Thursday, October 10, 2024
Written by
Megan Yoder
OSC Web Team
https://sitenow.uiowa.edu/documentation/content-blocks/events

Adding events to your website is a great way to keep your audience informed about what's happening within your department and across the University of Iowa campus. As you work to add events to your website, you can choose between the event component or events component in SiteNow v3. No matter which one you chose to use, here are some things to keep in mind. Today we will talk about how to decide which one to use and what to consider for each.

Event or events block
You have the option of using the event or events component to display your event content on your SiteNow v3 site. 

Using the event component

The "Event" component is perfect for highlighting a single, standalone event that’s specific to your website. If your event is intended solely for your department and doesn’t have broader campus implications, this is the ideal choice. This component allows you to feature the event exclusively on your site and manually remove it once it's over. Here are some key points to consider:

  • Target Audience: Best for events with a limited reach or those specifically relevant to your department.
  • Visibility: Events will be visible only on your website and won’t automatically sync with campus-wide systems.
  • Management: You’ll need to manually update or remove the event once it’s finished.
Event or events block
The event component is a good choice for events specific to your department that may not have a wider audience reach.

Make sure to include all relevant details for the event, such as location, time, and date, to ensure complete information is provided.

Using the events component 

The "Events" component is perfect for highlighting multiple events that have a broader appeal. If you’re dealing with a series of events or those relevant to a larger audience, it’s best to connect them with the UI Events Calendar. This platform showcases a wide range of campus events and lets users filter by categories to find what interests them.

Keep in mind that the "Events" component pulls information from the UI Events Calendar instead of hosting it directly on your site. Here’s what to consider:

  • Scope: Use this for events that reach a wider audience or for displaying multiple events at once.
  • Integration: It syncs with the UI Events Calendar, so your events get more visibility and are easier to manage.
  • Updates: The UI Events Calendar handles updates, ensuring your events stay current and accessible.

When setting up the component, decide on the tags, audience groups, or departments you want to feature, how many events to display, and whether to include a "See More" button.

You can also display different types of events in your feed. When using filters, selecting multiple values within a single filter acts as an OR operation, while filters from different groups combine with an AND operation.

For example, if you select 'College of Dentistry' in the unit dropdown and choose both 'Alumni/Friends' and 'Faculty/Staff' in the event audience dropdown, the results will show events for the 'College of Dentistry' that are tagged with either 'Alumni/Friends' or 'Faculty/Staff'. In other words, the system will display events that meet the criteria: ('College of Dentistry' AND 'Alumni/Friends') OR ('College of Dentistry' AND 'Faculty/Staff').

Event or events block
The events component is a good choice or events that have a wider audience reach. You are also able to filter events within the same group or separately.

Additionally, work has started on a new system to replace the current campus events/UI Event Calendar. The OSC web team will be closely involved in making sure this new system integrates seamlessly as it is developed.

Special notes 

Some use cases can benefit from the add-on local events content type feature. The add-on local events feature can be useful in certain situations where the UI Events calendar (discussed above) might not be enough. If you think you need more functionality, you will need to reach out to the OSC web team, so we can help you figure out the best approach.

By choosing the right component for your events, you'll make it easier to manage and showcase them on your website, which helps keep your audience engaged and informed. Selecting the appropriate tool ensures that your events reach the right people and are displayed in the most effective way. It also simplifies the process of updating and maintaining event details, saving you time and effort. With the right setup, your site will become a more engaging and useful resource for everyone interested in campus events. This thoughtful approach will make your website more dynamic and better at connecting with your audience.