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How to Use Event Categories: https://help.pm.leapevent.tech/a/1154954
Event Categories allow you to tag Ticketable Events with keywords, such as play, musical, pops, jazz, family friendly, and more. You can use these categories for sorting when selling tickets in the box office, as a filter/grouping in reports and CRM Snapshots, and to help your patrons quickly find Events on your Public Ticketing Site!
In this article we'll cover:
- Creating and customizing Event Categories
- Applying Event Categories to your Events
- Using Event Categories as filters with your PTS
- Creating prefiltered links with your Event Categories
- Best practices and suggestions for prefiltered links
We'll also go over some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) at the end.
Creating and customizing Event Categories
Let's learn how to Add new categories, Edit or Deactivate old categories, or Reorder them!
1. Click on Setup at the top right side of your screen
2. Navigate to the Object Manager tab, then search and click on "Ticketable Event"
3. Go to "Fields & Relationships", then search and click on "Event Category"
4. Edit the available options
4.1. Under "Values" you can see currently available categories; click "New" to add more
4.2. Add your new values in the text field
If you're adding more than one value, make sure each value has its own line.
4.3. Click the "Save" button
4.1. Click on "Edit" next to the category value
4.2. Edit the "Label" field and its matching "API Name" field
4.3. Click the "Save" button
You can deactivate unused category values, but do not delete them. Deleting categories risks losing data history you may want to access later in reports.
4.1. Click "Deactivate" next to the unwanted category
4.2. Click "OK" on the pop-up window that appears
4.1. Click "Reorder", next to the "New" button
4.2. Using the Top, Up, Down, and Bottom buttons, reorder your categories until you're satisfied
Use the checkbox to automatically alphabetize your options.
4.3. Click "Save" when you're done
Applying Event Categories to your Events
Once you're happy with your Event Category options, apply them to your Ticketable Events!
1. Head to the PatronTicket Hub and click on Event Inventory
2. Find the Ticketable Event you'd like to add Event Categories to and click on the name
3. Click Edit, then use the arrows to add or remove Event Categories on your Ticketable Event
4. Click Save
Using Event Categories with your PTS
Once you have your Event Categories assigned to your Ticketable Events, use them as Event filters on your Public Ticketing Site. It's a great way to help your patrons find shows they're interested in!
1. Head over to PatronTicket Settings via the PatronTicket Hub
2. Click Edit
3. Scroll down to the "Public Site Settings" section and find the PTS Filter Categories table
4. Use the checkboxes to identify the Event Categories you want to use as filters on your PTS
You can select up to 5 Event Categories to use as filters on the Public Ticketing Site.
5. Save your changes
6. Done!
Those Event Category filters will now be available on your Public Ticketing Site!
Creating prefiltered links with your Event Categories
Prefiltered links allow you to direct patrons to a particular view of your Public Ticketing Site. They're perfect to use on your organization's website or in targeted marketing emails!
1. Click the link at the bottom of the PatronTicket Hub to open your Public Ticketing Site
2. Copy the link from your PTS landing page
3. Paste the link into a text editor
We recommend Notepad++ for your text editing needs!
We specifically recommend against using something like Microsoft Word or Google Docs - these types of programs can do funky things with symbols and lead to broken links.
4. Append the following code to the end of the URL
?filter[category]=YOUR EVENT CATEGORY HEREAppending this to the link you copied in the previous step will direct patrons to a filtered view of the default landing page on your Public Ticketing Site. If you want to direct patrons to a specific view of your Public Ticketing Site that is NOT the default, see below.
Note: you can only direct patrons to a view of your PTS that is enabled; for example, if you're using the Expanded list view you cannot direct patrons to the Condensed list view, and vice versa.
Not sure which PTS views you're using? Read about the options here.
events/calendar?filter[category]=YOUR EVENT CATEGORY HEREevents/expanded?filter[category]=YOUR EVENT CATEGORY HEREevents/condensed?filter[category]=YOUR EVENT CATEGORY HERE5. After the equals sign, put the (exact) filter name, with the right capitalization
In our example, the URL goes from:
https://patronmanagerdemo.secure.force.com/ticket/#/
to:
https://patronmanagerdemo.secure.force.com/ticket/#/?filter[category]=Musical
"What if...
- my Event Category has a space in it, e.g. 'Family Friendly'"?
- Substitute the space with %20, like so:
?filter[category]=Family%20Friendly
- I want to include multiple categories?"
- Separate each with a comma in the URL, like so:
?filter[category]=Drama,Comedy,Dance
6. Test your new link
Copy and paste it into a new browser window to make sure it works as expected -- if it doesn't, check carefully for typos, and make sure the filters you're referencing are valid.
7. Copy and paste your new link wherever you want to post it!
Best practices and suggestions for prefiltered links
You can get really creative with how you use prefiltered Event Category links for your PTS! Here are a few examples to keep in mind:
One link for calendar view, filtered for tickets to an exhibition, using a "Daily Admission" Event Category...
...and a second link for the Event list view, filtered for concerts.
For example, create a link with a built-in filter for...
- Family-friendly Events, then send it in an email to parents whose kids attended one of your classes
- Pops, and send it to everyone who attended your John Williams tribute concert
- Merchandise, and send it to everyone who's bought three or more single tickets
- A specific venue, and send it to everyone who lives near that venue
If your organization has multiple venues, you can create and assign an Event Category for each venue and provide pre-filtered views to events only happening in those venues.
This option works best if each Ticketable Event is performed in a single venue. If that doesn't match your needs, let us know via the Community.
If your organization has a guest artists or artist in residence, create and assign an Event Category for them. You can then provide patrons with prefiltered links so they can quickly see all of your events that pertain to their interests.
You can provide your patrons with links to your merchandise events so they can easily make purchases online.
You can learn more about how to sell merchandise in PatronManager with this article.
You don't have to use the same Event Categories as both public filters and for reporting purposes. Create Event Categories for your PTS based on how you want your patrons to approach your content, then create more specific Event Categories for internal use only. For example, maybe you have:
-
PTS-only filter categories
- Original Stageplays
- Modern Classics
- Shakespeare
- Family Friendly
-
Internal reporting categories
- Comedy
- Tragedy
- Family Friendly
- Historical
- Featured Guest Artist
- Rental Event
Frequently Asked Questions
They'll see an "either" view, rather than an "and" view.
For example, a client selects "Jazz" and "Classical" Event Categories. They'll see any jazz or classical shows, rather than only shows tagged with both jazz and classical.
Check to be sure:
- The Event Category you're using in the URL is selected as a filter in PatronTicket Settings
- The events that should be appearing are...
- Active
- On-sale
- Have public Allocations
- You replaced any spaces in your categories with
%20in the URL - You separated multiple category values with a comma
- If using the Calendar view, you're looking at a month that contains the right Events
- If you're trying to direct patrons to an Event list view of your PTS, you need to make sure the Event list view is enabled for your PTS; for example, if you're using the Expanded list view you cannot direct patrons to the Condensed list view, and vice versa.
You can have up to five Event Categories on your ticketing site. If you'd like to use more than five Event Categories, let us know by submitting a Product Idea.
Yep! Before sending out your prefiltered links, be sure your Event Category is selected as a filter option in PatronTicket Settings.
Absolutely! For example, if you don't have any more "Family Friendly" shows for the season, you can deselect that category in PatronTicket Settings.
Not at this time. If you're interested in this, let us know by submitting a Product Idea.