Event Types in your community

Event Types are "templates" that determine which "building blocks" are available for selection when your community users create events.

When someone in your community site creates an event, they have to select an Event Type as its foundation. The event then inherits the features and settings:

• that have been configured for the Event Type, and
• which can then be tailored to the event.

NOTE: The most important setting is the Registration Process because it dictates which of the configuration options and settings are available and can be customized.

Higher Logic "pre-loads" every community site with several out-of-the-box Event Types (e.g., Chapter Meeting, Conference, Webinar) that are ready for immediate use. These are preconfigured with settings that our experts feel are ideal for various types of community events.

However, these might not be perfectly suited to your community's events.

Custom Event Types

Higher Logic acknowledges that the preloaded Event Types might not work for every community, and encourages organizations to create their own Event Types.

When you create your own Event Types, you create custom templates that ensure that the available features and functionality are tailored to the types of events that are likely to be set up by people in your organization.

• If your organization hosts weekly webinars for which attendees only need to RSVP, create an Event Type that is exclusive for those and which takes advantage of the "Repeating Events" setting.
• If your organization has multi-day conferences that include sessions, registration add-ons, and which is open to members and to the public, create an Event Type that has multiple payment options and features registration discounts for members and for "early birds."

Creating and customizing Event Types are the first steps in the event-creation process. Event Types that are suited to your community:

• simplify the process for your community's event creators,
• minimize the likelihood of them encountering issues, and
• give you the assurance that events will have features and options they need.

Watch the video

Click the image to link to a HUG Education Library video that is related to the content in this article.

Access your Event Types

To manage your Event Types:

1. In the Admin Toolbar, click Admin.

2. Navigate to Events > Types.

The Event Types page lists all of the out-of-the-box Event Types as well as any that have been created in your account.

Manage your Event Types

The Event Types that are listed:

• are by name (alphabetically, and might include the type of registration),
• include a description (recommended for those created in the account), and
• have their own edit and delete actions.

The Event Types page has a few management options.

• To add an event, click Add in the upper right.
  • The event-creation process is described in the next section and the event-configuration fields are detailed in the Event Type settings tables.
• To make changes to an event, click its Edit button.
  • The event-configuration fields are detailed in the Event Type settings tables.
• To delete an event, click click the down arrow and click Delete and, on the confirmation dialog, click Yes.
  • If an Event Type is in use by any existing events, you cannot delete it:

Create an Event Type

1. Click the Add button above the list to the right.

2. Configure your Event Type's settings, which are described in the tables below.
3. Click Save to create the Event Type.
4. Review the list and verify that your Event Type is listed.

Your Event Type is now available as the basis for your community events.

Event Type settings

The tables that follow describe the event-configuration fields on the Add and Edit dialogs; these dialogs are similar and they have several sections: Details, Properties, and Email Templates.

Details section

Setting	Description
Type Name	Give your Event Type a name that clearly describes its purpose.
Description	Provide details about and usage-guidance for the Event Type, such as suitable events and the Type's characteristics (e.g., its registration process and payment options).
Allow Multi-day Events?	Toggle to Yes to allow events of this Type to span several days. This is ideal for 3-day conferences. NOTE: An Event Type can be configured as either "Multi-day" or "Repeating;" it cannot be both. The Repeating toggle is in the Properties section.
Allow Physical Address?	Toggle to Yes to make the Physical Address option available for events of this Type.
Allow Online/Phone?	Toggle to Yes to make the Online and Conference Call options available for events of this Type.
Allow Event Logo?	Toggle to Yes to give event creators the ability to upload a logo for events of this Type. Logos display: in search results; as a thumbnail on the Events list page; and as a 300px image on the event's Details page.
Allow Event Visibility Changes?	Toggle to Yes to make the Display in events list? and Display in search results? fields visible to Admins when creating or editing an event.
Allow Event Level Presenters?	Toggle to Yes to make the Event Presenters option available in the event's Actions menu for events of this Type. Typically, you cannot highlight your presenters because they are assigned to individual sessions and individual sessions are unique to Full Registration events. This option enables you to assign a presenter to any type of event. If the Event Presenters widget is added to your community's Event Description page, it displays a listing of any presenters who are added to events of this type. (To edit your Event Description page, navigate to an event's details page and select Edit Page from the Admin Toolbar.)

Properties section

The Registration Process options determine which settings display on the Add and Edit dialogs.

• The Setting column indicates which registration options (None, Link, RSVP, Simple, Full) the setting applies to.

Setting	Description
Available to Community Administrators?	Toggle to Yes to allow Community Admins to create events of this Type for their communities.
Registration Process	Click the dropdown to select a registration process (i.e., "method") for events of this Type. Your selection determines which additional settings display. The options are: No registration - These Events are added to your Event Calendar only. Use this option if you want only to keep your members informed of your organization's upcoming events. Link to External Registration System - Registration for these Events are handled by an external registration system. The appropriate external-registration link must be specified when an event is being created. RSVP Only - no payment - Use this option for Events that require only that users indicate their intent to attend (i.e., "save my spot"), such as webinars. These Events: - do not support formal registration or payments. - are limited to users with accounts on your Higher Logic site. - facilitate the keeping of a registrant-attendee roster. Simple - Use this option for basic events (e.g., they do not have sessions or registration "add-ons" [e.g., special sessions; after-hours activities]) for which you require registration. These Events typically offer "Member" and "non-Member" pricing, but more complex pricing can be set up. NOTE: This option presents additional settings. Full - Use this option for large, multi-day events, such as an annual conference that will have a full agenda of sessions and other activities (e.g., keynote address, meals, closing-day cocktail hour). NOTE: This option presents additional settings.
Allow Repeating Events? (None, Link, RSVP, Simple)	Toggle to Yes to allow events of this Type to be repeated according to a regular cadence (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly), rather than having to individually create each occurrence of a series. A Yes/No toggle displays on the Add Event dialog for all Registration Process options except Full. NOTE: An Event Type can be configured as either "Multi-day" or "Repeating;" it cannot be both. Check out Repeating Events to learn more.
Available to Community Members? (None, Link, RSVP, Simple, Full)	A Community Type can be configured to allow Members to create events. Admins can use the Who can create events? selector (shown below) in a Community's Settings to override that inherited Community Type permission. If both of the abovementioned settings allow Community Members to create events, use this toggle (Yes/No) to manage whether Community Members can create events of this Type. This toggle has no impact on events of other Types.
Allow users to search and register non-members to an event? (Simple, Full)	Toggle to Yes to allow Admins and Members to search for existing users (those who have an account), and to register that person for the event. This is done differently for Full- and Simple-registration events. Full registration: use the Find Existing Contact feature on the Registrants tab of the registration form. Simple registration: use the Registration feature on the event's Details page. Type the person's name in the field and then select the person from the list that displays.
Allow users to create new accounts via event registration? (Simple, Full)	Toggle to Yes to allow Admins and Members to create an account for someone who does not have an account, and to simultaneously register that person for the event. This is done differently for Full- and Simple-registration events. Full registration: use the Add New Contact feature on the Registrants tab of the registration form. Simple registration: use the Registration feature on the event's Details page. Type the person's full name in the field and then click Create contact and register?. NOTE: For Simple-registration events that are available and accessible to public users (those who do not have an account), members of the public can self-register, as guests. On the event's Details page, the Registration feature displays differently when someone is not logged in. Public users can complete the fields to add themselves to the event's attendance roster. This option: - does not create a community account; it only registers the person, as a guest, for the event. - is not available for Full-registration events (only Admins and Members can register guests for Full-registration events).
Allow Additional Detail Fields? (Full)	Toggle to Yes to allow Admins to control whether the Additional Details functionality is enabled for the Full Registration events registration form. Toggle to No for a more streamlined registration form.
Allow Additional Registration Choices? (Full)	Toggle to Yes to allow registration add-ons to be created for events of this Type and to make the Registration Choices option available in the event's Actions menu. Add-ons get set up after an event is created. You can also manage whether registration add-ons display on the event's Details page.
Payment Options (Simple, Full)	Click the dropdown to select at least one payment option for events of this Type. You can select: - Allow Online Payments (e.g., credit card) - Allow Offline Payments (e.g., check) - both options
Allow Multiple Prices Based on Date? (Simple, Full)	Toggle to Yes to allow event creators to have multiple date-based pricing schemes for events of this Type. The options are: - Allow Early Price? (such as an "early-bird" discounted rate) - Allow Regular Price? (this is the default; it cannot be toggled to No) - Allow Late Price? (such as having a publicized "late fee" to encourage timely registrations)
Allow Multiple Prices Based on Registrant Type? (Simple, Full)	Toggle to No to limit event creators to "simple pricing" (i.e., a single price that's applicable to all event registrants) for events of this Type. Toggle to Yes to allow event creators to have multiple pricing schemes for events of this Type. The options are: - Allow Member/Non-member Pricing? (offer a discount to Members) - Allow Multiple Prices based on Registrant Classes? (Security Groups that are mapped to a registration group or type of attendee. See Event Registrant Classes to learn more.) NOTE: If the main toggle is set to Yes and both of the sub-options are set to No, "simple pricing" is applied to all events of this Type.
Allow Sessions? (Full)	Toggle to Yes to allow sessions to be created for events of this Type and to make the Sessions option available in the event's Actions menu. Sessions are set up after an event is created.

Email Templates section

If you select RSVP Only, Full, or Simple from the Registration Process dropdown in the Properties section:

...this section expands to display a number of email-message options (e.g., Registration Confirmation, Registration Cancellation, Reminder Emails) in addition to the settings that are described below.

• Each option defaults to the recommended template.
• Click a dropdown to choose a different template or to opt to not send that message.

The out-of-the-box Events templates can be managed by selecting Events from the Category dropdown on the Email > Email Management > Email Templates page. To learn more, see Manage Events Email Templates.

The following settings display for all events.

Setting	Description
Allow overrides at the event level?	Toggle to Yes to allow event creators to override the Share option when creating an event. If Yes, event creators can choose to not have the Share this Event button display on the event's Details page, in which case, users will not be able to share the invitation.
Record Attendance Reminder	Click the dropdown to select which email message template is used for the message that is sent to remind registrants/community members to record their attendance to the event. The reminder is sent an hour before the event starts.
Invitation	Click the dropdown to select which email message template is used for the message that is sent to invite contacts to the event.
Share	Click the dropdown to select which email message template is used for the message that is sent when users click the Share this Event button on the event's Details page. Select Do not send from the dropdown to not display the button; users will not be able to share the invitation.

Related articles

• Events Reports