Session Layout (in Speaker and Session Management)
This article explains how to configure the layout of the Sessions page for adding and editing sessions. The page is used by planners, not attendees or speakers.
Jump to Session Layout for
- Simple Sessions
- Conference Sessions
Choice of Session Layout
- If not already done, you first choose one of the two starter options: Simple Sessions or Conference Sessions.
- Whichever you choose has a default layout, which you can customize or use as it comes out of the box.
Session Layout for Simple Sessions
Minimal Information
- Session Name – (Required) When a planner enters this, it should be unique in the event. May include only letters, numbers, dashes, and spaces. Maximum length: 255 characters.
- Session Type – (Required) The planner selects a session type from the drop-down list. Standard values are Keynotes, Hands-on Labs, Breakout Sessions, Interactive Sessions.
- Session Code – (Required) Unique code identifying the session.
- Caution: The Session Code cannot be changed once saved!
Instances
- One scheduled instance per session.
- Start Date – The date of the session instance.
- Location – The location.
- Start Time & End Time
- Capacity – The maximum number of attendees.
- Waitlist Limit – The maximum number of attendees that can be waitlisted for the session instance.
- Speaker(s) – The planner clicks Add Speaker to add the first speaker. (Speakers are set up on the Speakers page.)
Auto Publish Details
- Background Info
- Sessions have to be published to selected attendee types to make them available for selection on forms (and in Certain Mobile), or assigned on Registration Sessions or Assign Sessions.
- You can choose whether to switch the Auto-Publish option ON, or leave it set to OFF.
- Auto-Publish = ON
- When you set the switch to ON, the following details are displayed with a heading “Automatically Publish Sessions”:
- Publish to Attendee Types – Click to select the Attendee Types to which each session will be published automatically as soon as an instance is scheduled.
- Publish for All – If selected, each session will be published for all attendee types as soon as at least one of its instances is scheduled.
- If cleared, you select attendee types in the selection list.
- Both cases depend on instances first being scheduled. You do that on the Add/Edit Session page, or in the SCHEDULER grid view on the Sessions page.
- Auto-Publish = OFF
- When you set the switch to OFF, a session must be published individually by a planner on the Add/Edit Session page. (Click the Publish button on that page, and select the attendee type(s) to publish to.)
- You can only publish a session once you have scheduled at least one of its instances. You do that on the Add/Edit Session page, or in the SCHEDULER grid view on the Sessions page.
Editing the Layout
- Tip: You may first want to define any custom fields you will be using; see Setup > Custom Fields. But if you don't, you can still add them to the layout later.
- Define and arrange fields on your layout, choosing from the pre-defined standard fields listed below, and the custom fields you have added.
- You can start with the default layout for your chosen option, or dive straight into configuring from scratch.
- To add standard or custom fields, or section dividers, hover just above a section to display the Add button. Click that to choose what you want to add there.
- To move an element (a field or section divider), hover over it for the pointer to change to a hand (and the element to change color), and drag the element to its new position.
- To delete an element, hover over it until it changes color, and click the red cross that appears.
- To resize fields, hover over the right edge and then drag it.
- Note: Section dividers can't be resized – they take up the full width of the form. But you can edit the name (such as "Instances"): overtype the name in the text box.
Session Layout for Simple Sessions
- The fields listed below are included in the default layout.
Standard fields
- List of Standard Fields (available for you to add to the layout).
Custom Fields
- You can also add any Session Custom Fields configured on Setup > Custom Fields.
Minimal Information
- You cannot edit this section in the layout.
- Session Name – (Required) When a planner enters this, it should be unique in the event. May include only letters, numbers, dashes, and spaces. Maximum length: 255 characters.
- Session Type – (Required) The planner selects a session type from the drop-down list. Standard values are Keynotes, Hands-on Labs, Breakout Sessions, Interactive Sessions. You can add custom Session Types on Sessions > "Types". (A planner can also add new ones while adding or editing a session.)
- Session Code – (Required) The planner enters a unique code identifying the session.
- Caution: The Session Code cannot be changed once saved!
Organizational
- Track – The planner selects an Event Track from those set up on Tracks.
- Tags – The planner selects any of the tags set up for the current account (by an Administrator in Account Settings > Management > Tags). This is especially for use in conjunction with the Points value of the session as a metric for integration connectors, and for reporting. See this example.
- Session level – The planner selects a level of difficulty, if applicable. The standard levels included are Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. You can add custom levels on the Sessions page. (A planner can also add new ones while adding or editing a session.)
- Points – The number of points allocated per Tag (see Tags, above), used when attendees' interest metrics are calculated. The aggregate number of points per tag can be exported via a connector to a third-party application (such as Eloqua or Marketo), or seen in the Interest Metrics Report.
- Duration – The length of the session, in Hours and Minutes. This is used when a planner schedules the session on the SCHEDULER grid view on the Sessions page.
- CEU Credits – The number of Continuing Education credits applicable
- No of Instances – The number of instances that can be scheduled. The planner can click Add Instance until this limit is reached — the button is then no longer displayed. (They can increase this number to be able to add more.)
- Speakers – The planner clicks Add Speaker to add the first speaker. (Speakers are set up on the Speakers page.)
Schedules
- Instances – The planner sees a list of the instances for the session being edited or viewed.
- Details shown: Session, Instance, Code, Date, Time, Location, Capacity, Registered, and Waitlisted.
- They click an instance to edit those details, and can add speakers, for example.
- The planner can add multiple instances per session (to the limit set by No of Instances, above).
- The planner enters or selects the following details for each one:
- Start Date – The date of the session instance.
- Location – Where the session takes place. The planner selects from locations set up in Locations.
- Note: A Location is still required even if the session is linked to a webinar for a digital event.
- You can set up a "virtual" location for such sessions, such as "Zoom Meeting" instead of "Room A12".
- Without a location, the Connect Online Session button would not even be displayed.
- Start Time & End Time
- Capacity – The maximum number of attendees.
- Waitlist – The maximum number of attendees that can be waitlisted for this session instance.
- Add/Manage Speakers – The planner can add Speakers to the session (or edit the list of assigned speakers).
Additional Details
- Abstract File – The planner can upload the abstract document (e.g., a PDF).
- Abstract Description – The planner can add this using an HTML Editor.
- Session Presentations – The planner can upload the presentations (e.g., Powerpoint files).
- Auto Publish Details – See Auto Publish under "Session Layout for Simple Sessions" above.
- Session Description – The planner can add this using an HTML Editor.
- Session Notes – The planner can add internal text notes.
- Fee – The planner can add date-based session fees and cancellation fees.
Session Layout for Conference Sessions
Default Fields for Conference Sessions
- Minimal Information
- You cannot edit this section in the layout.
- Session Name – (Required) When a planner enters this, it should be unique in the event. May include only letters, numbers, dashes, and spaces. Maximum length: 255 characters.
- Session Type – (Required) The planner selects a session type from the drop-down list. Standard values are Keynotes, Hands-on Labs, Breakout Sessions, Interactive Sessions. You can add custom Session Types on Sessions > "Types". (A planner can also add new ones while adding or editing a session.)
- Session Code – (Required) The planner enters a unique code identifying the session.
- Caution: The Session Code cannot be changed once saved!
Organizational
- Track – The planner selects an Event Track from those set up on Tracks.
- Tags – The planner selects any of the tags set up for the current account (by an Administrator in Account Settings > Management > Tags). This is especially for use in conjunction with the Points value of the session as a metric for integration connectors, and for reporting. See this example.
- Session level – The planner selects a level of difficulty, if applicable. The standard levels included are Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. You can add custom levels on the Sessions page. (A planner can also add new ones while adding or editing a session.)
- Points – The number of points allocated per Tag (see Tags, above), used when attendees' interest metrics are calculated. The aggregate number of points per tag can be exported via a connector to a third-party application (such as Eloqua or Marketo), or seen in the Interest Metrics Report.
- Duration – The length of the session, in Hours and Minutes. This is used when a planner schedules the session on the SCHEDULER grid view on the Sessions page.
- CEU Credits – The number of Continuing Education credits applicable
- No of Instances – The number of instances that can be scheduled. The planner can click Add Instance until this limit is reached — the button is then no longer displayed. (They can increase this number to be able to add more.)
- Speakers – The planner clicks Add Speaker to add the first speaker. (Speakers are set up on the Speakers page.)
Schedules
- Instances – The planner sees a list of the instances for the session being edited or viewed.
- Details shown: Session, Instance, Code, Date, Time, Location, Capacity, Registered, and Waitlisted.
- They click an instance to edit those details, and can add speakers, for example.
- The planner can add multiple instances per session (to the limit set by No of Instances, above).
- The planner enters or selects the following details for each one:
- Start Date – The date of the session instance.
- Location – Where the session takes place. The planner selects from Locations set up in Locations.
- Note: A Location is still required even if the session is linked to a webinar for a digital event.
- You can set up a "virtual" location for such sessions, such as "Zoom Meeting" instead of "Room A12".
- Without a location, the Connect Online Session button would not even be displayed.
- Start Time & End Time
- Capacity – The maximum number of attendees.
- Waitlist – The maximum number of attendees that can be waitlisted for this session instance.
- Add/Manage Speakers – The planner can add Speakers to the session (or edit the list of assigned speakers).
Additional Details
- Abstract File – The planner can upload the abstract document (e.g., a PDF).
- Abstract Description – The planner can add this using an HTML Editor.
- Session Presentations – The planner can upload the presentations (e.g., Powerpoint files).
- Auto Publish Details – See Auto Publish under "Session Layout for Simple Sessions" above.
- Session Description – The planner can add this using an HTML Editor.
- Session Notes – The planner can add internal text notes.
- Fee – The planner can add date-based session fees and cancellation fees.
See Also
- List of Speaker and Session Management documents, videos, and help topics
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