name: event-scout description: > Discover hidden, under-the-radar events surrounding major cultural moments (NBA All-Star Weekend, Super Bowl, SXSW, Art Basel, Comic-Con, F1 races, music festivals, fashion weeks, etc.). Specializes in finding free or low-cost pop-ups, brand activations, community events, and invite-only experiences that orbit around a major event — the stuff that doesn't show up on mainstream lists. Use when a user mentions a major event coming to their city, asks about activations or pop-ups around a big event, wants to find the "hidden" or "lowkey" events during a major weekend, or says things like "what's happening around [major event]", "find me free stuff during [event]", or "what brands are doing pop-ups for [event]." dependencies: optional: - x-research # Enhanced X/Twitter discovery. Falls back to web_search if unavailable. tools: required: - web_search - web_fetch - browser optional: - x-research # Skill, not a tool — but listed here for clarity

Event Scout

Find the events nobody's talking about yet — the ones orbiting major cultural moments.

When This Skill Applies

This skill is for major event weekends — moments when a city becomes a temporary hub and dozens of brands, creators, and communities spin up satellite events:

• Sports: NBA All-Star, Super Bowl, World Cup, F1 Grand Prix, March Madness
• Music: Coachella, Rolling Loud, SXSW, Governors Ball, Art Basel parties
• Culture: Comic-Con, VidCon, Fashion Week, CES, E3/Summer Game Fest
• Local: City-specific festivals, pride weeks, cultural heritage events

NOT for: "Find me something to do this weekend" on a normal weekend.

Core Philosophy

Search like a local, not a tourist. The mainstream "Top 10 Events" lists are useless — everyone already knows about those. The value is in uncovering what real people on the ground are discovering and sharing through social channels, niche communities, and word-of-mouth.

Lead with hidden gems. Always present undiscovered events first. Save well-known events for the end as "you probably already know about these."

Workflow

Phase 1: Understand the Request

Extract from the user (ask at most ONE clarifying question, default the rest):

| Field | Required | Default | |-------|----------|---------| | Major event | Yes | — | | City / area | Yes | — | | Date range | Yes | Infer from major event dates | | Budget | No | Free only | | Radius | No | 20 miles from event epicenter | | Vibe / interests | No | Anything cool |

If you can't infer the city or date range from the event name, ask. Otherwise, proceed.

Phase 2: Discovery

Search in this order — each channel finds different things. If any source fails or returns nothing, move on to the next. Don't stop the whole workflow because one search came up empty. At least 2 sources must be attempted before moving to Phase 3.

See references/search-strategy.md for detailed query formulas by event type.

1. X/Twitter (hidden gems, real-time buzz)

If the x-research skill is available, use it — it gives deeper Twitter analysis. If x-research is NOT available, fall back to web_search with these queries:

• "[major event] [city] free" site:x.com
• "[major event] pop-up [city]" site:x.com
• "[major event] [city] RSVP" site:x.com
• "[brand] activation [city] [month]" site:x.com

Search queries (for x-research or adapted for web_search):

• "[major event] [city] free"
• "[major event] pop-up [city]"
• "[brand] activation [city] [month]" for brands in the event's space
• "[major event] [city]" and scan replies — locals drop other events in replies
• Check what brands in the relevant industry are posting (shoe brands for NBA, tech brands for CES, etc.)

2. Luma (curated community events)

Search lu.ma for the major event name + city using web_search with site:lu.ma or browse https://lu.ma/search?q=[query] via web_fetch or browser.

Sort by newest. These are where the fire lowkey events live — creator meetups, brand launches, invite-list experiences. Events with <200 attendees are usually more intimate and higher quality.

If lu.ma is down or returns no results: Skip and note in the final report that Luma results were unavailable. Don't fabricate events.

3. Eventbrite (volume search)

Search via web_search with site:eventbrite.com or browse directly: https://www.eventbrite.com/d/[city]/[query]/?price=free

Sort by newest posted, NOT most popular. Fresh listings = undiscovered gems.

If Eventbrite returns only mainstream events: Filter them out — they'll go in the "On the radar" tier at best. Keep digging in other sources.

4. Web search (brand activations & press)

• "[brand] pop-up [city] [month] [year]"
• Local blogs and "things to do" sites — scroll PAST the sponsored mainstream stuff
• Brand press releases and social media announcements
• Try multiple brand names relevant to the event's industry

5. Community sources (bonus layer)

• Reddit r/[city] megathreads for the event weekend
• Local Instagram aggregator accounts (search via web)
• Facebook events (still relevant for community stuff)

If you searched all 5 sources and found fewer than 3 events: Tell the user honestly. Don't pad the list. Say something like: "The satellite event scene for [event] is still developing — here's what I found so far. I'd recommend checking back closer to the date."

Phase 3: Verify Each Event

Never recommend an event without visiting the actual event page. Use web_fetch or browser to load the page. If the page won't load, flag the event as unverified.

Checklist:

1. Still active — Is the page live? Returns 404 or "event cancelled" → drop it
2. Price — Visit actual page. Look for fine print ("free entry, $20 drink minimum")
3. Organizer — Known brand or verified creator? Random account = flag it
4. Social proof — Anyone on X talking about it? Zero mentions = flag as unverified
5. Location — Real address? Reasonable area? Warehouse address with no brand = sketch
6. Dates — Verify year matches. Old events get re-indexed constantly
7. Capacity — Already sold out or at capacity? Don't recommend dead ends

If you can't verify an event (page down, details unclear): Include it in the report but clearly mark it as ⚠️ Unverified with a note on what couldn't be confirmed.

Phase 4: Score & Rank

Rate each event on:

• Hidden gem factor — Not widely known > mainstream
• Confidence — Verified details > sketchy or unconfirmed
• Ease of attendance — Walk-in > free registration > waitlist > application
• Distance from user (if known)
• Social buzz — Real people excited about it
• Time conflicts with other events user is attending

Present in tiers:

• 🔥 Must-hit — Verified, free, easy, hidden gem
• ✅ Strong option — Good event, might need registration or waitlist
• 👀 On the radar — Mainstream or less certain, but worth knowing

Minimum confidence for each tier:

• 🔥 requires verified page + confirmed free + real address
• ✅ requires at least a working event page with clear details
• 👀 can include unverified events, but must be flagged

Phase 5: Registration

Auto-register (no ask needed): Free waitlists, free no-commitment RSVPs Ask first: Anything requiring waivers, time commitments, or unusual personal info Never auto-register: Paid events, even cheap ones

If registration fails (page error, CAPTCHA, requires app download, etc.): Report the failure and provide the direct link so the user can register manually. Don't silently skip it.

See references/platforms.md for platform-specific registration flows.

Phase 6: Report

Format for each event:

[tier emoji] [EVENT NAME]
📍 [Address] — [Distance] from you
📅 [Date] [Time]
💰 [Free walk-in / Free registered / Waitlisted / $X]
📋 Status: [Confirmed ✅ / Waitlisted ⏳ / Walk-in 🚶 / Not registered / Registration failed ❌]
⚠️ Notes: [Waiver needed / Bring ID / Sold out / Unverified / etc.]
🔗 [Link to event page]
💡 Why: [1-line reason this one's worth it]

Group by day if multi-day event weekend. Lead with 🔥 picks.

End the report with:

• Total events found vs. how many were verified
• Which sources produced the best results
• Suggestion to check back closer to the date (new events appear daily for big weekends)
• Any sources that were unavailable or returned no results

Important Rules

• Max 1 clarifying question. Default aggressively on missing info.
• Hidden gems first. Always lead with what they haven't heard of.
• Verify before recommending. Visit actual event pages, don't trust listings.
• Respect "free only." If user says free, don't sneak in paid events.
• Flag uncertainty. If details are unverified, say so. Don't present guesses as facts.
• No mainstream event lists. If it's the first Google result, it's not a discovery.
• Include links. Every event must have a link to its source page.
• Graceful degradation. If a search source fails, keep going. Report what you found.
• No fabrication. If you find nothing, say so. An empty honest report beats a padded fake one.