Key concepts

Key concepts

Before diving into features, here are the fundamental concepts that structure Joinways. Understanding them will help you navigate the application more effectively.

Workspace

The workspace is your shared working environment in Joinways. Each organization has one workspace that contains all data: venues, events, leads, contacts and settings. All team members work within the same workspace.

Venue

A venue represents a physical establishment where you host events: castle, hotel, restaurant, event hall, unique space, etc. Each venue has its own configuration:

• Spaces (rooms, terraces, gardens…)
• Service catalog (room rental, menus, equipment…)
• Billing settings and currencies

You can manage multiple venues within a single workspace.

Space

A space is a sub-part of a venue: a room, terrace, garden, rooftop. Spaces let you check availability and assign events to a specific area. An event can use one or more spaces.

Leads

Leads are incoming inquiries from potential clients. They arrive from your connected channels (Gmail, Outlook, Instagram, WhatsApp, web form) and are centralized in the Leads section. AI automatically extracts key information (contact, date, event type, guest count, budget). You qualify each lead and then convert it into an event.

Event

The event is the central record in Joinways. It gathers all information related to a booking: client contact, dates, venue and space, status (Option, Confirmed, Lost, Cancelled), quotes, tasks, emails, notes, files and function sheet (BEO). Its title is auto-generated from the client's name.

Quotes and invoices

The Quotes module (available on Pro and Enterprise plans) lets you create proposals with line items from your catalog or entered manually. A quote can be sent as PDF or submitted for electronic signature. Once signed, it can be converted into an invoice via Stripe and used to initialize the function sheet (BEO).

Catalog

The catalog groups your recurring services (room rental, menus, technical packages, decoration…). Each item has a title, description, unit price and VAT rate. You manage it from your venue page and use it to fill quotes quickly.

People & Companies

Joinways includes a lightweight CRM. The People section groups individual contacts (clients, vendors), while the Companies section groups business entities. Both are automatically enriched when converting leads and signing quotes.

Integrations

Joinways connects to your existing tools to centralize information:

• Email — Gmail and Outlook to receive leads and send emails.
• Social media — Instagram and WhatsApp to capture DMs and messages.
• Calendars — Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar (outbound sync).
• Payments — Stripe for invoicing.
• Web form — Embeddable Lead Form for your website.

Reports

The Reports section offers three views: Leads (lead KPIs), Commercial (pipeline, revenue by confirmation date) and Accounting (revenue by event date). You can filter by period, venue and owner.

Relationships between concepts

Understanding how concepts connect is key to getting the most out of Joinways. Here's the typical journey from incoming request to successful event.

Incoming lead → Qualification → Event creation → Quote → Signature → BEO → Event day → Invoicing → Archive. Each step builds on the previous one, and all information is centralized in the event file.

Quick glossary

• Pipeline — the overview of your events organized by status (New, In Discussion, Confirmed, Completed).
• Workspace — your shared workspace with your team, containing all your venues, events, and contacts.
• Lead Form — the embeddable form you can integrate on your website to receive requests.
• BEO — Banquet Event Order, the operational document detailing the day-of organization.

💡 Bookmark this page as a reference. Understanding these concepts makes the rest of the documentation much easier to follow.

Best practices

Spend 10 minutes reading this article before your first day using Joinways. Understanding the core concepts — leads, events, venues, contacts, workspaces — makes every other feature easier to learn and use effectively.

💡 Bookmark this page. It's a useful reference when training new team members.

Troubleshooting

Confused about leads vs events?

A lead is an initial inquiry or request. Once confirmed, a lead becomes an event. Think of leads as 'potential bookings' and events as 'confirmed bookings'. The status field tracks this progression.

Not sure which workspace to use?

Each workspace represents a separate business entity. If you manage multiple venues under one company, use a single workspace. If venues are separate businesses, create separate workspaces.

FAQ

Do I need to set up everything before I start?

No, you can start with just a venue and begin receiving leads immediately. Add spaces, catalog items and integrations as you grow.

What's the difference between a workspace and a venue?

A workspace is your Joinways account shared by your team. A venue is a physical location within that workspace. One workspace can have multiple venues.

Can I use Joinways without connecting email or social media?

Yes, you can create events manually. However, connecting your channels automates lead capture and saves significant time.

See also

• Quickstart Guide
• Manage your venues
• Understanding Leads