diff --git a/app/Console/Commands/excel/Generic.php b/app/Console/Commands/excel/Generic.php
index 68c0276bf..48279386a 100644
--- a/app/Console/Commands/excel/Generic.php
+++ b/app/Console/Commands/excel/Generic.php
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public function handle(): void
 
         Excel::import(
             new GenericEventsImport(),
-            'pauline-2023.xlsx',
+            'example.xlsx',
             'excel'
         );
     }
diff --git a/app/Imports/GenericEventsImport.php b/app/Imports/GenericEventsImport.php
index 72d5403be..b969839ea 100644
--- a/app/Imports/GenericEventsImport.php
+++ b/app/Imports/GenericEventsImport.php
@@ -4,117 +4,150 @@
 
 use App\Event;
 use App\User;
+use Carbon\Carbon;
 use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log;
-use Illuminate\Support\Str;
 use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\ToModel;
 use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\WithCustomValueBinder;
 use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\WithHeadingRow;
+use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Cell\DefaultValueBinder;
 use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Shared\Date;
 
 class GenericEventsImport extends BaseEventsImport implements ToModel, WithCustomValueBinder, WithHeadingRow
 {
-    public function parseDate($date)
+    public function parseDate($value)
     {
-        return Date::excelToDateTimeObject($date);
-    }
+        // Handle Excel dates or normal string dates
+        if (is_numeric($value)) {
+            return Date::excelToDateTimeObject($value)->format('Y-m-d H:i:s');
+        }
 
-    public function loadUser($email)
-    {
-        return User::firstOrCreate(
-            [
-                'email' => $email,
-            ],
-            [
-                'firstname' => '',
-                'lastname' => '',
-                'username' => '',
-                'password' => bcrypt(Str::random()),
-            ]
-        );
+        try {
+            return Carbon::parse($value)->format('Y-m-d H:i:s');
+        } catch (\Exception $e) {
+            Log::warning("Invalid date: {$value}");
+            return null;
+        }
     }
+    
 
     public function model(array $row): ?Model
     {
-
-        $event = new Event([
-            'status' => 'APPROVED',
-            'title' => $row['activity_title'],
-            'slug' => str_slug($row['activity_title']),
-            'organizer' => $row['name_of_organisation'],
-            'description' => $row['description'],
-            'organizer_type' => $row['type_of_organisation'],
-            'activity_type' => $row['activity_type'],
-            'location' => $row['address'],
-            'event_url' => $row['organiser_website'],
-            'user_email' => '',
-            'creator_id' => $this->loadUser($row['contact_email'])->id,
-            'contact_person' => $row['contact_email'],
-            'country_iso' => $row['country'],
-            'picture' => $row['image_path'],
-            'pub_date' => now(),
-            'created' => now(),
-            'updated' => now(),
-            'codeweek_for_all_participation_code' => 'cw23-CodeWeekNL',
-            'start_date' => $this->parseDate($row['start_date']),
-            'end_date' => $this->parseDate($row['end_date']),
-            'geoposition' => $row['latitude'].','.$row['longitude'],
-            'longitude' => $row['longitude'],
-            'latitude' => $row['latitude'],
-            'language' => strtolower($row['language']),
-            'mass_added_for' => 'Excel',
-            'recurring_event' => isset($row['recurring_event'])
-                ? $this->validateSingleChoice($row['recurring_event'], Event::RECURRING_EVENTS)
-                : null,
-
-            'males_count' => isset($row['males_count']) ? (int) $row['males_count'] : null,
-            'females_count' => isset($row['females_count']) ? (int) $row['females_count'] : null,
-            'other_count' => isset($row['other_count']) ? (int) $row['other_count'] : null,
-
-            'is_extracurricular_event' => isset($row['is_extracurricular_event'])
-                ? $this->parseBool($row['is_extracurricular_event'])
-                : false,
-
-            'is_standard_school_curriculum' => isset($row['is_standard_school_curriculum'])
-                ? $this->parseBool($row['is_standard_school_curriculum'])
-                : false,
-
-            'is_use_resource' => isset($row['is_use_resource'])
-                ? $this->parseBool($row['is_use_resource'])
-                : false,
-
-            'activity_format' => isset($row['activity_format'])
-                ? $this->validateMultiChoice($row['activity_format'], Event::ACTIVITY_FORMATS)
-                : [],
-
-            'ages' => isset($row['ages'])
-                ? $this->validateMultiChoice($row['ages'], Event::AGES)
-                : [],
-
-            'duration' => isset($row['duration'])
-                ? $this->validateSingleChoice($row['duration'], Event::DURATIONS)
-                : null,
-
-            'recurring_type' => isset($row['recurring_type'])
-                ? $this->validateSingleChoice($row['recurring_type'], Event::RECURRING_TYPES)
-                : null,
-        ]);
-
-        $event->save();
-
-        if ($row['audience_comma_separated_ids']) {
-            $event
-                ->audiences()
-                ->attach(explode(',', $row['audience_comma_separated_ids']));
-        }
-        if ($row['theme_comma_separated_ids']) {
-            $event
-                ->themes()
-                ->attach(explode(',', $row['theme_comma_separated_ids']));
+        Log::info('Importing row:', $row);
+
+        // Validate required fields
+        if (
+            empty($row['activity_title']) ||
+            empty($row['name_of_organisation']) ||
+            empty($row['description']) ||
+            empty($row['type_of_organisation']) ||
+            empty($row['activity_type']) ||
+            empty($row['country']) ||
+            empty($row['start_date']) ||
+            empty($row['end_date'])
+        ) {
+            Log::error('Missing required fields in row, skipping.');
+            return null;
         }
 
-        Log::info($event->slug);
+        // Resolve creator_id
+        $creatorId = null;
+        if (!empty($row['creator_id'])) {
+            if (is_numeric($row['creator_id'])) {
+                $creatorId = (int) $row['creator_id'];
+            } else {
+                $creatorId = User::where('email', trim($row['creator_id']))->value('id');
+            }
+        }
 
-        return $event;
+        try {
+            $event = new Event([
+                'status' => 'APPROVED',
+                'title' => trim($row['activity_title']),
+                'slug' => str_slug(trim($row['activity_title'])),
+                'organizer' => trim($row['name_of_organisation']),
+                'description' => trim($row['description']),
+                'organizer_type' => trim($row['type_of_organisation']),
+                'activity_type' => trim($row['activity_type']),
+                'location' => !empty($row['address']) ? trim($row['address']) : 'online',
+                'event_url' => !empty($row['organiser_website']) ? trim($row['organiser_website']) : '',
+                'contact_person' => !empty($row['contact_email']) ? trim($row['contact_email']) : '',
+                'user_email' => !empty($row['contact_email']) ? trim($row['contact_email']) : '',
+                'creator_id' => $creatorId,
+                'country_iso' => strtoupper(trim($row['country'])),
+                'picture' => !empty($row['image_path']) ? trim($row['image_path']) : '',
+                'pub_date' => now(),
+                'created' => now(),
+                'updated' => now(),
+                'codeweek_for_all_participation_code' => '', // You can make this configurable
+                'start_date' => $this->parseDate($row['start_date']),
+                'end_date' => $this->parseDate($row['end_date']),
+                'geoposition' => (!empty($row['latitude']) && !empty($row['longitude'])) ? $row['latitude'] . ',' . $row['longitude'] : '',
+                'longitude' => !empty($row['longitude']) ? trim($row['longitude']) : '',
+                'latitude' => !empty($row['latitude']) ? trim($row['latitude']) : '',
+                'language' => !empty($row['language']) ? strtolower(explode('_', trim($row['language']))[0]) : 'en',
+                'mass_added_for' => 'Excel',
+                 'recurring_event' => isset($row['recurring_event'])
+                    ? $this->validateSingleChoice($row['recurring_event'], Event::RECURRING_EVENTS)
+                    : null,
+
+                'males_count' => isset($row['males_count']) ? (int) $row['males_count'] : null,
+                'females_count' => isset($row['females_count']) ? (int) $row['females_count'] : null,
+                'other_count' => isset($row['other_count']) ? (int) $row['other_count'] : null,
+
+                'is_extracurricular_event' => isset($row['is_extracurricular_event'])
+                    ? $this->parseBool($row['is_extracurricular_event'])
+                    : false,
+
+                'is_standard_school_curriculum' => isset($row['is_standard_school_curriculum'])
+                    ? $this->parseBool($row['is_standard_school_curriculum'])
+                    : false,
+
+                'is_use_resource' => isset($row['is_use_resource'])
+                    ? $this->parseBool($row['is_use_resource'])
+                    : false,
+
+                'activity_format' => isset($row['activity_format'])
+                    ? $this->validateMultiChoice($row['activity_format'], Event::ACTIVITY_FORMATS)
+                    : [],
+
+                'ages' => isset($row['ages'])
+                    ? $this->validateMultiChoice($row['ages'], Event::AGES)
+                    : [],
+
+                'duration' => isset($row['duration'])
+                    ? $this->validateSingleChoice($row['duration'], Event::DURATIONS)
+                    : null,
+
+                'recurring_type' => isset($row['recurring_type'])
+                    ? $this->validateSingleChoice($row['recurring_type'], Event::RECURRING_TYPES)
+                    : null,
+            ]);
+
+            $event->save();
+
+            // Audiences
+            if (!empty($row['audience_comma_separated_ids'])) {
+                $audiences = array_unique(array_map('trim', explode(',', $row['audience_comma_separated_ids'])));
+                $audiences = array_filter($audiences, fn ($id) => is_numeric($id) && $id > 0 && $id <= 100);
+                if (!empty($audiences)) {
+                    $event->audiences()->attach($audiences);
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Themes
+            if (!empty($row['theme_comma_separated_ids'])) {
+                $themes = array_unique(array_map('trim', explode(',', $row['theme_comma_separated_ids'])));
+                $themes = array_filter($themes, fn ($id) => is_numeric($id) && $id > 0 && $id <= 100);
+                if (!empty($themes)) {
+                    $event->themes()->attach($themes);
+                }
+            }
+
+            return $event;
+        } catch (\Exception $e) {
+            Log::error('Event import failed: ' . $e->getMessage());
+            return null;
+        }
     }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/resources/excel/example.xlsx b/resources/excel/example.xlsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dd6c1cabe
Binary files /dev/null and b/resources/excel/example.xlsx differ