Digital Events: Overview

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. Certain Platform provides out-of-the-box integration with ON24.
If a different webinar provider is used, talk to your Customer Success Manager at Certain about contracting Professional Services to set up a custom integration.
In this topic, the terms "Zoom" and "ON24" refer to the respective webinar products. Think of "Zoom" as referring to "Zoom Webinars" or "Zoom Meetings" because Certain Signal works with both.
If a custom integration to a different webinar provider exists, 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. Attendees can use the Session Catalog to form and join sessions.

The following features must be enabled in your Certain account: Certain Signal and its Zoom or ON24 sub-module Digital Events and its Join Emails sub-module, if you will be sending automatic emails with join details.
If any digital events will include digital sessions (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.

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.

As an Administrator, add the account-level Tags that you will use to activate Flows in Certain Signal.
Create one tag for each standard registration status: 'New', 'Cancelled', etc. Use the same name as the status.
Create one tag 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.

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.

If you'll be creating the webinar from within Certain, this option is available only 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).

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.
If the whole EVENT is digital, using one webinar, see Step 1: Whole Event. (For details, see Setting Up a Digital Event.)
Best Practice: Do not open the registration form(s) until this process is complete.
Apply the Tags that will activate your Flows in Certain Signal.
Best practice: Add 'Registered' as a custom status and apply the 'Registered' tag to it.
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 you'll be creating the webinar from within Certain: note this option is available for Zoom and ON24.
If you'll be connecting to an existing webinar: see the steps in the previous section.
If SESSIONS are digital: a Webinar per Session.
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 plus the Conference Sessions sub-module of Speaker and Session Management.
In Speaker and Session Management, select Conference Sessions as the Session Layout (so 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.

Notes

Comments about this Help topic are available below. This article is from 2020 and may include features to be released.