Help the right people find your event.
A clear listing makes it easier for people to discover your event, understand why it is worth attending and take the next step. Use this guide when adding or updating an event on VASO.
Add your event →Explore Event Finder →Start with the essentials
1. Give the event a useful name
Use the real event name and add a helpful location or focus where appropriate. “Reading Business Breakfast: Finance & Growth” tells visitors more than “Join us!”. Avoid all capitals, keyword stuffing and claims you cannot substantiate.
2. Make the location easy to search
Enter the venue, town or city, county and postcode. For an online event, use “Online”. Add useful area tags such as Reading and Berkshire so people can find the event at both town and county level. Use the actual location rather than every neighbouring county.
3. Check the date, time and time zone
Include accurate start and finish times. For UK events, choose Europe/London. Create a separate listing for each distinct occurrence so visitors can find the right date. A continuous multi-day exhibition can use one listing with its full date range.
4. Explain the value of attending
Write a short introduction covering what happens, who it is for and what attendees can gain. Include the agenda, speaker details, networking format, entry requirements, accessibility contact and price where known. State clearly if membership, an invitation or a separate ticket is required.
5. Choose relevant event types
In “Select one or more categories”, choose every format that genuinely applies. A property networking breakfast can be both Business networking and Industry-specific events. A conference with workshops may fit more than one format. Do not select unrelated categories simply to appear in more searches.
6. Use a strong image and a clear booking link
Upload an image you have permission to use, at least 600 × 600 pixels, with important content centred for cropping. Add a clearly labelled link to the organiser’s official event or registration page in the description. If booking is handled elsewhere, the organiser’s page can direct visitors there. Listing an event or indicating attendance on VASO does not reserve a ticket.
Choose the right sectors
Event type describes the format; sector describes the industry or professional subject. VASO uses the Tags field for sector matching. Add the exact tags below, one at a time, confirming each with Enter. You can add more than one relevant sector.
Examples: a FinTech conference can use sector-finance and sector-technology. A sustainable building event can use sector-construction-property and sector-sustainability.
| Sector | Tag to enter |
|---|---|
| Agriculture | sector-agriculture |
| Automotive | sector-automotive |
| Construction & Property | sector-construction-property |
| Defence & Security | sector-defence-security |
| Education | sector-education |
| Engineering & Manufacturing | sector-engineering |
| Entertainment, Arts & Culture | sector-creative |
| Finance & Accounting | sector-finance |
| Healthcare, Medical & Pharma | sector-healthcare |
| Hospitality, Food & Drink | sector-hospitality |
| Logistics & Distribution | sector-logistics |
| Marketing, PR & Media | sector-marketing |
| Professional Services | sector-professional-services |
| Sport | sector-sport |
| Sustainability | sector-sustainability |
| Technology & Software | sector-technology |
Where do HR, legal and consultancy fit?
Use Professional Services for HR, recruitment, legal, consultancy and related professional services events. Finance & Accounting covers accountancy, banking, investment, insurance and financial services. Healthcare, Medical & Pharma also includes life sciences.
When should I use Sustainability?
Use it when sustainability, energy, net zero, environmental practice or the circular economy is a meaningful part of the programme. Add the relevant industry sector too. A venue’s recycling policy alone does not make every event a sustainability event.
What about events open to every industry?
A general business breakfast or broad networking event does not need a sector tag. It will remain discoverable through All sectors, its location and its event types. Add specialist sectors only when the programme or intended audience makes them relevant. Cross-sector and Lifestyle are not sector choices in Event Finder.
Location, organiser and topic tags
Other useful tags can describe the town, county, organiser or topics such as padel and golf. Use the audience tags below to help the right people find your event.
Who is your event for?
Event type is the format, sector is the subject, and audience is who the event is intended to help. Add the exact audience tags below in the Tags field, confirming each with Enter. Choose more than one only when the programme genuinely suits each group. These are relevance suggestions, not promises about who will attend.
| Audience | Tag to enter | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Start-ups | audience-startups | Early-stage businesses, people preparing to launch and teams building a new venture. |
| Founders | audience-founders | Founders and entrepreneurs building, growing or funding their own businesses. |
| Directors & Leaders | audience-leaders | Directors, executives, board members, senior managers and people with leadership responsibility. |
| SMEs & Business Owners | audience-sme | Owners and teams in small and medium-sized businesses; practical business growth and local commercial networking. |
| Corporate & Enterprise | audience-corporate | People working in larger organisations, enterprise teams and corporate decision-makers. Use only where the programme is genuinely relevant. |
| Business Development & Sales | audience-business-development | People responsible for sales, commercial partnerships, account growth and developing business relationships. |
| Industry Professionals | audience-professionals | Practitioners, specialists and professional teams seeking sector-specific knowledge and industry connections. |
| Women in Business | audience-women | Events focused on women in business, including women-only events where the organiser specifies that restriction. |
Be specific, not exhaustive
A founder-focused padel session may use audience-startups, audience-founders and audience-leaders if the organiser explicitly targets those groups. A board leadership forum should use audience-leaders, not every audience just because anyone might benefit. For a general local business breakfast, audience-sme may fit; do not automatically tag it as Corporate.
Corporate does not mean expensive or higher quality, and SME does not mean beginner. Base the choices on the actual agenda, roles, business stage and intended participants. Do not infer audience from ticket price, venue prestige or sponsor logos. Broader public-interest events should not be forced into professional segments.
One Women in Business search, clear attendance rules
Use audience-women for Women in Business. If attendance is restricted to women, also retain women-only and state that restriction in the description. If the programme is women-focused but others can attend, say so explicitly. Existing women-only and women-focused tags both appear under the single Women in Business filter; merging search options does not change admission rules.
Make the description useful
Add a short Who is it for? paragraph naming the intended roles, company stage or size and the reason to attend. State membership, invitation, application, professional qualification or other entry conditions separately. VASO may review and refine audience classifications to keep searches relevant. If there is not enough information, leave specialist audience tags off until it is clarified.
A listing that is easy to find
Reading Property & Construction Breakfast
Location: [Venue], Reading, Berkshire, [postcode]
Event types: Business networking; Industry-specific events
Tags: sector-construction-property audience-sme audience-professionals Reading Berkshire
Description: For a breakfast aimed at local property business owners and professionals, explain the intended audience, the discussion topic, the timetable, ticket price and what is included. Finish with a clearly labelled official booking link.
This is an illustrative example, not an advertised event. Only add extra sectors, such as Finance & Accounting, if that subject or audience is actually part of the event.
Before you publish
- Check the title, location, dates, time zone and booking link.
- Choose relevant event types, sectors and audiences; confirm every tag is spelled correctly.
- Use original wording and images you own or have permission to use.
- Choose Public if the listing should be visible to everyone.
- Preview the listing, publish it, then check its location, type, sector and audience in Event Finder. Newly published changes can take up to 30 minutes to appear in a cached search.
- Keep the listing current. Update changes promptly and clearly mark cancellations; avoid leaving misleading dates or booking details live.
Standard event listings are free. If you would prefer us to prepare and maintain your listings, or want to discuss featured placement, explore managed organiser support. Monthly arrangements are agreed directly with VASO. Focus on relevant business events and professional connections, including business networking through sport and social activities. A good listing helps people decide whether the event is right for them.
List your event →Need a hand? Contact VASO.
