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.

Not a customer yet? We'd love to give you a demo!

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.

Platform 4.31
Event App 25.1.0
Onsite App 1.1.5

Introducing Webex Events Closed Captions & Translations 🎉

This one's so exciting, I don't know where to begin! No extra cost! Simple! Automatic! Mobile and web! Only the beginning! Ok... calm down. Deep breaths. You can do this. 

We're proud to introduce Webex Events Closed Captions & Translations for Socio Streaming and the Socio RTMP player! Included with your Socio Streaming credit, this feature lets you provide closed captions and translations from English into 30+ languages, visible to live stream viewers in the Web App and Mobile App.

Enable Webex Events Closed Captions & Translations in just three clicks, and you're ready. No captioner coordination. No widget codes. No sweat if you change a session start time.

Here's how it works:

We use the power of machine learning to automatically generate captions in 34 languages. When you start your live stream, we apply a delay of 30 seconds to the video feed so the machine translation can "preview" the stream and show captions in sync with what's being said.

This is just the start, and we're looking forward to improving this feature soon. 🧡 There's more to learn, and our knowledge base article has the goods!

Bulk Resend Order Confirmation

This change is small, but mighty. 💪 You can now multi-select up to 100 Registration orders and resend confirmation emails!

If you select orders with statuses other than 'COMPLETE', confirmation emails will only be sent to completed orders.

'Nuff said! Read all about managing orders in our knowledge base.

Onsite badge design improvements

If you thought we were done after last month's badge design improvements... Well, I won't hold it against you, because why would you have formed a theory about that anyway? *ahem* 

Anyway, this months batch of improvements is sure to please our productivity-minded users. We've introduced keyboard shortcuts, pinch/scroll to zoom on touch devices, and multi-selection! Here's a breakdown of the new keyboard commands.

When you multi-select elements, you can move and resize them all at the same time. With User Info or Text type elements, you can multi-select and update the font, color, size, and other styling options for all selected elements. 

BONUS! You can now also add the Summary field to badges. If Onsite is linked to an Event App, attendee summaries will print on the badge! 

Learn all about designing badges in our Onsite Badge Creation article.

Upcoming Webex Events app name changes

On August 24th, the Socio Event App, the Socio Check-in, Badge Printing app, and the Lead Retrieval by Socio app will adopt the Webex Events name in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. We’re keeping "Socio" in the listings for all three of our apps so attendees can find the right app even if they search for "Socio". 

Additionally, the Event App display name on your device will change from "Socio" to "Webex Events" with our brand new launch icon.

⭐️ Keep in mind, the new Event App icon shown above is blurred because we're not ready to reveal our new icon just yet! 🤭

We’re letting you know so that you can provide updated app access instructions to your attendees for upcoming events. No matter what kind of event you're hosting, or when, our App Access Instructions for Attendees guide has everything you need. Branded Event Apps won't be affected by these changes. 

Look for more changes from "Socio" to "Webex Events" in our products over the coming months. 👀

It's a privilege to keep improving attendee and organizer experiences month after month, but that's all for today, folks! Hop over to the Socio Platform and take a look at these new changes for yourself. Not a customer yet? We'd love to give you a demo!

UPDATE! We've upgraded Video Rooms and Video Chat to allow 13 attendees and 3 moderators in a Video Room and 13 private video chat participants. Video Rooms also now work on Mobile! 🙌 

Listen up, folks! We just opened up a whole new world of networking and attendee interaction in Socio. Half the magic of attending an event in-person is being able to talk to people face to face. Anything that brings virtual attendees closer to that experience is a huge win for your events. That's why we're thrilled to announce the release of the Video Rooms feature and private video messaging.

Video Rooms

With Video Rooms, you can set up spaces where up to 10 attendees and 3 moderators can talk with one another via live video, audio, and typed messages and send Connection requests. Attendees can also share their screen.

You can use Video Rooms for breakout discussions, live Q&A, staff meetups, icebreaker rooms, Sponsor demo rooms, or whatever else you can dream up. For now, this feature is only available on the Web App, but mobile support is coming soon!

Video Room moderators don't count against the 13-person limit, and they can remove people from the room and delete their chats at the same time.

To get started, check this out.

Private Video Chat

Along with Video Rooms, we've added video messaging to the current attendee to attendee text chat on both the Web and Mobile apps! Currently, you can have up to 10 people in your private video chat. 😄 

Web App Attendees can click the Video button at the bottom of a chat conversation. 

Mobile App users can tap the + icon at the bottom of a chat conversation and then tap Video. When they're ready, people can click or tap Join Video Chat.

Inside a Video session, users can mute their voice or video feed and send each other typed messages. Web App users can also share their screen. 

We're super happy to bring these awesome features to you. Here's to many more in the future! 🙌 

Hop over to the Socio Platform and take a look for yourself. Not a customer yet? We'd love to give you a demo!

The moment you've been waiting for ever since we announced Socio's RTMP Player is here. Socio's Q&A and Polling make it easier than ever to host your live stream in the Socio Platform. There's no need to pay for an outside tool, and everything you need to keep your attendees engaged with your sessions is manageable from one central place.

Socio's Q&A and Polling functionality become available after you publish your event, once you have access to the Manage tools. You can enable Q&A and Polling individually for certain sessions or live streams, have a dedicated feature for each, or even import several at a time. 

The flexibility is in your hands. For Q&A, you can require that questions be moderated before going live (or not), and even allow anonymous questions. For polling, you can schedule polls in advance or make them active whenever you want, and allow users to view polling results (or not) as desired. 🙌

Best of all, question moderation and Q&A/Polling settings are all manageable from the Socio Platform. 

For more info on how to set up these features, check out our Q&A and Polling articles!

Questions? Chat Us or Email support@socio.events

The Socio team is thrilled to present two new Event App features - Single Item and Single Document!

Single Item

The Single Item feature provides you with a simple and clean way to present information to event app users. Use this feature to highlight your event WiFi instructions, event contact info, a welcome letter, or any other content that deserves a standalone feature.

This is similar to the Custom List feature, but instead has only one item that opens in a simple, one-click view.

The Single Item feature lets you easily share critical information with attendees, putting it front and center in your event app! This helps save you time you'd have spent answering attendee questions, and helps your event go as smoothly as possible. We've got your back. 👍 

Single Document

The Single Document feature is a quick way to present a document or image to event app users, directly from the home page of your event app. Use this feature to showcase the seating chart, dinner menu, or any other information best presented in hard-copy form.

This is similar to the Documents feature, but with only one document that launches immediately on-click.

The Single Item feature and Single Document feature let you easily share critical information with attendees, putting it front and center in your event app! This helps save you time you'd have spent answering attendee questions, and helps your event go as smoothly as possible. We've got your back. 👍 

It's simple! Add the Single Item and Single Document feature to your event in the Socio Platform now. 

For a personalized discussion on how the Single Item and Single Document feature can be used in your event, feel free to chat with us, or schedule a call with one of our event tech experts today.

But wait — there were several other exciting product updates included in this release, including session reminders, announcements improvements, the ability to hide agenda participants, the ability to hide inactive attendees, and more! For more info, check this out.

Questions? Chat Us or Email support@socio.events

The Socio team is excited to introduce our newest feature - the App Guide! 

The App Guide feature provides event app users with easy access to our extensive Event App Help Center, including feature walk-through articles and networking best practices. Like you, we want your attendees to get the most out of your event app!

Whether your event app goals include increasing interaction, engagement, and sponsorship ROI, or simplifying the distribution of information, the App Guide will aid in these efforts by ensuring all attendees can use your event app to the utmost advantage. For more info, check out the below! 👇

You invest in your event app for a lot of reasons - all of which require your attendees to engage with it! While it may be clear to you why you implemented your event app, some attendees may be unsure of how to get the most out of the app. Enter: the App Guide.

While we work to ensure our app is easy to navigate and intuitive for attendees to use, there will always be folks who want a walkthrough! We've got them covered.

Others will be engaging with the app already, but are interested in making sure they're using all of the features to their best advantage. We've got them covered too. 👍 

The App Guide feature furthers your event app goals by:

• Articulating the value-add of the app features and increasing interaction with them
• Prompting your attendees to engage and providing best practices for doing so
• Reducing the strain on your event staff by ensuring attendees know how to get the information they need out of the app

It's simple! Add the App Guide to your event in the Socio Platform today. 

Feel free to chat us below, schedule a call with one of our event tech experts, or if you already have an event set up, learn more about incorporating the App Guide feature in your event!

Questions? Chat Us or Email support@socio.events

Your events excite, educate, and inform attendees. You connect and bring them together, and stimulate new business for your vendors. Simply put, your events drive people to act!

What if there was a way to motivate and raise engagement even further? With the power of gamification there is!

What is Gamification?

Gamification is applying the competitive nature and structure of gaming to things outside the world of entertainment, allowing you to create an even more fun, exciting, and memorable experience for your attendees than you already do. 

Meet Socio Event Gamification 🎉

Create challenges and encourage attendees to participate in more ways while generating value with rewards and competition.

• Want to drive traffic to your top sponsor? ✅
• Want to inject some friendly fun into your event atmosphere? ✅ 
• Want to incentivize networking among your attendees? ✅ 
• Want to increase optional session attendance? ✅

It's simple! Add an Event Game in the Socio Platform today. 

Excited to see how gamification can change your event? Feel free to chat us below, schedule a call with one of our event tech experts, or if you already have an event set up, learn more about how to create and set up your game!

Questions? Chat Us or Email support@socio.events