Session Layout (in Speaker and Session Management)

(event) > Manage > Speakers and Sessions > Setup > Session Layout

Jump to Session Layout for:

• Simple Sessions

• Conference Sessions

 

Configure the layout of the  Speakers and Sessions Sessions" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Sessions page on which you add and edit sessions. (That page is not seen by attendees or speakers, only by planners.)

You need to do this before you can add any sessions to your event.

(Note: If you go to the  Speakers and Sessions Sessions" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Sessions page without having configured the layout here, then you are guided through doing so from that page.)

Choice of Session Layout

If not already done, you first choose one of the two starter options: Simple Sessions or Conference Sessions.

Whichever you choose has a default layout, which you can customize or use as it comes "out of the box".

• Simple Sessions layout.
  Includes:

  • Easy session entry

  • Up to 15 custom fields.

  • Auto-publish options

  • One speaker slot (that is, one scheduled instance of the session)

• Conference Sessions layout, available only if enabled for your account and event.
  Includes:

  • Up to 200 custom fields.

  • Multiple-instance scheduling

  • Multiple speaker slots (that is, multiple scheduled instances of any session: different dates/times/locations)

  • Review- and task-based workflow

  • Online Speaker Portal and Reviewer Portal

  • Online  Session Catalogs and Speaker Catalogs

  • For digital events, link sessions to webcasts

Editing the Layout

Tip:  You may first want to define any custom fields you will be using: see  Speakers and Sessions Setup Custom Fields" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Setup > Custom Fields. But if you don't, you can still add them to the layout later.

• Define and arrange fields on your layout, choosing from the pre-defined standard fields listed below, and the custom fields you have added.

• You can start with the default layout for your chosen option, or dive straight into configuring from scratch.

 – To add standard or custom fields, or section dividers, hover just above a section to display the Add button. Click that to choose what you want to add there.

 – To move an element (a field or section divider), hover over it for the pointer to change to a hand (and the element to change color), and drag the element to its new position.

 – To delete an element , hover over it until it changes color, and click the red cross that appears.

 – To resize fields, hover over the right edge and then drag it.

Note: Section dividers can't be resized – they take up the full width of the form. But you can edit the name (such as "Instances"): overtype the name in the text box.

Session Layout for Simple Sessions

The fields listed below are included in the default layout.

Standard fields: List of Standard Fields available for you to add to the layout.

Custom Fields: You can also add any Session Custom Fields configured on  Speakers and Sessions Layout Custom Fields" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Setup > Custom Fields.

Minimal Information

You cannot edit this section in the layout.

• Session Name – (Required) When a planner enters this, it should be unique in the event. May include only letters, numbers, dashes, and spaces. Maximum length: 255 characters.

• Session Type – (Required) The planner selects a session type from the drop-down list. Standard values are Keynotes, Hands-on Labs, Breakout Sessions, Interactive Sessions.
  You can add custom Session Types on  Speakers and Sessions Sessions "Types and Levels"" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Sessions > "Types".

• Session Code – (Required) Unique code identifying the session.
  Caution: The Session Code cannot be changed once saved!

Instances (section break)

One scheduled instance per session.

• Start Date – The date of the session instance.

• Location – The  Speakers and Sessions Locations" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline; font-weight: normal;"location.

• Start Time & End Time

• Capacity – – The maximum number of attendees.

• Waitlist Limit – The maximum number of attendees that can be waitlisted for the session instance.

• Speaker(s) – The planner clicks Add Speaker to add the first speaker. (Speakers are set up on the  Speakers and Sessions Speakers" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Speakers page.)

Auto Publish Details (section break)

Background Info

Sessions have to be "published" to selected attendee types to make them available for selection on forms (and in Certain Mobile), or assigned on  Registrations (registration) Sessions" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Registration Sessions or  Speakers and Sessions Bulk Assigment" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Assign Sessions.

You can choose whether to switch the Auto-Publish option ON, or leave it set to OFF.

● Auto-Publish = ON

When you set the switch to ON, the following details are displayed with a heading "Automatically Publish Sessions":

• Publish to Attendee Types – Click to select the Attendee Types to which each session will be published automatically as soon as an instance is scheduled.

• Publish for All–

  • If selected, each session will be published for all attendee types as soon as at least one of its instances is scheduled.

  • If cleared, you select attendee types in the selection list.

Both cases depend on instances first being scheduled. You do that on the Add/Edit Session page, or in the SCHEDULER grid view on the  Speakers and Sessions Sessions "GRID VIEW"" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Sessions page

● Auto-Publish = OFF

When you set the switch to OFF, a session must be published individually by a planner on the Add/Edit Session page. (Click the Publish button on that page, and select the attendee type(s) to publish to.)

You can only publish a session once you have scheduled at least one of its instances. You do that on the Add/Edit Session page, or in the SCHEDULER grid view on the  Speakers and Sessions Sessions "GRID VIEW"" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Sessions page

Session Layout for Conference Sessions

The default Conference Sessions session layout includes the fields listed below.

Standard fields: Most standard fields are already included in the default layout for Conference Sessions. Others available for you to add are Industries, Job Functions, and Session Label — see Standard Session Fields.)

Custom Fields: You can also add any Session Custom Fields configured on  Speakers and Sessions Layout Custom Fields" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Setup > Custom Fields.

Downgrade to Simple Layout – This button is available (at top right) when:
• you are editing the layout after selecting Conference Sessions, and

• the layout has less than 15 custom fields

Default Fields for Conference Sessions

The fields listed below are included in the default layout.

Minimal Information

You cannot edit this section in the layout.

• Session Name – (Required) When a planner enters this, it should be unique in the event. May include only letters, numbers, dashes, and spaces. Maximum length: 255 characters.

• Session Type – (Required) The planner selects a session type from the drop-down list.
  Standard values are Keynotes, Hands-on Labs, Breakout Sessions, Interactive Sessions.
  You can add custom Session Types on  Speakers and Sessions Sessions "Types and Levels"" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Sessions > "Types". (A planner can also add new ones while adding or editing a session.)

• Session Code – (Required) The planner enters a unique code identifying the session.
  Caution: The Session Code cannot be changed once saved!

Organizational (section break)

• Track  – The planner selects an Event Track from those set up on  Speakers and Sessions Tracks" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Tracks.

• Tags – The planner selects any of the tags set up for the current account (by an Administrator in Account Settings > Management > Tags).
  This is especially for use in conjunction with the Points value of the session as a metric for integration connectors, and for reporting. See this example.

• Session level – The planner selects a level of difficulty, if applicable. The standard levels included are Beginner, Intermediate , and Advanced.
  You can add custom levels on the  Speakers and Sessions Sessions "Types and Levels"" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Sessions page. (A planner can also add new ones while adding or editing a session.)

• Points – The number of points allocated per Tag (see Tags, above), used when attendees' interest metrics are calculated. The aggregate number of points per tag can be exported via a connector to a third-party application (such as Eloqua or Marketo), or seen in the Interest Metrics Report

• Duration – (Required) The length of the session, in Hours and Minutes. This is used when a planner schedules the session on the SCHEDULER grid view on the  Speakers and Sessions Sessions 'Grid'" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Sessions page.

• CEU Credits – The number of Continuing Education credits applicable

• No of Instances – The number of instances that can be scheduled. The planner can click Add Instance until this limit is reached — the button is then no longer displayed. (They can increase this number to be able to add more.)

• Speakers – The planner clicks Add Speaker to add the first speaker. (Speakers are set up on the  Speakers and Sessions Speakers" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline;"Speakers page.)

Schedules (section break)

• Instances – The planner sees a list of the instances for the session being edited or viewed.
  Details shown: Session Instance Code, Date & Time, Location, Capacity, and the numbers of attendees Registered and Waitlisted.
  They click an instance to edit those details, and can add speakers, for example.

The planner can add multiple instances per session (to the limit set by No of Instances, above).

The planner enters or selects the following details for each one:

• Start Date – The date of the session instance.

• Location – Where the session takes place. The planner selects from  locations set up in  Speakers and Sessions Locations" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline; font-weight: normal;"Locations.

  • Note:  A Location is still required even if the session is linked to a webinar for a digital event. 
    You can set up a "virtual " location for such sessions, such as "Zoom Meeting" instead of "Room A12".
    Without a location, the  button to Connect Online Session would not even be displayed.

• Start Time & End Time

• Capacity – The maximum number of attendees.

• Waitlist – The maximum number of attendees that can be waitlisted for this session instance.

• Add/Manage Speakers – The planner can add  Speakers and Sessions Speakers" style="display: inline; font-family: Lato, Verdana, Arial, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(22, 7, 255); text-decoration: underline; font-weight: normal;"Speakers to the session (or edit the list of assigned speakers).

Additional Details(section break)

• Abstract File  – The planner can upload the abstract document (e.g., a PDF).

• Abstract Description – The planner can add this using an HTML Editor.

• Session Presentations – The planner can upload the presentations (e.g., Powerpoint files).

• Auto Publish Details – See Auto Publish under "Session Layout for Simple Sessions" above.

• Session Description – The planner can add this using an HTML Editor.

• Session Notes – The planner can add internal text notes.

•  Fee – The planner can add date-based session fees and cancellation fees.

See Also

• List of Speaker and Session Management documents, videos, and help topics