Events Overview

• Last Update: 6/23/2021
• Pricing Tier: All
• Appointment Version: Single & Multiple

The Events feature in the AppointmentPlus scheduling system provides your business the opportunity to create point-in-time activities to which your Participants (Customers) can register. Unlike Appointments, which are scheduled at the desire of the Participants, an Event is set up and the date/time of the activity is determined by you (or your administrators). You can leverage the Events feature to deliver workshops or large-group meetings as your business needs grow over time.

Note: Before you get started, you may want to review the Settings for Events in your account. We'll cover that in this article.

Contents

• Event Settings
• Using Event Templates
• Types of Events
• Creating a New Event
• How to View Events
• How to Delete Events
• Viewing Events from the Customer View
• Using Point of Sale with Events

Event Settings

To review and check the configuration of your account for Events:

• Click Settings
• Click Events

In this area of the account settings, you'll decide who and how your Events should be viewed. Depending on how many Events you plan to host or how you want to manage them, you should set any of the options on this page according to your needs.

If you plan to host a larger number of Events, we recommend that you choose to display Events only by the Location where they are scheduled (preference #1) and to use a drop-down field of Events on the Customer View (preference #2).

Also, if you plan to assign Staff Members to an Event and you don't want them to be able to also have an Appointment scheduled at the same time, you'll probably want to block the calendar availability for any Staff Member assigned to an Event (preference #6).

 

Changing the Term for Events

You may refer to Events by another word with your Staff Members or Participants. To change the terminology used for Events:

• Click Settings
• Click Terms
• Locate the preference option #8, for the term used to describe one-time events such as classes, concerts, etc.
• Enter both a singular and plural form of the terms.
• Click Update

Using Event Templates

Do you regularly host Events with the same purpose or information being delivered to your Participants or attendees? If so, you should consider creating a template for each different Event so that it is easier to schedule future instances of that Event. Let's review the way to use the Event Templates.

An Event Template allows you to establish default information for each future Event instance created using the template. The name, description, duration, cost, type, and other settings will be saved with the template and then used when you create an Event from the template in the future. It will save time and effort while standardizing your Event information.

To create a template, click Events and Add Event Template.

On this form, fill in the required fields and set any other details appropriate for any future Event:

• Template Name: This is an internal name that you would use as a reference when creating a future Event from this template.
• Event Name: The public name of the Event that is displayed to your Staff Members or Participants.
• Description: Provides details and information to users looking at an Event created from this template.
• Allow Customer to See: Determine whether or not your Participants (Customers) should see and be able to register for Events created using this template.
• Duration: The length of Events created from this template.
• Cost: The cost of Events created from this template.
• Event Start Time: The time of day that Events created from this template will start. If you leave this time blank, you will be able to set a start time in individual Events when you create an activity from a template.
• Multi-day Format: Set the type of Events that will be created from this template. For more information, please review the Types of Events section. 
• Max # of Participants: Set a maximum attendee limit. Leave this blank if you'll want to set this based on each future Event and the facility you'll be using.
• Status: Set whether the template is Active or Inactive. Inactive templates cannot be used when creating a new Event.

When you create a future Event from a template, the settings of the template will apply. If you make changes to the details in the template, like changing the ability for a Participant/Customer to see the Event or the format of it, that change will propagate to the Events created using that template. Depending on how you decide to offer Events, you may need to create separate templates so that the settings apply as you need them.

Types of Events

Now that your account is set up with the proper configuration, let's take a look at the different types of Events you can create. 

On the Events form, you'll need to choose if your Event is either:

• A set of date options for which Customers will register for only one day of the Event. Use this type of Event if you are delivering the same content each day. (Multi-day Event = no)
• A series of dates for which Customers will register and attend all days of the Event. Use this type of Event if the content is different each day/time and Customers will need to attain all information delivered by your Staff Members. (Multi-day Event = yes)

When you have figured this out for your new Event, you'll configure the Event Fields (next section) appropriately.

Creating a New Event

To create a new Event in your account, click Add Event. On this page, you'll complete the form and choose specific dates on which your Event will be offered. If you use an Event Template, field data from the template will be copied into the new Event.

Complete any of the following fields and make sure to select dates on which the Event is being offered.

• Template: A drop-down field listing any active Event template.
• Title: The public name of the Event that is displayed to your Staff Members or Participants.
• Description: Provides details and information to users looking at an Event created from this template.
• Allow Customers to See: Determine whether or not your Participants (Customers) should see and be able to register for this Event.
  
• Duration: The length of the Event.
  
• Cost: The cost of the Event. If you are allowing your Participants to pay for Events when they are scheduled through the Customer View, the system will pull in the Event cost when calculating the amount due.
• Event Start Time: The time of day an Event will start.
• Multi-day format: Set the type of the Event. For more information, please review the Types of Events section.
• Max # of Participants: The maximum attendee limit for this Event.
• Staff Member: The user in your account that will be the host or deliverer of the Event information. If you have configured your account to block time for assigned Staff Members, this user's calendar will see the Event on the grid and will prevent Customers from booking Appointments during the time of the Event.
• Room: If your account is configured to also use the Rooms feature and you select a Room for your Event, the Room will be unavailable for other activities (Appointments or Events) during the time of the event.
• Event Dates: Select all dates associated with the Event. Depending on the type of Event, your Participants will either register for individual dates or be automatically registered for all dates.

Editing an Event

One thing to note about editing is if you are changing the dates of the Event activity, you'll be prompted to Move Participants to another date if you are removing a date that already has registered attendees. You have a few options to consider when removing dates from a single-date Event, where the Multi-day Format is set to no.

1. 1. If you wish to move Participants to another date, check the box for this option. If unchecked and a date is canceled, all current registered Participants will be unregistered and receive the Cancellation email notification.
      1. If you marked this checkbox, set the From and To date fields. The dates listed in these fields are all dates on which the Event is set to be offered.
   2. For the specific date being removed from the Event, choose the Cancellation Reason from the drop-down field and click the Cancel link.

How to View Events

From the Appointments tab, you can view Events from a couple different areas.

To view upcoming Events regardless of date, click View All Events.

To view Events on a specific date, click or navigate to that date on the calendar. Above the Staff Member calendar, you will see a box listing the Events scheduled on that date.

From either area of the application, you can view details of the Event, see the current registration count and add Participants to the Event.

How to Delete Events

If you need to delete an Event from your account. click Events. Locate the Event you need to remove and click the Delete link.

If the Event has any currently registered Participants, the system will not send a cancellation email notification to them. It is recommended that you first edit the Event to remove dates so that you can provide cancellation reason details to anyone registered.

Viewing Events from the Customer View

Events on the default Customer View are displayed below the Appointment locator section. Customers will be able to review the title, description, and all available dates of the Event. If you would like Events to be displayed in a drop-down list, set Events preference #2 in your account to Yes.

List View	Drop Down View

Using Point of Sale with Events

If you are using the Point of Sale plugin with your Events, you will see a few additional fields on either the template or the Event form. You can complete these fields, as appropriate, for your Events:

• Product/Service Code: The product or service code pertaining to the specific Event. It relates to the code you use to identify the Event when processing a sales transaction via the POS module.
• Taxable: Events can be classified as taxable or non-taxable.
• Category: Categories can be assigned to Events. The categories are created in the POS module.