What is a "Digital Event"?
A digital event is one of the following:
- An event where the entire event is provided as a webinar.
- An event with individual sessions provided as webinars.
Certain Platform provides out-of-the box integration with Zoom and ON24. (If you use a different webinar provider, talk to your Customer Success Manager at Certain about contracting Professional Services to set up a custom integration for you.)
In this topic we refer to "Zoom" and "ON24". Think of "Zoom" as referring to "Zoom Webinars" or "Zoom Meetings", since Certain Signal works with both. If you have a custom integration to a different webinar provider, the details below still apply.
If the event is one webinar, the attendee receives an automatic email with a link to join the webinar. If the event has separate sessions, each with its own webinar, you set up a Session Catalog which attendees can use to form and join sessions.
Prerequisites
Before setting up any digital events you will need:
- The following enabled in your Certain account: Certain Signal and its Zoom or ON24 sub-module; Digital Events and its Join Emails sub-module, if you'll be sending automatic emails with join details.
- If any of your digital events will include digital sessions (with a webinar per session, instead of one per event), the following must also be enabled in your Certain account: Speaker and Session Management and its Conference Sessions sub-module (to make the Session Catalog available).
- An account with your chosen webinar provider: Zoom or ON24.
Steps to Follow
Zoom – One-off preparation
- In Zoom, go to account > Advanced > App Marketplace.
- Build App using OAuth.
- Record the Client ID and Client Secret.
- Enter the Redirect URL and Whitelist Info for your organization, which will be the same.
- Install your app on the last screen.
- See details in Using Certain Signal with Zoom.
ON24 – One-off preparation
- Provision a New API Access Token.
- Record the Client ID, Token Key, and Token Secret.
- See details in Using Certain Signal with ON24.
Certain Platform – One-off configuration
- As an Administrator, add the account-level Tags that you will use to activate Flows in Certain Signal.
- One for each standard registration status: 'New', 'Cancelled', etc. Use the same name as the status.
- One for any event-level custom statuses you will use to trigger flows.
- Best practice: use 'Registered' as a custom status, tagged with the same name.
- Tag each standard status with the tag created in step 3.1.1.
Certain Signal – One-off configuration
- Add a Connection to Zoom or ON24.
- Add a Data Source: Zoom or ON24.
- Click QUICK START to add: Outbound Flows from Certain to the Zoom or ON24 connection.
- Inbound Flows from the Zoom or ON24 source to Certain.
- See greater detail in Using Certain Signal with Zoom or Using Certain Signal with ON24.
In Zoom or ON24 – For each digital event or each session in a digital event
- If you'll be creating the webinar from within Certain: This option is only available for Zoom and ON24. No steps are required in Zoom or ON24 for this option. Continue on to Step 6.
- If you'll be connecting to an existing webinar:
- Set up the webinar in Zoom or ON24.
- Note: The Webinar host cannot be an event registrant in Certain.
- Select 'Registration Required'.
- Record the Webinar ID (for use in Step 6 when setting up the event or session in Certain).
In Certain Platform – Whole Event vs Sessions
- If the whole EVENT is digital, using one webinar, see Step 1: Whole Event.
- If individual SESSIONS in an event are digital, with a Webinar per Session, see Step 2: Sessions.
In Zoom or ON24 – For each digital event or each session in a digital event (continued)
- If you'll be creating the webinar from within Certain: See Step 1 for Whole Event or Step 2 for Sessions.
- If you'll be connecting to an existing webinar: See the steps in the previous section.
Additional steps and best practices
- Best Practice: Don’t open the registration form(s) until this process is complete.
- Apply the Tags that will activate your Flows in Certain Signal.
- In Plan > Configure > Options, enable the Digital Events module and, if you want to send join emails automatically, enable its Join Emails sub-module.
- In the Registrant Details section of the registration form, select 'Enforce email uniqueness within this event'.
- If you want to create the webinar (in Zoom or ON24) directly from within Certain:
- In Event Setup > Overview, click Create webinar/meeting and complete the details.
- If you want to connect to an existing webinar you’ve already set up on Zoom or ON24 (in step 5.2.1 above):
- In Event Setup > Overview, click webinar/meeting and complete the details.
- If you want join emails to be sent out automatically, configure the email template created on Communicate > Digital Event Templates.
- If SESSIONS are digital: a Webinar per Session.
- In Plan > Configure > Options, enable the Digital Events module plus the Conference Sessions sub-module of Speaker and Session Management.
- In Speaker and Session Management: Select Conference Sessions as the Session Layout (so that you can set up a Session Catalog).
- Set up at least one Location, such as 'Online' for digital-only events. For hybrid events, set up the relevant rooms as Locations.
- Set up each Session and its instances.
- If you want to create the webinar (in Zoom or ON24) directly from within Certain: In Edit Session, edit each instance, click Create Webinar/Meeting and complete the details.
- If you want to connect to an existing webinar you’ve already set up on Zoom or ON24 (in step 5.2.1 above): In Edit Session, edit each instance, click Webinar/Meeting and complete the details.
- Set up an email template with an 'Auto--URL' for the Session Catalog. Make this a scheduled email.
- Set up a Session Catalog.
- Best practice: Use the 'Card' session display with the 'Layout w/ Circular Image' template, which is pre-configured for a digital experience.
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