Create + Configure an Event Microsite

Rhythm microsites allow you to create miniature websites with their own custom styles, pages, and menus. For that reason, microsites are a great option for larger conferences or complex events with many moving parts.

Create an Event

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1. Navigate to the Meetings & Shows application and click the blue + Create New Event from Scratch button in the top-right
   

   Helpful hint: If you elect to clone a previous event, you can choose to copy over its microsite as well. Note that you will need to enter the new microsite’s name and publish each of the new pages

2. After you have entered all of the basic information for the event, scroll down to the How should this event be hosted? section
3. Select the Standalone Microsite option and leave the Event URL blank as Rhythm will automatically generate one for you based on previous configuration
4. Scroll down to the Features section and select the various features you need for this event
   
   Helpful hint: You can add or remove any of these features in the future if necessary by navigating to the Event > Setup > Event Details  
5. Once you have completed configuring your event, click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the page

CREATE THE MICROSITE

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1. Within your event, select Website from the left menu
2. Begin the setup by reviewing the autogenerated URL for your microsite
   

   Note: Autogenerated URLs are based on DNS entries you selected and created during implementation. You should only change the content before the first dot. If you change anything after, your microsite will not work.
   
   An example: this-is-changable.events.demo.rhythmsoftware.com

3. Select the Page Template. This may be one specially created for your event with its own style and branding, or you may use the same one from your main portal.
   

   Helpful hint: If you want to use an event-specific template, be sure that is created before this step.

4. Then, select the Portal Features you would like to be installed on your microsite. The Registration and Welcome & Landing Pages features are required on every event microsite
   

   Helpful hint: If you aren’t sure which site features you need or you’re not quite ready to install any of them, it’s okay. You can always add features later by navigating to the Portals & Microsites app, selecting your microsite, and selecting Features from the left menu.

   Helpful hint: If you elect to install the Group Registration feature, be sure you have enabled Group Registration on your event. To do this, navigate to Setup on the event, select Registration in the left menu, and then Settings. Group Registration is the second option on the page.

5. Once you’ve completed your selections, click the Create Microsite button at the bottom of the page

CONFIGURE THE MICROSITE

Assets

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Before you begin, make certain you have the design assets you need for the event microsite. These assets may already exist or you might want to create new ones. These include:

• CSS stylesheets
• Page templates
• Images
• Custom components

Site Settings

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Once you have the necessary assets, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Portals & Microsites application and select Site Settings from the left menu
2. Under the Headers & Footers tab, you can add custom code snippets to the HTML head sections across all pages on the microsite

   Helpful hint: If you use special web fonts or icons, this is where you’ll embed the code.

3. Under the Branding tab, you can give your site a >Title and enter the Favicon URL. A favicon is a small 16×16 pixel icon that serves as branding for your website. Its main purpose is to help visitors locate your page easier when they have multiple tabs open.

   Helpful hint: The optimal size for creating a favicon is 16x16 pixels, which is the size in which they are most commonly displayed

4. Under the CSS & Javascript tab, you are offered more advanced styling options. The most important thing to do on this page is to associate your CSS stylesheets under the Linked Files section at the bottom. Adding these gives the microsite its branding and design.
5. Once your site settings are fully configured, click the Save Changes button

Pages

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When you install portal features, Rhythm automatically creates the necessary pages with the related portal components. Still, you may want to customize page headers or add additional content.

You can do that by navigating to the Portals & Microsites app, selecting Pages from the left menu, and clicking the Edit icon next to a given page.

Helpful hint: Rhythm allows you to set the visibility on each individual page. This is helpful when you want a page to be visible to the public without requiring them to log into the portal.

To do that, select a particular page to edit. At the top of the screen next to the page’s title, click the Edit button. In the Page Settings pop-up, you can change the Security Level Access to Public.

Warning: Any page that has a form needs to have the Security Level Access set to Requires Login in order to perform as intended.

Features

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You can install portal features after creating the microsite.

1. Navigate to the Portals & Microsites application and select Features from the left menu
2. Click the + Install a Portal Feature button
3. Be sure to select the appropriate Template and Menu
4. Scroll to the Meetings & Shows section to find event-related features

Menus

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When you created the microsite, Rhythm automatically created its menu and added the related portal pages when you installed the portal features. However, you may want to rename existing menu items, add new ones, or even reorder them.

1. Navigate to the Portals & Microsites application and select Menus from the left menu
2. Click the Edit icon on your menu to edit the menu settings
3. Create a new menu item by right-clicking an existing item. A child will place the new item nested beneath the option you selected. A sibling will place the new item after the option you selected
4. Click an existing menu item to edit it
5. When creating or editing a menu item, you can edit the following:
   • Label: The name for the menu item in both the console and the portal
   • Target: The direction or response when the menu item is clicked. When each one is selected, you will be prompted with further configuration options
   • Security Policies: This designates visibility criteria for a menu item

     Helpful hint: To create a Security Policy navigate to the Portals & Microsites> application and select Setup from the left menu. Then, select Security Policies from the left menu on the next page.

6. To reposition a menu item, click the item and drag it to the desired position
7. Once your menu options are fully configured, click the Save Changes button

Test the Microsite

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Before launching your event and welcoming people to the microsite, we recommend testing each of its pages and processes first. Do this using your own portal login as well as impersonating likely attendees, sponsors, speakers, and exhibitors.

As always - our Support Team is on standby if you need help!