Managing Sessions
Session Locations
Before setting up Sessions in Jomablue, you need to create Locations. Locations indicate where a Session will take place, whether online or at a physical location for in-person events.
Create a Location
- Navigate to Locations via the left navigation menu
- Select the New Location button at the top right
- Populate the fields as follows:
Location Name (required)
- For Online/Community events, use the Stream/Track name, or simply "Online"
- For in-person events, use the name of the Theatre or Meeting Room
Description (optional)
- Friendly description, not displayed anywhere in Community
Log Exits (required)
- This feature applies only to in-person events. For Community Events, select No.
- For in-person events, select Yes if you want to enable Session Check-Out mode and Inferred Sessions using the Jomablue Session Attendance Management feature
- For additional information see the article: Inferred Sessions.
Community Schedule Settings
These options refer to the Community Schedule, which provides an alternative view of the Agenda.
For additional information see the article: Session Canvases.
Schedule Colour
- Apply a custom colour for the Location in the Schedule view
Schedule Sort Order
- Enter a number to determine the order of the Location in the Schedule view
Delete a Location
You can delete Locations that are no longer needed. However, a Location cannot be deleted if it has any existing relationships, such as:
- Location interactions (e.g., a Person has checked into that Location)
- Sessions (e.g., a Session is using that Location)
To delete a Location:
- Navigate to Locations via the left navigation menu
- Select the Delete button next to the respective Location
If a user attempts to delete a Location with existing relationships, a popup will display appropriate messages.
If a Location is eligible for deletion, clicking the Delete button will prompt a confirmation modal before proceeding.
Create and Delete a Session
To create a Session in Jomablue, you will need the following:
- Session Name
- Session start date and time
- Session end date and time
- Session Location
Create a Session
- Navigate to Sessions > New Session.
- Populate the following fields:
a. Session Name (191 character limit)
b. Start and Finish Date/Times
c. Location
d. Description (HTML supported) - If you are using Traits, click the blue plus (+) icon to add Traits to the Session.
- If the Session is intended to be a Restricted Session, select the Yes option under Restricted Session (default is set to No). For additional information, please see the section: Manage a Restricted Session below.
Note: Line breaks are not supported in the Session name. If required, use the “Session Promotion” line within the session to add additional copy to the session listed in the agenda.
Modify check-in parameters
Once a Session is created, you can adjust the Check-In experience for Attendees by clicking on the
Check-In tab. Below are descriptions of each option:
- Entry Buffer: Sets a buffer time (in minutes) for how early an Attendee can check in before the Session starts (default is 10 minutes)
- Upon Entry, Send: Select an Email and/or SMS Template to be sent to the Attendee upon check-in
- Feed - Live Engagement App: Create a Card for the Community that will be sent to an Attendee's Feed when they check into the Session. For more on publishing Sessions, see Publishing Sessions in Community.
Set Related Content
After creating a Session, you can add Related Content to be distributed via a Touchpoint device during or after the Session. To select the available content, click on the Related Content tab, then set the following fields to appropriate values:
- Exit Buffer: The time (in minutes) after a Session's end date/time during which an Attendee can still download Related Content from a Touchpoint device (default is 0 minutes).
- Upon Request for Content: Use the three drop-down menus to select an Email, SMS, or Card template to be sent to the attendees when they use their Smart Badge on a Touchpoint device. You can combine any of these options (e.g., send an Event App Card and an SMS).
Delete a Session
To delete a session, you can do the following:
- Navigate to Sessions
- Click on the Session you want to delete
- Go to the Details tab
- Click the Delete button at the top right hand side
- A pop-up window will appear with a confirmation asking ‘Are you sure you want to delete this session?’
- Finally, click on the Delete button
Note: A Session can’t be deleted if a Session Canvas is attached.
Import Sessions
The Jomablue Import Tool allows users to import new Sessions and update existing Sessions.
Preparation:
- Ensure that your data file is clean and properly formatted
- Ensure that all Locations have been created in the event
- If using the Session Template, ensure that the second line in the template (that contains dummy/placeholder values) is removed before import
Session Import Tool
To get started, navigate to the Sessions section and click the Imports button. A list of previous imports will be displayed. To start a new import, click the New tab or the New Imports button at the top right of the page. The Session Import tool will take you through 7 steps:
Step 1: Upload CSV File
Use the file uploader to choose your Session import file. Also available are download buttons on the right-hand side which provide several downloads. These include:
- Starter Template: An empty Session import file that serves as a template for creating your import file
- Update Existing Sessions: This option downloads a list of all existing Sessions, including basic Session fields (e.g., Name, Description, Location, Start/End times, and Session IDs) so you can edit it and re-import to update existing Sessions
- Advanced Session Export: A comprehensive export of all Sessions and their Session-related fields
Step 2: Validate Columns
In this step, you will need to select the format for the dates included in your import file. By default, the Session Template asks for dates in the YYYY/MM/DD hh:mm datetime format (in the event’s timezone), but other formats are also available.
For example, if your dates are formatted as DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm, choose the Day/Month/Year Time format.
Step 3: Validate Rows
The import tool will validate all rows in the file to check for any errors, such as missing required values, invalid dates, missing locations, and non-existent session IDs
Step 4: Fix Errors
If any errors are identified in Step 3, the affected rows will be displayed with the erroneous fields identified, allowing you to manually correct or remove them.
If no errors are found, then Step 4 is skipped and Step 5 commences.
Step 5: Review and Submit
Once all row validation has been completed, the tool will display the total number of rows to be imported and summarise how many Sessions will be created or updated
Step 6: Run Import
In this step, the Sessions are queued for import.
Step 7: Results
Once all records have been queued for import, the import will finish in the background, and the page can be safely closed. A button to view the Import Progress will redirect the user to the list of Recent session imports, where the progress will be displayed.
Manage a Restricted Session
Restricted Sessions can be used during Session Check-in to either allow or deny entry to attendees. For example, you might want to prevent staff from entering a popular Session to ensure a good experience for your audience.
If a Session is restricted, the entry conditions are based on:
- Individual person entitlement
- The Category of a person
In Community, Restricted sessions will appear with a padlock:
- Green padlock if the attendee is entitled to attend the session
- Red padlock if the attendee isn’t entitled to attend the session
Person level Entitlement
This is generally used if you are selling a session or workshop that requires registration or payment for attendance. In Jomablue, this is generally managed through a People import but can also be manually edited in the person record.
To enable a Restricted Session:
- Navigate to the Session in the left menu
- Select Yes for Restricted Session
- Press Save
To manually adjust an attendee’s entitlement to the Session:
- Navigate to the person record
- Select Entitlements tab
- Click the (+) icon and select the Sessions they should be entitled to
- Press Save
Category level Entitlement
This is generally used if you want to allow or prevent certain Categories of people from attending particular Sessions. You can either include or exclude Categories based on your selections.
To enable Category-based entitlement restrictions on a Session:
- Navigate to the Session
- Select Yes for Restricted Session
- Press (+) next to the Allowed Categories
- Toggle the Categories you wish to allow entry for
- Press Save
If a person belongs to any of the allowed Categories, they will be allowed entry to the Sessions.
Notes: You can allow entry to an unetitled person at the door if the Allow Override option is enabled in Session Details. This setting can be used if an organiser’s representative is managing Session entry and is authorised to make this decision.
Log Exits (Session Check Out)
Log exits are used to track the time spent in a location, which can help infer session attendance (Understanding Inferred Sessions) or capture the exact time spent in a location or session for CPE/CPD requirements.
Understanding how Log exits work
Firstly, logging is enabled by location, not by session. This means event staff have the option to toggle the device between Entry and Exit modes for every session within that location.
In either mode, tapping a Smart Badge will record an Entry (Check-In) or Exit (Check Out) for whichever session is currently displayed on the screen.
Understanding which sessions are displayed on the screen
Jomablue devices automatically keep track of which session is being displayed based on the session data entered. The devices held by event staff will automatically change to new sessions without intervention from the event staff.
Entry Buffers
Entry buffers allow a device to begin capturing data for a session before the scheduled start time. This is often necessary when you want to start letting people into a session before the actual start time.
Example: If a session is scheduled for 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM with a 15-minute entry buffer, event staff can check in attendees (Entry) or check them out (Exit) for this session between 9:45 AM and 11:00 AM.
Notes:
Exit buffers apply only to Session Related Content and do not affect Entry or Exit interactions.
Scenario: Consider a person who checks in for Session A but does not check out until after Session B has started (or even Session C or D).
In this case, the person would receive:
- Entry (Check in) timestamp for Session A
- Exit (Check Out) timestamp for Session B (or optionally for Session C or D)
Impacts of this scenario:
- If you're using the Inferred sessions feature, the person will be considered to have attended both Session A and Session B
- If you're not using inferred sessions and are doing time-based reporting for CPE/CPD or similar, you will need to calculate the time spent by reviewing all sessions at that location and matching Entry (Check-in) and Exit (Check-out) timestamps.
Session Check-In Device
When using Jomablue Session Check-in devices, you'll see a number of different screens based on the type of Session and the mode the device is in. Some demonstrations can be found below:
Unrestricted Session Check-in
If a Session is not Restricted, any Attendee can successfully check in to that Session. Screenshots of this experience can be seen below:
Restricted Session Check-in
For Restricted Sessions, different screens will be displayed on the device if an unauthorised person attempts to check-in:
Note that the text "See information desk" can be customised with whichever text you require.
Restricted Session Override
Jomablue’s Restricted Sessions support an Override feature. If enabled, staff can override a Restricted Session, allowing any attendees to check in to the session. The Override button will only appear during the Check-in buffer and while the Session is ongoing.
Screenshots illustrating the process of denying entry to unauthorised attendees and then using the Override feature to admit them can be seen below:
Promote Sessions in Agenda View
The Community Agenda allows for Session promotion directly within the Agenda. You can add an image and a short text description to be displayed alongside the Session listing in the Agenda.
Promoting a Session in the Agenda
To promote a Session in the Agenda, navigate to the Session in Jomablue and scroll to the bottom of the Session configuration page. Here, you will see a field to add Promotion Text and a place to upload an image. See below for an example configuration:
How it looks in the Agenda
In the Agenda view, this promotional content is displayed below the Session information, with the image on the left and the text beside it. See below for an example of how the previous configuration looks in the Agenda:
Recommendations and limitations
When using this feature, we have a few recommendations:
- Limit usage: Use this feature sparingly for Sessions that truly need it. If all Sessions are promoted, the value of each promotion diminishes; focus on select Sessions to make them stand out.
- Keep Text concise: Limit the length of the Promotion Text to 150 characters. While more characters are supported, excessive text can clutter the Agenda view, especially on mobile devices.
- Image Specifications: The Promotion Image will always display as a square. The recommended size is 100x100 pixels. You can upload larger images, but they will be resized to fit the square format, while non-square images will be padded.
Session Attendance FAQ
Q: How does a Person check into a Session?
A: Prior to the Session commencing, staff at the entrance will use Jomablue Session Check-In devices. As Attendees arrive, they will tap their Smart Badges onto the Check-In devices, recording their arrival time which is then uploaded to Jomablue.
Q: Can a Person check out of a Session?
A: The Jomablue Session Check-In devices can be configured to check attendees out of session too, which is useful for recording attendance for CPD/CPE accreditation.
Q: Can I send content to a guest upon checking in to a Session?
A: Yes! When an attendee checks in to a Session, you can configure Jomablue to send them an email, SMS, and/or a Card in their Event App Feed. For more information on how to configure this see What is a Session Related Content?
