Set Up Event Categories
When adding an event, you will need to select an event category for it. We start you out with one Default event category. Before creating your first event, we recommend adding additional event categories that reflect your organization's needs. Event categories allow you to group events into different categories. Using event categories, you can:
- Create event categories that will display on your event calendar
- Color code your event categories so visitors can easily tell which category an event is in by the color of the event
- Allow members to filter the calendar by category so they can see just the events from the category they select
- Allow members that you specify to add, edit, or manage events in a particular category
- Limit visibility of events in a particular category to members or groups of members that you specify
- Display a list of upcoming events by category or multiple categories using the event widget on a sidebar (WordPress only)
- Allow website visitors to subscribe to your event calendar
Event Category Setup
Step 1: Locate Event Categories Settings
Go to MembershipWorks > Event Calendar and click on Setup Event Categories at the top of the page.
Step 2: Add New Category
Click + Add Event Category at the bottom of the box.
Step 3: Set Category Name
Next to Category name, enter a name for this category
Step 4: Select a Display Color
Next to Allowed display colors, select at least one color that you want to use for this category. You'll see a check mark next to the color(s) you've selected.
If you do not select at least one color, any events added to the category will be hidden from the calendar.
Step 5: Website Navigation Choices
Next to Website navigation, check the boxes for the settings that you would like to enable for the calendar's navigation.
- Display this category on public calendar/list: This setting refers to displaying the event category in the Show drop down that is located above the Event Calendar or Event List. If you do not select this option, it will not hide events in this category from the calendar. Instead, it will not display the event category in the Show drop down that visitors can use to filter the calendar by category. (See image below)
- Display color codes with category: Select this option if you would like the event category color(s) to be displayed next to the category name in the Show drop down located above the calendar. This can be useful to provide a visual cue for your users. (See image above)
- Allow users to subscribe to feed: If you select this option, visitors will see a Subscribe drop down above your calendar where they can select to subscribe to your calendar feed to view your upcoming events or subscribe to your events in their device or Google calendar. (See image below)
If you have restricted the event category to be visible to members only, you will not see the Allow users to subscribe to feed option next to Website navigation. This is because events in member only event categories cannot be added to a feed/calendar.
Advanced Event Category Settings
Step 6: Setting Category Visibility
Next to Visibility, select Only allow following members to view events in this category if you want events that you add to this category to be visible to members only.
After selecting this option, you will see a list of groups of members based on folders, labels, and membership levels. Click on the members that you want to be able to view events that you add to this category. The folders, labels, levels that you select will turn green to show they've been selected.
Step 7: Allow Members to Post Events to Your Calendar
Next to Member events, select Allow following members to edit or add events in this category if you want certain members to be able to add, edit, or manage events that are in this category. After selecting this option, you will see a list of groups of members based on folders, labels, and membership levels. Click on the members that you want to be able to add, edit, or manage events in this category.
When you click to select a particular group, you will see additional settings pop up that you can select to determine their level of access. Select the applicable settings and click Add. (See details below image)
- Set member added events as hidden until approved: You may set member added events to be hidden until you approve them. If you enable this option, the member will not have access to set or change the calendar color under the Event Setup tab. You can approve the member's event by selecting a color for the event under the Event Setup tab on the admin side.
- Limit member access to event setup only (no ticketing/registration): You may want to allow members to add events to the calendar but not sell tickets on your site, since all payments would be processed through your billing system. So you can limit member access to the event setup tab only (ie. setting event title, picture, description, location and times). Members will not be able to access the dashboard, ticketing, registration and advanced settings.
- Do not allow member to add/edit/delete registrations: If you are working with volunteers, you may need to provide access to the event administration so they could send emails, export data, or check-in people at the event. But you may not want to provide access to anything to do with billing (ie. adding, editing, or refund registrations), so you can disable access to registrations only.
- Let member access event only if they created the event: If you do not want members to be able to edit or access events
created by a different member, you can also limit access accordingly.
Step 8: Set Admin Notification Email When Member Adds an Event
If you have allowed members to add, edit or manage events, you will see an option to enter an admin email address (or multiple email addresses separated by a comma) to be notified when a member adds an event.
If you have selected the option to hide events until approved, we recommend that you add at least one email address to be notified so you will know when an event needs to be approved.
Step 9: Save
Click Save at the bottom when complete.
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