If you’re used to leveraging Facebook to coordinate events, or if you’re an event promoter who has started using Google Plus, you might be scratching your head on how you can manage events on Google+. Google+ doesn’t have a baked in events functionality yet. However, it’s still pretty easy to create events and then invite your Google+ circles to them, or even make them public for the world to see.
This is a hack method at best… but until a full fledged API is released for GooglePlus this seems to be the best(only?) method for integrated GCal and GPlus events.
Create a Public Calendar
Click the cog on the top right hand of your Calendar window and go to Calendar settings. Once there click the Calendars link. Create a new calendar and call it “Events” or whatever you’d like to name it. Make sure you select to make the calendar public. It’s really easy to do and Google Calendar has simple instructions right here.
Create An Event
The first thing to do is create your event in Google Calendar, which you already have by the fact that you’re using a Google Account to access Google+. When you create your event, include all of the information such as time, location, contact details, etc.
Add The Event To Your Calendar
Once you’ve created the event simply click on the link at the bottom of the page that says “Publish this event”. Note that if you don’t see this link right away just save your event and return to the main Calendar view, then simply click back into your event and it should appear.
Another thing to note is that right now I’ve created the event on my main calendar. That’s fine for events for people in my circle, who might have access to my calendar. But Google Calendar will let you create additional calendars, this way you can separate your primary calendar from an events calendar. Add your event to the public calendar you created above.
Publish the Event
When you click the “Publish Event” link you will be given some code that you can use to link to your event. This is how you would share the event on your website so that users can click a button to add it to their calendar. Within this code is the link that will take users right to your event. Copy all of the code between a href=” and the next set of double quote marks.
Add the event to Google Plus
Now you’re ready to share the event on Google Plus. From your Google+ stream click on the link icon in the post box. Paste in the link you copied from your Google Calendar event, add any additional text you’d like in the text box. You might want to remove the text/description auto generated by Google Calendar. Now when your someone clicks the Google Calendar link you’ve published they will be taken to a Google Calendar listing for your event where they can see the details and RSVP.
Finally, select which Circles you’d like to share with (including public if you want it to be a public event), and click ‘Add’.
You’re done… You’ve created an invitation to your Google Calendar event. It’s visible in the Google+ stream to members of the circles you’ve identified, or publicly if you chose to make it public.
Yeah. Like people are actually going to go through all that trouble. Get a clue Paul. People want to focus on putting out information on their events, making it look cool, inviting people, and keeping track of who is coming.
They don’t have or want a utility belt full of programming languages and a database of all knowledge on databases or to practice code fu.
I have more of a clue than a coward who tosses crap but won’t leave their email address. lol
It was nice to read your post Mr. coolest dad.
Mexico horseback riding
Hi Paul,
I’ve got a bit of a problem. I need to delete an event that is happening tomorrow. I never thought anyone would actually come to it and I’m not ready. How do I delete it from google+? I feel horrible about doing it. Thanks if you can help.