Introduction

Eventbookings offers a range of online event management software and solutions with extensive functionality – everything you need to manage an event successfully.

We can also provide additional delegate management services such as a participant help desk, full web-site design, badge production and onsite assistance.

If you are looking for online event management software we offer the most comprehensive solutions, delivered in the most flexible manner, using industry standard Microsoft technology.

Our online solutions offer full registration capability, booking travel, accommodation and agenda items and realtime, 24x7 reporting.

eventbookings.Net

Eventbookings.NET is the engine behind all of our online offerings. It is a new browser based event management software tool, built on Microsoft .NET technology. At its core are the full range of event management features including registration of participants, as well as booking travel, accommodation and other agenda items. It also offers additional modules that address sales campaign tracking, event consolidation, abstract management and a central repository for items such as hotels which may be re-used across multiple events.

The importance of the Microsoft .NET environment cannot be overstated. Most applications and databases have difficulty talking to each other. Event Management solutions have a need to integrate with other databases and the .NET environment facilitates that. The use of XML web services, a core part of the .NET environment, offers us programmable and re-usable technologies that extend the flexibility of the internet. XML web services are based on common open standards.

Eventbookings.NET has been built, based on the experience we have had offering a successful back office event management tool – confoRM, and our experience developing online data-base driven event management solutions.

Features

The eventbookings.NET comprehensive engine offers the event organiser a range of features that allows the fast creation of systems designed to match the requirements of participants. This technology provides information tailored to the needs of organisers, suppliers and participants – with ease of use being of prime importance.

The solution contains a library of sections, each of which contains a number of fields that address areas such as registration, flights, accommodation, and agenda items. These can be selected through a wizard approach, or directly through set up screens, and customised for individual events.

The Set Up wizard generates registration forms based upon our knowledge of the industry, capturing data in a logical sequence, and then allowing the form to be refined for the needs of the individual event by adding or subtracting fields as you wish.

Invitation Management

For events where there is an invited list of participants and/or the need to approve applications, eventbookings.NET includes the ability to import participant details and assign them user IDs and passwords, so that minimal data entry is required when they register.

Participants without invitations are able to submit their details which are queued to an Approver who simply has to authorise the registration. Potential attendees can be targeted with personalised emails.

Registration

Organisers can design & create their own custom registration forms for all types of events including complex multi-session, multi-day events together with multiple registration options.

Each event can be configured to allow the registration of additional participants, or partners, on one registration. Screens for these additional participants, or partners, may be configured to display a sub-set of the fields for the first participant, if needed. Data can be directly entered by participants, imported or entered by organisers, so that the online event database holds information about all participants – alleviating the need for a back office solution.

Online Credit Card Payments

Eventbookings.NET includes the ability to collect payment details securely, for on or offline processing and the potential to use Worldpay, a leading payment processor.

Automated Confirmations

After registering or editing their details participants receive an on screen confirmation followed by an email. The content and layout of these messages is easily managed.

Extensive Reporting

Eventbookings.NET includes a library of reports, which can be easily customised and extended. Reports can then be made available on a selective basis to accredited users. The reports are tailored for the use of participants, organisers and suppliers offering everybody real time, 24 x 7 access to data. Partners can be reported on separately, or linked to participants.

Badge Generation

The system generates a badge file which can be sent directly to a printer or we can print badges on your behalf. We offer a card printing facility including full graphical design, bar coding magnetic stripe, and smart card technology.

Onsite

Eventbookings.NET can be run live at an event or over an intranet. The intranet option is quick to set up and has the addition of fast registration. This enables minimal data to be keyed at the point of registration to generate a badge, with further data being keyed later. We also offer hand held devices for collection of participant information onsite.

Attendee Feedback

Participant feedback options range from email forms, through to online surveys and polling.

Add-on Modules

In addition to the core functionality additional modules are available. These include:

• Abstract Management – a complete online solution.
• Sales Campaign Tracking – tracks performance of participants against targets, builds history and integrates with winners event sites.
• Hotel/Airline XML interface – allowing two way communication of data.
• Hotel Database – re-usable information about hotels that can be used across events.
• Event Consolidation – allowing centralised reporting against events.
• SMS Messaging – send up to the minute information to participants mobile phones.
• Microsoft Business Framework interface – runs on top of .NET offering business applications such as CRM and Financials. Due for release in 2004.

Benefits

Eventbookings.NET benefits to Participants, Organisers and Suppliers include increased service and productivity – and saving money.

Enhanced Service:

• 24 x 7 access
• Pre-populated data for participants
• Easy access to information
• Onscreen and Email confirmations
• Online Credit Card Payments
• Additional Participants and Partners on one registration
• Amend and Cancel options
• Real time, 24 x 7 Online reporting

Increased Productivity:

• Quickly and easily set up Events
• Reduced data entry time
• Manage the “Look & Feel” of the site
• Highly flexible control of registration pages
• Extensive reporting, easily customised
• Export to Excel and Word
• Immediate badge generation
• Create sites in any language
• Multiple currency support
• Onsite intranet

Save Money:

• Reduced marketing cost
• Reduced phone and fax charges
• Reduced printing costs
• Reduced staff costs
• Reduced IT charges, if using the Hosted Solution

How Does It Work?

Eventbookings.NET runs in the public www, extranet or intranet environment, allowing the organiser to determine who has access to the various aspects of the solution.

Event Set Up

At the highest level within eventbookings.NET are Accounts, organisations or companies, to whom Events belong. Users are established at Event level permitting access and control of set-up, operations and reporting.

Within each Event is a library of available sections such as personal details, home contact, office contact, registration, flights, accommodation and agenda items. Each section contains fields which can be fully customised and flexibly managed. New sections and fields may be added. Tables of Codes, such as airports etc are provided and new ones can be created.

Answering a short list of questions the Event Set Up Wizard quickly generates an appropriate set of registration screens for your event, which you can then refine by entering the detail set up screens, so that within minutes the precise registration form and database for your event has been generated.

Events:

• Manage the “look & feel” of registration through style sheets.
• Use our HTML Import facility for creating banners and footers.
• Manage the size of labels and entry fields on each page of your registration.
• Set up each User with an appropriate security level and password.

Sections:

• Add and edit Sections automatically added by means of the wizard or through the user interface.
• Choose from a library of sections including Personal, Home, Office, Passport Details, Flights, Accommodation, Registration Category & Fees, Sessions, Social Events, Marketing and Demographic, Method of Payment, Credit Card payments and others.
• Decide when and how a section is displayed, dependant on type and status of a participant.
• Create and add new sections if your event has a specific need.
• Edit the content, appearance or position of a section itself.

Fields:

• Choose from a library of pre-designed fields or create new fully customisable fields.
• Manage the position and appearance of a field.
• Conditionally display fields for additional participant or partner registration.
• Wide choice of field types - Text, Dates, Drop Down lists, Radio Buttons.
• Allow numeric & monetary value fields to be added together.
• Create lists.

Codes:

• Use library of code tables provided – e.g. airports, countries etc.
• Add new tables to take account of individual need.
• Add/Modify/Delete entries in tables.
• Conditionally display entries based on date e.g. early bird registration.

Enquiries and Reporting

A user’s security level determines how they are able to interrogate and report on the event data. Choose the range & extent of reporting available to each level of user.

This may range from simply viewing reports through to creating, storing and editing reports. Based on the Event Set Up wizard a library of appropriate reports for the event will be created, which can be edited or extended.

All fields in the database can be accessed for reporting purposes, with extensive filtering and conditional selection possibilities.

When reports are generated they can be viewed on screen, printed, and exported to Microsoft Word or Excel.

Online Abstract Management

OASIS - Online Abstract Submission & Invitation Systema

An oasis of relief from the many headaches of abstract management:

• Incomplete abstracts
• Lack of control
• Sub-par system quality
• Special character incompatibility
• System overload
• Stress on personnel
• Zero vendor support
• Inflexible scoring
• Limited data access
• Ineffective reporting

The OASIS system consists of 4 modules:

• Submission
• Review
• Administration
• Program Planner/Itinerary Builder

Every aspect of the OASIS product and service is geared towards what we've learned about customer needs.

• OASIS allows you to collect abstracts, poster information and manuscript submissions directly through a link from your website.
• OASIS collects all submissions in their complete form, without leaving out crucial scientific characters, tables and graphics, so you don't have to worry about editing or re-keying anything!
• OASIS collects author information in a format that is readily extractable for publishing (saving time and money), and helps to ensure the accuracy of the submission.
• Easy to use reviewer features help administrators to quickly assign reviewers and allows for online or offline review with online scoring.
• No more worries about being out of the loop. Oasis lets you monitor the status of any abstract or manuscript throughout the review process.
• OASIS helps administrators build the conference sessions and easily slot presentations into the appropriate sessions.
• You can use the robust report wizard to create almost any report on the data collected, providing vital information to everyone involved during and after the meeting process.
• Meeting attendees can use the program planner to search for sessions of interest, build a personalized itinerary and even download it to their PDA device.

OASIS saves associations as well as their submitters and reviewers a considerable amount of time.

Using OASIS may even allow groups to move deadlines forward to ensure that research presented at conferences is timelier than ever before!

Implementation Options

We offer two basic forms of delivery:

• Hosted, where we provide the software to you on a hosted server, taking care of the entire technical infrastructure.
• In-house at your office, where you set up and manage the technical infrastructure in your own environment.

Hosted

With Hosted solutions we provide the software, hardware and communications to the internet leaving you free to simply use the software.

You may either choose to have a dedicated account, which would suit an organiser running regular meetings or a shared account, appropriate for one event.

This type of solution, delivered by an application service provider (asp), is often referred to as “software as a service”, saving time and resources by using an application service provider. As an asp we offer you the opportunity to utilise the latest available software without the need to invest in skills, IT infrastructure or ongoing support – this is particularly attractive to smaller event organisers, or larger companies who find it difficult to implement new solutions quickly and cost effectively through an internal IT department.

Paying for the Hosted Solution
Our charges for the hosted solution are based on an event set up fee and a per participant charge. The level of this charge varies according to the size and complexity of the event. We also offer volume agreements.

Domain Management
Clients may either use our domain and automatically generated addresses for event sites or, for an additional charge, have us register a domain for all of their events, or individual events.

Security
We provide extensive security for our hosted solution, to ensure that your data is never compromised. This includes multiple firewalls, data encryption, SSL certification, user authentication, and application security.

In-House

In-House solutions are installed at the client’s own site, and user managed, with the user taking responsibility for the licensing of operating systems, databases and management of the IT and communications infrastructure themselves.

Paying for the In-House Solution
We offer a wide range of licensing options for the in-house solution. Please ask for further details.

Domain Management
Clients are responsible for their own domain management, giving the option to offer clients a unique domain for their event(s).

Security
We provide application security. All other security is the responsibility of the Client, enabling full customisation of the solution.

Technical Platform

Eventbookings.NET is built on, and runs with, the following technologies:

• Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and .NET framework
• Microsoft SQL Server
• .NET Enterprise Servers
• Microsoft Windows Server family
• Microsoft Office

We have implemented this solution using Microsoft .NET technology because we are convinced that it is a major platform for the future. While traditional business requirements still apply, Microsoft.NET enables us to build solutions that are more adaptable and have the ability to interface with other applications and devices.

This ability will be largely driven by XML based integration. XML is a simple technology that allows programs to talk to each other meaningfully. XML web services make it possible for a software application to talk to other applications without human intervention – for example, if you need to display weather details at a venue this can easily be done by interrogating an XML weather web service. In the travel industry the Open Travel Alliance publishes standards for XML to which we adhere.

Browsers

To enable full use of all new features Event Organisers who are configuring eventbookings.NET, and users running reports should use the latest version of Internet Explorer.

Participants, and other users, are recommended to use the latest version of Internet Explorer or Netscape, although we do offer support for less popular browsers.

Application Security

eventbookings.NET allows you to maintain a high level of security but at the same time participants are given user IDs and passwords to re-visit their registration, users are given user IDs and passwords which allow them, selectively to view reports, edit data or create events.

The application supports SSL encryption for security sensitive data, such as credit card details, and we partner with Thawte for SSL certification.