In Eden is not a ticketing platform — on purpose
When you tap an event on In Eden, you're not actually RSVPing to the host. You're saving the event to your own private list. The host doesn't see your name. The host's headcount doesn't change. That feels surprising at first, so here's why we built it this way.
In Eden is a discovery and community layer. Events on it are hosted by Founders, Partners, and Vendors who have their own tools — Eventbrite, Luma, Partiful, SweatPals, Instagram. Trying to mirror their RSVP state inside In Eden would create two sources of truth that drift the moment someone refunds a ticket on Eventbrite at 11pm. So we don't try.
We do two things instead.
"I'm going" — private save list
When you tap I'm going on an event card, the event is added to your Your week strip on Home. It's a personal calendar tracker — your reminder to yourself that you're planning to go.
- No one else sees that you tapped it.
- The host doesn't get a notification or a headcount bump.
- You can untap it at any time.
If the event has a date, you can also tap Add to my calendar to export it to iOS Calendar via EventKit or Google Calendar via an .ics file. That writes to your actual calendar app — the same place your dentist appointment lives.
"Get tickets" — go to the host's platform
If the event is ticketed, you'll see a Get tickets button. Tapping it shows a quick "Leaving In Eden" interstitial — a soft pause that names where you're going — and then opens the host's external platform (Eventbrite, Luma, Partiful, SweatPals, or their own site) in your browser.
You pay there, your name goes on their list there, and your ticket arrives in your email from them. We don't process the payment, see the transaction, or take a cut.
Why the interstitial?
Two reasons. One, it's honest — we want you to know you're leaving the In Eden brand surface and heading somewhere that doesn't share our safety posture. Two, it's protective — the interstitial gives us a place to flag if a Founder's external link starts looking sketchy without breaking the experience.
Free events
If the event is free, there's no "Get tickets" button at all. Just I'm going and Add to my calendar. Free events don't need an external platform because there's nothing to charge for.
The one exception: In Eden-hosted events
Events where In Eden itself is the host (rare at launch — mostly partner-sponsored events under our banner) DO support real in-app RSVP and headcount. You'll see a different button: RSVP. Those are the only events where our database knows whether you're attending.
What about cancellations and refunds?
Whatever the host's platform allows. If you bought a ticket on Eventbrite, you cancel and refund on Eventbrite. If you tapped "I'm going" on a free event and changed your mind, just untap it.
I'm a Founder — how do I post a paid event?
You paste your external ticket link (Eventbrite / Luma / Partiful / SweatPals / your site) into the event composer in Studio. We auto-detect the platform and store both the URL and the platform name. Your members tap "Get tickets" and land directly on your platform.
There is no path to in-app payment for events at v1, and there won't be one. If you need money to change hands, you bring your own ticketing platform — which means you keep control of the data, the payouts, and the audience.