EventsDesk: What steps are required to create Multi-Session Events in EventsDesk?

Multi-session events are designed to include multiple topics with multiple facilitators that may take place over a different time of the day or multiple days. Best examples include meetings and conferences, development courses, sales training, or seminars. 

To create a Multi-session event, complete the steps below:  

  1. Create an Event
  2. Select your event type
  3. Customise your Event
  4. Add Event Sessions
  5. Add Tickets
  6. Add Registration form
  7. Publish your Event

Step 1: Create an Event

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  1. Click the Suite drop-down module and select Event Desk.
  2. Click the New Event button.

Step 2: Set your event name, type and preferences

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  1. Type your Event name.
  2. Select Multi-session as an event type.
  3. Select a Multi-session event type that best suits your event. 
  4. Add Event preferences (if there are any).
  5. Click Confirm.

Click here to learn more about Event Types and Preferences. If you’ve already set up the event and wanted to make changes, you can always update its settings later.

Multi-session Event Types

 You can set up a Multi-session event in two different types:

  • Multi-Session Event Type: Single Select
    The booking agent can only register for one of the lists of sessions. (E.g. appointment booking)
  • Multi-Session Event Type: Multi-Select
    The booking agents can register to MANY from the list of sessions. (E.g. workshop series)

Step 3: Customise your Event

The Event Dashboard contains all the tools you need from building and customising the event to linking communication emails.

In the Event Settings section, there are fields that are required to fill in before you can save the Event. These are labelled with a red asterisk (*)

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A. Add Event Details

Add details for the following fields:

The Event name and Display name are automatically filled out based on your input from the previous steps. 

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  1. Name of Event (System): This is the name of the event that will reflect on your Swift Digital Suite. This is a required field that can’t be left blank. 
  2. Display Name: This is the name of your event that will be shown to booking agents or guests. This is another required field that can’t be left blank. 
  3. Event Description: This is a customizable field where you can write a short description of your event. It can be an introduction to your event or any other information that describes your event.
  4. Choose Venue: This is where your event will take place. It can be a physical location or a virtual event with any video conferencing platform like Zoom or Google Meet. Learn more about adding a venue to your event.
  5. Map: This section reflects the actual map to the Venue of your event. The data is pulled directly from Google Map.
  6. Timezone: Select a timezone in which the event is hosted. We strongly suggest adding this if you’re hosting webinars.
  7. Start Date and Time: This is when the event will start. This is a required field. 
  8. End Date and Time: This is when the event will be finished. This is a required field. 
  9. Registration Open: This is when the registration will start. This is a required field. 
    1. Specific Time: Select a specific time date and time using the calendar pop-up.
    2. Relative Time: Set a relative day and time based on the Start date of the event.
  10. Registration Close: This is a required field. This is when the registration will end.
    1. Specific Time: Select a specific time date and time using the calendar pop-up.
    2. Relative Time: Set a relative closing date and time based on the Start date of the event.
  11. Archive On: This is when the event will be inactive and stored in the Archive’s tab. This is a required field. 
    1. Specific Time: Set a specific Date and Time when the event will be archived.
    2. Relative Time: Set a relative archive date and time based on the Closing date of the event.

B. Add Number of Attendees

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You can set how many attendees can attend your event and who can register for it.

  1. If you have a maximum number of seats available for the event, set a number in the Event Capacity field. Check the Unlimited checkbox to set unlimited seats.
  2. Set who can register. 
    1. Only contacts I’ve invited. Only the specific list in your Mail House you’ve specified can register for the event.
    2. Subscribers. Any contacts who exist in your Mail house can register.
    3. Anyone. Anyone who has access to the link can register.

C. Add Organiser details

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There are two required fields that you need to enter: 

  1. Organiser’s name - The name that will appear on both the Invoice and Confirmation emails.
  2. Organiser's email - The email address that will appear on both the Invoice and Confirmation emails sent to the booking agent.

The Rest of the fields are optional. You can input fields based on your preference.

D. Customise Auto-responders messages

Auto-responders are messages sent automatically to invitees based on certain event actions.

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Auto-responder Messages:

  • Event Full: A message that appears when the event has reached maximum capacity.
  • Registration closed:  A message that appears when the registration for the event has closed.
  • Registration not open yet: A message that appears when the event registration has not been opened yet.
  • Confirmed registration: Message that appears when a booking agent successfully registers for an event.

E. Customise Confirmation messages

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Confirmations are emails sent automatically to event booking agents, once they register for the event. 

Confirmation Settings: 

  • Send confirmations: Automatically Send confirmation tickets to the booking agent.
  • Confirmation template: Select the confirmation template that will host the details of the event and the booking agent's and their guests' details. 
  • Confirmation subject line: Subject line of the confirmation ticket received by the booking agent. You can add personalisation to the subject line.
  • Confirmation reply-to email: Reply-to email defaults to the Organiser's email address. This can be changed in this section.
  • CC confirmations to CC an individual email or group email to receive confirmation tickets from ALL booking agents. This can be used as a way to receive notifications of new event registrations. 
  • Ticket notes: Extra information added to the confirmation email.
  • Show QR code on confirmation tickets: Generally added to tickets if scanning QR codes to track registrations is done via the Swift Digital Events App.

F. Customise the Feedback option

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The Composer RSVP widget allows invitees to decline an invitation. Here you can customise the decline message and add an option for invitees to provide feedback or reason for the decline.

RSVP Feedback Option:

  • RSVP decline message: Invitees who decline an event invitation will receive this message.
  • Decline feedback option: Enable or disable feedback options for invitees who decline invites.
  • Decline feedback text: Message displayed once invitee has submitted their feedback.
  • Other comment: Enable or disable other comment sections for invitees to explain their decision to decline the invitation.

G. Cancellation Function

You can enable or disable the cancellation of tickets for your guests once they have already registered for the event. 

Note: Refunds are not automated and need to be processed separately.

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Cancellation options: 

  • Show cancel link on confirmation: Enables a cancel link to be embedded into the confirmation ticket received by booking-agents.
  • Cancellation Function: To allow your guests to cancel their tickets please use this function (refunds will not be automated). 
  • Cancellation web confirmation: Message displayed when an event booking agent has successfully cancelled their registration.
  • Cancellation link expired: Message displayed when an event booking agent has failed to cancel their event registration due to link expiry.
  • Send cancellation email confirmation: Enable or disable automatic emails sent to booking agents who have successfully cancelled their registration.
  • Cancellation email subject line: Subject line of cancellation email sent to the cancelled booking agent.
  • Cancellation email confirmation: Content of email sent to event booking agents who've successfully cancelled their registration.
  • CC cancellations to: Nominate an email address that will be CC'd in all confirmed cancellation emails.

H. Enable Calendar

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Adding events to an external calendar developed by the Swift Digital Team. 

I. Customise your Header and Footer

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Header and Footer Options:

  • Header Image: An image banner that’ll show on top of your event confirmation tickets and invoices. You can select from existing images in the Art Library or upload a new image.
  • Header Alternative Text: The text message is shown when the header image isn’t available.
  • Footer Image: An image banner that’ll show at the bottom of your event confirmation tickets and invoices. You can select from existing images in the Art Library or upload a new image.
  • Footer Alternative Text: The text message is shown when the footer image isn’t available.

J. Set a Folder Location

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You can select to save the event in your Default Folder or Existing folders. Click here for more information on EventsDesk folders.

K. Save your Event

Once all the details have been filled out, save the event to avoid losing the data you filled in.

Note: We don’t have an auto-save feature, always remember to save before heading over to the next page or tab.

To Save the Event:

Scroll to the top of the page > On the top right corner > click Save.

If you missed any required fields, you’ll get the following error message shown in the image below. The missing fields will be highlighted so it’s easy to find them. Fill in the missing fields and save your event again.

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Great work! Now that we have completed all the settings needed for your event, it’s time to create the sessions.

Step 4: Add Event Sessions

A. Add sessions

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    1. Click the Add session button
    2. Type the name of the session you want in the pop-up window. Click Save.

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3. Click Yes on the prompt message to add details of the session. you want in the pop-up window. Click Save.

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B. Update Sessions details

All the input data from the Parent event will be carried over to the session details. There are only a few fields you need to update.

To update session details: 

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  1. Session name: Type the name of the session to easily identify it from other sessions. The name is internal and won’t be visible in public.
  2. Display name: The session name that will be displayed in your forms or pages.
  3. Start Date and Time: The start date and time of the session.

There are important fields that need to be updated is the start/end time and date of the session. The time and date are carried from the parent event settings. Set the correct start and end time of the session.

In the example below, we’ve set the Morning session to 8 am to 12 pm.

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Save the changes you’ve made to the session by clicking on the mceclip21.pngbutton in the top right corner.

C. Add more Sessions

Adding more sessions at this point will be straightforward. Create another session as mentioned in the above steps or better yet, duplicate the session by going back to the parent event.

To duplicate the session:

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  1. Go back to the Parent event.
  2. Click the duplicate session button as shown in the image above.

The settings of the session will be carried over when you duplicate the session. Make sure that you update the Start and End/time for the new session you’ve created.

Step 5: Add tickets

Tickets are proof of admission to the events. You can set a ticket as paid or free

Tickets need to be added to every session you’ve created.

To add a ticket:

1. Click the Edit icon next to the Session you want to edit.

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2. Click the Ticket Types tab.

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3. Click the Add ticket button.

4. Add ticket details. Click Confirm. 

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Learn more on how to create tickets and discounts.

Step 6: Add Registration form

To get input data from the invitees, we have to create the registration form.

To create a registration form:

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  1. Click Forms in the Parent Event’s settings
  2. Click Create a new form button.

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Copy or use an existing form:

If you already have an existing form that you’d like to use for this event, you can use or copy it in this event. Please see the instructions below.

Express form or Standard form:

You can create either an Express Form or a standard form that allows multiple guests.

You can refer to the guides below to know more about which type of forms to use, or simply copy an existing form used in other Events created in EventsDesk.

 

Add Session list the form:

With Multi-session events, it’s important to add the Session selector on the form. This will allow attendees to select the session they want to register in.

To add the session selector, you will need to create a new block, and drag and drop the Session Selector into the form.

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Accessing the Registration Link: 

To access the registration form link:

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  1. Click Forms in the Parent event settings.
  2. Click the link button icon.
  3. Click the Copy URL to Clipboard from the pop-up dialogue box.

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Step 7: Publishing your Event Communications

You’re now ready to publish your event emails. You can publish your event through Email Composer with the RSVP link added to the email. Our suggestion is to clone an existing invitation previously created by your team, and going through these steps here to ensure that the email is correctly linked to your email.

NOTE: If you intend to set reminders for each of your respective sessions, you will need to go through these steps here.

Once you have your Emails ready, it's time to publish! Our step-by-step guide on how to publish your communications via the EventsDesk module can be found here.

 

What we've learned: 

  • How to create Multi-session Events and apply tickets to each session.
  • How to create a new form housing the separate sessions. 
  • Applying event settings to a parent event and each session respectively

Last Updated: 07/26/2022

 

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