I have a form, which has components bound to ng-messages validation system, and which is divided into several sections using jquery-steps.

I need to trigger validation when user navigates from section to section pressing jquery-steps buttons. These are simple buttons, which do not submit the form. In the code, that is bound to the navigation between sections I can clearly see if the data is typed in and whether it is correct : for instance, I can successfully refer to $scope.eventForm.title.$valid. However, I would like to force-show validation messages when the data is incorrect. Currently they only appear after I click on either of the inputs, but I would like to trigger them from controller. Is it possible?

The html of the view:

<div ng-controller="eventDetailsController as ctrl" ng-cloak>
  <md-content class="md-padding" layout-xs="column" layout="row" layout-align="center center">
    <div flex-xs flex-gt-xs="70" layout="column">
      <form name="eventForm">
        <div wizard="{content: '#format-toolbar-options', position: 'top'}" id="event_wizard">

          <h3>Basic data</h3>
          <section>

            <md-card>
              <img ng-src="{{imagePath}}" class="md-card-image" alt="Washed Out"/>
              <md-card-title>
                <md-card-title-text>
                  <h3>New event</h3>
                </md-card-title-text>
              </md-card-title>
              <md-card-content>

                <div layout="row">
                  <md-input-container class="md-block" flex="50">
                    <label>Title</label>
                    <input md-maxlength="30" required md-no-asterisk name="title" ng-model="event.title">
                    <div ng-messages="eventForm.title.$error">
                      <div ng-message="required">This is required.</div>
                      <div ng-message="md-maxlength">The title must be less than 30 characters long.</div>
                    </div>
                  </md-input-container>
                </div>

                <div layout="row">
                  <md-input-container class="md-block">
                    <label>Contacts</label>
                    <input required type="email" name="contacts" ng-model="event.contacts"
                minlength="10"  maxlength="100" ng-pattern="/^.+@.+\..+$/" />

                    <div ng-messages="eventForm.contacts.$error" role="alert">
                      <div ng-message-exp="['required', 'minlength', 'maxlength', 'pattern']">
                        Your email must be between 10 and 100 characters long and look like an e-mail address.
                      </div>
                    </div>
                  </md-input-container>
                </div>

              </md-card-content>
           </md-card>
          </section>

          <h3>Some other data</h3>
          <section>
          </section>

        </div>
      </form>
    </div>
  </md-content>
</div>

The controller with function which is bound to navigation between sections :

var eventDetailsController = function($scope, $http, __config){

    $scope.stepChanging = function(event, currentIndex, newIndex)
    {
        var valid = true;
        if(!$scope.eventForm.contacts.$valid)
        {
            //call some function which triggers contacts validation message
            //tried this as suggested in one of SO posts, but it did not work out
            $scope.eventForm.contacts.$setTouched();
            valid = false;
        }
        if(!$scope.eventForm.title.$valid)
        {
            //call some function which triggers title validation message
            valid = false;
        }

        //call some function which triggers all validation messages

        return valid;
    }
};