qualify.

• **Description** — Internal note (e.g. "Summer 2026 promotion"). Shown in the coupon list but not to clients.

• **Type** — Percentage (% off subtotal) or Fixed Amount ($ off)

• **Value** — e.g. 20 for 20% off, or 100 for $100 off

• **Max Uses** — Leave blank for unlimited uses; enter a number to limit (e.g. 10 for the first 10 bookings)

• **Expiry Date** — Optional. The coupon won't be usable after this date.

Applying a Coupon to a Quote

When creating or editing a quote, click "Add discount or coupon" below the line items. Choose "🏷 Coupon Code" and select the code from the dropdown. The system validates the coupon (active, not expired, uses remaining) and shows the discount amount in real time.

You can also apply a manual one-time discount (% or $ amount) without creating a reusable coupon code.

How It Appears to the Client

The discount shows as a labeled line item in the quote:

SUMMER25 (20% off): −$284.00

Managing Coupons

• Toggle Active/Inactive with the toggle button — deactivated coupons cannot be applied to new quotes

• Delete coupons that have zero uses (used coupons are protected from deletion; deactivate instead)

• Usage count updates automatically each time a coupon is applied to a quote

Ideas for Coupons

• Referral discounts (REFER2026 — $50 off for referred clients)

• Seasonal promotions (WINTER20 — 20% off winter bookings)

• Repeat client discount (COMEBACK — 15% off for returning clients)

• Early booking bonus (EARLYBIRD — $75 off when booked 90+ days out)

The Calendar gives you a full monthly view of everything on your schedule — booked events, leads with requested dates, and in-progress jobs — at a glance.

Accessing the Calendar

Click Calendar in the left sidebar. The calendar opens to the current month.

What Shows on the Calendar

Each day cell shows any events or leads whose event date falls on that day:

• **Events** are color-coded by status — blue (Lead), yellow (Quoted), orange (Booked), brand color (In Progress), green (Completed). Cancelled events appear gray with a strikethrough.

• **Lead Inquiries** appear in purple with a ✦ prefix, so you can distinguish unconfirmed inquiries from booked events at a glance.

• **Unavailable dates** (blocked by you) appear with a red "Unavailable" chip.

If a day has more than 3 items, a "+N more" indicator shows. Click through to the event or lead to see full details.

Navigating Months

Use the left and right arrows to move between months. Click the "Today" button at any time to jump back to the current month. Today's date is highlighted with an orange circle.

Creating an Event from the Calendar

Click any date number to open the New Event form pre-filled with that date. This is the fastest way to block a date once a client verbally confirms — you can fill in the rest of the details later.

Status Legend

A color legend at the bottom of the calendar shows what each color means. Lead inquiries (purple) and unavailable dates (red) are listed separately.

Tips

• Use the calendar to quickly spot double-bookings before sending a quote

• Check the calendar on the morning of an event to see exactly what's happening that day

• Leads in purple are a useful reminder of dates that are "soft holds" — follow up before confirming

Block dates when you're unavailable so clients can't accidentally request a date you can't cover. Blocked dates are enforced on your embedded lead capture form in real time.

How to Block a Date

1. Go to Calendar in the sidebar

2. Click the "Block Dates" button in the top-right area — the button turns red and a banner appears explaining you're in block mode

3. Click any date on the calendar to mark it as unavailable — the date turns red immediately

4. Click the same date again to unblock it

5. Click "Done Blocking" to exit block mode

What Clients See

• On your embedded lead inquiry form, when a client picks a blocked date in the Event Date field, an inline warning appears: "Sorry, we're not available on this date. Please choose another date." The submit button is also disabled until they select a different date.

• If a client somehow bypasses the form check, the server also rejects submissions for blocked dates — the form returns the same error message.

• On the calendar itself (visible to you and your team), blocked dates show a red "Unavailable" chip in the day cell.

When to Use Blackout Dates

• Holidays or personal time off

• Dates you're already committed to outside of Booth Genius (another job booked on another platform)

• "Buffer" days — if you need a day of rest after a large event

• Seasonal closures

Unblocking a Date

Re-enter block mode (click "Block Dates") and click the red date again. It returns to normal immediately. If a lead was already submitted for that date before you blocked it, the existing lead is unaffected — the block only prevents new submissions going forward.

Your Booth Genius events can appear directly in Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or any calendar app that supports iCal subscriptions — so you always have your schedule in one place without manually copying dates.

Getting Your Subscription URL

1. Go to Calendar in the sidebar

2. Scroll to the bottom of the page — you'll see a "Subscribe to Your Calendar" panel

3. Click the Copy button to copy your personal subscription URL

This URL is private to your account. Anyone with this URL can read your event schedule, so treat it like a password.

Adding to Google Calendar

1. Open Google Calendar (calendar.google.com)

2. Click the + icon next to "Other calendars" in the left sidebar

3. Select "From URL"

4. Paste your subscription URL and click "Add calendar"

5. Your Booth Genius events appear as a new calendar (you can rename and recolor it)

Google Calendar typically syncs every 12–24 hours — new events may not appear instantly.

Adding to Apple Calendar

1. Open Calendar on your Mac or iPhone

2. On Mac: File → New Calendar Subscription; on iPhone: tap Calendars → Add Calendar → Add Subscription Calendar

3. Paste the subscription URL

4. Tap/click Subscribe and adjust sync frequency if desired

What Appears in Your External Calendar

• All non-cancelled events with their title, date, venue name, and venue address

• Confirmed bookings (BOOKED / IN_PROGRESS) appear as CONFIRMED events

• Other statuses (LEAD, QUOTED, COMPLETED) appear as TENTATIVE

• Cancelled events are excluded entirely

Regenerating Your URL

If you believe your subscription URL has been shared with someone who shouldn't have it, click "Regenerate link" at the bottom of the subscription panel. This creates a new URL and immediately invalidates the old one. You'll need to re-add the subscription in your calendar app using the new URL.

Every event in Booth Genius has a built-in checklist — a personal task list for that specific booking. Use it to track setup steps, equipment, or anything else that needs to happen before, during, or after the event.

Finding the Checklist

Open any event detail page and scroll to the bottom. You'll see a "Checklist" card. The card shows a progress bar (X/Y done) once you have items.

Adding a Task

Type a task in the "Add a task…" input at the bottom of the checklist and press Enter (or click the + button). The item appears immediately.

Applying a Reusable Template

If you've set up checklist templates in Settings → Checklists, a dropdown button appears in the checklist card header. Click "Apply Template" to choose a template — all of its items are added to the event's checklist below any existing items. You can apply multiple templates to the same event.

Checking Off Tasks

Click the checkbox icon on the left of any item to mark it complete. The item text gets a strikethrough and the progress bar updates. Click again to uncheck.

Removing a Task

Hover over any checklist item — a trash icon appears on the right. Click it to remove the item. This is immediate and permanent.

Who Can See the Checklist

The checklist is visible to all team members who have access to the event — both operators and assigned team members. Everyone can add, check, and delete items. It's a shared task list for the whole team working that event.

Progress Bar

The colored bar at the top of the checklist fills from left to right as items are checked off. It turns fully green at 100%. A quick visual indicator when you're reviewing the event on event day.

Example Checklist for a Wedding Booth

• ✅ Confirm venue address and parking

• ✅ Pack photo booth main unit

• ✅ Pack backdrop and stands

• ✅ Charge ring light battery

• ✅ Load prop basket

• ✅ Test print with venue Wi-Fi

• ✅ Set up by 4:00 PM

• ✅ Break down after cocktail hour ends

The Dashboard is your home base — a real-time summary of what's happening across all your events and clients.

Stats Row

The top row shows four key numbers updated in real time:

• **Total Events** — All events across all statuses

• **Active Bookings** — Events currently in BOOKED or IN_PROGRESS status

• **This Month Revenue** — Payments received in the current calendar month

• **Leads This Month** — New inquiries submitted this month

Requires Attention

This section highlights items that need your action before they hold up a client. It currently tracks:

• Events where the client has requested a design revision — a revision request means the client reviewed your template design and asked for changes; the alert clears automatically once you upload a new version and the client approves it

• Only events where the **latest** design version is still pending revision appear here — if you've already uploaded a corrected version, the alert goes away even if an older version was rejected

Recent Activity

Below "Requires Attention" is a Recent Activity feed showing design approvals from the last 30 days. Each row shows the client name, approved version, event title, and how long ago the approval happened. This gives you a quick record of what's been signed off without digging into individual events.

Upcoming Events

A list of your next several events sorted by date, with their status badges. Click any event to go directly to its detail page.

Recent Leads

Your most recently submitted lead inquiries, with the event date and lead status. Click a lead to open it and respond.

Weather Widget

Below the stats row is a 5-day weather forecast showing conditions for your business location. The widget reads your Business Address from Settings → Branding, geocodes it, and fetches accurate local weather — so if you're based in Laurel, MD, it shows Laurel's forecast rather than wherever your browser's IP happens to resolve. A small note below the widget confirms which source is in use and links directly to Branding Settings if you need to update the address. If no business address has been saved yet, it falls back to IP-based geolocation.

This is the end-to-end flow for a typical booking — from a visitor filling out your inquiry form to receiving a 5-star review after the event.

Step 1 — Inquiry Arrives

A visitor on your website fills out your embedded inquiry form (installed from Settings → Lead Capture). A Lead is created in your dashboard, and you get an email notification with their event details.

Step 2 — Review & Respond

Open the lead in Booth Genius. Review their event date, type, venue, and guest count. Send a reply through the built-in message thread — your reply arrives in their email inbox. Update the lead status to CONTACTED.

Step 3 — Convert to Event

Click "Convert to Event." Booth Genius creates a new Event and Client record with the lead's info pre-filled. The lead status changes to CONVERTED.

Step 4 — Build the Quote

From the event page, click "New Quote." Add your packages and any additional line items. Apply a coupon if relevant. Set the deposit % (e.g. 50%) and confirm the balance due date. Attach your contract template. Click "Send Quote."

Step 5 — Client Reviews the Quote

The client receives an email with their portal link. They open boothgen.com/portal/[token] and see the Quote tab first. They read through the line items, total, and your terms. When ready, they type their full name and click "Accept Quote."

Step 6 — Contract Signing

Immediately after accepting, the client is taken to the Contract tab where the auto-generated contract awaits. They read it and type their name to sign digitally. You receive a notification that the contract was signed.

Step 7 — Counter-Sign

Log in to Booth Genius and go to the event's Contract tab (or the Contracts section). Open the contract and add your counter-signature to make it fully executed.

Step 8 — Deposit Payment

The client returns to their portal (or clicks the Invoice tab directly from the contract confirmation screen). They see the deposit amount due and pay by credit card via Stripe. The deposit lands in your Stripe account within 2 business days.

Step 9 — Design Approval (Optional)

If you design custom overlays or templates, upload a mockup to the event's Design tab. The client reviews it in their portal and clicks "Approve" or "Request Revision."

Step 10 — Day of Event

Run your event. Open the event detail page and work through the event's Checklist — check off tasks as you set up. Booth Genius keeps all client info, venue details, special notes, and your task list accessible from the mobile-friendly dashboard.

Step 11 — Upload Gallery Photos (Pro)

After the event, upload photos from the event's Gallery tab. Once you publish the gallery, the client gets an automated email notification. They can view and download photos from their portal. Share the Guest Gallery Link (not the portal link) with wedding guests or family members.

Step 12 — Balance Collection

If using Deposit + Balance payment, the client receives a balance reminder email (via your automation rule) before the balance due date. They pay the remaining amount from the Invoice tab. The gallery unlocks automatically once fully paid.

Step 13 — Review Request (Automated)

Three days after the event date (or your configured delay), an automated email fires: "We hope you loved your experience! Would you mind leaving us a quick review?" with a direct link to your Google Business, WeddingWire, or Facebook page. Set this up once in Automation and it runs for every booking forever.

Total time savings vs. manual tools: approximately 45–90 minutes per booking.

Service packages are pre-defined services with prices that appear as quick-add buttons when building quotes.

Creating a Package

Go to Settings → Packages → New Package. Fill in:

• **Name** — e.g. "3-Hour Booth Rental"

• **Description** — Optional. If provided, it's appended to the line item description in quotes (e.g. "3-Hour Booth Rental — Includes attendant, props, and digital copies")

• **Consumer Price** — The standard price for individual/consumer clients

• **Corporate Price** — Optional. The higher rate charged to corporate clients. If left blank, corporate clients are quoted the consumer price for that package.

Consumer vs. Corporate Pricing

Each package can carry two prices: a consumer price and a corporate price. When you build a quote for a client flagged as "Corporate," the corporate price fills in automatically when you click the quick-add button for that package. If no corporate price is set for a package, the consumer price is used instead as a fallback.

See "Corporate Client Pricing" under Settings for full details on how to flag clients and apply corporate rates.

Using Packages in Quotes

When creating or editing a quote, packages appear as clickable buttons at the top of the line items section. For corporate clients, the buttons turn indigo and show the corporate price. Clicking a package adds it as a line item at the correct price. You can still edit the unit price manually after adding.

Editing & Deleting

Packages can be edited at any time. Changes to a package only affect new quotes — existing quotes are not retroactively updated.

Corporate clients often have larger budgets, different requirements, and expect higher-tier pricing. Booth Genius lets you set a corporate price on each package and flag individual clients so the right rate applies automatically every time.

Step 1 — Set Corporate Prices on Packages

Go to Settings → Packages. When creating or editing any package, you'll see two price fields:

• **Consumer Price** — Your standard rate for weddings, birthdays, social events, etc.

• **Corporate Price** — Your rate for company events, office parties, product launches, etc.

Corporate price is optional per package. If you leave it blank, that package uses the consumer price for everyone.

Step 2 — Flag a Client as Corporate

Open the client record (Clients → select a client). Scroll to the bottom of the Client Details form. Toggle "Corporate Client" on. Save. The client now shows a purple "Corporate" badge in the client list and on their detail page.

This flag is permanent on the client record — it applies to all future quotes for that client automatically. You only need to set it once.

Step 3 — Build a Quote

When creating a new quote, select an event linked to a corporate client. A blue banner appears: "Corporate Client — corporate prices will be applied." Package quick-add buttons turn indigo and display the corporate price. Clicking them adds the line item at the corporate rate.

Override for Edge Cases

If a corporate client is booking a personal event (e.g. an employee's birthday party) and you want to use consumer pricing, check "Override to consumer pricing" in the banner. The package buttons return to standard pricing for that quote only. The client's corporate flag is unchanged.

Corporate Badge on Quotes

Quotes built with corporate pricing show a purple "Corporate" badge next to the status badge on the quote detail page. This makes it easy to confirm which pricing tier was used when reviewing sent quotes.

Important Notes

• Corporate pricing applies at quote creation time. If you change a package's corporate price later, existing quotes are not updated.

• The "isCorporate" flag is stored on each quote record for reference, even if the client's flag is later changed.

• There are no separate catalogs — the same packages are used for both tiers, just with different prices.

Manage your Booth Genius subscription and Stripe Connect account from Settings → Billing.

Commission Plan (Free)

• No monthly fee

• A platform commission % is deducted from each payment collected through Stripe

• Includes all features EXCEPT photo gallery

• Best for operators starting out or running fewer than ~4–5 events per month

Pro Plan

• Flat monthly or annual subscription fee

• Zero commission on any booking — you keep 100% of what Stripe sends you

• Includes Photo Gallery (Pro) feature

• Annual billing saves ~15–20% compared to monthly

• Best for operators with consistent booking volume

Switching Plans

Go to Settings → Billing to upgrade to Pro or manage your subscription. You can cancel at any time — you'll retain Pro access until the end of your billing period.

Stripe Connect — Two separate Stripe relationships

Booth Genius uses Stripe in two distinct ways that are easy to confuse:

1. **Booth Genius subscription billing** — If you're on the Pro plan, Stripe charges your card the monthly fee. This is Booth Genius paying *you* nothing — it's you paying Booth Genius.

2. **Stripe Connect (client payments)** — This is a separate connection that routes your *clients'* invoice payments directly to your bank account. Booth Genius never holds your funds.

Both Free and Pro plan operators need to set up Stripe Connect to accept online payments. Go to Settings → Billing → Connect Stripe. If you already have a Stripe account, just log in during the flow — Stripe will link your existing account. No new account required. Takes about 60 seconds.

Once connected, your Stripe account status shows as "Connected" and clients can pay invoices online. If you disconnect Stripe, clients will no longer be able to pay online until you reconnect.

Commission Rate

The current commission rate is displayed in Settings → Billing and on the marketing page. This rate is set by the Booth Genius platform and may change over time.

When to Use "Update Stripe"

If you are already connected to Stripe and need to make changes, click "Update Stripe" from Settings → Billing → Stripe Connect. Use this button when you need to:

• Change your payout bank account or deposit schedule

• Update your business name, address, or tax ID

• Add or verify an owner or representative

• Respond to a Stripe request for additional verification

You will be redirected to Stripe's secure portal and returned to Booth Genius when done. Your existing bookings and payment history are not affected.

Your profile controls your personal account details — separate from your business branding.

Accessing Profile Settings

Go to Settings → Profile (the last tab in the Settings navigation).

Display Name

Your display name appears in the sidebar navigation and on your account. Update it here and click "Save Changes" — the change takes effect immediately across the dashboard.

Email Address

Your login email is shown but cannot be changed from this screen. If you need to change your login email, contact support@boothgen.com.

Changing Your Password

If your account uses email/password sign-in, a "Change Password" section appears below your profile details. Enter your current password to verify your identity, then enter and confirm your new password (minimum 8 characters). Click "Update Password" to save.

This section is hidden for accounts that sign in with Google — Google accounts don't have a Booth Genius password to change. To update your Google account password, do so through your Google account settings.

Note for Team Members

Each team member has their own profile. Team members log in with their own email and password and can update their own display name and password from their Settings → Profile page.

Checklist templates are reusable task lists you build once in Settings and apply to any event with a single click — great for day-of setup routines, equipment packing lists, or post-event wrap-up steps.

Accessing Checklist Templates

Go to Settings → Checklists (the tab in the Settings navigation).

Creating a Template

1. Click "New Template"

2. Enter a template name (e.g. "Day-Of Setup" or "Equipment Pack List")

3. In the Items field, paste your task list — one item per line. Example:

- Pack photo booth equipment

- Charge all batteries overnight

- Print test photo strips

- Confirm venue address and parking

4. Click "Create Template"

Editing a Template

Click on any template card to expand it. From the expanded view you can:

• Add individual items using the "Add item" link at the bottom — type and press Enter or click Add

• Delete any item by hovering over it and clicking the trash icon

• Delete the entire template with the trash icon in the template header (this cannot be undone)

Applying a Template to an Event

Templates are applied from the event detail page, not from Settings. See "Event Checklists" for how to use them during actual events.

Tips

• Create different templates for different event types (weddings vs. corporate vs. birthday parties) if your setup process varies

• Even a simple 5-item packing list eliminates the mental overhead of remembering everything on event day

• Templates can be applied multiple times to the same event — useful if you want to stack a general setup list and an event-specific list

The CSV Import tool lets you bring existing client and event records into Booth Genius in bulk — useful when migrating from another platform or a spreadsheet system.

Where to Find It

Go to Settings → Import (the Import tab in the Settings navigation row).

Step 1 — Download the Template

Click "Download CSV Template" to get a blank spreadsheet with the correct column headers. Use this template to prepare your data — importing a custom-formatted file without the template columns will not work.

Step 2 — Fill In Your Data

Open the template in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. Required fields are: client first name, client last name, and event date. Everything else (email, phone, venue, event title, notes) is optional but recommended for a complete import.

Step 3 — Upload and Preview

Click "Upload CSV" and select your completed file. Booth Genius runs a preview pass — it shows each row that will be imported and flags any errors such as missing required fields, invalid date formats, or duplicate entries. Review the preview carefully before proceeding.

Step 4 — Confirm Import

Click "Confirm Import" to create the records. Client and event records are created from each row. Imported events are created in COMPLETED status by default (past bookings are assumed).

Step 5 — Undo if Needed

If something looks wrong after importing, click "Undo Import" from the import history section. This removes all records created in that batch. Undo is only available immediately after import.

Tips

• Run a small test import first (5–10 rows) to verify the format before importing hundreds of records

• Client emails are matched against existing records — if an email already exists in Booth Genius, a new event is added to that client rather than creating a duplicate client record

• Use the Notes field to carry over context from your previous system (e.g. "VIP client — gave 20% discount")

The AI Support Assistant is a chatbot built into every page of your Booth Genius dashboard and the public support center at boothgen.com/support. It knows the full Booth Genius platform and can answer questions about leads, quotes, contracts, invoices, galleries, automation, team management, and more.

How to open it

Look for the orange chat bubble in the bottom-right corner of any page. Click it to open the assistant. Type your question and press Enter or click Send.

What it can answer

Any how-to question about Booth Genius. For example: "How do I share gallery photos with guests without showing them the invoice?", "Where do I set the deposit percentage?", "How do I resend a contract?", or "What does the PARTIALLY_PAID status mean?"

What happens if it can't answer

If the assistant doesn't know the answer, it will say so and offer a link to contact our support team. You can also click "Contact our support team" in the chat to send us a message directly.

Who sees the chatbot

The chatbot is available to all logged-in operators in the dashboard and to anyone visiting the public support page. It is controlled by the platform administrator and may occasionally be disabled for maintenance.

The "Draft with AI" button in the Lead Compose tab generates a personalized email reply for you using the client's inquiry details. It reads the client's name, event date, event type, venue, guest count, and original message, then writes a professional, warm reply that you can edit and send.

How to use it

1. Open a lead from Leads in the sidebar.

2. Click the Compose tab (or + Compose new reply from the Thread tab).

3. Click the purple "Draft with AI" button on the left side of the toolbar.

4. Wait 2-4 seconds — the subject line and message body will fill in automatically.

5. Review and edit the draft to match your voice.

6. Click Send Email when ready.

What the AI uses

The draft is based on: the client's first and last name, their event date, event type, venue name, city, expected guest count, and the message they submitted in the inquiry form. If you've already exchanged emails with this lead, the most recent messages are also included so the AI understands the conversation context.

Tips for best results

Use Draft with AI early in the conversation when you're sending a first response to a new inquiry — it shines there. For follow-up messages where tone and nuance matter more, it still gives a solid starting point but always review before sending.

The AI doesn't send automatically

Draft with AI only fills in the compose fields. You must click "Send Email" yourself. Nothing is sent without your action.

Q: Do my clients need to create an account?

A: No. Clients access everything through a unique portal link — no account, no password, no app download required.

Q: Can I use Booth Genius without connecting Stripe?

A: Stripe Connect is required to use Booth Genius. Connecting your Stripe account is what enables online client payments and is how the platform commission is processed for Commission Plan operators. Without it, clients cannot pay invoices online and your account will not be fully functional. Setup takes about 5 minutes — go to Settings → Billing → Connect Stripe. If you already have a Stripe account, just log in during the flow and it links automatically.

Q: Is there a limit to how many events or clients I can have?

A: No. Both plans include unlimited events and clients.

Q: What happens to my data if I cancel?

A: When your account is cancelled, your data is removed from the platform. We recommend reaching out to support@boothgen.com before cancelling if you need assistance retrieving any records.

Q: Can clients see the commission % being deducted?

A: No. Clients see only the invoice total and payment amounts. The commission is a backend deduction handled between Booth Genius and your Stripe account — transparent to you, invisible to clients.

Q: How do I handle a client who wants to pay in installments?

A: Use the Deposit + Balance milestone system for two-payment arrangements. For more complex payment plans, create custom milestone entries manually from the invoice detail page.

Q: Can I send a quote without an event?

A: Quotes must be linked to an event. If you receive an inquiry and want to send a quick proposal, first convert the lead to an event (or create a placeholder event), then create the quote from there.

Q: What if I need to change the price after the client has already paid a deposit?

A: Click "Revise Quote" to reset the quote to Draft. This will invalidate the previous acceptance. Note: changing the total after a deposit is paid requires careful coordination — communicate the change with the client and issue a manual credit or adjustment in Stripe if necessary.

Q: Can multiple team members work at the same time?

A: Yes. Multiple users can be logged in and working simultaneously. There's no locking system — just be careful not to edit the same record at the same time.

Q: Does Booth Genius work on mobile?

A: Yes. The operator dashboard is mobile-friendly. The client portal is fully mobile-optimized. Everything works on iOS and Android browsers.

Q: How do I issue a refund to a client?

A: Open the event, click "Cancel Event," and choose your refund option — no refund, refund deposit only, or refund all payments. If the client paid via Stripe, the refund processes automatically (5–10 business days to appear on their card). For a custom partial refund, go to your Stripe dashboard. If they paid manually (cash, check), mark the milestone as refunded in the app and handle the actual money transfer yourself.

Q: Can I customize which fields are on the inquiry form?

A: Yes. Go to Settings → Lead Capture (Embed tab). Toggle which fields appear (venue, guest count, hours needed, etc.) and which are required vs. optional.

Q: What browsers are supported?

A: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge — all current versions. Internet Explorer is not supported.

Q: How do I contact support?

A: Email us at support@boothgen.com. You can also use the AI chat assistant on this page for instant answers to common questions.

Q: Does Booth Genius have AI features?

A: Yes — two of them. The AI Support Assistant is a chatbot built into your dashboard and this support page. Click the orange chat bubble in the bottom-right corner to ask any question about the platform and get an instant answer. The AI Email Drafting tool is in the Lead detail page: open a lead, go to the Compose tab, and click "Draft with AI." It reads the client's name, event details, and inquiry message and writes a ready-to-edit email reply for you.

Q: How do I charge corporate clients more than regular clients?

A: Use the Corporate Pricing feature. First, add a "Corporate Price" to each package in Settings → Packages. Then open the client record and toggle "Corporate Client" on. From that point, every new quote for that client will automatically use the corporate prices when you quick-add packages. If a corporate client is booking something personal and you want standard pricing, check "Override to consumer pricing" in the quote builder. See "Corporate Client Pricing" in Settings for full details.

Q: Can I change my password from inside the app?

A: Yes — if your account uses email/password sign-in. Go to Settings → Profile. A "Change Password" section appears below your name and email. Enter your current password to verify, then set a new password (minimum 8 characters). If you signed up with Google, this section is hidden — change your password through your Google account settings instead.

Q: A corporate client is booking a personal event. How do I use consumer pricing for just that one quote?

A: When building the quote, select the event. The "Corporate Client" banner will appear. Check "Override to consumer pricing" — the package buttons immediately switch back to standard rates for that quote only. The client's corporate flag on their record is not changed.