The new Events site features a different way of setting up an Event: using Organic Groups, we are able to tightly couple content on the site to other content. Specifically, we can create an Event, add that Event to the Calendar automatically, and then create subpages tied to that Event. With the new Person content type, we can even create simple slideshows displaying a particular Event's featured speakers.

Getting started

To create an Event, simply add content as normal. The type of content is Event, and when selected, you will be presented with a form from which you can create the Event.

When creating an event:

Exclude title (aka Event label) from display

This checkbox lets us hide the standard Drupal Title field. We still want to use the field, but only administratively; the field allows us to give each Event an administrative/internal title that we then use when associating other content with an Event.

Enter a detailed name for the Event group in the Event label field

The Event label/Title field is where we put in the Organic Group's name, and as such, it is only ever used administratively (see previous note about excluding the title). A detailed Event name would be something like "2012 International Cloud Symposium".

Enter Calendar Info (Title for the calendar, dates, location, URL, image, and summary)

This controls the information that appears in the official Calendar. Whatever is entered here will appear on the main Calendar view.

Location should most likely be the same as that entered in the URL path settings

Subtitle

Normally the node title gets displayed above the node content. For Event content, we tend to use the graphic banner as a replacement for the title field, while using the title field as the Event/group's name. Sometimes, however, we may want subtitle-like content to appear below the panelized node's top banner area. A subtitle entered here will appear just below the Event banner. The field's location and data source is controlled via the Panelizer tab's layout and content options.

Body

The actual event content. We don't do anything special with this; what is put into the field is what is output.

When creating an event subpage:

Use the Basic event page content type

This is a content type for content that can be associated with an Event/Organic Group, and thus it's intended for subpages.

Exclude title from display

A quirk of the Panelizer functionality is that Panelized nodes will display the node title twice. Excluding the title works around this bug until Panelizer is fixed.

Select a Groups Audience

The default Organic Groups audience field is where you associate a Basic event page with the main Event/group. The field's dropdown selections should be automatically populated with every existing Event/group, meaning that until the Event/group is created, it will not appear in the dropdown.

The title and body fields should be filled in as normal.

Speaker profiles

The Person content type enables us to create speaker profiles and associate them with a specific Event. We can then view a simple rotating slideshow displaying two people at a time (their picture, name, and title/affiliation). Clicking the "more" link provided by the slideshow shows the aggregation of speakers for that particular Event.