Event Association for Listing

Introduction

The "Event Association for Listings" plugin is a powerful tool designed to seamlessly connect your directory listings with relevant events, enriching the information available to your users. By displaying associated events directly on the listing detail page, you provide valuable context, highlight upcoming activities, and establish your directory as a dynamic resource for both businesses and event seekers. This instructional guide will walk you through the necessary steps to effectively implement and leverage this plugin, maximizing its benefits for your directory website and user engagement.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Define Maximum Quantity of Associated Events:

Begin by navigating to the "Settings" section within your directory dashboard. Next, locate and click on "Products & Plans" and click on "Manage Products". Within the settings for each listing level, identify the field that allows you to define the "Number of associated events." Enter the desired maximum quantity of events that clients at each level can link to their listings. Finally, click on "Save Changes" to apply these settings across your directory.

2. Configuring the Listing Template:

To ensure the associated events are displayed correctly on your listings, you need to configure your listing templates. Access the template management area by navigating to Content → Listings → Listing templates. Select each of your active listing templates for editing. If you utilize multiple templates, repeating these steps for each is crucial for consistent event display.

Once you have opened a listing template for editing, click on the "+" sign to add a new tab to the listing detail page layout. Name this new tab "Events" or any other label that clearly indicates to users where they can find related events. After naming the tab, click on the "Add a Widget" button.

From the available widgets, locate and add the "Associated Events" widget to the newly created "Events" tab. For optimal visibility and layout, it is also recommended to add another widget, such as "Contact Information," to the right-hand column of your listing template.

After adding and positioning the widgets, scroll back to the top of the template editor and click on "Save Changes" to finalize the configuration. These steps will ensure that listings on your site are equipped to display their associated events under the designated "Events" tab, as illustrated in step 5 of this guide.

3. Creating Associations:

The "Event Association for Listings" plugin allows you to establish connections between listings and events from two convenient locations: the "Listing" section and the "Event" section of your directory dashboard.

• In the "Listing" section: While creating a new listing or editing an existing one, navigate to the "Event" tab within the listing management interface. Here, you will find options to search for and add or remove relevant events to associate with the current listing.

• Similarly, in the "Event" section: When creating a new event or editing an existing one, you can access a section that allows you to search for and add or remove relevant listings from an available list, effectively linking the event back to related businesses.

4. Association Criteria:

To ensure relevant associations are made, the plugin incorporates specific criteria during the linking process. When you are editing a listing and attempting to associate events, the system will only display events that are either directly related to the specific advertiser who owns the listing or events that have not yet been associated with any listing.

Conversely, when you are editing an event and looking to associate listings, only listings that belong to the same advertiser who created the event will be available for selection. This intelligent filtering system helps maintain context and relevance within your directory.

5. Display on Listing Page:

The established associations between listings and events will be prominently displayed on both the public-facing listing detail page and the event detail page, creating a clear and interconnected information flow for your users.

• On the listing detail page: Within the designated "Events" tab, all events associated with that specific listing will be displayed. This display typically includes the event's title, its standard featured image, and a brief summary or introductory text of the event.

• In the "Event" section: On the detail page for an event that has been associated with one or more listings, a direct link will be provided. This link will redirect the user to the specific listing that is hosting, sponsoring, or otherwise related to the displayed event, creating a valuable pathway between event information and business services.

Conclusion

The "Event Association for Listings" plugin provides a powerful and seamless integration between the activities promoted through your events and the businesses listed in your directory, significantly enriching the user experience on your website. By following the straightforward steps outlined in this guide, you can effectively harness the capabilities of this plugin to enhance the value of your listings, provide timely and relevant information about upcoming events to your users, and establish your directory as a dynamic and comprehensive resource for both businesses and event attendees. Implementing this feature will not only improve user engagement and satisfaction but also solidify your directory website as a go-to destination for finding both services and local happenings within your community.