New community online events calendar

[Free Press Publisher Jim Santori]

If you missed the front page story on this joint venture, we now have a community-wide community-fed online event calendar. Greater Mankato Events Calendar (http://www.greatermankatoevents.com/index.php) is a joint project with The Free Press, Greater Mankato Growth, Twin Rivers Arts Council (with an assist from the Mankato Area Foundation), the CVB and VoyageurWeb.
Let us know what you think.

[Ben Willaert]

I like it. It is nice to have so much information in one place.

One thing I am yearning for is a website that could list the current specials at area restaurants and bars. There are a couple private websites but they don’t have very good lists. I realize getting advertising dollars out of every establishment can be a challenge but pulling off a full list would make quite an asset and be a wonderful tool for the community.

[Dan Conner]

I like it. It is nice to have so much information in one place.

One thing I am yearning for is a website that could list the current specials at area restaurants and bars. There are a couple private websites but they don’t have very good lists. I realize getting advertising dollars out of every establishment can be a challenge but pulling off a full list would make quite an asset and be a wonderful tool for the community.

Hey, I agree with Ben. Good idea.

[Free Press Publisher Jim Santori]

Must be a good suggestion because we are working on that now. :)
We are looking to revamp the old GoOutGuide.com to including menus, daily specials updated by the restaurants themselves, etc. I'll keep you posted.

[Dan Conner]

Must be a good suggestion because we are working on that now. :)
We are looking to revamp the old GoOutGuide.com to including menus, daily specials updated by the restaurants themselves, etc. I'll keep you posted.


Great, Thanks Jim

[Amanda Dyslin]

It also would be nice if the calendar included a list format, such as on the Greater Mankato Chamber of Commerce Web site. On ours, I think you have to click on each individual day to find out what's going on that day, correct? Which can be time consuming. Or, you click on Music if that's what you're interested in and see what's coming up in music, or Theater. It would be helpful if there was a long list by month, which included all of the entertainment. Half the time, I don't know what I'm looking for when I plan my weekend. Also, just in compiling calendars and things for our use in the paper, it would be nice to have a more linear and comprehensive list of events. (I'm not explaining this in a way that's easy to visualize. I would refer you to the Chamber to see what I mean.)
:)

[Dan Conner]

It also would be nice if the calendar included a list format, such as on the Greater Mankato Chamber of Commerce Web site. On ours, I think you have to click on each individual day to find out what's going on that day, correct? Which can be time consuming. Or, you click on Music if that's what you're interested in and see what's coming up in music, or Theater. It would be helpful if there was a long list by month, which included all of the entertainment. Half the time, I don't know what I'm looking for when I plan my weekend. Also, just in compiling calendars and things for our use in the paper, it would be nice to have a more linear and comprehensive list of events. (I'm not explaining this in a way that's easy to visualize. I would refer you to the Chamber to see what I mean.)
:)

I think I know what you are asking...you want a listing of dates/calendar with all activities for each individual date/day. Is that right? I take it you might want a different listing for things like restaurants because specials might be the only thing that is dertermined by date? Oh, I suppose there are Sunday brunches, etc. It would be a good place to include movie theatres too, right? How about public service announcements (PSA's) for things like plays and other public events at MSU and local school districts? Also, there are local non-profits that might like to post events on a calendar as a PSA.

I like your idea. I think it would be easier to find events for a day. Maybe, if the posting was put on The Free Press website with differennt database sorts, it would allow one to look for events by organization/business, date, or type of entertainment. Then, if you don't know the date for a particular event, you could find it easier.

[Amanda Dyslin]

Yep, you got it.
It took me a minute to find the tiny calendar option on the new site, too. It might be nice if it was more prominently displayed as an option for peopel to find events. The Chamber provides the same calendar option, but then right next to it there's a list by date of the events.
Ex:
Events for the week of Feb. 27
Jan 19 - Feb 27 Marilyn Sween Art Exhibit at Eide Bailly
Feb 11 MSU Summer Job Fair
Feb 26 - Feb 28 Noises Off
Feb 27 Mavericks Hockey Game
Feb 28 Mavericks Hockey Game
Feb 28 Life-Work Planning Center Networking Event
Feb 28 Genealogy Day
Feb 28 In Concert - JazzFest 2009, featuring The Hornheads
Mar 1 Southern Minnesota Wedding Expo
Mar 1 In Concert - Winter Choral Concert

I think it's so much easier to look at an entire week of events laid out in front of you and then you can say, "Oh, I'm free Wednesday, maybe I'll check out a play." Or maybe there's something you see Thursday or even a couple of weeks down the line you want to mark on your calendar.
To me, it's much more user friendly that way.

[Dan Conner]

Yep, you got it.
It took me a minute to find the tiny calendar option on the new site, too. It might be nice if it was more prominently displayed as an option for peopel to find events. The Chamber provides the same calendar option, but then right next to it there's a list by date of the events.
Ex:
Events for the week of Feb. 27
Jan 19 - Feb 27 Marilyn Sween Art Exhibit at Eide Bailly
Feb 11 MSU Summer Job Fair
Feb 26 - Feb 28 Noises Off
Feb 27 Mavericks Hockey Game
Feb 28 Mavericks Hockey Game
Feb 28 Life-Work Planning Center Networking Event
Feb 28 Genealogy Day
Feb 28 In Concert - JazzFest 2009, featuring The Hornheads
Mar 1 Southern Minnesota Wedding Expo
Mar 1 In Concert - Winter Choral Concert

I think it's so much easier to look at an entire week of events laid out in front of you and then you can say, "Oh, I'm free Wednesday, maybe I'll check out a play." Or maybe there's something you see Thursday or even a couple of weeks down the line you want to mark on your calendar.
To me, it's much more user friendly that way.

Thanks Amanda, we're on the same page.

[Free Press Publisher Jim Santori]

Good suggestions. I'll bring up with the developers and put them on our wish list of improvements.