Event Espresso 4 provides one-way integration with iCal compatible calendars, including Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, etc. Using the Event Espresso 4 iCal feature, event attendees can quickly add events they have registered for to their personal calendar. The iCal download link includes details such the date and time of the event, venue name, and venue location, etc. That information is then added to the customer’s personal calendar.

What is iCal?

iCalendar, or iCal for short, is a standard method of transferring calendar information between computer systems. The standard allows products from many vendors to transfer calendar information between each other.  iCalendar files typically have the file extension “.ical” “.ics” “.ifb”  or “.icalendar” with a MIME type of “text/calendar”. The iCalendar open standard should not be confused with iCal, the former name for the commercial product “Calendar” developed by Apple Computer.

iCalendar is designed to be independent of the transport protocol. For example, individual events can be sent by traditional email. Web servers (using just the HTTP protocol) are often used to distribute iCalendar data about an event and to publish busy times of an individual.

How is iCal Implemented in Event Espresso 4?

There are three different ways we’ve applied iCal download links in Event Espresso 4. I’ll cover them below.

Event Listings Page

The first place your customers will notice the iCal download links is in the event listings. Your customers can click the iCal download link/button to add the event details to their personal calendar. Here’s how it might look on your site:

iCal Download Button Example in Event List

Event Details Page

Similar to the event listings page, the second place your attendees will be introduced to the iCal download link/button is when viewing the details about individual events, as seen in this example;

iCal Download Button Example below ticket selector

[Optional] Registration Confirmation Messages

The final place your customers might see an iCal download text link is directly after registering for an event on your site, via the “Registration Confirmation” email. I say they might see the link because this location is optional and can be activated by adding a shortcode to your message templates, as seen in the “How to Add iCal Download Links to Messages” documentation.

Registration Confirmation Email Message

Event Schema Markup is code that you put on your website to help the search engines return more informative results for users. By adding event schema markup, search engines (Google, Bing, Yandex, and Yahoo!) can read important details about the event, then generate what is known as a “rich snippet” in the organic search engine results pages.

For example, here is an search specific to “events in chicago”. The result are specific to the events happening now in Chicago, and the format is special for events.

Event Schema shown in Google search results

Event Espresso Supports Schema.org Structured Data Markup for Events

The event schema markup includes details such as when an event is happening, venue, time and location. Without this type of structured data, a web page is essentially all information with no context; adding structured data gives it that context.

WordPress developers familiar with the WordPress Roles and Capabilities system know that it provides a really powerful system for user management. You can grant you staff access to certain areas or functions of Event Espresso based on a capability or user role.

• No UI for user management. The system is entirely hidden to the average user, but it can be managed via a third-party roles and capability plugin (see below).
  
• Over 100+ granular capabilities added. A number of capabilities follow the capability mapping system WordPress provides for not only restricting access to general views but also restricting access based on whether a user “owns” the item being viewed or not (i.e. Event Authors only being able to edit their own events, or a user being able to edit only their own custom message templates).
  
• Easy to use plugin API for extending functionality. In EE4 we’ve provided a handy API for developers to quickly integrate add-ons with different core components of Event Espresso.
• Takes care of initializing new roles and adding capabilities to existing roles. When you hook in your new capabilities using this system you are automatically integrated with all the stuff the EE Capabilities system does.
• Areas of EE4 admin can also be restricted to certain capabilities. This Google Spreadsheet gives you a high level overview and description of all roles and capabilities as of Event Espresso 4.6. We’ve listed all of the EE4 admin routes in the left column and the capabilities across the top. Along the bottom, each sheet represents a different area of Event Espresso.
• Use any third-party roles and capabilities plugin to manage access to Event Espresso 4 features. Capabilities can now managed using any number of third party role and capability management systems, such as Members by Justin Tadlock, to grant users (by role) access to attendee data, events, registrations, and WordPress pages and post content.

If you have technical questions, please feel free to post in our support forums. Developers with access to Event Espresso on Github can post questions there.

Event Espresso 4 allows you to create and showcase new events without requiring attendees to select a pricing option (e.g. a ticket).

This means you can use Event Espresso to add events to a calendar or list of events for any type of event, not only the ones when tickets are for sale. All you have to do is set the “Display Ticket Selector” setting to “No” for the individual events.

If the event details are available on a different website, you can easily link there by adding the URL in the “Alternative Registration Page” field.

Event Espresso leverages the WordPress user interface, which brings the ability to reorder the user interface to match your workflow processes.

Each control box (meta box) can be:

• Collapsed
• Re-arranged
• Removed from the page

Each configuration is user-specific, so one size does not have to fit all users on your website.

Collapsing

Each metabox can be opened individually or closed when not in use by simply toggling the up/down arrows for each meta box.

Open >

Closed >

Rearranging

Each metabox can also be rearranged higher or lower on the page, into and out of the main content area, or into and out of the right sidebar areas.

Removing Meta Boxes

Nearly all meta boxes can be removed via the Screen Options tab at the top of the page. Simply uncheck those you don’t wish to see.

We both know you’ve got the greatest event in the world, but does everyone else? With Event XML RSS feeds you can automatically announce your great event to the world.

Some website gurus claim that a RSS Feed can:

• Improve your search engine ranking.
• Generate new targeted subscribers.
• Drive quality traffic from other websites.
• Widen your content distribution.

Whatever the actual effect is, an RSS feed adds convenience and access to your event information for many people and systems.

Sample XML RSS Feed

Now you can postpone registrations on your website while you configure or update your website. Front-end-Only Maintenance Mode means the front-end (ie, non-wp-admin pages) are disabled for ALL users EXCEPT site admins. This means you’ll be able to access your event pages as normal for testing, but regular website traffic can not access event listings and registration pages.

The Draft Events feature is another way to control when attendees can view your events.

The image above is of the Event Espresso admin, the below is an image of the front-end.

Event Espresso 4 logging options include:

• Full Logging – which stores the debugging data in a default location.
• Remote Logging – which stores the debugging data in a specified location.

We went to a lot of work to make sure that the new Event Espresso 4 user interface follows the WordPress guidelines and can inherit the beautiful enhancements that are available in WordPress 3.8+. We’ve also created custom icons to make the Event Espresso pages easier to use and more mobile-friendly.

Content below source: http://wordpress.org/news/2013/12/parker/

Version 3.8 of WordPress, named “Parker” in honor of Charlie Parker, bebop innovator, is available for download or update in your WordPress dashboard. We hope you’ll think this is the most beautiful update yet.

Introducing a modern new design

WordPress has gotten a facelift. 3.8 brings a fresh new look to the entire admin dashboard. Gone are overbearing gradients and dozens of shades of grey — bring on a bigger, bolder, more colorful design!

Modern aesthetic

The new WordPress dashboard has a fresh, uncluttered design that embraces clarity and simplicity.

Clean typography

The Open Sans typeface provides simple, friendly text that is optimized for both desktop and mobile viewing. It’s even open source, just like WordPress.

Refined contrast

We think beautiful design should never sacrifice legibility. With superior contrast and large, comfortable type, the new design is easy to read and a pleasure to navigate.

WordPress on every device

We all access the internet in different ways. Smartphone, tablet, notebook, desktop — no matter what you use, WordPress will adapt and you’ll feel right at home.

High definition at high speed

WordPress is sharper than ever with new vector-based icons that scale to your screen. By ditching pixels, pages load significantly faster, too.

Admin color schemes to match your personality

WordPress just got a colorful new update. We’ve included eight new admin color schemes so you can pick the one that suits you best.

Color schemes can be previewed and changed from your Profile page.

Refined theme management

The new themes screen lets you survey your themes at a glance. Or want more information? Click to discover more. Then sit back and use your keyboard’s navigation arrows to flip through every theme you’ve got.

Smoother widget experience

Drag-drag-drag. Scroll-scroll-scroll. Widget management can be complicated. With the new design, we’ve worked to streamline the widgets screen.

Have a large monitor? Multiple widget areas stack side-by-side to use the available space. Using a tablet? Just tap a widget to add it.

Twenty Fourteen, a sleek new magazine theme

Turn your blog into a magazine

Create a beautiful magazine-style site with WordPress and Twenty Fourteen. Choose a grid or a slider to display featured content on your homepage. Customize your site with three widget areas or change your layout with two page templates.

With a striking design that does not compromise our trademark simplicity, Twenty Fourteen is our most intrepid default theme yet.

Beginning of a new era

This release was led by Matt Mullenweg. This is our second release using the new plugin-first development process, with a much shorter timeframe than in the past. We think it’s been going great. You can check out the features currently in production on the make/core blog.

Event Espresso 4 gives you more control in understanding your customers and business. We’ve made it easier to know who your customers are and how they’ve done business with you over time.

Contact Profiles

The Contact Profile page stores the name, biography, contact information, event registration history, private comments, and more about each registrant. This is like a journal for each registrant who you have done business with in the past.

Each time this person registers for a new event, their contact information is updated so that you always have the best way to reach them.

Contact List

The Contact List organizes everyone who has ever been registered as an attendee in your Event Espresso system. You can filter, search, etc. to find the right customer.

This is one of the first steps we’re taking to help you offer a better experience to your attendees and help you become more successful.