Events

Create shareable Event content to provide all audiences all of the information they will need to attend in-person, online or both.

You can scroll down the page for a wholistic view, or use the links below to jump to a specific section.

Event title
Event description
Calendar and event times
Categories and tags
Location
Contact information
More options
Call to action
Search engine optimization
Social media
Custom fields
Related media
Related data

Capabilities

Create shareable content to help promote and boost attendance at CMU Events.
Events populate the CMU Events list widget.
Sitefinity events can be easily shared on social media.

Standards

Enter accurate information in the proper fields to ensure event-goers have the details they need to attend your event.
Be mindful of required v. optional fields, as well as character counts.
A thumbnail image (360x240) is NOT required.

Events list widget

Want to add the events list widget to your page? Just follow the link below!

Events list widget

Instructions

Note: You may need to first "save as draft" in order for the event "preview" option to appear.

In the top menu, select Content.

From the drop-down menu, select Events.

To create a new Event, click the green "Create an event" button.

Event title

The Title of the event is required.

TIP: For a series of events, format each event title like this:
- MLK Week Event | Keynote Speaker – Philonise Floyd
  Employer Spotlight | Northwestern Mutual

Event description

The event description is required.
The content area for Events functions identically to a content block on a page. There is not a strict character count for this section, but quick, scannable and easy-to-digest formatting is best. Date, time and location information should not be included as part of the Event Description as it will be entered and displayed elsewhere.
- TIP: If there are special instructions that are important for event-goers to know — like how to get a free copy of a book for a book reading — this is the place for that type of information.

Calendar and event times

Fill in the event start and end times. Be sure to have the correct timezone (EST) selected from the drop-down.

Categories and tags

Both are required.
Select the corresponding category or categories for the Event (college, department or other university unit). Categories are key to configuring how Events are pulled into the CMU Event widget.
- TIP: Multiple categories can be added to an event if appropriate (i.e. an event organized/sponsored by multiple units).
The correct Tag for all Events is "Event.”

Location

Street: Required for in-person events. Enter the street address for the Event (Example: 1251 S. Washington Street).
City: Required for in-person events. Enter the city for the Event (Example: Mt. Pleasant).
State: Required for in-person events. Enter the state for the Event (Example: Michigan).
Country: Required for in-person events. Enter the country for the Event (Example: USA).
- TIP: All of the above fields need to be filled in for the location information to show.
Event URL: "Register for this event" button. Optional. To create a maroon button that reads "Register for this event," enter the URL to where attendees should pre-register for the event.
- TIP: The "Register for this event" button can be used along with a customizable call-to-action (CTA) button (i.e. a link to an online event along with a registration button for the event).
Map URL: Recommended for in-person events. Enter the address of the Event into Google Maps, click the share icon, copy the link and paste it into the Map URL field.
Online URL: Optional. To create an online event hyperlink next to the "Location" header enter the URL to where people can attend online.
- TIP: For an in-person event that can also be attended virtually, consider using a customizable call-to-action (CTA) button to direct users to the online option but leave the "Online URL" field blank. This helps prevent confusion that can arise from the in-person and online information both appearing in the "Location" section.

Screen grab of creating an event, and all of the fields under location such as street, city, country, state, event url, map url and online url. All are next to gold numbers 1-7 and each number is inside of a gold circle.

Contact information

All fields in this section are required.
Provide a contact email, contact name and phone number.
All contact information is visible on the published Event.

More options

Note: Digital Strategists usually take care of this section.
The box to "allow external search engines to index" should be checked.

Call to Action

Optional.
The customizable call-to-action (CTA) button is an important Event feature. It gives us the power of flexibility. The CTA button and URL fields can be customized to fit the needs of your event.
- Example: In the case of an In-Person and Online Event with Registration, it is how we create a button to guide users to attend online.
  - The CTA button text should direct the user to the online platform being used to attend virtually. (Example: "If you can't attend in person, join us online.")
  - The CTA URL is the link to where the event is being streamed/broadcast online (Example: the URL to the YouTube live stream).

Search engine optimization

Required.
The search engine optimization title will be pulled from the event title. It can be modified.
The meta description is pulled from the Event description. It needs to be modified to be under 150 characters.

Required.
View and edit the title used when shared for social media.
View and edit the description used for social media posts (150 characters or less).
Add an optional image for social media posts sized to 1600x900 or 1200x675 minimum.

Social media fields (required); 500x600 social images is optional

Custom fields

Admission: (Optional) Ideal for displaying event cost and/or special information/requirements related to event attendance (i.e. Free and open to the public; Designated MAC Scholar Event).
Location name: (Optional) This is where you can provide a specific, customizable "physical" Event location. It will appear above the other physical address information. (Example: 161 Powers Hall)

Related media

TIP: Do not repurpose print event flyers as an event image. They are not meant for digital spaces and typically have too much text that has been rendered as a graphic. That prevents proper alt text from being added to the image. Rather, use simple imagery with minimal text that can be easily rendered and understood as alt text.

Main image: (Optional) You can add a main image for your Event sized to 835x485.
Thumbnail image: (Optional) Add an optional thumbnail image for your Event sized to 360x240.

Events backend showing related media information like main image sizing 835x485 and thumbnail image sizing which is 360x240.

Related data

Related events: (Optional) Ideal for events that are part of a series, by designating another event as Related to the one being created/built, all events that have been designated as Related will appear together in the left sidebar.
Special events: (Optional) You can connect your event to existing Special events such as Women's History Month or Weeks of Welcome. They can be linked to "View more Events" from the CMU Event widgets (i.e. "View More Women's History Month events"). If you have a strong case for the creation of new Special events, discuss it with your digital strategist.
Event categories: (Required) Event categories are similar in function to Special events but are typically broader. For example, Black History Month is a Special event and its Event category is Cultural Celebrations.
Sponsors: (Required) Select the college, department and/or group that is sponsoring the Event. Multiple event sponsors can been added and are displayed as part of the event listing.
Audiences: (Optional) Add the intended audience(s) for the Event.

Screengrab of how to create an event, showing a list of items under related data such as related events, special events, event categories, sponsors and audiences with gold numbers 1 through 5 inside of gold circles.

Save and send

If you'd like to continue working on this page, but need to save your progress, click Save as Draft.
If you're finished making changes to the page, and the page is ready for review, click Send for Approval.

Table of Contents

Events

Capabilities

Standards

Events list widget

Instructions

Event title

Event description

Calendar and event times

Categories and tags

Location

Contact information

More options

Call to Action

Search engine optimization

Social media

Custom fields

Related media

Related data

Save and send