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Event File Management: Sharing Documents with Members

Share files with attendees on Seaty: connect Dropbox for admin and member documents, preview without downloading, and organise scripts or programmes.

Overview

The File Management section helps you share documents with your event community. Whether you need to distribute scripts to cast members, share schedules with staff, or provide programmes to attendees, this feature connects your existing cloud storage directly to Seaty.

At its simplest, file management answers one question: How do I get files to the right people at the right time?

Who uses this: Organisation administrators setting up events, and event administrators managing file access.

Key capabilities:

  • Connect cloud storage folders to share files with members or administrators
  • Separate admin files (staff-only) from member files (ticket holders)
  • Preview documents, images, and spreadsheets directly without downloading
  • Organise files in folders with automatic intelligent ordering
  • Access files from both website and mobile app
The File Management editor showing the File Connections heading, Dropbox Event admin files section with orange Not Connected warning and Connect to Dropbox button, and Dropbox Event member files section with the same layoutThe File Management editor showing the File Connections heading, Dropbox Event admin files section with orange Not Connected warning and Connect to Dropbox button, and Dropbox Event member files section with the same layout

How It Works

At a glance: Connect a cloud folder, add your files, and they become available to the right people automatically based on their role.

1. Connect your cloud storage

Choose whether to set up admin files (visible only to staff) or member files (visible to all ticket holders). Each connection creates a dedicated folder in your cloud storage account.

2. Add files through your cloud service

Upload documents, images, audio, or any file type to your connected folder. Create subfolders to organise content by category, date, or role.

3. People access files automatically

Administrators see admin files through the event admin menu. Ticket holders see member files through the member zone on the event page. Access happens automatically based on permissions and ticket purchases.

Think of it this way:

  • Admin files are your backstage area - production schedules, budgets, technical specs that only staff need
  • Member files are your front-of-house handouts - scripts, programmes, schedules for participants
  • Your cloud storage is the library - you manage the files there, Seaty handles who can see them

Two Connection Types

Seaty offers two distinct connections per event, each serving different audiences:

Event Admin Files

  • Visible only to organisation administrators with appropriate permissions
  • Accessed via the event admin menu
  • Ideal for: Production schedules, budget spreadsheets, technical specs, cast lists

Event Member Files

  • Visible to all ticket holders for this event
  • Accessed via a link on the event landing page
  • Ideal for: Scripts, sheet music, rehearsal schedules, event programmes
  • Only available if your organisation has Memberships enabled

Why two separate connections? This separation ensures sensitive administrative information stays private whilst participants get easy access to materials they need.

Both connections:

  • Can be set up independently (use one, both, or neither)
  • Work across both web and mobile app
  • Support the same file types and features

Setting Up File Sharing

Connecting Admin Files

  1. Navigate to the Files section in Event Editor
  2. Find "Dropbox - Event admin files"
  3. Click "Connect to Dropbox"
  4. Authorise access in the popup window
  5. Once connected, you see a confirmation with a green tick

Connecting Member Files

Follow the same steps in the "Dropbox - Event member files" section.

Note: Member files only appear if your organisation has Memberships enabled. This setting is found in Organisation Settings.

Adding Files

After connecting, add files through your cloud storage:

  1. Open your cloud storage (desktop app, mobile app, or web)
  2. Navigate to Apps/Seaty Events/[your-event-tag]
  3. Upload files or create folders
  4. Files appear in Seaty within seconds

Why this approach? You manage files using familiar tools you already know, whilst Seaty handles access control automatically.

File Organisation

Folder Structure

Create subfolders to help people find what they need quickly:

By category (theatre production):

Scripts/
Music/
Schedules/

By timeline (workshop series):

Week 1 - Introduction/
Week 2 - Fundamentals/
Week 3 - Advanced/

By role (conference):

All Attendees/
Speakers/
Sponsors/

Note: Keep folder structures shallow (2-3 levels maximum). Deep nesting becomes difficult to navigate on mobile devices.

Intelligent File Ordering

Seaty automatically orders numbered files correctly:

Standard alphabetical sorting would show:

Scene 1.pdf
Scene 10.pdf
Scene 2.pdf

Seaty shows:

Scene 1.pdf
Scene 2.pdf
Scene 10.pdf

This works with:

  • Leading numbers ("1 - Introduction.pdf", "2 - Chapter One.pdf")
  • Embedded numbers ("Track 1.mp3", "Track 2.mp3")
  • Version numbers ("Script v1.1.pdf", "Script v1.10.pdf")
  • Date patterns in filenames

Why this matters: Your files display in the order you intended, making it easier for people to find the right document.

Managing Files from the Web Interface

Administrators with file management permissions can now upload, organise, and manage files directly from the Seaty website without needing to use Dropbox separately.

Uploading Files

Drag and Drop

The simplest way to upload files:

  1. Open the Files page for your event
  2. Drag files from your computer directly onto the file list
  3. A visual overlay shows where files will be uploaded
  4. Release to start the upload

You can drag files onto the main area to upload to the current folder, or drag directly onto a subfolder to upload there.

Upload Button

Click the Upload button in the toolbar to open a file picker and select files to upload.

Upload Progress

Each upload shows:

  • A circular progress indicator with percentage
  • The filename being uploaded
  • A stop button to cancel the upload

Multiple files upload simultaneously, and you can continue browsing whilst uploads complete in the background.

Folder Uploads

Drag entire folders to upload their complete contents, including subfolders. The folder structure is preserved in Dropbox.

Creating Folders

Create new folders directly from the interface:

  1. Click the New folder button in the toolbar
  2. Enter a name for your folder
  3. Click Create

The new folder appears immediately and you can navigate into it or drag files onto it.

Renaming Files and Folders

  1. Select a single file or folder by ticking its checkbox
  2. Click the Rename button that appears
  3. Enter the new name
  4. Click Rename to confirm

The file extension is preserved automatically for files.

Moving Files

Move files between folders without leaving the interface:

  1. Select one or more files by ticking their checkboxes
  2. Click the Move button
  3. Browse to the destination folder using the modal navigation
  4. Click Move here to confirm

The move modal shows only folders, making it easy to find the right destination.

Bulk Operations

Select multiple files for efficient management:

Selecting Files

  • Tick individual file checkboxes to select them
  • Use Select all to select everything in the current folder
  • Use Deselect to clear your selection

Bulk Actions When files are selected, you can:

  • Move - Move all selected items to another folder
  • Delete - Remove all selected items (with confirmation)

The selection bar shows how many items are selected.

Deleting Files

Delete files permanently:

  1. Select one or more files
  2. Click the Delete button
  3. Confirm the deletion in the dialog

Warning: Deleted files are removed from Dropbox. Some cloud storage plans keep deleted files in trash for 30 days.

Storage Information

The status bar at the bottom shows your available Dropbox storage space, helping you manage uploads effectively.

Viewing and Downloading Files

File Thumbnails

Supported file types display thumbnail previews:

  • Images: JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP
  • Documents: PDF (first page)
  • Office Files: Word, Excel, PowerPoint
  • Videos: MP4, MOV (first frame)

Thumbnails load automatically as you browse, making it easier to identify files visually.

Preview Support

Click the preview icon to view certain file types directly:

  • Documents (PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
  • Text files
  • Images (JPEG, PNG, GIF)

Preview opens in a new window without downloading the file.

Downloading Files

All file types can be downloaded:

  • Documents and spreadsheets
  • Images and graphics
  • Audio and video files
  • Archives and compressed files

Click the download icon on any file. The original filename is preserved.

Folder Navigation

  • Folders display at the top with bold text
  • Click any folder to open it
  • Use breadcrumb buttons at the top to jump back to previous levels
  • The root button shows your event tag (e.g., "#summer-show-2025")

URL-Based Navigation

Folder paths are stored in the page URL, which means:

  • You can bookmark specific folders
  • Share direct links to folders with team members
  • Use browser back/forward buttons to navigate folder history

Search

Find files quickly without navigating:

  1. Type in the search box at the top of the file list
  2. Click the search icon or press Enter
  3. Results show matching files and folders from the current location and subfolders
  4. Click any result to navigate to it
  5. Click Clear to return to normal browsing

Media Playback

Audio Files

Play audio files directly in the browser:

  1. Click the play button on any audio file (MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, M4A, OGG, WMA)
  2. An audio player bar appears at the bottom of the screen
  3. Use the controls to play/pause, seek, and see progress
  4. Click the skip button to advance to the next audio file in the folder
  5. Close the player when finished

The player continues playing as you navigate to other folders, making it ideal for reviewing rehearsal recordings or background music tracks.

Video Files

Play video files in a dedicated player:

  1. Click the play button on any video file (MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM, WMV)
  2. A video player overlay opens
  3. Use standard video controls for playback
  4. Click outside the player or the close button to exit

Searching Files

The search feature helps you find files quickly:

How to Search

  1. Enter your search term in the search box
  2. Click the search icon or press Enter
  3. Results appear showing matching files and folders

Search Behaviour

  • Searches within the current folder and all subfolders
  • Matches file and folder names
  • Case-insensitive searching
  • Click any result to navigate directly to that file's location

Clearing Search

  • Click the Clear button to exit search mode
  • Or delete the search text to return to normal browsing

How People Access Files

Administrators

  1. Navigate to the event page
  2. Open the event admin menu (three-dot icon)
  3. Click "View event admin files"
  4. Browse, preview, and download as needed

Ticket Holders (Members)

  1. Visit the event landing page whilst logged in
  2. Look for the "Member zone" section
  3. Click "Event files"
  4. Browse, preview, and download

Note: Only people with tickets can see member files. Non-ticket holders see no mention of files.

Mobile App

Both administrators and members can access files through the Seaty mobile app, with the same functionality as the website.

Practical Examples

Theatre Production

Scenario: Share rehearsal scripts with cast members

Setup:

  1. Connect member files
  2. Create folders: Scripts, Music, Schedules
  3. Upload materials to appropriate folders
  4. Cast members purchase tickets (or receive complimentary tickets)
  5. Cast accesses files through member zone

Result: Cast members have 24/7 access from any device without emailing large attachments.

Workshop Series

Scenario: Provide weekly materials before each session

Setup:

  1. Connect member files
  2. Create week-by-week folders
  3. Add each week's materials before that session
  4. Participants access new materials as they appear

Result: Participants download materials in advance and have a complete library by course end.

Conference with Speakers

Scenario: Share speaker resources separately from attendee materials

Setup:

  1. Connect admin files for speaker resources (presentation templates, guidelines)
  2. Connect member files for attendee resources (programme, session abstracts)
  3. Grant speakers appropriate admin permissions
  4. Speakers access admin files; attendees access member files

Result: Speakers see resources attendees cannot, all organised in one place.

Best Practices

File Naming

  • Include version dates when updating: "Script - Updated 15.03.25.pdf"
  • Use numeric prefixes for ordering: "01 Introduction", "02 Chapter One"
  • Be descriptive: "Rehearsal Schedule March.pdf" not "Schedule.pdf"

File Size Considerations

Mobile users may have limited data. Consider:

  • Compressing PDFs before uploading
  • Using web-quality images rather than print-quality
  • Splitting very large files into sections
  • Providing links for large videos rather than uploading directly

Recommended sizes:

  • Documents: Under 5MB
  • Images: Under 2MB
  • Audio: Under 10MB

Keeping Files Current

  • Remove outdated versions to avoid confusion
  • Mention new files in event communications so people know to check
  • For ongoing events, add materials regularly

Testing Before Sharing

Before announcing files:

  1. Navigate as an administrator using "View event files"
  2. Test folder navigation
  3. Test file preview and download
  4. Check how it looks on mobile

Disconnecting

To disconnect:

  1. Navigate to Event Editor, Files section
  2. Click "Disconnect Dropbox from event"
  3. Confirm in the dialog
  4. Click "Yes, Disconnect"

What happens:

  • Seaty loses access to that folder
  • Members and admins see "Dropbox Not Connected"
  • Your files remain in your cloud storage unchanged
  • You can reconnect at any time

Note: Disconnecting does not delete your files. They stay in your cloud storage account.

Common Questions

Access and Permissions

Do members need their own cloud storage accounts? No. Members access files directly through Seaty. They never interact with cloud storage directly.

Can I share files before tickets go on sale? Yes. Either add people as complimentary ticket holders, or use admin files and grant them administrator permissions.

Can members upload files? Not through Seaty, which provides read-only access. If you need uploads, share your cloud folder directly with those people through your cloud service.

Storage and Limits

How much storage do I need? Files use your cloud storage account limits, not Seaty's. A typical small event uses 10-50MB; large events with extensive media might use 1-5GB.

Is there a maximum file size? Seaty does not impose limits. However, files over 100MB may be slow to download on mobile connections.

Technical Questions

What happens if I delete files from my cloud folder? They immediately disappear from Seaty. Cloud services typically keep deleted files in trash for 30 days.

Can I connect the same folder to multiple events? No. Each event connection creates its own dedicated folder. Use organisation-level files (in Organisation Settings) to share across all events.

Can I see who downloaded files? Not through Seaty. Some cloud storage services offer activity tracking on paid plans.

Troubleshooting

Connection success but files not showing Check that you have added files to the correct folder. New connections start empty. Verify the folder path matches: Apps/Seaty Events/[your-event-tag]

Member says they cannot see files Verify they have purchased tickets (or received complimentary tickets), they are logged in, and the connection shows as connected in Event Editor.

Files in wrong order Use consistent naming patterns with leading zeros: "01", "02" instead of "1", "2". Rename files in your cloud storage to establish the desired order.

Next Steps

Once you have configured file sharing:

  • Marketing Tools - Optimise your event for discovery and sharing
  • Organisation Settings, Files - Set up file sharing across all events in your organisation
  • Editing your Event - Complete Event Editor Guide

Need help? Visit our Organiser FAQ or contact support.