How do I add a guest organizer to my Google Calendar?

Adding a guest organizer, often referred to as a co-host, to your Google Calendar event allows designated participants to manage event details, modify settings, and even invite other guests, effectively sharing the organizational responsibilities with you. This is particularly useful for collaborative meetings, large events, or when you need assistance in managing your schedule.

Designating a Co-Host for Your Google Calendar Event

To add a guest organizer or co-host to an event in Google Calendar, you'll typically navigate through the event's detailed settings. This process empowers other attendees with greater control over the event's administration.

Step-by-Step Guide to Adding a Co-Host

Follow these steps to empower a participant as a co-host for your Google Calendar event:

1. Open Google Calendar: Go to calendar.google.com in your web browser.
2. Create or Edit an Event:
   • For a New Event: Click on a blank time slot or the Create button (usually a plus sign) on the left sidebar.
   • For an Existing Event: Click on the event you wish to modify, then click the pencil icon (Edit event) to open its details.
3. Access Event Details: Ensure you are in the full event details view, not just the quick-add pop-up. You might need to click "More options" if you started from a quick-add.
4. Add Guests: In the event details window, locate the "Guests" section on the right side. Enter the email addresses of the participants you want to invite, including the one you intend to make a co-host. Press Enter after each email.
5. Locate the Co-hosts Section: Within the event details, often found alongside guest permissions or in advanced options, you may find a dedicated Co-hosts section. This area is specifically designed for designating participants as co-organizers with enhanced permissions.
6. Add Co-host Names: Under the Co-hosts section, enter the names of the participants you want to add as a co-host. As you type, select their name from the drop-down list that appears, ensuring you choose the correct contact.
7. Save Co-host Settings: If a specific pop-up menu appears for co-host settings, click Save from within that pop-up menu to confirm your co-host selections.
8. Save the Event: Finally, to save the Google Calendar event with the newly added co-host(s), scroll to the top or bottom of the event details page and click Save. Google Calendar will then prompt you to send update notifications to guests if the event is already created.

Understanding Co-Host Capabilities

When you add someone as a guest organizer or co-host, you grant them significant control over the event. Typically, a co-host can:

• Modify Event Details: Change the event title, date, time, location, and description.
• Manage Guests: Add or remove guests, and modify guest permissions.
• Update Google Meet Settings: Adjust settings for attached video conferences.
• Send Event Updates: Send out updates or cancellations to all attendees.

This shared responsibility can greatly streamline event management, especially for larger or more complex gatherings.

Alternative: Granting Modify Permissions for Standard Events

For general Google Calendar events where a specific "Co-hosts section" might not be explicitly visible, you can achieve similar functionality by granting a guest permission to "Modify event".

Here's how:

1. Follow Steps 1-4 above to create or edit an event and add guests.
2. Adjust Guest Permissions: In the "Guests" section, next to each guest's name, you will see a dropdown menu of permissions.
3. Select "Modify event": Click the dropdown next to the participant you want to empower and check the box for "Modify event." This gives them the ability to make changes similar to a co-host.
   • Other permissions include:
     • "Invite others": Allows them to add more guests.
     • "See guest list": Allows them to view all invited attendees.
4. Save the Event: Click Save to apply these changes to your event.

Feature	Original Organizer	Co-Host / Guest with "Modify event" Permissions
Create Event	Yes	No (can only modify existing)
Edit Event Details	Yes	Yes
Add/Remove Guests	Yes	Yes
Change Permissions	Yes (for all guests)	Yes (for other guests, not the original organizer)
Delete Event	Yes	Yes (if given modify permission)
Transfer Ownership	Yes (original organizer only)	No

Practical Tips for Co-Hosting

• Communicate Clearly: Always inform your designated guest organizer(s) about their role and what responsibilities you expect them to handle.
• Review Permissions: Double-check the permissions granted to ensure they align with the level of access you intend to provide.
• Use for Collaboration: Co-hosting is ideal for team projects, recurring meetings with rotating leads, or events where multiple people need administrative access.

For more detailed information on Google Calendar features, you can always consult the official Google Calendar Help resources.