Quick Answer
Event Categories help attendees discover your event through browsing and search. They also influence which Heritage Web publications feature your event. Accurate, relevant category selections ensure the right audience finds your event.
Overview
When someone looks for events on Heritage Web, they often browse by category or search for specific event types. Your category selections determine whether your event appears in those results.
Categories also work alongside your Community Connections and Languages to determine which of Heritage Web's 300+ publications feature your event.
How Attendees Find Events
Browse by Category
Attendees can browse event listings filtered by category:
"Show me all Legal Industry Events"
"Show me Charity Galas in Houston"
"Show me Technology & IT Events this month"
If your event isn't in the selected category, it won't appear in these filtered views.
Search
When attendees search for events, category keywords help surface relevant results. An event categorized as "Continuing Legal Education (CLE)" is more likely to appear when someone searches for "CLE" or "legal education."
Publication Listings
Heritage Web's community publications display events relevant to their audience. Your categories help determine which publication event listings feature your event.
Categories and Publication Placement
Categories combine with other factors to determine publication placement:
Factor | What It Does |
Event Categories | Determines event type/topic placement |
Community Connections | Determines community publication placement |
Languages | Influences community publication relevance |
Location | Geographic targeting |
Example:
Categories: Legal Industry Events, Continuing Legal Education
Community: Iranian
Result: Event may appear on Iranian community legal event listings
Best Practices for Category Selection
Be Accurate
Select categories that genuinely describe your event. Miscategorization frustrates attendees who click expecting something different.
Be Complete
Select all relevant categories (up to 10). A "Women in Tech Charity Networking Event" could reasonably fit multiple categories.
Think Like an Attendee
What would someone search for to find your event? Select categories that match those search intentions.
Don't Over-Categorize
Selecting irrelevant categories to get more visibility backfires—attendees who find irrelevant events don't convert to registrations.
Important Notes
Categories don't affect lead matching: Events don't receive referral leads, so categories are purely for discovery
Required section: You must select at least one category to publish your event
Update for recurring events: If you create a new listing for a recurring event, ensure categories still fit the current event focus
FAQs
Will selecting more categories get my event more visibility? Only if those categories are genuinely relevant. Irrelevant categorization can hurt your event's reputation with attendees who feel misled.
How do categories work with the event search? Category names and their hierarchy are indexed for search. Events categorized as "Coding Bootcamps" surface when someone searches for "coding" or "bootcamp."
Can I see which publications my event appears on? Yes. After your event is approved, check the Publications tab to see your publication assignments and adjust visibility settings.
What if my event doesn't fit any category well? Select the closest match and use your event description to clarify the specifics. Contact support to suggest new categories for future events.