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Getting Started with EventSeats

Welcome to EventSeats! This guide will help you set up your own event booking system in just a few minutes.

🚀 Quick Setup

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

Step 1: Get the Code

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Hannah-goodridge/eventseats.git
cd eventseats

# Run the setup script
npm run setup

The setup script will:

  • ✅ Check your Node.js version
  • ✅ Install dependencies
  • ✅ Create your .env.local file

Step 2: Set Up Your Database

EventSeats uses Supabase (a PostgreSQL database) for storing all your data.

Create Supabase Project

  1. Go to supabase.com and sign up
  2. Click "New Project"
  3. Choose a name (e.g., "my-eventseats")
  4. Set a strong database password
  5. Wait for the project to be ready (2-3 minutes)

Get Your Credentials

  1. In your Supabase project dashboard, go to Settings → API
  2. Copy these values:
    • Project URL (starts with https://...supabase.co)
    • anon public key (starts with eyJ...)
    • service_role key (starts with eyJ...)

Update Your Environment

Edit the .env.local file that was created:

# Supabase Configuration
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL=your_project_url_here
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your_anon_key_here
SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY=your_service_role_key_here

# NextAuth Configuration
NEXTAUTH_URL=http://localhost:3000
NEXTAUTH_SECRET=your_random_secret_here

# Optional: Stripe for payments (hosted Checkout)
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_...
STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=pk_test_...
# Required for webhooks (local: from Stripe CLI; prod: from Dashboard)
STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET=whsec_...

💡 Tip: For NEXTAUTH_SECRET, generate a random string:

openssl rand -base64 32

Step 3: Set Up Your Database Schema

You have two options:

Option A: Use Our SQL Script (Recommended)

  1. In Supabase, go to SQL Editor
  2. Create a new query
  3. Copy and paste the contents of database-setup.sql from this repository
  4. Click "Run"
  5. Then copy and paste the contents of docs/setup-demo-user.sql
  6. Click "Run" again
  7. If you have an existing database, you can re-run the SQL to ensure the latest schema.

Option B: Use the TypeScript Seed Script

npm run setup-demo

Step 4: Start Your Server

npm run dev

Visit http://localhost:3000 to see your EventSeats system!

Step 5: Sign In

Use these demo credentials to sign in:

  • Email: admin@democentre.org
  • Password: demo123

Go to http://localhost:3000/admin/login to access the admin panel.

🎯 What's Next?

Configure Your Venue

  1. Update Organization Details

    • Go to Admin → Settings
    • Update your organization name, contact details
    • Set your currency and timezone

  2. Set Up Your Seating

    • The demo comes with a simple 5×10 seating layout
    • You can modify this or create new layouts
    • Add accessibility information for seats

  3. Add Show Images

    • Upload your show images to an image hosting service (Imgur, Cloudinary, etc.)
    • Copy the image URL and paste it in the "Image URL" field
    • Leave empty to use a placeholder image
    • Recommended image size: 400x300 pixels or larger

  4. Create Your First Show

    • Go to Admin → Shows
    • Click "Add Show"
    • Set title, description, prices
    • Add an image URL (optional - leave empty for placeholder)
    • Add performance dates and times

  5. Start Taking Bookings!

    • Share the booking URL with customers
    • Embed the booking form on your website
    • Monitor bookings in the admin dashboard

Customize Your Installation

  • Branding: Update colors, logos, and text. You can also provide your own stylesheet via NEXT_PUBLIC_BRAND_STYLESHEET=/brand.css to override CSS variables.
  • Payment Processing: Set up Stripe for credit card payments. See docs/payments/stripe.md.
  • Email Notifications: Configure email settings for confirmations
  • Custom Domain: Deploy to your own domain

🛠️ Deployment

When you're ready to go live, you can deploy to:

Free Options

  • Vercel (recommended) - One-click deployment
  • Netlify - Easy static deployment
  • Railway - Simple full-stack hosting

Paid Options

  • DigitalOcean App Platform - $5/month
  • AWS/Google Cloud - Variable pricing
  • VPS - Self-managed server

See our Deployment Guide for detailed instructions.

🆘 Need Help?

Common Issues

"Module not found" errors:

rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

Database connection errors:

  • Double-check your Supabase credentials in .env.local
  • Make sure your Supabase project is active
  • Check that you've run the database setup SQL

Can't sign in:

  • Make sure you've run the demo user setup
  • Try the password reset SQL: docs/fix-demo-password.sql

Get Support

Contributing

EventSeats is open source! We welcome:

  • 🐛 Bug reports
  • 💡 Feature suggestions
  • 🔧 Code contributions
  • 📚 Documentation improvements

See our Contributing Guide for details.

🎉 Success!

You now have your own professional event booking system running!

What you can do:

  • ✅ Take online bookings 24/7
  • ✅ Manage events and performances
  • ✅ Track sales and attendance
  • ✅ Accept payments securely (Stripe integration in progress)
  • ✅ Generate tickets with QR codes
  • ✅ Embed booking on your website

Share your success!

  • ⭐ Star this project on GitHub
  • 🐦 Share on social media with #EventSeats
  • 💬 Join our community discussions

Welcome to the EventSeats family! 🎭✨