Add event

Use this screen to create a new event or edit an existing event in the JEM backend. An event can contain its own schedule, venue, categories, registration rules, images, attachments, links, display settings and metadata. It can also be part of a regular recurrence or an irregular series built from custom dates.

Navigation

In the Joomla administrator, select Components → JEM → Events, then select New. To edit an event, select its title in the Events list.

Toolbar

Screen layout

The form is divided into main tabs and side panels. The fields available to an administrator can also depend on JEM configuration and Joomla permissions.

Event tab

Date input format and active Joomla language

JEM uses Joomla's locale-aware calendar field for Start Date, End Date and the recurrence end date. The format shown and accepted by these fields is therefore supplied by the active Joomla language, rather than by a separate JEM date-input setting.

For a United States date-entry workflow, install English (United States) - en-US and select it as the Administrator language. Also check the editing user's profile because its Backend Language selection can take precedence over the default. If users create or edit events from the frontend, install and enable en-US for the Site client as well.

If installing the appropriate language is not suitable, Joomla Language Overrides can change DATE_FORMAT_CALENDAR_DATE and DATE_FORMAT_FILTER_DATE. Both values must describe the same format. Such overrides are global for the selected Site or Administrator client and affect other Joomla calendar fields, not only JEM. See Language Overrides.

Advanced tab

Attachments tab

Upload documents that visitors may download from the event page. Allowed extensions and maximum upload size are controlled by the JEM and server configuration.

Links tab

Add reusable event-related links, for example a booking page, livestream, programme or external organizer page.

Event Settings tab

These options override the global JEM display configuration for this event.

Event display

Venue display

Registration display

Publishing panel

This panel contains record information such as ID, creator, hits, creation date, modification date and version. Most values are generated or updated by Joomla. Administrators with the required permission can change the creator.

Custom Fields panel

Complete any custom fields enabled for events. JEM supports up to ten event custom fields; their labels, order, type and visibility are configured centrally in JEM Settings. Empty fields are normally not displayed on the event page.

Registration panel

Image panel

Repeating Events panel

Choose how JEM creates additional event occurrences. A regular recurrence uses a rule; Custom dates creates a finite irregular series from an explicit schedule.

Regular recurrence types also use a recurrence end date and the configured generation anticipation window. The anticipation value controls how far ahead JEM creates occurrences; it does not change the recurrence rule itself.

Custom dates: irregular event series

Use Custom dates when occurrences do not follow a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly rule. The event's main Start Date and Start Time define the first occurrence. Each row under Custom dates adds another normal JEM event, while all occurrences remain connected as one series.

Create a custom-date series

1. Complete the event's shared information, categories, venue, registration options and other settings.
2. Open Repeating Events and select Custom dates.
3. Use the main event fields to enter the first occurrence's start date and, when required, its start time, end date and end time.
4. Enter at least one later occurrence in Custom dates. Select Add another date for each further occurrence.
5. Save the event. JEM sorts valid rows chronologically and creates the series.

Schedule fields and validation

Edit an existing custom series

Custom-date series follow the same parent/child editing model as regular recurrences. When editing an occurrence, its date and time remain in the main event fields and the table lists the other occurrences.

Registration and lifecycle behaviour

• Each occurrence has its own publication state, event status, capacity, attendee list and waiting list.
• Creating or updating a series never copies attendees or registrations to another occurrence.
• Series booking can include the current and eligible future occurrences, while single-event booking affects only the selected occurrence.
• Save as Copy creates an independent event and removes the copied item from the original series relationship.
• If an occurrence is permanently deleted, JEM repairs the series root and ordering. If only one event remains, it becomes a normal standalone event.

Technical implementation notes

Custom-date occurrences are stored as ordinary JEM event records, so existing event views, modules, plugins, permissions and registration workflows continue to operate on each occurrence. The records are linked by series_id and ordered by series_order. Custom dates is an editor workflow rather than a stored recurrence rule: generated occurrences use recurrence_type = 0. Their UTC start values are calculated individually and stored in start_utc, which keeps chronological and future-occurrence operations reliable across different timezones and daylight-saving changes.

Metadata panel

Practical examples

Example 1: a single workshop

Create the event with one Start Date, select its category and venue, and leave Repeating Events set to None. Enable registration and set Maximum places to 20 if attendance is limited.

Example 2: a class every Tuesday

Create the first class, choose Weekly, select the required weekly interval and set the recurrence end date. Use this method because the schedule follows a predictable rule.

Example 3: an irregular three-session course

Set the main event date to 10 October 2026 at 10:00–13:00. Then select Custom dates and add these two later occurrences:

JEM creates three connected events. If the November session later moves to another venue, edit that child occurrence; only it will change. If a fourth course date is announced, edit the first/root event and add the new row.

Example 4: a hybrid event in another timezone

Select Custom event timezone, choose the event's actual timezone, enter the online meeting URL and set Event status to Moved online when appropriate. Visitors and integrations can then receive a consistent event instant even when the Joomla site uses another timezone.

Example 5: entering dates in United States format

Install and select English (United States) - en-US as the Administrator language. The Start Date and End Date fields then accept MM-DD-YYYY, such as 10-24-2026. The event is still stored internally as 2026-10-24; the change affects the editing format, not the event's civil date or timezone.

Troubleshooting

Related Project Notes

• Forum discussion #13188: Add Event date format
• Documentation: Joomla Language Overrides for JEM
• Issue #2288: Add custom-date event series for irregular schedules
• Issue #2263: Publication timezones and per-event timezone references
• Issue #2138: Associated Joomla articles for events
• Issue #2139: Native online meeting support
• Issue #2128: Event status and ticket availability
• Issue #2207: Centralized custom-field configuration
• Issue #2041: Online events, venues and attachment review