diff --git a/layouts/shortcodes/cfp_dates.html b/layouts/shortcodes/cfp_dates.html
index 2480a634fb7..e982df269d9 100644
--- a/layouts/shortcodes/cfp_dates.html
+++ b/layouts/shortcodes/cfp_dates.html
@@ -2,17 +2,19 @@
 {{ $event_slug := index $path 1 }}
 {{ $e :=  (index .Page.Site.Data.events $event_slug) }}
 
-{{ if isset $e "cfp_date_start" }}
+{{ if and ($e.cfp_date_start) ($e.cfp_date_end) ($e.cfp_date_announce)}}
 
   {{ $cfp_date_start := $e.cfp_date_start }}
   {{ $cfp_date_end := $e.cfp_date_end }}
   {{ $cfp_date_announce := $e.cfp_date_announce }}
 
-
-
   <center>
   <b>Call for proposals opens {{ dateFormat "Monday, Jan 2, 2006" $cfp_date_start }}.</b><br>
   <b>Call for proposals closes {{ dateFormat "Monday, Jan 2, 2006" $cfp_date_end }}.</b><br>
   Selected proposals will be announced on {{ dateFormat "Monday, Jan 2, 2006" $cfp_date_announce }}.
   </center>
+{{ else }}
+  <center>
+  <b>Call for proposals is TBD</b>
+  </center>
 {{ end }}
diff --git a/layouts/shortcodes/event_end.html b/layouts/shortcodes/event_end.html
index 659f1f092a6..09e15fbc69e 100644
--- a/layouts/shortcodes/event_end.html
+++ b/layouts/shortcodes/event_end.html
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 {{ $e :=  (index .Page.Site.Data.events $event_slug) }}
 {{ $enddate := $e.enddate}}
 
-{{ if isset $e "enddate" }}
+{{ if $e.enddate }}
+  {{ $enddate := $e.enddate}}
   {{ dateFormat "Monday, Jan 2, 2006" $enddate }}
 {{ else }}
   TBD
diff --git a/layouts/shortcodes/event_start.html b/layouts/shortcodes/event_start.html
index 35a56e56b4b..e65b593691f 100644
--- a/layouts/shortcodes/event_start.html
+++ b/layouts/shortcodes/event_start.html
@@ -2,9 +2,8 @@
 {{ $event_slug := index $path 1 }}
 {{ $e :=  (index .Page.Site.Data.events $event_slug) }}
 
-{{ $startdate := $e.startdate}}
-
-{{ if isset $e "startdate" }}
+{{ if $e.startdate }}
+  {{ $startdate := $e.startdate}}
   {{ dateFormat "Monday, Jan 2, 2006" $startdate }}
 {{ else }}
   TBD