The Togather Ecosystem

Togather is a collaboration for the future of events data. We are making a data commons for open events ecosystems.

We’re coordinating three groups to adopt shared practices:

1. Event publishers (venues, organizers) → publish events with help from AI
2. Infrastructure builders (developers, civic technologists) → build shared, open tools instead of proprietary silos
3. Application creators (curators, AI devs) → make discovery experiences using the commons

We exist to: Make this vision clear, provide documentation and standards, and connect people already working on these problems.

We are not: A platform, a product, or a funded organization.

We’re a coordination point for a movement.

The Problem

Event discovery is broken because event data is fragmented:

• Platform Fragmentation – events are listed across walled platforms or discrete locations fragmenting discoverability (social media, event platforms, individual websites)
• High Effort for comprehensive coverage – organizers spend hours cross-posting to reach audiences
• Communities can’t coordinate because there’s no shared infrastructure

The real issue: there is no lack of siloed event data, but open access and expert, personalized curation are missing.

The Opportunity

Three forces are converging:

1. Semantic web standards exist and work (Schema.org, ActivityPub)
2. Platform exhaustion is high (organizers tired of cross-posting, users tired of algorithms)
3. AI agents can work for you (personal curators need accessible, structured data)

What’s missing: An open events commons and coordination between stakeholders.

The mechanism: Creating an events commons using shared standards that everyone can build on. Discovery can then be mediated locally under your control.

How It Works

Layer 1: Data Publishing (Structured Metadata)

Problem: Events published in ways machines can’t read

Solution: AI tools to help adoption and use of Schema.org Event markup, iCalendar feeds, ActivityPub

Barrier: Low. Add metadata to existing website (1-2 hours)

Target: Venues, organizers, cultural institutions

What this enables: Any tool can discover and parse your events without asking permission

Layer 2: Shared Infrastructure (Open Tools)

Problem: Every developer rebuilds event scraping/aggregation

Solution: Build shared, federated infrastructure (search APIs, data validators, aggregators)

Barrier: Medium. Requires technical skill but standards-based

Target: Developers, civic tech practitioners, cooperatives

What this enables: Distributed event collection for the commons

Layer 3: Discovery Applications (End-User Experiences)

Problem: People miss events because discovery is fragmented

Solution: Personal AI curators, calendar assistants, neighborhood digests (all reading from the commons)

Barrier: Low for users, medium for builders

Target: End users (via tool creators)

What this enables: Personalized discovery without platform lock-in or surveillance

What Makes This Different

Community coordination, not platform control

• No single company owns the data or infrastructure
• Volunteer-driven; we can reconfigure to administer funding if warranted
• Built on open standards (Schema.org, W3C, IETF)

Works with what exists

• Publishers reach more people without changing platforms
• Backward compatible (events can syndicate to legacy platforms too)
• Users can use their existing tools and practices, adapted to read from the commons

Privacy-first by design

• Discovery happens locally (your AI agent) or through trusted instances
• No surveillance, no tracking, no ad targeting
• User controls their data and preferences

Deliver value for small events first

• Building for DIY shows, community workshops, neighborhood gatherings
• Focused on the events that make culture alive
• Not optimizing for commercial venues or ticket sales, but for people to be able to go out and participate in their community

Who This Is For

Event Publishers (Organizers, Venues)

You should care if: You’re exhausted from cross-posting, you want to own your audience relationship, you believe your events should be discoverable without paying platforms

What you do: Add Schema.org markup to your website, publish iCalendar feeds, add your website to the commons list of sources

What you get: Publish once, appear everywhere; reach people looking for exactly what you do

Infrastructure Builders (Developers, Civic Tech)

You should care if: You’re building event tools, you’re tired of scraping, you believe in open data and decentralization

What you do: Build on shared standards; contribute to reference implementations; run federated instances

What you get: Stop reinventing data collection; build innovative apps on solid foundation; find collaborators

Application Creators (Curators, Tool Makers)

You should care if: You want to help people discover events, you’re building AI agents or personalized experiences, you value user privacy

What you do: Create discovery tools using the commons (AI curators, newsletters, calendar apps)

What you get: Access to distributed event data; no platform dependencies; serve your community

Civic & Cultural Organizations

You should care if: You work on digital public infrastructure, cultural data, community coordination, or local government innovation

What you do: Adopt standards for your calendars; support practitioners; help legitimize the approach

What you get: Cities can coordinate culture without depending on corporate platforms

What the Foundation Does

The Togather Foundation is a coordination point, not a platform owner.

We provide:

1. Reference Implementations → Build and host the first version of the events commons; prove the model works; provide starting points for others
2. Documentation & Standards Guidance → How to publish events, build tools, use the commons
3. Community Convening → Connect practitioners, facilitate collaboration, prevent fragmentation
4. Evangelism & Education → Make the opportunity legible; demonstrate prosocial impact
5. Ecosystem Mapping → Who’s working on what; reduce duplication

We do NOT:

• Own event data
• Control what tools get built (ecosystem decides)
• Monetize the community (volunteer-driven)
• Require people to use our infrastructure (use any compatible tools)

Governance: Transparent, volunteer-based. Grow with the success of the community as a non-profit as needed.

How to Get Involved

I’m an organizer/venue operator:

• Start publishing events using Schema.org markup
• Register your website events page(s) with us for data collection
• Join the community to share your experience to help us understand what tools you need

I’m a developer/builder:

• Build on the standards (link to technical docs coming soon)
• Contribute to reference implementations
• Connect with other practitioners
• Participate in a technical discussion table or engineering work group

I’m working on similar problems:

• Let’s coordinate efforts instead of fragmenting
• Share your learnings with the community
• Co-create documentation and standards

I’m interested but not sure how to help:

• Join the mailing list / Discord (coming soon)
• Attend community calls
• Spread the word in your networks
• Provide feedback on documentation

Why This Matters

Events are the heartbeat of local culture. They happen everywhere: in living rooms, parks, galleries, community centers, streets. But most events never reach the people who’d love them.

This isn’t just about convenience. It’s about:

• The social fabric and community connection
• Cultural vibrancy in cities
• Democratic participation (knowing what’s happening in your community)
• Reclaiming digital infrastructure from extractive patterns

We can rebuild event discovery as a data common. Not through top-down control or massive funding, but through coordination, open standards, and shared commitment.

The question isn’t “can we build this?” The question is: “can we show people that this is already happening?”

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Isn’t this just another platform? No. We don’t host events or control access. We coordinate adoption of open standards and facilitate innovation so data flows freely between independent tools.

Why would venues adopt this? Reach more people with less work. Publish once (on your website), appear everywhere (in AI curators, city calendars, newsletters, apps).

What about spam and data quality? We need your support in solving these problems. We see community moderation, reputation systems, and validation tools approaches that work for Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, etc. Be part of the answer in making this work for events.

How is this different from existing event platforms? Those may be closed platforms that own your data. This is open infrastructure where you control your event information and it’s accessible to any tool.

Why semantic web standards instead of building something new? Schema.org, iCalendar, and ActivityPub already exist and work. We’re coordinating adoption, not inventing new standards.

How do you make money? We don’t. This is volunteer-driven. If the movement grows and needs resources, we’ll pursue grants or community funding transparently.

What if this fails? Documentation and connections remain valuable. Even “failure” helps future efforts by recording what we learned.

Can I fork this or start my own version? Yes! All documentation is open. If you can run it better, please do, but we encourage you to reach out and work with us first. We can be better together.

Who’s behind this? Started in Toronto by artists, hackers, and community builders. Open to anyone who shares the vision.

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