Introduction A digital event is an event delivered as a webinar. This can be a single webinar for the entire event or multiple webinars for individual sessions. Certain provides out-of-the-box integration with webinar providers Zoom and ON24. You can set up the webinars using the provider of your choice, with integration via Certain Signal. This can be done directly from within the Certain Platform or in Zoom/ON24. If you use a different webinar provider, contact your Customer Success Manager at Certain about contracting Professional Services to set up a custom integration. See Digital Events Overview for a brief overview of the entire process, including Certain Signal, Zoom, and ON24. For details of the Certain Signal and webinar provider configuration, see Digital Events Using Certain Signal with Zoom and Digital Events Using Certain Signal with ON24.
Items Covered
Jump down to a section in this topic:
- Prerequisites
- Steps to Follow
Prerequisites
Before setting up any digital events you will need the following, as explained in Digital Events Overview. The following modules must be enabled in your Certain account:
- Certain Signal and its Zoom or ON24 sub-module
- Digital Events
- An account with your chosen webinar provider: Zoom or ON24
- One-off preparation in the selected webinar platform
- A Connection, Source and Flows configured in Certain Signal
- The following modules enabled in your Certain account: Speaker and Session Management and its Conference Sessions sub-module (to make the Session Catalog available)
If you choose to connect to an existing webinar rather than triggering that setup from within Certain, then before setting up each digital event or session you will need to:
- Set the webinar up in Zoom or ON24
- Note: The Webinar host cannot be an event registrant in Certain
- Select “Registration Required” for that webinar
- Copy its Webinar ID for use when setting up the event or session in Certain
Steps to Follow Per Event (if one webinar for event) Per Session (if one webinar per session)
1. If the whole EVENT is digital: One Webinar
- Best Practice: Don’t open the registration form(s) until this process is complete.
- Enable the Digital Events module and (optionally) its Join Emails sub-module in Plan > Configure > Options.
- In the Forms Registrant Details section of the registration form, select Enforce email uniqueness within this event.
- If you’re going to trigger the webinar creation (in Zoom or ON24) directly from within Certain Platform, follow the instructions in step 6 below.
- If you’re going to connect to a webinar you’ve already set up in Zoom or ON24, skip step 6 and go to step 7 below.
- To create the webinar (in Zoom or ON24) directly from within Certain: In Event Setup Overview “Event Webinar”, click Create webinar/meeting and complete the details: Select a webinar/meeting Service configured for your account (Zoom Webinar, Zoom Meeting, or ON24); Select a Connection (as set up in Certain Signal); Select a Presentation Type; Select Hosts; Click Next.
- If you’ve skipped Step 6 above, to connect the event to the webinar you’ve already set up in Zoom or ON24: In Event Setup Overview “Event Webinar”, click Connect webinar/meeting and complete the details: Select a webinar/meeting Service; Select a Connection; Enter the Webinar ID; Note: You can’t reuse the same Webinar ID in more than one event or session; The event name, date/time, and registration capacity should match those of the webinar; Warning: You cannot change the webinar link after you’ve confirmed it; Caution: If the webinar schedule changes after you’ve linked to it, remember to change it in the event; Optionally, configure the email template created on Communication Digital Events Templates; Each attendee receives an automatically generated email with a link to join the webinar (sent hourly to include new attendees); Apply the Management Tags to the object(s) to activate your Flows in Certain Signal.
2. If SESSIONS are digital: a Webinar per Session
- Best Practice: Don’t open the registration form(s) until this process is complete.
- Enable the Digital Events module in Plan > Configure > Options; Enable the Conference Sessions sub-module (of Speaker and Session Management) in Plan > Configure > Options.
- In the Forms Registrant Details, select Enforce email uniqueness within this event.
- In Speaker and Session Management: Select Conference Sessions as the Speakers and Sessions Setup.
- Set up at least one Speakers and Sessions Locations (the location can be Online).
- Set up each Session and its instances; schedule each instance for a date/time and location.
- If you’re going to trigger webinar creation (in Zoom or ON24) directly from within Certain Platform, follow the instructions in step 11 below.
- If you’ve skipped Step 11 above (creating the webinar), then instead of that, to connect the event to the webinar you’ve already set up in Zoom or ON24 follow the instructions in step 12 below.
- To create the webinar (in Zoom or ON24) directly from within Certain: In Event Setup Overview “Event Webinar”, click Create webinar/meeting and complete the details: Select a webinar/meeting Service configured for your account (Zoom Webinar, Zoom Meeting, or ON24); Select a Connection; Provide Hosts; Click Next.
- If you’ve skipped Step 11 above, to connect the event to the webinar you’ve already set up in Zoom or ON24: Click Connect Online Session and complete the details: Select a Webinar Service; Select a Connection; Enter the Webinar ID; Note: You can’t reuse the same Webinar ID in more than one event or session; Note: The Session Name, Date, Time, and Capacity should match those of the webinar; Warning: You cannot change the webinar link after you’ve confirmed it; Caution: If the webinar schedule changes after you’ve linked to it, remember to change it in the Session Instance; Set up a Session Catalog List Add Catalog; Note: For the session thumbnails to appear, use the banner template design; Attendees use the catalog to register for and join sessions; Set up an email template for the Session Catalog and schedule it; Apply the Management Tags to the object(s) to activate your Flows in Certain Signal.