What is an event date poll?

It is a shortlist of candidate dates that guests respond to, marking each one available, maybe or unavailable, so the organiser can pick the date with the best attendance.

How many date options should I offer?

Between three and eight. Fewer feels like a fake choice; more takes long enough to answer that people put it off.

Do participants need an account?

No. Participants can open the shared link and mark their availability without creating an account. They enter a name, tap the days that work, and submit.

What if a key attendee has a clash we didn't know about?

Drop the clashing date from consideration and read the results without it. There is usually no need to restart the whole poll if the remaining options are unaffected.

Events

Run an event date poll

An event date poll asks the only question that matters before you book anything: on which of these dates would people actually turn up?

Find a Date See how it works

Create a free availability poll and share it with your group.

Shortlist, then poll

Do the filtering first. Rule out dates that clash with holidays, big local events or your own commitments, then poll the three to eight that survive. A shortlist gets answered; an open calendar does not.

Read attendance, not just totals

For events, the identity of the attendees matters as much as the count. Check the grid for speakers, hosts and anyone whose absence would change the plan before you accept the top-ranked date.

Close the poll and announce

Set a deadline when you create the poll so it closes on its own, then announce the date in the same channel where you shared the link. Keep the results page available — people trust a decision they can see the numbers behind.

Handling clashes you find out about late

Even a carefully shortlisted set of dates will sometimes clash with something you did not know about — a public holiday in one region, a competing event, or a key attendee's prior commitment discovered after the poll opens. If this happens before the deadline, drop the clashing date from consideration rather than restarting the poll; the remaining ranked results are usually still valid without it.

Recurring and annual events

For an event that repeats every year, resist the temptation to just re-book the same weekend by default. Poll the same shortlist logic each cycle — a handful of candidate dates around the usual time of year — since venues, key attendees and holiday calendars all shift slightly year to year, and a date that worked well last time can quietly stop working without anyone noticing until turnout drops.

Mixing in-person and virtual attendance

If some guests will attend in person and others will join remotely, ask about both in the same poll rather than assuming everyone means in-person when they mark a date available. Add a note field asking respondents how they plan to attend, so the final headcount for catering and room size reflects only the in-person guests, and the date decision itself is not distorted by remote attendees who have far fewer scheduling constraints.

Worked example

Example: an event date poll for a 60-person community fundraiser

A committee of six core organisers is choosing a date for a 60-guest community fundraiser, needing the venue's caretaker and the guest speaker confirmed before opening it more widely.

1The six core organisers shortlist five Saturday dates that avoid known local events and school holidays.
2The caretaker and guest speaker are polled first, on just those five dates, before anyone else.
3Two dates are eliminated once the speaker marks them unavailable.
4The remaining three dates are put to the full 60-guest list with a ten-day deadline.
5The results show one Saturday clearly ahead, with the caretaker and speaker both confirmed on it.
6The committee announces the date in the same newsletter the poll link went out in.

The fundraiser date was confirmed with the caretaker, speaker and 42 of 60 guests all available, decided within two weeks and without needing to rerun the poll after the speaker's clash came to light.

Frequently asked questions

What is an event date poll?: It is a shortlist of candidate dates that guests respond to, marking each one available, maybe or unavailable, so the organiser can pick the date with the best attendance.
How many date options should I offer?: Between three and eight. Fewer feels like a fake choice; more takes long enough to answer that people put it off.
Do participants need an account?: No. Participants can open the shared link and mark their availability without creating an account. They enter a name, tap the days that work, and submit.
What if a key attendee has a clash we didn't know about?: Drop the clashing date from consideration and read the results without it. There is usually no need to restart the whole poll if the remaining options are unaffected.

scheduling for executive forumsFor YPO, EO, Vistage-style peer groups and boards.plan a birthdayDates for parties and celebrations.plan a team outingWork events and offsites.find a date everyone can makeThe core date-finding flow.

Find the day everyone can make it