Automating Festival Registration with AI Agents

How I built an AI-powered system to track swing dance festival registrations and never miss another sold-out event

As a swing dancer who travels to festivals across Europe, I was constantly frustrated by missing registration openings. Festivals like Herräng or BalDamn sell out within hours of registration opening, and keeping track of 10+ festivals with different registration dates, times, and timezones was becoming impossible.

So I built an AI-powered automation system using Claude Code that monitors festival registration dates, updates my planning documents, and creates calendar reminders automatically. Here’s how you can build something similar for any domain where you need to track time-sensitive events.

The Problem: Festival Registration Chaos

Dance festivals are incredibly popular, and the good ones sell out fast. Here’s what I was dealing with:

• Multiple festivals: 10-15 festivals per year across different countries
• Unpredictable timing: Registration dates announced weeks or months in advance
• Timezone complexity: Festivals across Europe with different timezones
• Time-sensitive: Registration windows as short as a few hours
• Scattered information: Dates announced on websites, Facebook, Instagram, emails

Missing a single registration meant losing out on a weekend of dancing and potentially expensive last-minute alternatives.

The Solution: AI-Powered Festival Tracking

I created a system that:

1. Maintains a structured festival planning document
2. Automatically researches registration dates and times across the web
3. Updates planning documents with new information
4. Creates calendar events with multi-level reminders
5. Provides a summary of urgent actions needed

The whole system runs with a single slash command: /festival-check

How It Works

The Data Structure

First, I organize my festival information in a structured markdown file (Digital Nomading/Festival Planning.md):

## Booking To-do
- BalDamn 2026 (February 20-22, 2026) in Amsterdam - Registration typically opens around September 2025.
- NuBalboa 2026 (February 5th - 8th, 2026) in Madrid - Registration typically opens in late November 2025.
- Herräng 2026 (July 4-31, 2026) - Registration opens in December 2025.
- U May Swing 2026 (likely late May/early June 2026) in Umeå, Sweden - Registration typically opens between January 1-7, 2026 at 12:00.
 
## Booked
- Swim Out Costa Brava (September 4th - 7th, 2025)
- Barcelona Lindy Exchange (September 11th - 14th, 2025)
- Gothenburg Queer Lindy (September 18th - 22nd, 2025)

This structure separates festivals I need to register for from those already booked, making it easy for the AI to focus on the right tasks.

The AI Agent System

The magic happens in the /festival-check slash command, which orchestrates multiple AI agents:

1. Date Verification: Gets the current date to only focus on future events
2. Document Analysis: Reads the festival planning file and identifies festivals needing registration
3. Parallel Research: Launches separate AI agents for each festival to research:
   • Specific registration dates and times
   • Timezone information
   • Current registration status
   • Official announcements on websites and social media
4. Document Updates: Updates the planning file with concrete dates and times
5. Calendar Integration: Creates calendar events with multi-level reminders
6. Summary Generation: Provides actionable next steps

The Research Process

For each festival, dedicated AI agents search:

• Official festival websites
• Facebook pages and events
• Instagram accounts and hashtags
• Registration announcement patterns from previous years

The agents are specifically instructed to:

• Only add concrete future dates (no vague information)
• Include timezone information when available
• Focus on actionable intelligence
• Avoid bloating files with unnecessary details

Technical Implementation

Claude Code Setup

You can implement this system using:

Option 1: Claude Code CLI ($20/month subscription)

• Full terminal integration
• Custom slash commands
• File system access
• Calendar and web search integration

Option 2: Claude Code API

• Integrate into your own applications
• More flexible deployment options
• Requires API credits

Alternative: Other AI Agents The concept works with other AI platforms too:

• Gemini with Google integration
• ChatGPT with plugins
• Custom scripts using any AI API

The Slash Command Structure

Here’s the core structure of the /festival-check command:

# Festival Registration Check
 
## Instructions
 
**IMPORTANT: Use TodoWrite tool to create a task list for ALL steps outlined below before beginning the work.**
 
1. **Get current date**
   - Use Bash to get the current date with `date +"%Y-%m-%d"` to ensure only future events are considered
 
2. **Read the festival planning file**
   - Read `Digital Nomading/Festival Planning.md`
   - Identify all festivals listed in the "Booking To-do" section that are not yet signed up for
 
3. **Search for registration dates and times**
   - For each festival identified, launch a separate general-purpose subagent using the Task tool to research:
     - ONLY search for FUTURE registration dates (2026 and beyond)
     - Focus on upcoming registration opening dates AND SPECIFIC TIMES
     - Search for timezone information (e.g., "18:00 Paris time", "12:00 CET", "10 AM EST")
 
4. **Update the file**
   - ONLY update `Digital Nomading/Festival Planning.md` if you find SPECIFIC FUTURE registration dates, times, or at least months
   - Replace "Registration date not yet announced" ONLY with concrete future dates/months/times
   - Always include timezone information when specific times are found
 
5. **Create and update registration reminder events**
   - CREATE NEW EVENTS: Create calendar events if you found an EXACT, SPECIFIC DATE
   - UPDATE EXISTING EVENTS: If a festival already has a calendar event but you found NEW TIME INFORMATION
   - Set reminders/alarms: 1 hour, 1 day, and 1 week prior to registration opening
 
6. **Provide summary**
   - Festivals with currently open registration that I'm not yet signed up for
   - Upcoming registration opening dates
   - Any important deadlines or changes discovered

Calendar Integration

The system integrates with Google Calendar to:

• Create events for registration openings
• Set multiple reminder levels (1 hour, 1 day, 1 week before)
• Update existing events with new time information
• Use consistent naming: ”⏰ [Festival Name] Registration Opens”

Results and Benefits

Since implementing this system:

• Zero missed registrations: Never again missed a festival registration opening
• Time savings: 2-3 hours of manual research reduced to a 30-second command
• Reduced stress: Automatic reminders mean I don’t have to constantly think about upcoming dates
• Better planning: Having all information centralized helps with travel and budget planning
• Improved accuracy: AI agents find timezone and time information I would have missed

How to Build Your Own Version

Step 1: Choose Your AI Platform

Claude Code (Recommended for beginners):

• Sign up for Claude Code subscription ($20/month)
• Install the CLI tool
• Get access to file system, web search, and calendar integration

API Approach (For developers):

• Use Claude, Gemini, or OpenAI APIs
• Build custom integrations with your calendar system
• Create your own document management system

Step 2: Structure Your Data

Create a structured document for tracking your events:

• Use consistent formatting
• Separate “to-do” from “completed” items
• Include all relevant details (dates, locations, registration info)

Step 3: Create Your Automation

Adapt the festival-check command for your domain:

• Conference registrations: Track CFP deadlines, early bird pricing
• Concert tickets: Monitor on-sale dates for favorite artists
• Travel deals: Track flash sales and promotion periods
• Course enrollments: Monitor registration openings for popular classes

Step 4: Set Up Integrations

Connect your system to:

• Calendar system: Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar
• Document storage: Obsidian, Notion, Google Docs
• Information sources: Official websites, social media, RSS feeds

Key Lessons Learned

1. Structured Data is Everything

The quality of your automation depends entirely on how well you structure your data. Consistent formatting makes it easy for AI agents to understand and update information.

2. Parallel Processing Scales

Using multiple AI agents concurrently dramatically improves research speed. Instead of checking festivals one by one, they all research simultaneously.

3. Specificity Prevents Bloat

Being explicit about what information to include (and exclude) prevents the system from adding useless details that make documents harder to read.

4. Multi-Level Reminders Work

Setting reminders at 1 week, 1 day, and 1 hour ensures you never miss time-sensitive events, even if you miss the first reminder.

5. Timezone Handling is Critical

For international events, timezone information is often the difference between success and failure. The system specifically searches for and preserves this information.

Beyond Festivals: Other Applications

This pattern works for any domain with time-sensitive events:

• Academic conferences: Abstract deadlines, registration dates
• Investment opportunities: IPO dates, earnings calls, option expirations
• Real estate: Open house schedules, auction dates
• Employment: Job application deadlines, interview scheduling
• Health: Appointment scheduling, prescription refills

Cost and ROI

Claude Code Subscription: $20/month Time saved: 2-3 hours/month Value of missed opportunities: Priceless

For context, missing a single festival registration often means:

• Paying 2-3x more for last-minute tickets
• Missing out entirely on sold-out events
• Suboptimal travel arrangements

The system pays for itself by preventing a single missed registration.

Getting Started Today

1. Sign up for Claude Code or your preferred AI platform
2. Identify a domain where you track time-sensitive events
3. Create a structured document with your events
4. Adapt the festival-check command pattern for your domain
5. Test with a small number of events first
6. Scale up as you get comfortable with the system

The future of personal productivity isn’t about doing more work—it’s about having AI agents handle the repetitive, time-sensitive tasks that humans are bad at, so we can focus on the things we actually enjoy.

Whether you’re tracking dance festivals, conference deadlines, or investment opportunities, this pattern of structured data + AI research + automated reminders can save you time and eliminate the stress of missed opportunities.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go practice my Lindy Hop. My AI will handle the festival planning.