Create an Event and Set the Basics
NaviTabi supports two kinds of events.
You can create standard events and Safety Tracking Events. A permanent event without a time limit requires an application to NaviTabi (paid). It is different from keeping a standard event public after it ends, or from using a course that does not set start and finish spots (Score (Free Start and Finish)). For details, see Can I create a course without a time limit (permanent course)?.
If you want to check what should be decided before publication, how to run test play, or how to guide participants, see Operations Guide - Preparation before the event.
- Standard Event
- Safety Tracking Event
Create a standard event
This is a rogaining or orienteering event where participants visit checkpoints or spots.
Create a new event
- On the Manage screen, tap … (Android: ︙) at the top right, choose Create New Event, and then choose Create Normal Event.
- Enter the following information:
- Event Name (required)
- Country (required)
- Area (required)
- Tap the create button. The event is created in a private (unpublished) state.
On the web at /events/add, you can also enter a subtitle and the event date when creating the event, as well as the radius of the event area, always-on live tracking, hiding other players, and required Entry Number input.
You can also create an event and courses from an IOF XML (Ver 3.0) file produced by orienteering planning software. Import it from Import IOF XML File on the new event screen.
Set the basic information
After the event is created, the detailed settings screen opens. You can configure the following items.
Event information
| Item | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Event Name | ✅ | Name shown in the event list |
| Subtitle | - | Supplemental text under the event name |
| Description | - | Detailed event description and rules. Links can also be included |
| Notes | - | Important notes for participants |
| Image | - | Main image shown in event listings (title image) |
| Tags | - | Labels that show event type or features |
Event schedule and location
| Item | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Country | ✅ | Country where the event is held. It cannot be changed after the event is created |
| Area | ✅ | Event area (prefecture, state, etc.) |
| Area2 | - | A more specific area (city, town, etc.) |
| Event Date (or Start Date) | - | Event date |
| End Date | - | Set this for multi-day events, up to 90 days |
| Location (Event Area) | - | Center point and radius shown on the map |
| Background Map | - | Map shown to participants, either default or custom |
Even if you do not set the event area manually, NaviTabi can calculate the center and radius automatically after you place spots.
Approval settings
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Require approval to join | Participants need organizer approval before joining |
| Event Number | A 4-digit number. Participants who enter the correct number are approved automatically |
| Require Entry Number Input | Participants must input their Entry Number |
Require approval to join, Event Number, and Require Entry Number Input cannot be enabled without the Organizer Plan. Event Number can be entered only after Require approval to join is turned on.
QR Code Punch
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| QR code punching | Choose whether to use punching with QR codes posted at spots (Don't use QR / QR only / GPS or QR / GPS + QR (both required)). For details, see Course and spot settings - QR Code Punch |
QR code punching can be set only on standard events (Score / Score (Free Start and Finish) / Fixed Order). It does not appear on Safety Tracking Events or permanent (no time limit) events.
The Bonus QR (a QR that adds points) used on score-type courses works regardless of the QR mode you choose here. Even with "Don't use QR" set, once you create a Bonus QR participants can scan it during play. To set it up, see Event management screen - Bonus QR.
Advanced settings
The following settings require the Organizer Plan, except Enable direct contact with event organizer, which is available to everyone. However, setting a competition or restricted area makes location sharing mandatory even for organizers without paid features. See Competition and Restricted Areas.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Always activate live tracking | Collects location from all participants in real time. When it is on, participants can no longer start with live tracking turned off (see below) |
| Do not show other players during play | Prevents participant locations from being shown during play |
| Hide live map and results | Keeps the live map and rankings hidden from participants. While it is on, participants cannot open the event page on the web either |
| Hide result details and photos | When on, other participants can no longer (1) open another participant's result detail screen or (2) see photos taken by other participants. Your own results and the photos you took, as well as the organizer, can still be viewed |
| Enable AI-powered Photo Verification | AI automatically checks whether captured photos match the sample photos. Only spots with a registered reference photo are covered, and permanent (no time limit) events are not verified. The setting is captured when a play starts, so changing it mid-play does not affect plays that are under way. See Photo check - Relationship to AI photo verification |
| URL to open after play (e.g., survey) | Opens a specified URL after play ends. Useful for surveys such as Google Forms |
| Restrict sending of in-event messages to organizers only | Limits event messages so only the organizer can send them |
| Enable direct contact with event organizer | Allows participants to send direct messages to operators |
Live tracking is the feature that shows each participant's current location on the Live Map in real time during play. This setting switches between letting each participant choose whether to be shown and showing everyone.
| Setting | Confirmation dialog at the start | Shown on the Live Map |
|---|---|---|
| Off (default) | An Activate live tracking switch is shown (on by default) | Participants choose. The current location of participants who start with it turned off is not shown on the Live Map (the track of the route they took is still saved as part of the play record even when it is off) |
| On | The switch is not shown | Everyone is shown. Participants cannot play with it turned off |
- Participants can check this under Course information in the play screen menu: it shows "Live Tracking: Always On" (or "Live Tracking: Selectable" when the setting is off)
- Whether a participant appears on the Live Map is decided when they start. Turn the setting on before participants start
- In mass-start categories, participants who start automatically around the start time start with live tracking on regardless of this setting
These are two separate settings. Hide live map and results hides the live map and the ranking list themselves. By contrast, Hide result details and photos keeps the ranking list visible but hides only the "navigation to result details" of other participants and the "photos taken by other participants." You can also use them together.
For how this looks from a participant's point of view, see Participant Guide - Results and route review.
On a permanent (no time limit) event, when Hide result details and photos is on, even the organizer cannot open other participants' result details on the permanent event leaderboard. If the organizer wants to check another participant's result details, view them from the Manage screen (the results screen for event managers).
Create a Safety Tracking Event
This event type is used to share and monitor participant locations in real time. It can be used not only for orienteering and rogaining but also for trail-running safety management.
Create a new event
- On the Manage screen, tap … (Android: ︙) at the top right and choose Create New Event -> Create Safety Tracking Event.
- Enter the following information:
- Name (required)
- Country (required)
- Area (required on iPhone for countries that have a list of areas)
- Event Date (or Start Date) (required)
- End Date
- Location (required) - Set the center point and radius on the map
- Tap the create button to create the event.
On the web (/events/add), you can also create a Safety Tracking Event by choosing Safety Tracking as the event type. Whether you create it in the app or on the web, the event is created unpublished.
Differences from a standard event:
- Event date and event area are required
- Tags are not used
- Categories, courses, and spots are not needed
- The following settings are enabled automatically:
- Always activate Live Tracking
- Hide results and live map
- Hide other participant locations
Safety Tracking specific settings
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Tracking Interval | Choose from 1 minute, 3 minutes, or 5 minutes. Shorter intervals are more accurate but consume more battery |
| Show map with current location on participant screen | Whether participants can see a map on their own screen |
| Allow everyone to view live map | Whether all participants can view the live map |
Other settings available for Safety Tracking Events
Besides the items above, you can set the same Description / Image / Background map as a standard event, the Organizer Plan-only Require Entry Number Input / URL to open after play (e.g., survey) / Restrict sending of in-event messages to organizers only, and Enable direct contact with event organizer, which needs no plan. The Subtitle can be entered only on iOS and the Web; the Android app has no subtitle field.
Add staff members (Organizer Plan)
You can add event managers and event operators who help run the event. For the difference between the roles and how to add them, see Staff roles and permissions.
Use it as a group event
If you want to run the event for a club or community so that only group members can participate, create and manage the event from the group side. See Manage groups for details.
An event created in a group has no event owner or event managers; permissions come from the group roles (owner and managers). The Add Managers card therefore cannot be used. See Manage groups — Permissions and plans for group events.
Publish the event
When the event settings are ready, tap the Publish button in the header of the event management screen (dashboard) to publish. Once published, other users can find the event from the event list and map search.
Previously you switched publishing with a toggle on the edit screen, but publishing and unpublishing are now consolidated in the dashboard header (same on iOS and Android). The smartphone app's edit screen has no publish switch. The event edit screen on the Web still has a "Publish" switch; publishing from there does not run the pre-publish check.
When you publish, a Pre-publish Check runs automatically first, so you can review any configuration issues (Must fix / Review / Tips) on the spot. You can still publish even if there are items that need fixing, but we recommend reviewing them before publishing. For the button location and the detailed dialog flow, see Event management screen - Publishing and unpublishing.
For a standard event, finish configuring categories, courses, and spots, and run a test play before publishing. If you change the course after participants start, it may affect results.
A Safety Tracking Event has no categories or courses, so the pre-publish check does not run. Once published, participants will be able to join the event.
Next steps
- Organize the relationship between event, category, course, and spot -> Understand the event structure
- If you want to use a custom map -> upload it from Map management
- Create courses -> use Course and spot settings to place spots and build courses
- For a Safety Tracking Event -> check how to use the screen in Safety Monitoring
- If you want to run it as a group event -> see Manage groups
- If multiple people will help run it -> see Staff roles and permissions
- If you want to prepare participant guidance -> see Operations Guide - Guidance for participants