Difference between revisions of "Talk:KDHX Arts and Events Calendar Data Entry"

Revision as of 22:04, 14 May 2015

Overview

KDHX provides the Concert Calendar and the Arts & Events Calendars as a public service to the community. The tools required to create and maintain the calendar items are Desk.com and Joomla. You should be familiar with using Desk.com before you begin handling submissions from our listeners and readers.

The calendars exist in two forms; on our website at kdhx.org and in on-air presentations.

There are also two types of calendars that are presented on the website and on-air;

• Concert Calendar - any event that consists of only a musical performance; i.e., gigs, concerts, musical festivals, etc.

• Arts & Events Calendar - any event that consists of more than just a musical performance; i.e., exhibits, theatre, dance, performance art, charity events, workshops, fairs and festivals, etc.

The information that is entered on our website is used to produce the scripts for the on-air calendar presentations. Since any of these items entered may be used for an on-air calendar segment, we are bound to obey the policies and rules governed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Before proceeding to the next section, please read through the following article, written for our users and outlining our policies for calendar submissions.

How do I get my event listed on KDHX.org or on the air?

Getting Started in Joomla

1.Log in to Joomla.

2. In Joomla, go to the menu Components and choose EventList.

There are four areas here that you will need to access regularly;

• Events - provides search capabilities for events already in our system by Venue, Event Title and City.

• Add Event - produces an empty, fill in form for data entry.

• Venues - provides search capabilities for events already in our system by Venue and City.

• Add Venue - produces an empty, fill in form for data entry.

Getting Started in Desk.com

1.Log in to Desk.com.

2. Make your way to the Available Cases. These are where you will find today's email submissions for the calendars.

3. Start going through the submissions one by one. The oldest submission will sort to the top of the list.

4. Read the submission, scanning it for relevant content; i.e., Who, What, When, Where and Why (a brief description of the event).

Important Note: Desk.com has some issues displaying many emails, especially those that are in HTML format. This may make it hard for you to find all of the information needed to complete a new event. Our "Rules of Submission" state that emails must be sent in text only format, however that is rarely the case. There is an HTML button in the upper right which may provide better viewing. If there are files attached to the email, open at your own discretion. PDF and JPG files are often helpful and safe, documents can often be opened with a text editor. If all attempts fail to retrieve information you can reply to the sender and advise them to put all information into the text of the email and that attachments are not accepted.

5. When you have determined the Venue for this event, go to Joomla and perform a search for this Venue. Review the listing and determine if this submission is new or already on our calendar. Be diligent in performing this step as duplicate entries on our calendars looks very unprofessional and haphazard.

Entering event information in Joomla

Error creating thumbnail: File missing

Add Event screen components

• Event Title: Character space is limited, so make the title as simple and clear as possible. Try to leave out presenter names (i.e., Loyal Family presents) whenever possible. Never include the Venue name in this field unless it is also officially part of the event title.

- for Concerts use the name of the band(s), separating multiple band names with commas (,).

- for other events use the title of the event, performance, show, exhibit, etc.

• Alias: Do no enter anything into this field, it will auto-populate on its own when you save the event.
• Venue: The Venue must already exist in our database and chosen from a drop list. You will not be able to type in this field, but will need to use the following buttons to fill it:

-Select - clicking this button will present a searchable list of venues existing in our database. It is very rare that a new venue will need to be added, so please exhaust all search possibilities prior to creating a new one, especially if the venue has existed for more than a year.

-Add - if you are positive that the venue does not already exist in our database, click this button for a fill-in form for a new venue. Please be sure to verify all information on the venue's website or Facebook page, and include the correct phone number and website URL.

-No Venue - used most often when there is no specific venue for an event, or for an event that is laid out over a large area like Cherokee Street, the West End, etc. If there is no venue make sure that the description field carries further information like an address or a URL for more information. There is really no need to click this button. It will auto-fill the venue field with "No Venue," but as soon as you Save the event this field will become blank again.

• Categories and Sub-Categories: one or more sub-categories can be chosen by holding the Command key while you click, marking the choice with a blue bar of color.

- Please try not to use too many choices; one is sufficient, three is well-described and more than four is excessive.

- During entry, the main distinction between the categories of Concerts and Arts & Events is that Concerts does not require any information, or any editing of existing information contained in the Description field. Every Arts & Events type of entry must include a description.

- Most of the sub-category options should be self explanatory, but please be thorough when deciding which category(s) to choose.

- See Event Categories and Subcategories for a list of categories and their definitions.

Details tab

• Start Date: Use the date, or the beginning date of the event.
• End Date: For an event that lasts for more than one day, enter the last day of the event here. Do not enter an End Date on one day events.

• Start (Time): In military time enter the beginning time for the event. DO NOT use the "doors open" time, but rather the actual time of the performance or other type of event. This field should only be blank if the event is held over multiple days, see the next item for more information.
• End (Time): The ending time for an event is not always needed and will only appear on our website. It is provided as a courtesy to our web readers, but is always optional. Multi-day events should not include any times, unless the times are exactly the same for each day of the event. This field is most useful for events like theatre, festivals and exhibits.

Repeating Events tab

Use this tab with great care and discretion!! Mis-use and/or errors in this tab can easily create multiple entries and create havoc that requires tedious clean-up.

Image tab

Do not use. The image size must be very small when uploaded, therefore it shows up on our website around the size of a postage stamp.

Description The Description field is located in the large empty white space on the bottom left of your Joomla window.

There are many restrictions for this field, both policy-imposed and technological.

• Presented by: the name of the sponsoring organization, often different than the provider of the info. Choose the organization most directly responsible, and most appropriate to contact for more information.

• Type in the URL of the sponsoring organization. Be sure to include "http://" before the web address to ensure that the name will be ‘clickable’ and will take the user to the website of the sponsoring organization.

• Item HTML: please create ‘radio friendly’ script copy explaining the event. Details are below in “Scripting Notes.”

Types of Events

• Often, we receive submissions for Art Exhibit openings. These should be treated as two separate entries:
  • the opening reception - start date is today, end date is the day of the reception)
  • for the display itself - start date is the day of the opening, end date is when it closes.

Scripting Notes, by Sentence

• On what Day and Date, Who is presenting “What,” (in quotes)?
  • On Saturday April 1st, the St. Louis Artist’s Guild is presenting a workshop entitled “From Trash to Art.”
• Event Details - briefly explain features, beneficiary, why I should go.
  • The workshop will feature a presentation by sculptor Dave Long, and hands-on demonstration of welding and shaping metals.
• When (w/day, date & time) and Where (location, address and neighborhood)
  • “From Trash to Art” takes place on Saturday, October 25 from 10am to 3pm at the St. Louis Artists, Guild, 1 Oak Knoll Park in Clayton.
• Phone No. and Web site (do not use www’s & keep it basic)
• For more information, you may call… or visit….

Here is the Arts and Events Calendar Script Template.

Some Notes and No No's

• The data you enter into this calendar is displayed on our website, but is also used to generate our verbal on-air calendars. Some of the particulars of writing may seem strange for display on the website, but are intended to do double duty, in assisting our on-air calendar producers to have ‘ready to read’ copy from this data source.
• Please keep in mind that we are a non-profit, and do not want to encourage commercial interests, rather inform the public about what things are going on.
• Please keep all information brief and to the points mentioned above.
• Put titles of events, displays, etc in “quotes.”
• Omit the mention of the year (anything in these calendars should pertain to things happening in the near future).
• Omit “www” from web addresses – these should be stated “…or visit STLArtistsGuild .ORG”. (uppercase letters in web addresses indicate that the voice talent should read the letters aloud vs. stating as a word.)
• Also, individuals names should be omitted from ‘for more info’ copy – you may use first names (ala ‘call Tony at 314-xxx-xxxx’), but please don’t use full names.
• Try to avoid writing the final info in a manner encouraging ticket sales - please do not use “For tickets, call X.” It is best if we keep it to the standard, “For more information, you may call, " even if the only number you have is for the box office or for Metrotix. Metrotix doesn’t need our help - please don’t mention them.
• Calendar entries should NEVER contain: - Calls to action (”so go on out to X” or “so you should X”) - Superlatives (”this will be the best event of its kind in the area”) - Cash Dollar amounts (yes, ‘free’ is an amount. We’re not allowed to say it)

Some Example Arts/Events Calendar copy

1. Incorrect:

We all have family photos, and whether or not we ever plan to put them in a scrapbook, we want them safe and organized for our family to enjoy. The hardest part is getting started. Come and learn how to organize your photos using the latest tools from Creative Memories. You will see new products, do some sorting of your own, and learn how the tools work with each other to help you produce good, fast results in you scrapbooking. You will receive a special photo safe box to help you sort and organize your photos for safe permanent storage or temporary storage. Class is Jan. 21st at 9-11am. Cost is $16.00. For ticket information, call 636-391-0922 ext 12.

1. Corrected:

On Saturday, January 21st, the Saint Louis County Parks and Recreation will host a class on Photo organization, and Scrapbook-making. Participants are encouraged to bring a few packs of photos for sorting and organization at this class, held at Greensfelder Recreation Complex at Queeny Park, 550 Weidman Road in Manchester on Saturday, January 21 from 9-11am. For more information you may call 636-391-0922 ext 12 or visit the website stlouisco.com/parks.

2. Incorrect:

University of Missouri-St. Louis presents The Enemy Among Us: POWS in Missouri During World War II on Monday, April 10, 2006 from 12:15 PM to 1:15 PM. Author David W. Fiedler combines funny and touching stories with rare photographs as he describes the World War II period when 15,000 German and Italian soldiers came to Missouri to live in 30 camps across the state, where life as a POW was surprisingly more pleasant than would be expected. The event will be held at 229 J.C. Penney Conference Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. For reservations, call 314-516-5699.

2. Corrected:

On Monday, April 10, The University of Missouri-St. Louis presents “The Enemy Among Us: POWS in Missouri During World War II.” Author David W. Fiedler combines funny and touching stories with rare photographs as he describes the World War II period when 15,000 German and Italian soldiers came to Missouri to live in 30 camps across the state. The event will be held on Monday, April 10 from 12:15 to 1:15 pm in room 229 of the J.C. Penney Conference Center on the UMSL campus. For more information, you may call 314-516-5699, or visit umsl.edu.