How to specify external users as organizers, facilitators, and other contacts in an event form using a contact list

Purpose

This article explains how to use a custom contact list to specify external users (such as organizers, facilitators, etc.) in the Event form, ensuring they receive invitations, updates, and cancellations.

Prerequisites

• You must have Edit or Administrator permissions on the site.

• The Team Collaboration Lists site feature must be enabled.

Step 1: Create a New Contact List

1. Open Site contents.

2. Click New → App.

3. Click Classic experience.

4. Select Contacts.

5. Enter a name for the new contact list.

6. Click Create.

7. Add one entry for each contact you want to use (for example, name and email address).

Step 2: Create a Lookup Column in the Scheduled Events List

1. Open the Scheduled Events list.

2. Go to List settings.

3. Under the Columns section, click Create column.

4. Configure the column:

   • Column name: Enter a descriptive name (for example, External Facilitators).

   • Type of information: Select Lookup (information already on this site).

   • Get information from: Select the new contact list.

   • In this column: Select the field to display in the dropdown (for example, E‑Mail or Full Name).

5. (Optional) Enable Allow multiple values if multiple external contacts should be selectable.

6. Click OK.

Step 3: Add the Column to the Event Form

1. Create or edit an event in the Scheduled Events list.

2. If the new column is not visible:

   1. Click Edit Form.

   2. Click the + icon at the bottom of the form.

   3. Select the newly created contact column.

3. Save the form.

You can now select external users (such as organizers or facilitators) from the contact list when creating or updating events.

Step 4: Configure Attendee Settings

1. Open the For administrators section.

2. Navigate to App settings.

3. Open the Attendees section.

4. Select the new contact column.

This ensures that all selected external contacts receive:

• Event invitations

• Updates

• Cancellations

Step 5: Adjust Email Templates

1. In App settings, open Email templates.

2. Locate the templates associated with the new contact column.

3. Modify the templates as needed.

4. Save your changes.

Troubleshooting: Contacts App Is Not Available

If the Contacts app cannot be found:

1. Open Site settings.

2. Go to Site features.

3. Verify that Team Collaboration Lists is Enabled.

4. If it is disabled, enable it.

5. Return to Site contents and try again.

Result

You can now define external users—such as organizers, facilitators, or other roles—in the event form using a contact list, and ensure they are correctly notified through the Scheduled Events app.