How to Create an Event
CONTENTS
The contents of this tutorial are outlined below. If you already know what you’re looking for, click on a link to advance to a specific section or STEP!
INTRODUCTION
This tutorial is designed to walk you through the process of creating an Event in IMPLAN. The procedure begins and ends at the IMPACTS screen (featured image).
Featured image: The IMPACTS Screen
SOME BACKGROUND…
Below is a brief discussion about the process of creating Events in IMPLAN.
Who is this tutorial for?
This tutorial is for anybody who doesn’t know how to create an Event in IMPLAN. Events are used to communicate the details of your study’s real-life event to the tool and are essential in enabling it to calculate results. Follow THE STEPS herein to conquer one of the primary tasks in bringing IMPLAN’s most robust analytical capabilities to life: creating Events.
Why is this process important?
An Event is arguably the most important element of any impact analysis performed with IMPLAN. When estimating the effects of real-life economic activity, IMPLAN relies on Events to communicate the unique quantitative characteristics of that activity so it can apply them to preformed computerized models of the regional economies in which it’ll occur. In this way, the tool is able to mathematically mix-and-match Events with a wide array of economic models and provide you with the most exhaustive impact results in the game. Trust us, if there’s one thing in IMPLAN that you really want to put in the time to learn inside and out, this is that thing.
Do I need anything before I can do this?
Well, kind of. Events can literally be created in the software with little to no preparation on the part of the analyst. But, without any data pertinent to the real-life economic activity your study is analyzing, the value or utility of that Event is negligible. Yes, the tool’s extremely powerful—so much so, in fact, that it can even calculate impact results using as few as just one data point from an analyst. However, the less you tell IMPLAN about a given event, the less it knows. And the less it knows, the more it has to assume. And the more it has to assume, the less reliable its results can ultimately be in providing insights into that event’s economic impact. So, it’s always best to provide IMPLAN with as much information about your study’s real-life event as you possibly can if you want the most valuable results possible in return.
Will I need to do this often?
Yes. We’ve established that Events in IMPLAN represent real-life economic activity occurring out in the world. So naturally, most Events you create in the tool will decrease in value over time thanks to the ever-changing nature of both people and economies. Given that Events are only as helpful as they are relevant, you’ll likely need to create new ones frequently in order to ensure that they most accurately reflect the current state of the economic activity your study’s analyzing.
THE STEPS
The procedure to create an Event in IMPLAN begins and ends at the IMPACTS screen (see featured image). The instructions below include links to other user’s guide tutorials and/or articles which may prove helpful in the event that you encounter any roadblocks during the course of your analysis. If challenges persist, visit the ADDITIONAL RESOURCES section for a more extensive selection of supplementary material.
1. Click + Add New Event.
At the IMPACTS screen, click + Add New Event (see fig. 1) in the Events section.
Fig. 1
Upon doing so, a box of editable fields will appear (see fig. 1.a). To learn about the contents of the Events section, see Exploring the IMPACTS Screen.
Fig. 1.a
2. Name your new Event.
Inside the Events section, click into the Title field (see fig. 2) and enter the name of your new Event.
Fig. 2
3. Select a Type.
After naming your new Event, click into the Type menu (see fig. 3) and select an Event Type from its dropdown list.
Fig. 3
Alternatively, you can bypass scrolling through the dropdown list and locate an Event Type immediately by entering its name directly into the search bar (see fig. 3.a) at the top of the opened menu.
Fig. 3.a
4. Select a Specification.
After selecting a Type, click into the Specification menu (see fig. 4) and select an option from its dropdown list. The options available will vary depending on which Event Type you selected from the Type menu. To learn about the contents of the Specification menu, see Exploring the IMPACTS Screen.
Fig. 4
Alternatively, you can bypass scrolling through the dropdown list and locate an available option immediately by entering its name directly into the search bar (see fig. 4.a) at the top of the opened menu.
Fig. 4.a
5. Enter a Value.
After selecting a Specification, click into the Value field (see fig. 5) and enter a data point from your study’s real-life event that’s relevant to the selections you made in the Type and Specification menus.
Fig. 5
To continue populating your Event with details from your study’s real-life event, click the “Additional Options” menu (see fig. 5.a) and select Advanced from its dropdown list.
Fig. 5.a
Upon doing so, more editable fields will appear (see fig. 5.b) inside the Events section.
Fig. 5.b
6. Click SAVE.
After populating your Event, click SAVE (see fig. 6). Upon doing so, your Event will be saved inside the Project you’re working in.
Fig. 6
After clicking SAVE, you’ll have successfully created an Event!
END OF PROCEDURE
WHAT NEXT?
IMPLAN is designed to allow for analyses to be launched or resumed from multiple points of entry. So, you can choose to start or continue your studies from whichever stage best fits your needs—your process doesn’t have to be linear! However, if you’re brand new to IMPLAN and need some guidance, or would just prefer some professional advice, we’re happy to offer our suggestion about what to do next.
WHAT WOULD IMPLAN DO?
If you’re performing your very first impact analysis, then after creating an Event, we suggest creating a Group to provide IMPLAN with specific details about the regional economy in which your study’s real-life event will occur. The same as with creating Events, the procedure for creating Groups occurs on the IMPACTS screen. If you feel like creating a Group is the right “next step” for your study, the resources below may a.) help you continue becoming comfortable maneuvering the IMPACTS screen and b.) guide you, step by step, through the process of actually creating a Group.
- To learn about the contents of the IMPACTS screen, see Exploring the IMPACTS Screen.
- For instructions on creating Groups in IMPLAN, see How to Create a Group.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Below are some additional resources which may prove helpful when formulating a personalized itinerary for your study.
ARTICLES & TUTORIALS
Related to: Credentials
- For instructions on logging in, see How to Log in to IMPLAN.
- For instructions on resetting passwords, see How to Reset Your IMPLAN Password.
Related to: IMPLAN Dashboard
- To learn about the contents of the IMPLAN Dashboard, see Exploring the IMPLAN Dashboard.
Related to: Regions
- To learn about the contents of the REGIONS screen, see Exploring the REGIONS Screen.
- For instructions on selecting Regions in IMPLAN, see How to Select a Region.
Related to: Events
- To learn about the contents of the Events section, see Exploring the IMPACTS Screen.
- For instructions on creating Events in IMPLAN, see How to Create an Event.
Related to: Groups
- To learn about the contents of the Groups section, see Exploring the IMPACTS Screen.
- For instructions on creating Groups in IMPLAN, see How to Create a Group.
Related to: Running analyses
- To learn about the contents of the IMPACTS screen, see Exploring the IMPACTS Screen.
- For instructions on running analyses in IMPLAN, see How to Run Your Analysis.
Related to: Results
- To learn about the contents of the RESULTS screen, see Navigating the RESULTS Screen.
- For instructions on exporting results out of IMPLAN, see How to Download Your Results.
Related to: Projects
- To learn about the contents of the PROJECTS screen, see Exploring the PROJECTS Screen.