In January, we updated the Webex Events platform interface to a cleaner, more streamlined design, which was a big change. In the months since then, we've continued to make improvements, and now it's time for the next big change.

On August 10, 2023 starting at 11:00 pm EDT, we're releasing several major updates to the Webex Events platform and brand new Onsite functionality that's sure to delight our on-site event planners! 🎉 We expect to complete maintenance by August 11, 2023 at 06:00 am EDT. During this time, the Webex Events platform and all of its components will be unavailable. 

Here's what we're releasing:

One attendee list, one attendee profile

Right now, there are three separate attendee lists in the Webex Events platform — one in the Registration product, one in the Event App product, and one in the Onsite product. Managing information for the same attendees in three different places can be confusing, so we're fixing that. After the August 11 release, there will be only one attendee list in the Webex Events platform, and each attendee will have a single profile page, so you can review and edit all attendee information in one place.

Event-level Sessions

As the central hub for session information and live streams, the Agenda feature is the backbone of many Event Apps. To add sessions to an Event App today, you must first add the Agenda feature, then edit it, and sessions aren't used for anything outside the Event App. 

On August 11, we're moving the ability to create Sessions out of the Agenda feature to the Event level, so you don't have to activate the Event App to create them. Long-term, this opens the door for exciting future updates. For now, creating Sessions outside the Event App will let you use our brand new Onsite Session Check-in by itself or with any other combination of Webex Events products.

Session Check-in

Yes, I said Session Check-in!

On August 11, the Webex Events platform will get new Session and Onsite functionality to support Session Check-in. Within a few days of release after Apple approval, the Onsite by Webex Events (Socio) app will be updated to include Session Check-in functionality in addition to the Event Check-in and badge printing you're used to. We'll save all the juicy details for the official announcement — meanwhile, here are some screenshots to whet your appetite. 🤩

💡 Keep in mind, some elements in the screenshots above may change before release.

That's all for today, folks! Click the Subscribe to Updates button at the top of this screen so you always know what's happening with Webex Events products. Follow the Webex Events status page to stay up to date on maintenance status.

Registration Platform 5.5
Studio 2.0

This month’s release brings some awesome enhancements to the Webex Events platform and the Webex Events Production Studio. Watch the following video for an overview, or keep reading to learn more! 🎉

Custom consent question type and Privacy Report

Silence isn’t consent. When collecting personal data in the digital world, asking for consent establishes a dynamic of respect and trust, protects consumer privacy, and maintains compliance with global privacy regulations. Webex Events Registration now has a custom consent question type for checkout forms to make it easier for you to manage attendee data and privacy and keep a record of explicit consent or refusal.

Add one or more custom consent questions and customize them to fit your needs. This is great when you need to ask questions like, “Would you like to subscribe to our monthly email newsletter?”, “This event will be photographed. Do you grant us permission to capture and use any photos with your likeness for commercial purposes?” or “Do you consent to us sharing your data with a third party for marketing purposes?”, to name a few.

To learn more about custom consent questions, read our article about creating checkout forms and questions.

Collecting data is only helpful if you have a way to analyze that data. That’s why there’s a new Registration export report in town called Privacy Report, and it has all the data you need to easily find out which registrants provided consent or refusal to consent questions. Let this report be your source of truth in handling attendee privacy and data!

To download the report, head to your Registration Metrics page and select Privacy Report from the Export Report drop-down menu.

To learn more about the Privacy Report, read our Webex Events Registration Metrics article.

Activate or deactivate group registration

Speaking of metrics, we’ve crunched the numbers and found that more than 90% of completed Webex Events Registration orders are for a single ticket. Additionally, some organizers may prefer that attendees purchase one ticket per order. Every event is different, so we’ve decided to let event organizers choose whether to restrict registration to one ticket per order or to let registrants purchase multiple tickets in one order.

To manage this setting in the Webex Events platform, go to Registration in your Event navigation bar, click Settings, then General, and activate or deactivate the 'Allow group registration' toggle. You can update this setting at any time if needed, too!

When you deactivate the group registration setting, registrants simply click the ‘Select’ button for the ticket they want to purchase. This removes the step of selecting ‘1’ from the ticket drop-down and improves the registration experience for attendees purchasing single tickets.

💡Keep in mind, this option is active for all current Registrations. The option is inactive for all Registrations activated after June 21, 2023.

To learn more, read our Registration Settings Overview article.

Webex Events Production Studio layout animation

Producing a live stream can involve an intricate dance of switching layouts and managing which speakers and shared content are on stage at any time during the stream. With all the activity on stage, we’ve updated Webex Events Production Studio layout transitions to seamlessly adjust as you add, arrange, and remove speakers and content. This subtle enhancement creates a visually pleasing effect that’s smooth as silk. Here’s a GIF to illustrate:

Want to learn more about Webex Events Production Studio? Our Introduction to Webex Events Production Studio article is the perfect place to start. 🌈

That's all for today, folks! Head over to the Webex Events platform and explore these new changes for yourself.

Platform 5.4
Event App 32.0.0
Studio 1.4
Onsite 1.1.11

This month's batch of updates brings lots of new customization to some popular Event App and Registration features! Click the video below or keep reading to learn all about what we've cooked up. 👩‍🍳

Customize checkout messaging by ticket type

In a world of hybrid events, early bird specials, VIP passes, sponsor registration, and other ticketing nuances, one-size-fits-all messaging can be difficult to craft. That's why we're excited to announce that you can now create checkout messages and confirmation, cancellation, and refund emails that are unique to each ticket type in your Registration form! 🌈

In your Webex Event or Community, the Registration Checkout Settings page now has three tabs — Confirmation messages, PDF tickets, and Emails.

• Confirmation messages - Customize the confirmation page that appears after attendees purchase a ticket.
• PDF tickets - Choose whether the Event date, location, ticket QR code, ticket description, event description, or checkout confirmation message are included in the PDF version of the ticket that attendees receive after they register.
• Emails - Customize the confirmation emails attendees receive after they purchase a ticket and the cancellation and refund notification emails attendees receive after you cancel or refund their orders.

When you create a new message, ticket, or email, assign one or multiple ticket types to them, so if a single message makes sense for multiple tickets, you don’t have to duplicate your work. Have lots of different tickets? No problem! Create up to 50 unique messages, PDF tickets, and emails of each type.

Things to know:

• Attendees who buy multiple tickets in the a single order are shown a generic confirmation message, which you can customize.
• Newly created tickets are automatically assigned to the default confirmation message, PDF ticket, and emails.
• When you delete a custom confirmation message, PDF ticket, or email, its assigned tickets are moved to the corresponding defaults.
• All custom messages, PDF tickets, and emails are automatically translated when language selection is activated.

Excited to start crafting some amazing communications? Read our brand new article about customizing Registration checkout messaging for complete instructions.

Other email improvements

From name, Reply to, and Subject customization

Email messages customized to each ticket type are awesome, though there's more to an email than the message. That's why we've also added the ability to customize the From name, Subject, and Reply to email addresses for checkout, cancellation, and refund emails!

Because you can now customize emails by ticket type, this means that tailoring these fields to each type of attendee is now possible. Want to make sure speaker or VIP questions are routed to exactly the right person for quicker response? Easy! Create a confirmation email for the VIP ticket and enter the 'Reply to' email that will get their questions answered pronto. 

Use the variables below the email message to easily customize the message, 'From name', and 'Subject' to individual attendees, too.

Include PDF ticket and Web App buttons in custom Registration Emails

We've also added the ability to include the PDF ticket in the emails you create in the Promote > Emails menu. This is perfect for "See you soon" emails that help attendees who registered months ago find their tickets when your event is only a couple of days away.

Automatic App Store and Play Store button links

Previously, when you added the App Store or Play Store CTA buttons to an email, you had to then open up your Event App's promo page, copy the URLs one by one, and paste them into the 'Button Link' fields. That's a lot of work for something that should be easy.

Now, we automatically fill in those fields with the correct link to the Webex Events App or your Branded App. Less work? Yes, please!

Read our article about creating and sending Registration emails for complete information. 

Maps feature improvements

The Maps feature is one of the most popular features for in-person events, so maps should be visually appealing, fit with your brand, and help attendees find their way around your event venue as easily as possible. This release will help you achieve those goals!

New shape options

Previously, drawing a clickable region on a map was only a matter of drawing a blue rectangle. Maps of venues with curving or angled rooms tended to look odd. Drawing shapes on very small spaces such as exhibitor booths could also be a poor experience. So, we're adding three new shape options:

• Custom shape - Click to start drawing a line around an area of the image. Click again to add a corner. Click the point at which you started to complete the shape.
• Circle - Click to start drawing a circle around an area of the image. The place you click is the center of the circle. Click again to finalize the circle.
• Pin - Click to add a pin icon on the map image.

Customizable colors

Before, those rectangles we mentioned only came in blue. No offense to you blue lovers out there, but it doesn't fit every brand. Want to add shapes or pins for each of your exhibitors, customized with their unique brand colors? Now you can!

When you add a location to a map image, you can customize the fill and border colors for shapes and pins. Use the opacity slider in the color selector to control how much of the map image is visible below the shape.

Multi-map list view

Attendees sometimes didn't realize that an event had multiple maps because the map selection menu wasn't automatically presented when attendees clicked the Maps feature. To address this, we now display the list of all maps when attendees first click the Maps feature, and attendees can tap the one they want to view.

Other Maps feature updates

We've also made some other updates to the Maps feature, including:

• When you draw a location, the location's edges can now snap to the edges of other locations you added previously.
• The zoom effect when an attendee taps on a location doesn't zoom in as far now.
• If a feature item is associated with a location, the Location section now appears in that item in the Mobile App and Web App, regardless of the Event type.

💡 Keep in mind, app versions older than 32.0.0 will display all shapes and pins in the default blue, regardless of custom color selection, and circles will be displayed as pins. Be sure to update your Branded App to the latest version as soon as possible and advise your attendees to update the app on their devices.

To learn all about using the Maps feature, read our Feature Guide: Maps article.

Mirror my video in Webex Events Production Studio

When you look in a mirror, you see an inverted image of yourself. When you raise your right hand, your reflection appears to raise its left hand. We humans are used to this effect, so when a webcam video of you doesn't behave like a mirror, it can be disorienting.

We've now added the Mirror my video feature to the Webex Events Production Studio's camera settings. Activate the toggle to flip your self-view video so that it behaves like a mirror.

💡 Keep in mind, other people in the Studio will always see the non-mirrored version of your video, regardless of your selection.

Read our Introduction to Webex Events Production Studio to learn all about this Webex Events customer exclusive streaming solution.

That's all for today, folks! Head over to the Webex Events Platform and explore these new changes for yourself. 

Platform 5.3
Studio 1.3

Today, we have a fresh bouquet of changes to brighten your day. Keep reading or watch the video below to enjoy. 💐

Registration Page Tracking

Finding marketing campaigns that work, drive traffic to your event website, and boost registrations are a great way to make sure your events are a success. For registration, key data points like unique page views, average duration spent on the website, bounce rate, conversion rate, campaign source, and more are all critical insights to manage a marketing budget, increase conversions, and achieve event revenue goals.

Until now, you probably used outside tools that didn't talk to Webex Events to get this information. Today, we're happy to announce that we now support Google Analytics (GA4), Meta Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, and Google Tag Manager analytics tools.

Setup is easy! Simply add the tracking code from your analytics tool to the Webex Events platform. As attendees start interacting with the Registration page, review data in the analytics tool as it rolls in.

💡 Keep in mind, using these options may affect consumer privacy compliance. Consult your privacy team and the laws that apply to your locality. 

To learn more, read our article about UTM data and page tracking.

Studio Recordings in Video Center

When we designed the Webex Events Production Studio, one of the key goals was to provide Webex Events customers with the most integrated live streaming solution possible. In our efforts to integrate the Studio more and more deeply into the Webex Events experience, live stream recordings from the Webex Events Production Studio are now added to the Video Center automatically.

This change introduces two new pages in the Video Center — Uploads and Recordings.

This means that using session recordings for Simulive and Video on Demand (VOD) content is even easier! When selecting a video file for Simulive or Video on Demand, the drop-down now shows video files separated into 'Uploads' and 'Recordings' sections.

For more details on using Webex Events Production Studio recordings as Simulive and VOD content, read our Video Center article.

Closed Captions & Translations for Speakers, Sponsors, Exhibitors, and Custom Lists

A couple of months ago, we introduced the ability to add machine-translated Closed Captions & Translations to any video you upload to the Video Center. Attendees watching a video in a Session or Live Stream feature can toggle captions on, just like they can when watching a live stream.

In our continuing efforts to make events inclusive and accessible for everyone, attendees can now toggle on Closed Captions when watching Video Center uploads in Speakers, Sponsors, Exhibitors, and Custom List items. 

Learn more about this free service in our Webex Events Closed Captions & Translations article.

Table and Button Design Update

Is it just me, or is it...rounder in here? And maybe...tidier? 🤔

As of today, you'll notice that most buttons in the Webex Events platform now have rounded edges. 🟠 We've also done lots of work to make all the tables in the platform cleaner, tidier, and more consistent with the Webex part of our name.

This purely cosmetic update to our platform doesn’t introduce any new functionality, and it doesn’t affect the attendee experience on the Web App or Mobile App.

That's all for today, folks! Head over to the Webex Events Platform and explore these new changes for yourself. 

Webex Events platform 5.2
Event App 30.0.0

Registration checkout form follow-up questions

We're always on the hunt for opportunities to streamline the registration process and provide an even more robust and dynamic registration experience for you and your attendees. Today, we’re excited to introduce follow-up question functionality on checkout forms! Keep reading or click the video below to learn more about all of today’s updates.

We're all about personalizing the attendee experience, and a big part of that is making sure attendees only interact with content that's relevant to them. Instead of having attendees enter “N/A” for questions that don’t apply to them, configure follow-up questions to make the checkout process more efficient, conversational, and enjoyable for all. 

For example, if you’re hosting a networking dinner and you need to know how many people will attend, you may start with the question, “Are you attending the networking dinner?” If a registrant answers “yes”, you might ask a follow-up question like, “Do you have any dietary restrictions?” If they answer “yes” to that, you’ll also want to know what their dietary restrictions are.

With this new functionality, ask targeted follow-up questions that only appear if a registrant’s answer to a previous question matches the criteria you set on the Webex Events platform. If a registrant answers “yes” to the parent question in the networking dinner example, they’re prompted to answer the follow-up question. If they answer "yes" to that, a second follow-up question appears. Answering “no” hides the follow-up question, and they can proceed without answering an additional question that doesn’t apply to them. 

That was only one example, and the possibilities don’t end with “yes” or “no” questions. Follow-up questions are great for gathering information about travel plans, accessible accommodations, specific meal selections, and more! Add follow-up questions based on the answers to Checkbox, Dropdown, Single Select, Groups Dropdown, and Groups Multiple Choice question types. 

Read our Create Checkout Forms and Questions article to learn all about configuring follow-up questions in Webex Events Registration.

Event App red dot revamp

When you know, you know — and keeping attendees in the know is always a good idea! A red dot in the Event App lets attendees know when something's new. However, we may have been a little overzealous in our efforts to keep attendees informed.

With this release, we’ve curtailed which changes warrant a red dot so that Event App users are alerted when and where it matters. Red dots now appear exclusively for new Announcements and Wall posts, and newly activated Game Challenges, Video Rooms, Q&A, and Polls. They no longer appear when someone comments on a Wall post, or when you rearrange, edit, or delete a feature or item.

Read our brand new article about what notifications Event App users receive to learn more.

Platform and Event App user interface improvements

While the pomp and circumstance of a big update make us giddy (I’m talking about you, Registration follow-up questions), we also appreciate that sometimes it’s the little things that can make a huge difference. Here’s a list of user interface improvements we released this month.

• Get a few seconds back in your day! Use the new search bar in the Add Features modal to find what you need instead of scrolling through a sea of features. 🌊 We’ve also aligned the Add buttons for a cleaner, more readable interface. Ah, symmetry. 

  
  
  
  • Most of us are familiar with the adage, “Less is more.” We’ve taken this sentiment to heart by reducing the size of the “Powered by Webex Events” banner on the Event App Promo Page and Branded App Download Page.
  • We love it when attendees become event regulars. This improvement is a special treat for them, and it’s also great for annual events! Previously, the Mobile App always opened the last event the user was in, regardless of how long it had been since they used the app. Landing on last year’s event can be disorienting, so with this release, users who haven’t logged in for 30 days or more will now be taken to the Mobile App Events page. Here they can search for and join their next event.
  • We’ve also made improvements to the emoji keyboard in the web experience chat panel. Now the emoji icon has “Add emoji” hover text, and the revamped emoji keyboard opens above the chat box. Click an emoji to close the keyboard, or click anywhere outside the keyboard to close it without selecting an emoji. 😀

That's all for today, folks! Head over to the Webex Events Platform and explore these new changes for yourself. 

Webex Events Platform: 5.1
Event App: 29.0.0
Webex Events Production Studio: 1.1

We have lots of goodies in store for you today. Keep reading or click the video below to learn more!

Embed Event App content with widgets

You build a lot of useful and informative content in your Event App. Why not show it off in more places, like the event website? We’re pleased to announce that you can now embed Event App content in external websites with widgets. Let people know what they can expect at your event, including speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors, and get them excited about what’s to come before they even join your Event App.

No more manually adding and updating information on multiple websites. Simply create widgets in the Webex Events platform, choose the items you want to include, and add the widget embed code in a website. If you make any changes to items that appear in widgets, the widgets update automatically — no code update required!

After creating a widget, select ‘Preview’ from the Settings (⚙️) icon to customize and preview the widget appearance. Choose to display the widget in Carousel View or Grid View, Light or Dark mode, and manage widget settings.

Excited to get started? Read our new article about embedding Event App and Community content with widgets.

Webex Events Production Studio polling integration and network indicator

In case you missed it, last month we released our built-in live streaming solution, Webex Events Production Studio. We promised to add more bells and whistles to the Studio, and here’s the first installment of many to come. As part of this month’s collection of product enhancements, polling is now part of the Webex Events Production Studio! 

When you activate polling for a Live Stream feature or Agenda session live stream that’s using Webex Events Production Studio, polls now appear in the Studio. Polling results, percentages, and total votes update in real time based on attendees’ votes.

Just like with chat and Q&A, Webex Events Production Studio lets you display poll results in the live stream. Show live poll results as answers come in, or show results after the poll closes!

Read our Polling feature guide to learn how to set up polls in the Webex Events platform.

You're a little laggy — is that me or you? Never question your network strength again with the new network indicator. If the network strength or CPU usage changes, a message appears above the network indicator so you can take appropriate action if needed.

To learn more about all the awesome capabilities included with Webex Events Production Studio, read our Getting Started with Webex Events Production Studio article.

Webex Events Video on Demand Closed Captions & Translations

We’re all about enhancing the live streaming experience and promoting greater accessibility for attendees. Last year we launched Webex Events Closed Captions & Translations for Webex Events Streaming. Later, we added it to Webex Events Simulive and Webex Events Production Studio. Now, it's time for Video on Demand to join the club! 

When you upload a video to Video Center, turn on Captions & Translations to automatically add closed captions and translations in over 30 languages to your Simulive and Video on Demand videos. This functionality is completely free — no streaming credit necessary!

💡 Keep in mind, closed captions and translations become available when Video Center content is added to a Live Stream feature or live stream Agenda session. Video Center content doesn’t currently support closed captions and translations when added to speaker, sponsor, and exhibitor profiles and Custom List items.

Want to know more? Read our article about using Video Center for Simulive and Video on Demand for more details. 

Registration website and PDF ticket improvements

We’re continually making Webex Events Registration more and more customizable, and we’re happy to announce a new batch of customization options! 🍪 

We’ve made it easier for registrants to find out if your event is in-person, virtual, or both, and we now provide the option to add a zippy tagline about your Event or Community. Visit the Registration Basics page's Event details tab to add a tagline below your Registration page's title and show or hide your event type.

Are you using Webex Events Registration for your Community? Haven't quite decided on the event venue? Head over to the Registration Appearance page on the Webex Events platform to find the new ‘Show event location’, 'Show event date', and 'Show event time' toggles. To hide this information, change the toggles to 'No'.

We have one more Registration morsel to share. The PDF ticket preview now includes checkboxes that let you show or hide the QR code, event date, and event location on the PDF ticket. 🍬

Improved feature arrangement

And now for a short and sweet encore. In the platform on the Features page, you can rearrange features by clicking and dragging. Previously, rearranging features caused them to switch places, which wasn't very intuitive. We've now made it so that dragging a feature to a different position simply shifts other features to the right.

That's all for today, folks! Head over to the Webex Events Platform and explore these new changes for yourself. 

Lights. Webcams. Action!

As a digital event platform powering virtual and hybrid events, we know how critical live streaming is to your event's success. Providing a simple, reliable, integrated streaming solution has been one of our highest priorities over the years. Until now, we've only provided Webex Events Streaming which integrates Restream's studio with the Webex Events platform.

Now, to provide you with an additional streaming experience that integrates more deeply with your Event App and Community, we're proud to announce the arrival of the Webex Events Production Studio beta! Keep reading or click the video below to learn more.

Designed and built by Webex Events

We've spent months researching, designing, building, and testing this brand new studio experience, and we'll spend years continuing to add more features and make the Studio your best streaming solution. Now, we want to give everyone the opportunity to use the Studio and share feedback. 💬

The features you're used to...

If you're used to the Restream studio's features, you'll feel right at home in the Webex Events Production Studio. Features like brand folders, custom banners, videos, images, and private Studio chat are all available in the right menu's tabs.

You can also show stream content in different layouts, queue layouts to automatically switch when screen share is added, and control who's in the stream and where they appear onscreen.

...and more

In addition to chat integration, the Studio features integration with the Q&A feature and Custom Tab content, so it's easier than ever for speakers and presenters to read and respond to questions and Slido polls!

Guest speakers can join the Studio from their mobile device using the speaker link. Speaking of guests, you can have up to 13 people in a Studio at once. Up to three of these people can be hosts who can control graphics, banners, and other stream content.

⭐️ Keep in mind, hosts must always join the Studio from a computer.

• Introduction to Webex Events Production Studio
• Getting Started with Webex Events Production Studio

That's all for today, folks! Head over to the Webex Events Platform and explore the new Webex Events Production Studio for yourself.

Webex Events Platform 5.0

Event App 28.0.0

Onsite 1.1.10

Platform experience redesign

You've heard the saying "new year, new me", right? Well, the Webex Events Platform has taken that saying to heart and has become a better version of itself! It had a little help. 😉 

When you log in to our planner platform at platform.socio.events, you'll now find a new menu structure and improved design throughout the Platform. We've also greatly simplified how Webex Events products connect. Keep reading to learn more and watch this video for a tour!

⭐️ Keep in mind, although this post mainly refers to Events, these changes also apply to Communities! 🙌 The attendee experience is completely unchanged by this release.

Start with an Event

The Registration, Onsite, Event App, Community, Lead Retrieval, and Live Display products have always been separate. If planners wanted to use them all, they had to create a new Registration event, a new Event (Event App), and a new Onsite event and then link them so attendee data could sync between them.

With the Platform experience redesign, you always start by creating a single Event, and then you configure the products you need from within that Event. No more switching back and forth between multiple different "events" per-product. Want to use only the Event App? Start by creating an Event. Interested in using only Registration and Lead Retrieval? Start by creating an Event. Want to... Ok, you get the point.

When you create your Event, you’re not committing to buying any products. You’re simply creating a space with unified naming and branding where you’ll configure and activate the Webex Events products you need.

Creating an Event couldn't be simpler — our awesome team worked hard to make sure of that. Simply enter your event's basic information, pick an event type, location, and dates, then choose a theme color and dark mode choice, upload a logo, and you're done!

Cloning an old Event now clones everything all at once! No more cloning the Event App, then Registration, then Onsite.

New Event dashboard

After creating your Event, you're directed to the brand new dashboard where you can start configuring the Registration, Onsite, Event App, Lead Retrieval, and Live Display products. 

As your event progresses, the Activity section keeps you informed with key metrics that link to each related product's Metrics page. 

The Useful Links section dynamically shows links to helpful videos, articles, and learning courses based on which products you've activated and how close your event date is.

Simplified product management

Configuring and managing products is much simpler now. From the dashboard, click the Start button below a product or click the product in the navigation bar on the left side of the screen to start configuring it. You can customize Registration, the Event App, and Onsite with unique titles, descriptions, colors, and images so the attendee experience is just right at every phase of your event.

⭐️ Keep in mind, Lead Retrieval and Live Display still require a published Event App or Community.

As you configure a product, use the left navigation bar to switch between settings and features. Worried we moved stuff on you? Worry not! The menu structure and configuration you're used to in each product is still the same except in a couple minor areas.

The new navigation bar makes everything in the Event App accessible from a single source — no more pre-publish and post-publish menus on separate pages! 🎉

"So what happens to my current events?"

All linked Registration events, Event Apps, Onsite events and associated Lead Retrieval and Live Display have automatically been merged into a single Event, so you can pick right back up where you left off. 👍

If you're using multiple products for the same event, and they weren't linked before this release, they'll still each have their own Event. There's more to explore, so go visit the Webex Events Platform and start getting familiar! We've been working hard to get updates ready for all of the Webex Events Knowledge Base articles. We expect all changes to be published by 4pm CST today. At that point, all articles will be completely accurate to the new interface!

New Feature: Lobby

For a long time, the Overview feature has had pride of place with the Announcements and Attendees features as one of the default features in an Event App. Although the Overview feature has served us well, it's time to move on to bigger things. 👋

Enter: the Lobby feature!

Just like attendees walking into your physical event venue are greeted with signage, information, and welcome messaging, the Lobby feature gives your virtual and in-person attendees a space to get oriented and informed in the Event App. Because it links to your Event App's most important content, such as Agenda sessions, Speakers, and Sponsors, the Lobby is a great springboard to get attendees moving to other features.

Configuring your Lobby is a breeze! Choose from 11 different Modules to display in the Lobby, including an event countdown, cover image, custom description, and custom images, plus Agenda sessions, live streams, and Speakers, Sponsors, Exhibitors, and Custom List items.

Like most other Event App features, you can add the Lobby to your Event App multiple times. This lets you limit each instance to specific attendee groups to create customized experiences for different types of attendees.

⭐️ Keep in mind, the Lobby feature has replaced the Overview feature for all Event Apps and Communities created after January 26, 2023. All Event Apps and Communities created before that date can still use the Overview feature unless you delete it.

For complete instructions for using the Lobby, read our brand new Feature Guide: Lobby article.

Restrict Registrations by Email Domain

Want only people from certain companies to register, or make sure people register with their work emails by blocking @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, and similar domains? This option is for you! 

In your Event or Community navigation bar under ‘Registration', click Settings, then click General and scroll down to the 'Email Settings' section. 

Read our Registration Settings Overview article for a complete look at Registration settings.

That's all for today, folks. We're so excited about how these updates will simplify the planner experience! Go check out these awesome changes for yourself on the Webex Events Platform, and don't hesitate to contact support with any questions or concerns.

Platform 4.35
Onsite App 1.1.9

Can you believe it's almost December? Wait! It IS December?!! Time is flying, and so are improvements to the Webex Events Platform. To help you get into the holiday spirit, we have some early presents that we think you’ll really enjoy. Grab some hot cocoa, snuggle in, and unwrap these with us. 🎄 ☕

Webex Events Closed Captions & Translations for Simulive

In July, we introduced Webex Events Closed Captions & Translations for Webex Events Streaming and the Webex Events RTMP Player. Today, we're pleased to announce that Webex Events Simulive now provides the same great captioning and translation experience. 

If you've used Webex Events Closed Captions & Translations for Webex Events Streaming or RTMP, then enabling it for Simulive will sound very familiar. Simply select Webex Events Simulive in your Agenda session or Live Stream feature, select your video, activate captions, and select Webex Events Closed Captions & Translations as the closed caption provider — for free!

Read our Webex Events Closed Captions & Translations article for more details.

Onsite Badge Reprint Limit

Attendees sometimes losing their badges is a fact of the hustle and bustle of an event. While Onsite lets you reprint badges an unlimited number of times, you may not always want to let attendees reprint their badges as often as they like.

We now let you choose a Badge Reprint Limit in the Platform on the Onsite App > Other Settings page and under Printer Settings in the Onsite App. By default, reprint are unlimited, so use the slider to set limit. 

Read our Onsite App Configuration guide to learn more about customizing the Onsite App.

Order message customization improvements

In the Webex Events Platform, your Registration's Settings > Checkout page is where you go to customize and preview the confirmation, refund, and cancellation messaging attendees and purchasers see after buying a ticket. We've overhauled this page and added loads of awesome improvements. There are so many great changes that we had to wrap them all individually. 🎁 Keep reading to learn all about each one.

Unique Confirmation Page and Confirmation Email messages

Previously, you could add a custom confirmation message to the Registration checkout page and choose to include the same message in the confirmation email. Now you can make unique messages for the confirmation page and the confirmation email!

Now you can keep the checkout confirmation sweet and simple and provide much richer information in the confirmation email.

Variables and CTA buttons

Before this release, you could only add call-to-action (CTA) buttons for the App Store, Play Store, or a custom destination to the custom confirmation message. Now you can add CTA buttons and use variables in all message types, including the confirmation page and confirmation, cancellation, and refund emails.

Live message previews

When you edit any message type, you'll now see a live preview so you can view the results of changes you make as you make them!

Pause order emails

Have you ever wanted to keep confirmation, cancellation, or refund email notifications from sending automatically? Now you can! Simply click the Settings (⚙️) icon next to an email type and click Pause. 

The Status column will show 'Paused', and attendees won't automatically receive emails of that type until you un-pause them. 

⭐️ Keep in mind, you can manually send confirmation emails. Cancellation and refund emails can't be sent manually.

Hide order summary for free orders

Before we move on to a special sneak peek, we have one last little gift. You can now hide the order summary section from the confirmation email when all tickets in an order are free. When editing the confirmation email, click the Hide order summary for free tickets toggle.

See? I told you we made a lot of improvements. 😊 For a complete overview of these customization options, read our article about Registration Settings.

Sneak Peek! 👀 Platform Experience Redesign (Early 2023 release)

We don't usually condone peeking at presents before it's time to open them. In this case, we simply had to make an exception. 🤫

A lot of our happy customers have publicly ranked us as one of the easiest to use event management solutions in the industry. Even with all of this praise, we won't stop improving the Webex Events Platform planner experience. Today, it takes about 23 clicks to create an event, and linking the Onsite, Registration, and Event App products can be a little confusing.

With this change, coming in early 2023, you'll always create an event first — in only 11 clicks. You'll then add and manage the products you need for your event using the brand new overview page. Since you activate the Registration, Event App, Onsite, Lead Retrieval, and Live Display products from within the event, we'll never ask you to link one product to another again. 🎉

We're also updating our navigation menu into a single, unified sidebar with expandable sub-menus. 🙌

We're excited to put these changes in your hands next month, and we have even more big plans for Platform improvements in the coming year. We'll send out an update on a specific release date next month.

That's all for today, folks! Head over to the Webex Events Platform and explore these new changes for yourself. 

Platform 4.34
Event App 27.0.0

New Onsite Metrics page 

We know you love data. And what’s not to love about pretty charts and graphs that provide digestible and actionable insights? That’s why we’ve added a charcuterie board of Metrics to the Webex Events Onsite menu, dedicated solely to these data-filled doughnuts, pies, and other delicacies sure to satisfy your metrics cravings. Clearly, I'm hungry, but don’t worry — I’ll eat some leftover Halloween candy after finishing this post. 🍬

With Onsite Metrics, track check-in activity during and after your event to inform and improve check-in processes and the attendee check-in experience! Ever wonder when check-in is busiest? Want to know how many badges your check-in staff reprinted? How about badge printer usage? Now you can find these answers and more at a glance on the Onsite Metrics page. Drill down even further with charts sorted by Attendee Type or Badge Name, and filtered by time intervals and date ranges to keep you in the know about attendee check-in patterns. 📈 

Hungry for more? We have a very appetizing article about Onsite Metrics just for you!

Access and discount code import

End the monotony of manually entering and updating promo codes with our new Promo Code import template! If you have a buffet of discount and access codes that you need to add to Registration, you’ll really appreciate this new addition to the Event Registration Promo Code page. Simply download the template, add your promo codes to it, import the updated template, and you’re done. 

Need to edit a bunch of promo codes? No sweat! Export your promo codes, make updates, and import them again. 

What will you do with all the time you just saved, you ask? Maybe you should have a piece of Halloween candy.

For more information about how to use the Promo Code import template, read our Create Registration Promo Codes article.

Registration page event timezone display

This is a subtle yet clarifying update to the registration page. Now attendees can see your event’s timezone when they order tickets on your registration page. This will help alleviate potential confusion for those who live in a different timezone and ensure they don’t miss out on any part of your event. 🙌 

Third-party accessibility opt-in

We’re continually improving the built-in accessibility of our products. In Webex Events Registration and the Web App, we also offer an optional overlay with selectable accessibility profiles and adjustments, powered by a third-party AI solution. However, organizers previously couldn’t opt into or out of using this third party.

Now, we’ve also added a toggle to let you choose if you want to offer this to your attendees in our Registration and Web App products.

Facebook Sign Up and Log In Option sunset

To streamline our Branded App publishing and updating processes, we're sunsetting the Facebook Sign Up and Log In Option and profile image source as part of this release.

We’ve made sure that this change will be smooth for those who used Facebook to create their account on a Branded App. We've sent an email to the few Branded App customers that have the Facebook option enabled with simple instructions for attendees.

Image hosting change

We've changed our image hosting provider for the Webex Platform and all products for more security. We're already in touch with customers with Branded Apps to make sure they update their apps to the latest version. No action is needed for any other customers.