The more actively CiviMobile integrates into the daily life of nonprofit CiviCRM-powered organizations, the more advanced CiviMobile functionality becomes with every new release.
From software offering immediate access to all organisational events CiviMobile evolves into an app with event participants management functionality and now, in release 5.2, we witness its further transformation in an all-in-one event planning and management tool with more opportunities for event hosts and participants.
What is New
The cumbersome event registration, ticketing, and check-in processes were handled and optimized for the mobile app in earlier releases. For the most part those essentials made events easier to manage but proved insufficient on occasions when one event extends through multiple dates and locations. The bottom line is that core CiviCRM functionality, effective for managing a single-track one-venue event, does not provide tools for planning efficiently a large multi-track event with multiple locations.
It’s time to level up. Our new upgrade extends CiviEvent module with Agenda functionality, making events, no matter how big, easier to set up. Once Agenda is enabled and configured in CiviCRM, all information about sessions, speakers and venues is displayed on the Event details screen in CiviMobile (see pic.1), while access to event agenda in web-browser opens up on the Event info page of CiviCRM (see pic.2).
Aside from other functions, CiviMobile will now act as an information hub for all event participants. In a little more detail, we will consider what the new features have to offer to CiviMobile users who plan or attend events.
Sessions
Multi-track events are built around agenda which includes a series of parallel sessions in separate rooms, consecutive sessions, keynotes, breakouts, discussions.
When agenda is publicly available prior to an event, prospective visitors will form a clear vision of certain content options and will plan their time accordingly. However, when agenda is available in CiviMobile, attendees will be able to track any alterations that happen in agenda, receive notifications from event hosts, make changes to their personal schedule on the go.
When agenda is publicly available prior to an event, prospective visitors will form a clear Upon a tap on the Sessions button, the calendar with event schedule comes into view (see pic.3)
We gave it the best shot and made all required information easily accessible. The result? A short glimpse, tap or quick swipe across the Sessions screen and the following agenda details will become visible:
- all event sessions of multi-day event upon swipe;
- a list of all sessions by date;
- session start/end time, topic, short description speakers and venue.
To help event attendees figure out which session resonates with their preferences and interests, a tap on specific session will open the Session Details screen with title, time and date, description, speakers and redirect to speaker profiles.
The moment a specific session inspires their enthusiasm, they will bookmark it as Favorite. All bookmarked sessions the attendee will view as personal agenda after a touch of the star icon in the top right of the sessions screen (see pic.4).
As event hosts you will find agenda equally beneficial. Beside the fact that all last minute changes in the event agenda will be instantly visible to CiviCRM users, the functionality helps to engage with higher percentage of target audience. When publicly available it will draw the audience, whose initiatives and beliefs resonate with your cause.
Speakers
Speaker list is another component of event details each potential participant carefully studies before making a decision about participation. When such list is available it means that event hosts have planned an event well and ahead. When such list is available in CiviMobile app it means the user can check it or view the speaker profile any time, i.e. at a session, when interacting with thought leaders, when making a last-minute switch between sessions, etc (see pic.5).
When information about event speakers is a screen tap away from the Event details screen, CiviMobile user will instantly view a list of all participants with the speaker role at the event, including general information (first and last name, position, company name). The Speaker section will reveal more details:
- description of speaker experience, qualifications and interests;
- sessions run by the speaker;
- redirect to this speaker profile.
For event hosts the speaker list is just another small step toward building better relationships with event visitors and thought leaders who are often tightly constrained on time and would rather have such list easily accessible any time.
Venues
For visitors heading for an event from other regions, cities or country, getting to the venue and do it on time is often a challenge and sometimes a nerve-racking experience. When events are held across many venues in different locations the least event managers can do is give the visitors peace of mind they have addresses of all sites in the mobile app to check any time or switch to navigation directly within the app (see pic.6).
For those looking for more information there is the venue details screen that opens when user taps a specific venue. The details include:
- venue description pointing out unique features of the venue, event setup style, transport solutions, etc.;
- venue plan giving visual presentation of event premises (indoor/outdoor spaces parking, seating charts, location of booths, stalls and facilities etc.);
- venue location displaying address with specific indication on the map.
For those who use web-browser
The event agenda is displayed on the Event info page in CiviCRM. So the website visitors will be able to view the agenda details as well.
Unfortunately, Speakers and Venues pages are not available yet. Also the user will not be able to mark favorite sessions and build personalized agenda in web-browser. For this purpose it is better to use CiviMobile app.
Configuration in CiviCRM
To have Agenda displayed in the mobile app, go through a few steps to enable and configure it first in CiviCRM (see pic.7):
- Create an event from CiviCRM admin penal: Events => New Event
- Select the Agenda tab and click the checkbox Show Event Agenda. When the checkbox is selected, Agenda is available on the Event info page in a web browser and in CiviMobile
- Select the Event Sessions tab and add a session by filling out suggested fields
- When adding a speaker, select a participant from the list. If a speaker is not registered as a participant, click the Add icon and do it right away from the New Event Registration page
- Add description and biography into the Note field and Bio field respectively
- Go to the Venues tab and add new venue. The venues will be linked to the corresponding location so they could be reused in future with other events in this location.
Running a community event, conference, fundraiser, exhibition, summit etc. under the banner of big, major, national, international, regional, world, multilingual, multi-track event with multiple opportunities for interactions with industry visionaries, fellow do-gooders, nonprofits, enthusiasts and speakers hardly ever means hosting a one-day event at one time and place with one speaker, one session or workshop.
With strong focus on peculiarities of multi-track events, CiviMobile gets another major upgrade, Event Agenda. The app cuts through the maze of numerous event types and becomes one-size-fits-all solution for any occasion. Stay with us and learn more about other related updates, i.e in-app event payment, surveys, etc.
Source: https://civimobile.org/agenda-reinforces-event-management-toolkit-in-civimobile-5-2/
