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Events Site + Settings
Events Site + Settings

Customize your Event Settings and Event Site in Element451: logos, billboards, menus & more for a seamless, branded experience.

Michael Stephenson avatar
Written by Michael Stephenson
Updated over a week ago

Overview

Your Events Site is a central hub for your events. It allows prospective attendees to browse, filter, and register for events while maintaining your institution's branding.

Event Settings gives you the tools to customize your site's appearance, navigation, and functionality, ensuring a cohesive and engaging experience for your audience.

Understanding Your Events Site Architecture

Before diving into the settings and details of your Events Site, it’s important first to understand the different pages that make up the site.

The collapsible sections below provide a brief overview of each page’s purpose and access points, helping you better understand the site’s architecture.

Event Site

  • Purpose

    • Main listing of all your public events

  • Access

    • Primary domain (provided by Element and located in your event settings)

    • Custom domain (use a CNAME such as events.elementu.edu)

Events Calendar Page

  • Purpose

    • The Calendar View Page provides prospective attendees with a monthly calendar view of your events, offering an alternative to the traditional list format on your Events Site.

    • Each event is hyperlinked for quick access to its Event Details Page.

  • Access:

    • This page is not automatically linked in your navigation menu.

    • Access it by appending /calendar to your Events Site URL (e.g., events.fireuniversity.edu/calendar).

    • Share the direct link or add it as a menu item in your Events Site menu.

Event Details Page

  • Purpose

    • Dedicated page for event-specific information such as date, time, spots available, and registration form.

    • Includes a listing of all upcoming dates/times for that event.

  • Access:

    • Events Site

    • Dedicated URL (open the page to view and copy the URL)

    • Event Series Details Page (only if the event is part of a series)

Event Series Page

  • Purpose

    • Main listing of all public event series

  • Access:

    • Dedicated URL

      • Append /series to your Events Site URL

    • Events Site

      • Must be manually added as a menu item

    • Event Details Page (Deep link)

      • Only if that event is part of a series will that series be linked

Event Series Details Page

  • Purpose

    • Dedicated page for event series-specific information such as date range, description, and spots available).

    • Includes a listing of each upcoming event associated with that series, which links to each individual event details page for details and registration.

  • Access:

    • Event Series Page URL

    • Dedicated URL (open the page to view and copy the URL)

Event Settings

Accessing Event Settings

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Events > Event Settings.

  2. In the left-hand column, you will see the menu of event settings.

Settings Overview

The Events module settings let you customize your Event Site to align with your branding and improve the user experience. From visual elements like logos and billboards to navigation tools like menus and domains, these settings help you create a cohesive and functional site. Below is a high-level overview of the settings before diving into details.

Branding Settings

Your Events Site inherits your institutional branding colors automatically, ensuring a cohesive look. To fully align the site with your branding, configure:

  • Logos: Customize the header and footer logos.

  • Billboard Gradient Overlay: Add or adjust the overlay color for featured event billboards.

Navigation + Access Settings

While your Events Site is functional out of the box, you can enhance navigation and accessibility with these settings:

  • Domains: Configure a custom URL (CNAME) for a branded domain.

  • Menus: Add links for easier navigation to key pages like Event Series or Calendar View.

  • Messenger: Enable live chat for real-time engagement on your Event Site.

Global Event Settings

These settings apply universally across all events:

  • Types: Internal categorization for event segmentation and analysis.

  • Categories: Public-facing tags to help attendees filter events.

  • Thank You Note: A customizable message displayed after event registration.

Event Series Settings

Manage settings for your Event Series, including:

  • Series Main Page Intro Description: Add or edit the introductory text displayed at the top of your Series Page.

In the following sections, we provide a detailed explanation of each setting, following the order in which they appear in the Event Settings menu.

Logos

Header

The header logo is displayed at the top of your Events Site, and the header of email messages sent using the Events module.

💡When selecting your header logo, consider the following:

  • The logo is placed against a background of your institution's primary color, so the logo color should be chosen accordingly.

  • The logo displays up to 60 px high and 200 px wide.

  • The logo can be in .jpg or .png format.

Footer

The footer logo is displayed at the bottom of your Events Site, and the footer of email messages sent using the Events module.

💡 When selecting your footer logo, consider the following:

  • The logo is placed against a white or light-grey background and should have a color that will work well with a light background. We recommend using your primary color as long as it provides proper visibility.

  • The footer logo displays up to 200 px high and 200 px wide.

  • The logo can be in .jpg or .png format.

How-To: Add Logo

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Events > Event Settings.

  2. Click Logos from the lefthand menu.

  3. Click Upload Header or Upload footer, or drag your file into the box.

  4. If clicking Upload, a dialogue box will open for you to select your file to upload.

How-To: Change or Remove Logo

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Events > Event Settings.

  2. Click Logos from the lefthand menu.

  3. Click Remove under the preview of the logo.

  4. Select Upload or drag a file into the box to replace the logo.

Billboard

The billboard highlights your featured events at the top of your Events Site. By default, it uses the event’s photo with a gradient overlay in a color of your choice.

How-To: Add Billboard Overlay

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Events > Event Settings.

  2. Click Billboard in the left-hand menu.

  3. Input a hex code or use the color picker to customize the overlay.

How-To: Remove Billboard Overlay

To remove the gradient from your billboard, remove the hex code. If there is no hex code, no gradient overlay will appear.

Types

  • Event types are for internal use only.

  • Each event can have one type assigned.

  • They can be used for segmenting and providing valuable data insights, aiding in the strategic analysis of your events.

How-To: Add Type

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Events > Event Settings.

  2. Click Types from the lefthand menu.

  3. Click the plus button in the bottom right.

  4. Enter the text for the new type in the window that appears, and click Add to save.
    ​

How-To: Change, Remove, or Reorder Type

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Events > Event Settings.

  2. Click on Types from the lefthand menu.

  • To edit a Type, click the pencil icon.

  • To remove a Type, click the trash can icon.

  • To reorder a Type, click and drag using the double arrow icon to the desired placement in the list.

Categories

Event categories act as tags for your events, visible on both the event and the events site. You can apply multiple categories to an event, and students can filter by these categories on the events site.

How-To: Add Category

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Events > Event Settings.

  2. Click Categories from the lefthand menu.

  3. Click the plus button in the bottom right.

  4. Enter the text for the new category in the window that appears, and click Add to save it.

How-To: Change, Remove, or Reorder Category

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Events > Event Settings.

  2. Click Categories from the lefthand menu.

  • To edit a Category, click the pencil icon.

  • To remove a Category, click the trash can icon.

  • To reorder a Category, click and drag using the double arrow icon to the desired placement in the list.

Important: If you wish to update a specific event's categories, you do so from the header of that event.

Thank You Note

  • The "Thank You Note" displays on-screen after event registration.

  • It has two parts: the heading and the text. As you can see in the screenshot below, the heading is in a larger font size than the text.

  • It’s not event-specific, meaning it will display for ALL events. Therefore, you should aim to keep it generic.

    • Event-specific communication is facilitated through Event Messages, such as confirmation and reminder emails and text messages, which are customized when editing your event.

How-To: Add Thank You Note

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Events > Event Settings.

  2. Click Thank You Note from the lefthand menu.

  3. Add your heading.

  4. Add your text.

  5. Your changes are automatically saved.

The Thank You Note is displayed for all events and is not event-specific. Event-specific communication is facilitated through Event Messages, such as confirmation and reminder emails and text messages, which are customized when editing your event.

Menus (Navigation)

Menu items are essentially the navigation for your Events Site. The links are displayed above the header as the main menu and also in the footer of your Events Site and all other pages within the site (event details, series, etc.).

Menu Examples

Header Menu

  • Adding your Events Site to the menu will create a small home icon next to the link in the header. This icon helps visitors navigate back to the home page or, as we refer to it, your Events Site (see screenshot above).

  • If you add external URLs, they will be marked with an external URL icon (see screenshot above).

Footer Menu

  • If you wish, you can hide the footer navigation menu in Footer settings.

What Can I Link?

You can link any URL in menu items, whether they are internal or external.

Notes on Internal Event Site URLs

  • Event Site: Your event site acts as your "home page."

    • By default, clicking on your header logo will return visitors to your Events Site. However, if you want to add an additional way for users to get back to the Events Site (All Events), you can add it as a menu item.

    • To link your events site, use / as the URL. In doing this, a home icon will automatically appear, indicating to users that it's the home page.

  • Event Pages: The Events Site has a few dedicated pages that we don't add automatically, but you have the option to add them if you choose:

    • Events Calendar: To link your calendar view, use /calendar as the URL.

    • Event Series: To link your series page, use /series as the URL.

    • Event Details Page: To link to a specific event page, copy the end of the page URL starting with /event. This is a great way to add increased visibility to a large, upcoming event, like an open house.

Notes on External URLs

You are permitted to add external links as menu items (like your institution's website). However, please note the following:

  • External URLs must include the HTTPS:// in the URL.

  • External URLs are marked with a designed icon (box with arrow).

How-To: Add Menu Items

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Events > Event Settings.

  2. Click Menus from the lefthand menu.

  3. Click the plus button in the bottom right.

  4. Configure the Settings:

    • Label: The text that will display for the link.

    • URL: The link destination. Remember to include https:// in external URLs. Examples:

      • / for your Event Site homepage.

      • /series for your Event Series Page.

      • /calendar for the Calendar View.

How-To: Change, Remove, or Reorder Menu Items

Adding a Menu Item

  1. Navigate to Engagement > Events > Event Settings.

  2. Click Menus from the lefthand menu.

Managing Existing Menu Items

  • To edit a Menu Item, click the pencil icon.

  • To remove a Menu Item, click the trash can icon.

  • To reorder a Menu Item, click and drag using the double arrow icon to the desired placement in the list.

Footer

The footer appears on every page of your Event Site and offers customization options:

  • Show Navigation in Footer: Show or hide the footer menu links.

  • Footer Text: If you want to display any text, enter it here. Typical uses include contact information, address, social media links, etc.

Event Series

This setting allows you to manage the introductory text on your main Event Series Page to tailor how you introduce the collection of events to your audience.

  • Show Intro Description: Choose to display or hide the introductory description text for your central event series page.

  • Add or Edit the Text: Enter your content in the Description Text field to add or modify the intro text. Changes are saved automatically as you type.

Explore More on Event Series

Domains

Primary Domain

Element451 automatically assigns your Events Site a primary domain and can not be edited. It will look something like this: abcd.event451.sites.451.io. You can find your Events Site primary domain by navigating to Engagement > Events > Event Settings > Domains.

External Domain

While the primary domain URL is functional, it doesn't share the same institutional brand identity and trust as a URL ending in .edu. To that end, you can configure an external domain to mask or hide the primary domain and use a URL ending in your school name or abbreviation. You'll likely need to work with your IT or website team for this process.

Explore More: Configuring External Domains

Other Important Events Site Information

Events Site Login

The Event Site Login feature is designed to streamline the login process for students visiting your events site. Utilizing a magic link system ensures that students can easily access their event registrations without remembering a password.

Explore More: Events Site Login

Event Site Filtering

The filter feature on your Event Site makes event searches easier for students. They can quickly narrow down events by start date, end date, category, or venue. However, keep these important notes in mind regarding filters:

  • The venue list for the venue filter is auto-generated from the locations of your upcoming events. There’s no separate management for this list; it’s a collective compilation from individual event locations.

  • Event categories are added when you create a new event or edit an existing event. When editing, categories are managed in the header.

The Events Module is only available with the Element Engage package.

Related Articles
Getting Started with Events
Creating an Event
Featured Events
Event Series
Application Sites
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