Configuring event locations and email routing

Locations and email routing tell PortalHQ where events happen and who to notify when requirements change. Setting these up properly is what turns the Events module from a calendar into a coordination tool.

Locations

Locations are the venues at your school — Main Hall, Gym, Quadrangle, Library, Chapel. Each location can carry default ICT and maintenance options, so when staff add catering, AV or facilities requirements to an event at that venue, they get a sensible starting list.

Go to Manage → Locations.

For each location, set:

• Name — e.g. Main Hall.
• Active — untick to retire without deleting.
• ICT fields — comma-separated list of AV options that apply at this venue (e.g. Lectern mic, Handheld mic, Headset mic, Lapel mic, Projector, LED wall, Audio playback). When a staff member adds ICT requirements for an event at this venue, these are the options they pick from.

Locations without ICT fields still work — the staff member sees a blank form and types free text — but you lose the prompt that catches missing items.

Location layouts

Each location can have one or more named layouts — Theatre, Banquet, U-shape, Classroom. Adding layouts up front means staff requesting maintenance can pick a layout name rather than describing the setup in free text.

Email routing

When a staff member adds catering, ICT or maintenance requirements to an event, PortalHQ sends an email so the relevant team knows. Email routing is what decides where those emails go.

Go to Manage → Email Addresses.

For each role, set the email address that should receive notifications:

You can use a shared role mailbox (e.g. catering@school.edu.au) or an individual’s address. Shared mailboxes are better long-term — they survive staff turnover and let the team triage as a group.

Custom fields

Some schools track event data that isn’t in the standard form — budget codes, project numbers, risk ratings, departmental categorisation. Use custom fields to add these without needing a code change.

Go to Manage → Custom Fields.

For each field, set:

• Name — the internal identifier (lowercase, no spaces).
• Label — what the staff member sees on the form.
• Field type — text, long text, number, decimal, date, URL or yes/no.
• Required — whether the staff member must fill it in to save the event.
• Help text — short instruction shown under the field.
• Active — untick to retire.

Custom fields appear on the event form in the Additional Information tab. They’re available to filter and report on alongside the standard fields.

Event categories

Event categories are a high-level grouping layer above event types — e.g. Sports, Academic, Pastoral, Community. Categories are optional. If your school doesn’t define any, the category dropdown is hidden from the form.

Go to Manage → Event Categories to add them. Each category is just a name. Once defined, staff can tag events with a category and filter the calendar by it.

Practical setup tips

• Start with the venues you use most. Five or six well-configured locations are more useful than every room on campus added as a name.
• Pair locations with email routes. A location is most useful when the catering team gets a notification with the location name in the subject line.
• Don’t over-customise. Each custom field is one more thing for staff to think about. Add a field only when you have a real reporting or compliance need.
• Audit yearly. Retire unused locations, types and fields. The form gets cluttered fast otherwise.

Related setup

• Event types and approval chains: Configuring event types and approval chains.
• The day-to-day staff workflow this configuration enables: Events Overview.