RSVPMaker users have periodically requested that I add a standard way of recording event locations. If you were organizing a series of events at a specific location, you could create an event template, but RSVPMaker didn’t have a way of managing locations independently of events. Now it does.
One reason I hesitated was I didn’t want to provide a template that would lock you into a specific presentation, without taking into account individual preferences for which mapping service to use or how events should be presented to your audience.
My solution is to provide a default format but let you edit it however you want, using the WordPress editor. Details like whether you want the location to appear at the top of the post, the bottom of the post, or in the middle are left up to you. I’m shooting for a little more consistency, but no foolish consistencies.
Click the Location button in the event editor, and you will get a form that lets you add a new location. Give it a name and put in the address details. You can manually add a map link or let the software generate a Google Maps link (be sure to test it afterward to make sure it guides people to the right address).
When you click Add, the formatted address will be inserted into your event post. It will also be saved as a special kind of RSVPMaker post. The next time you want to add that address, you will be able to pick it from the dropdown list and click Choose.
You can change or enhance the content of one of these saved locations using the WordPress editor. For example, you might want to add a location photo to point out a hard-to-find entrance.
Locations are listed under RSVP Events when you have it set to Show All (rather than sorted to show only future events). The Edit button shown in the dialog above will also guide you to the correct post.
Here’s an example of retrieving that sample location to add it to an event post.
If you want to provide any special styling for the display of locations, there are several class tags you can take advantage of:
<span class="rsvplocation"><span class="locname">The Pride Center at Equality Park</span> <span class="locaddress">2040 N. Dixie Highway</span> <span class="citystatezip"><span class="loccity">Wilton Manors</span>, <span class="state">FL</span> <span class="postal">33305</span> <a class="map" href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=2040%20N.%20Dixie%20Highway%20Wilton%20Manors%2C%20FL%2033305" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(Map)</a></span></span>
Here’s an example of a little CSS I experimented with using the WordPress Customizer tool
.rsvplocation {
display: block;
background-color: #ddd;
padding: 10px;}
.locname {font-weight: bold;}
… which results in this:
