paid placement that respects the reader.
venues can pay for visibility. we don't hide it, we don't let it leak into search results, and we never let it overrule editorial judgement. here's the whole playbook — written down so you can verify it by browsing the site.
the deal
a friend wouldn't recommend something they didn't like.
ConnectYXE's whole pitch is curation — "a friend who actually goes out, telling you what's worth your time." if a sponsored card slips through pretending to be editorial, that pitch dies the moment a reader notices.
so the line we hold is simple: paid is always labelled, editorial picks are never for sale, and search results never re-rank for money. that means venues get a real megaphone when they want one, and readers get a feed they can keep trusting.
transparency isn't a marketing line. it's how the product survives.
the placements
three slots a venue can buy. that's it.
every one of them is clearly labelled with a coloured pill or a "sponsored" tag. no native ads, no hidden boosts.
★ headliner · 1 at a time
the gold card at the top
the page-opening hero on the homepage. one event holds it until you swap. unmistakable amber/gold styling + 'sponsored' wordmark.
- tagged "★ HEADLINER · SPONSORED · how this works"
- no other paid headliner runs at the same time
- carries through to events listing too
- swaps in instantly when the next is paid
◆ spotlight · up to 4 active
repeating placements in the feed
violet-ringed cards interleaved with editorial picks. up to four run at once and they're never stacked consecutively — every other slot is editorial.
- violet ring + corner badge on the card
- never two paid spotlights side-by-side
- queued for the next opening if all 4 are full
- stay distinct from editorial picks visually
☀ friday roundup · 3 per issue
featured in the weekly email
up to 3 paid feature slots in the weekly newsletter — sent Fridays at 8 a.m. Saskatoon time. remaining slots fill with editorial picks.
- each paid slot tagged "sponsored" in the email
- first-come-first-served per issue date
- editorial fills any unsold slots
- no paid placement leaks into the picks pool
all prices in CAD via Stripe. no subscriptions. full refund if cancelled before the placement window opens.
how the rotation actually works
six rules that should be easy to verify.
none of this is buried in legalese. browse the site for ten minutes and you should be able to confirm every one of them.
one headliner at a time.
when a new headliner's window opens, the previous one steps aside. no quietly stacked sponsored cards on the homepage.
up to 4 spotlights, no more.
paid spotlights interleave with editorial picks so two paid cards never sit consecutively. if all four slots are taken, your booking queues for the next opening.
editor's picks are still editorial.
the three picks under the headliner are ranked by us — by actual save/going signal and quality. a sponsored event can earn the slot, but only on merit, and the boost pill is always visible.
everything paid is labelled.
sponsored cards say "sponsored" in the section header and carry a coloured pill on the card itself. you should never have to guess whether a card is paid.
sponsorship doesn't touch the search results.
/events ranks by your filters and start date — never by who paid. paid placements only change the homepage rotation and the newsletter feature slots.
moderation applies to everyone equally.
sponsored events go through the same review as user submissions. wrong details, broken venue, sketchy lineup — we reject regardless of payment, and refund.
the bright lines
things we explicitly will not do.
this list is a contract with the reader. if any of these show up on the site, the project has lost its plot — call us out.
no programmatic ads
no AdSense, no Taboola, no display network. nothing bidding for your attention. you'll only see things humans put on the page.
no behavioural targeting
we don't track you across sites, sell impressions, or share your saved events with sponsors. your activity is yours.
no paid-to-rank in search
/events results are sorted by date + your filters, period. money cannot push an event up the list.
no "native" advertorials
if a card is paid, the pill is on it. no sponsored content that pretends to be editorial. no astroturfed picks.
no affiliate links in descriptions
event descriptions link to the venue or ticketing page only. no tracked redirects, no kickback shopping links.
no auto-renew traps
every placement is a one-off Stripe payment. nothing rebills. cancel before the window opens for a full refund.
how readers tell what's paid
visual cues, every time.
amber headliner
the homepage hero with "★ HEADLINER · SPONSORED" kicker and an "how this works" link.
violet spotlight
violet ring around the card with a small ⬥ SPOTLIGHT pill in the corner.
section header note
paid rows live under a "this weekend / sponsored" header so the framing is honest before you read.
email sponsorship tags
Friday Roundup features tag the paid slots with a "sponsored" line so even forwarded emails stay honest.
what to expect from us
the standards we hold ourselves to.
every paid placement is labelled
if you can't tell at a glance, that's a bug. tell us and we'll fix it.
search stays untouched
/events is ranked by date and your filters, never by payment.
this page is the contract
if the rules ever change, this page changes first — with a dated note.
full refund before the run starts
changed your mind? booking window not opened? we refund through Stripe, no questions.
local pricing on purpose
placements are priced so a one-person bar trivia night can say yes without flinching.
moderation applies equally
sponsored or not, your event clears the same review queue. nothing skips because it paid.
ready when you are
book a placement, or list for free.
free listings stay free, forever. paid placement is optional — for the nights you really need to fill the room.
questions about a specific booking or partnership?
we're a Saskatoon-based, one-person operation. real replies within a couple of business days.