$_POST['event_image'] not accessible in em_events.php

I’m trying to add a photo gallery function to the events page and have added the following to the em_event.php file to create a directory for the event, and upload the event image to the new directory. I also need the ‘event_image’ to add the file to the uploads directory where it is normally created, but also want to upload it to the new directory.

Here’s the code

mkdir('/home/a6950159/public_html/images/'.$new_dir, 0755) or die('Error, This Location Already Exists. Please slug.'">Visit the Location Page to add Comments and Images');
// UPLOAD FILE
//This function reads the extension of the file. It is used to determine if the file is an image by checking the extension.
function getExtension($str) {
$i = strrpos($str,".");
if (!$i) { return ""; }
$l = strlen($str) - $i;
$ext = substr($str,$i+1,$l);
return $ext;
}
//define a maxim size for the uploaded images in Kb
define ("MAX_SIZE","5000");
//This variable is used as a flag. The value is initialized with 0 (meaning no error found) and it will be changed to 1 if an errro occures. If the error occures the file will not be uploaded.
$errors=0;
//reads the name of the file the user submitted for uploading
$image=$_FILES['event_image']['name'];
//if it is not empty
if ($image)
{
//get the original name of the file from the clients machine
$filename = stripslashes($_FILES['event_image']['name']);
//get the extension of the file in a lower case format
$extension = getExtension($filename);
$extension = strtolower($extension);
//if it is not a known extension, we will suppose it is an error and will not upload the file, otherwize we will do more tests
if (($extension != "jpg") && ($extension != "jpeg") && ($extension != "png") && ($extension != "gif") && ($extension != "bmp"))
{
//print error message
echo 'Unknown extension!';
$errors=1;
}
else
{
//get the size of the image in bytes
//$_FILES['image']['tmp_name'] is the temporary filename of the file in which the uploaded file was stored on the server
$size=filesize($_FILES['event_image']['tmp_name']);

//compare the size with the maxim size we defined and print error if bigger
if ($size > MAX_SIZE*1024)
{
echo 'You have exceeded the size limit!';
$errors=1;
}

//we will give an unique name, for example the time in unix time format
$image_name=time().'.'.$extension;
//the new name will be containing the full path where will be stored (images folder)
$new_dir = $this->name;
$newname='/home/a6950159/public_html/images/'.$new_dir.'/'.$image_name;
//we verify if the image has been uploaded, and print error instead
$copied = copy($_FILES['event_image']['tmp_name'], $newname);
if (!$copied)
{
echo 'Copy unsuccessfull!';
$errors=1;
}}}

//END IMAGE UPLOAD TO NEW DIRECTORY

…. For whatever reason, the image will not upload. I know that the event image is passed in a post and should be stored as $_POST[‘event_image’], but for whatever reason cannot get the image to upload to the new directory that is created for the event.

I know that most of the people on this forum are better at this stuff than I am, so I’m hoping someone will be able to solve this one. Thanks in advance for any help that anyone can provide.