This summer, Certain Software will be launching Certain v5. The time has come to officially drop the "Registration" from our product offering...simply because we have become so much more than just online registration. Certain is a full event management software solution with attendee management, strategic meetings management, sourcing & RFP and social networking. What is more, we are implementing new streamlined User Interface. I must admit...it was time for the "orange"color-theme to go. Although, I had some serious misgivings when some very vogue-ish graphic designers told us that the new "in" color was "orange". We just got ahead of the curve! Look for more details in the next month on the unveiling of Certain v5!
Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 by
Kimberly Enright
One of the side benefits of the social networking phenom is that attendees for conferences and events are actually registering earlier. We used to think early bird promos would do the trick...now, we have learned that meeting and event planners who use a social networking tool are reaping the benefits of enticing attendees to register earlier. Finding out who is attending, and what groups are collaborating is a big draw. The trend will only continue. Certain has partnered with Pathable, the leader in social networks for meetings and events. Using Certain's Web Services API, Pathable is fully integrated with the attendee registration form in Certain Registration. All of this is seamless to the attendee. All they know, is that they like it and the meeting planners love it, as it shows real value add.
Posted Friday, June 26, 2009 by
Rick Borry
Corbin Ball saw the announcement that Certain Registration and Pathable have integrated our online registration system with their event social networking application. Professional event planners can now use the information they collect in the online event registration process to populate attendees' profiles in the social networking tool. Attendees can then use Pathable to make connections before or during the event.
Much of the credit for this project goes to Brett Weigl, who led the partnership arrangement, and Ryan Manville and Dustin Chesterman, the two developers who built our Web Services API that allowed this to happen so quickly.
To me, the biggest news is that this project proved the value of our expanded Web Services API – without this it would have been too expensive and taken too long to even try this kind of mash-up. Look for more of this from Certain Software as we expand our API and adopt APEX and OTA standards.
Posted Thursday, June 25, 2009 by
Rick Borry
We launched our integration with RESX web services last Thursday. The feature is off by default, so most customers are not yet aware of it. It allows meeting planners to enter their RESX access information into a “Travel Connector”, which can then be used to sync attendees’ event registrations with travel reservations that occur over the event’s date range and default airports. The sync process can be scheduled to occur on up to 5 pre-set dates, e.g. the night before an arrival/departure manifest is due, or it can be triggered manually at any time.
Posted Wednesday, June 24, 2009 by
Rick Borry
We have started development on adding Single Sign-On (SSO) integration between Certain Registration and both RESX and GetThere. SSO is convenient, because it allows the attendee to complete their online event registration and online travel reservation at the same time, without having to log in to two different systems. We can even streamline the process, for example, the meeting planner can configure the event to have default arrival and departure dates and default airports. Then when the attendee passes from event registration to travel search, the travel tool can show them the best flight options for those default dates and airports, given their company's travel policies for that individual.
There are some catches, however. Single sign-on means that when the attendee has logged into one system, they get access to the other. So you have to be sure that the system they are logging into meets the security requirements of both applications. For example, it would not be wise to allow a simple sign on to the registration form, e.g. using only the Registration Code or Name, because then SSO would bypass the security requirements of the Travel system.
There are some catches, however. Single sign-on means that when the attendee has logged into one system, they get access to the other. So you have to be sure that the system they are logging into meets the security requirements of both applications. For example, it would not be wise to allow a simple sign on to the registration form, e.g. using only the Registration Code or Name, because then SSO would bypass the security requirements of the Travel system.
Posted Tuesday, June 23, 2009 by
Kimberly Enright
Certain and Pathable(R) have joined forces to present meeting and event planners with an integrated social networking tool for their events. Pathable is one of the first social networking applications dedicated solely to the meeting planning community. As used by MPI, Pathable has been at the forefront of the social networking field. Now fully integrated with the online registration forms in Certain Registration, the attendee can collaborate ahead of time with other event attendees. The meeting planner can provide a real value add for their meetings. It is amazing how many of our meeting planners have been asking for social networking to be integrated with the registrant database through the online registration forms. Now Certain Registration's social networking is here. Check it out today.
Posted Tuesday, June 23, 2009 by
Rick Borry
The RESX online travel reservation tool has a single sign on (SSO) capability that Certain Registration will use to integrate our online event registration forms with the online travel reservation application used by many corporate meeting planners.
RESX's SSO system uses both a timestamp and access key to ensure secure integration. Not only would a malicious user need to learn how to generate the security parameter from the unique access key, they would have to re-learn this repeatedly and instantly as the current date and time is encoded in the constantly-changing security parameter. Such a combination of timestamp plus access key helps us guarantee that the person who registered for the event in Certain Registration is the same person who is accessing the RESX online travel reservation system via a single convenient hyperlink.
Posted Monday, June 22, 2009 by
Rick Borry
Certain Registration 4.25 is now live, with travel integration between our online registration forms and the major Global Distribution Systems via the TRX ResX online travel booking tool. My focus now shifts to adding direct integration to the Sabre GDS and single sign on (SSO) integration to both ResX and GetThere corporate travel reservation systems.
GetThere has SSO services for user authentication, and the modification or addition of user profiles. Certain will allow corporate meeting planners to connect their online event registration forms to the GetThere online travel booking application via secure, tightly integrated single sign on.
GetThere has SSO services for user authentication, and the modification or addition of user profiles. Certain will allow corporate meeting planners to connect their online event registration forms to the GetThere online travel booking application via secure, tightly integrated single sign on.
Posted Wednesday, June 17, 2009 by
Rick Borry
We are releasing Certain Registration version 4.25 today with integration between our online registration application and the Global Distribution Systems via the TRX ResX corporate travel booking tool. I had to postpone delivery of a last-minute design issue, as I discussed in yesterday's post.
In most cases, attendees will register online for the event and then book their travel reservation to arrive in the event's airport on the default arrival date and depart from the same airport on the event's final date.
Some travellers may need to piece together two separate tickets around their event. For example, I might book a round-trip from home to the event, then later discover that I need to visit a client after the event. It may be cheaper to simply lose the second half of the original ticket and create a new ticket that originates at the event, goes to the client site, and then brings me back home.
Since Certain Registration only stores one travel reservation per event registration, we could not keep records of both the original reservation and the new, overlapping reservation. The issue exposed itself too late in the release cycle to be changed with our version launched today.
So the solution will wait for the next release, which will also include integration with Sabre and GetThere. We will only store the earliest non-cancelled trip reservation within Certain. In the odd situation described above, the planner will need to manually update the event departure trip information if that is of consequence to their departure manifests.
Posted Wednesday, June 17, 2009 by
Lila Meyer
We recently surveyed our customers to find out which event and meeting planning product enhancements are most important to them. Eighty-five percent of respondents said a streamlined and user-friendly interface was either a nice to have or must have improvement. I'm happy to report that we're currently working on a facelift for Certain Registration that you'll be able to preview in July. Our goal is to give Certain Registration a fresh coat of paint and provide customers with a streamlined, easy-to-use application.
We also want to gather feedback from other meeting and event planning professionals. If you're not currently a Certain Software customer, please take a few minutes to tell us what a successful meeting and event planning application needs to offer for you to consider purchasing it. We'll reward the 25th, 50th, and 100th respondents with a $25 iTunes giftcard!
Click Here to Start Obligation-Free Survey
We also want to gather feedback from other meeting and event planning professionals. If you're not currently a Certain Software customer, please take a few minutes to tell us what a successful meeting and event planning application needs to offer for you to consider purchasing it. We'll reward the 25th, 50th, and 100th respondents with a $25 iTunes giftcard!
Click Here to Start Obligation-Free Survey
Posted Wednesday, June 17, 2009 by
Rick Borry
We plan to release Certain Registration version 4.25 tomorrow with integration between our online registration application and the Global Distribution Systems via the TRX ResX corporate travel booking tool. Today I had to address one of those last-minute design issues that always slip through to the end.
In most cases, attendees will register online for the event and then book their travel reservation to arrive in the event's airport on the default arrival date and depart from the same airport on the event's final date. A few travellers, however, will encounter "special" situations. One we had to deal with today was when the attendee books their travel, then Certain synchronizes the online registration data with the travel information, then the attendee cancels the reservation and creates a new reservation. Since Certain only stores one travel reservation per event registration, we could not keep records of both the cancelled reservation and the new ticketed reservation.
The solution was to remove the reference to the cancelled trip and replace it with the new ticketed travel.
Posted Tuesday, June 16, 2009 by
Brett Weigl
In product management here at Certain, we've run a customer survey to gather feedback to help prioritize our roadmap for the next 18 months.
One topic we've been particularly interested in is online registration for "simple events". Clearly, not every event registration process requires complex information; indeed, many could do with a very simple application to collect attendee data.
Meeting planners have typically chosen Certain because of our professional-grade online registration and event data reporting tools. With Certain's forms, you can tailor the online registration experience to each attendee type with a high degree of accuracy, allowing you to deliver value and personalization to your clients.
However, some events really just require some contact information, an RSVP, and perhaps dietary and special assistance questions.
We're currently designing new features that will allow our customers to build online registration for their meetings and events in two ways: one, our traditional route, and two, a "Simple Event Mode", that will facilitate creation of the event details, form, and online registration experience in one easy process that takes 5 minutes.
I'm interested to hear what you consider "simple." If you want to set up an online registration form in your meetings management software, what is an absolute must-have on the registration form if you are advertising a simple event. Feel free to either comment on this page, or else email features@certain.com with your opinions.
Thanks
Brett
One topic we've been particularly interested in is online registration for "simple events". Clearly, not every event registration process requires complex information; indeed, many could do with a very simple application to collect attendee data.
Meeting planners have typically chosen Certain because of our professional-grade online registration and event data reporting tools. With Certain's forms, you can tailor the online registration experience to each attendee type with a high degree of accuracy, allowing you to deliver value and personalization to your clients.
However, some events really just require some contact information, an RSVP, and perhaps dietary and special assistance questions.
We're currently designing new features that will allow our customers to build online registration for their meetings and events in two ways: one, our traditional route, and two, a "Simple Event Mode", that will facilitate creation of the event details, form, and online registration experience in one easy process that takes 5 minutes.
I'm interested to hear what you consider "simple." If you want to set up an online registration form in your meetings management software, what is an absolute must-have on the registration form if you are advertising a simple event. Feel free to either comment on this page, or else email features@certain.com with your opinions.
Thanks
Brett
Posted Tuesday, June 16, 2009 by
Brett Weigl
Today we're announcing the release of Certain Sourcing, a web-based application that enables meeting planners to manage all facets of the RFP, site search, hotel evaluation, and contract process. We've leveraged industry experts with over 50 years combined experience with site selection to develop technology that works the way planners really work.
We're seeking a few early adopter customers who are willing to implement Certain Sourcing in their organizations on a trial basis; the software will be available to you through December 31, 2009, for up to 3 users, should you join up. The only thing we ask is that you participate in 3 web conferenced feedback calls, so that we can gather information about the value the application provides to real planners who use Certain Sourcing to streamline their site selection, RFP, and meetings management workflow.
To participate, please email me at bweigl@certain.com for more information.
In addition to providing tools that help you match the best site to each meeting, Certain Sourcing will integrate with Certain Meetings, allowing your team to implement a strategic meetings management program coupled with best-practice supplier negotiation tools. Together, we believe Certain Meetings and Sourcing together offer significant opportunities for ROI and time savings for enterprise meeting planners.
Follow this blog for more news about our Certain Sourcing launch. Also, feel free to follow me and the Certain team on Twitter for more up-to-date announcements about Certain's solutions for strategic meetings management.
We're seeking a few early adopter customers who are willing to implement Certain Sourcing in their organizations on a trial basis; the software will be available to you through December 31, 2009, for up to 3 users, should you join up. The only thing we ask is that you participate in 3 web conferenced feedback calls, so that we can gather information about the value the application provides to real planners who use Certain Sourcing to streamline their site selection, RFP, and meetings management workflow.
To participate, please email me at bweigl@certain.com for more information.
In addition to providing tools that help you match the best site to each meeting, Certain Sourcing will integrate with Certain Meetings, allowing your team to implement a strategic meetings management program coupled with best-practice supplier negotiation tools. Together, we believe Certain Meetings and Sourcing together offer significant opportunities for ROI and time savings for enterprise meeting planners.
Follow this blog for more news about our Certain Sourcing launch. Also, feel free to follow me and the Certain team on Twitter for more up-to-date announcements about Certain's solutions for strategic meetings management.
Posted Friday, June 12, 2009 by
Rick Borry
Out of sheer habit I've been using the old Convention Industry Council's web site as a link when I discuss the Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX). Today I finally changed my bookmark to the new web site at www.apexsolution.org. It's a well-organized site that explains a vision for professional meeting planners to better organize their work processes, such as online registration, site selection, contracting, housing management, and event planning documentation. Certain Software has actively supporting APEX for several years now through the contribution of time and money from several of our staff.
Posted Wednesday, June 10, 2009 by
Rick Borry
After version 4.25 of Certain Registration launches this week, we will have the ability to integrate our online registration application with any Global Distribution System through the TRX ResX online travel booking tool.
The next step in our development of a complete conference management application will be to connect the online registration forms in Certain Registration to the online travel reservation process of the ResX and GetThere booking tools. This will allow the event attendee to register online for the event, and then seamlessly transfer to the travel reservation form without having to log in again. We can even pass the event's closest airports and default arrival and departure days, so that the traveller can skip the first page of the travel search process and go directly from event registration to selecting their flights.
Posted Tuesday, June 9, 2009 by
Rick Borry
As we finish development of our travel integration with TRX ResX, I've shifted focus to preparing for our next GDS - Sabre. Sabre's GDS commands about 45% of the U.S. market for travel reservations, and their Web Services comply with the Open Travel Alliance (OTA) standards for electronic distribution of travel data.
I've been working on the OTA standards for several years now, with the APEX initiative to standardize the exchange of meetings and event data among professional meeting planners and their suppliers (typically, hotels). This, however, is my first time implementing the standards in our online registration application, Certain Registration. One thing that has become immediately clear to me is that the OTA standards are overbuilt - intentionally - because they have to address all possible combinations of data exchange. Our purpose is limited to pulling current travel reservation data from the GDS and storing it in Certain Registration, so that the event planner can effectively manage the attendee experience from registration to housing to travel.
Posted Tuesday, June 9, 2009 by
Rick Borry
We have two more days of code cleanup and QA bug-fixes before we can move on from our integration of the TRX ResX corporate travel reservation application and Certain Registration, our online registration software.
After that, we will begin working on Sabre Web Services. Sabre currently holds about 45% of the U.S. market share for travel distribution systems. It took us several months to gain developer access to their web services, but now the time is right for connecting Certain Registration to the Sabre GDS. After Sabre, we will be working on the ResX single sign-on process and the GetThere SSO integration.
When these releases go live this summer, Certain Registration will offer complete event attendee management - from event registration to housing management and travel integration.
After that, we will begin working on Sabre Web Services. Sabre currently holds about 45% of the U.S. market share for travel distribution systems. It took us several months to gain developer access to their web services, but now the time is right for connecting Certain Registration to the Sabre GDS. After Sabre, we will be working on the ResX single sign-on process and the GetThere SSO integration.
When these releases go live this summer, Certain Registration will offer complete event attendee management - from event registration to housing management and travel integration.
Posted Friday, June 5, 2009 by
Carl Cordell
If you allow attendees to make modifications to their registration, most likely you would like to know what they changed. This is simple to keep track of with a change report. Certain Registrations allows you to create a custom report and lock it for changes. Once the report is locked it cannot be modified so the results from that point forward will remain consistent.
In the example below you can see configuration options within a report for changes. Again, be sure you have every detail of your custom report working as expected before you select the Changes Report Option because you cannot modify it after it's saved.
The first run of the report will appear as a standard report. Each time you run the report in the future you will receive options allowing you to run the report for changes since that date or one of the previous dates the report had been run. The report will only contain records that were modified and a column showing the specific modification.
Change reports are most often used for housing but, they can be created for registration details, financial and much more.
In the example below you can see configuration options within a report for changes. Again, be sure you have every detail of your custom report working as expected before you select the Changes Report Option because you cannot modify it after it's saved.
The first run of the report will appear as a standard report. Each time you run the report in the future you will receive options allowing you to run the report for changes since that date or one of the previous dates the report had been run. The report will only contain records that were modified and a column showing the specific modification.
Change reports are most often used for housing but, they can be created for registration details, financial and much more.
Posted Friday, June 5, 2009 by
Carl Cordell
As you know, some events can have complex requirements and restrictions. Certain Registration allows flexibility to accommodate complicated events. One way to control sessions, activity and housing registration limitations is to create separate forms for different registrant types.
A good example would be housing. If you have VIP registrants that receive upgraded housing options, you most likely do not want other registrants to see these choices. It's best to create a form that only displays the upgraded rooms to registrants that register through that specific form. You don't have to recreate the form from scratch. Simply copy the existing form that all registrants will be using then modify it. Add the room block for the upgraded rooms and remove the standard rooms from the new form for VIP registrants.
Another use for additional forms would be exhibitor registration. Obviously exhibitors would have specific options such as booth space, exhibitor fees, etc. You can create an exhibitor form in the same event and only display questions and fees that pertain to the exhibitors. This allows you to collect both registrant and exhibitor details in the same event.
It's simple to direct the registrants to the correct form. Simply create an e-mail template for each registrant type under the communication tab and insert the form link that is associated with that registrant type. Now you can run reports on specific registrants send a mass email invitation to each group.
A good example would be housing. If you have VIP registrants that receive upgraded housing options, you most likely do not want other registrants to see these choices. It's best to create a form that only displays the upgraded rooms to registrants that register through that specific form. You don't have to recreate the form from scratch. Simply copy the existing form that all registrants will be using then modify it. Add the room block for the upgraded rooms and remove the standard rooms from the new form for VIP registrants.
Another use for additional forms would be exhibitor registration. Obviously exhibitors would have specific options such as booth space, exhibitor fees, etc. You can create an exhibitor form in the same event and only display questions and fees that pertain to the exhibitors. This allows you to collect both registrant and exhibitor details in the same event.
It's simple to direct the registrants to the correct form. Simply create an e-mail template for each registrant type under the communication tab and insert the form link that is associated with that registrant type. Now you can run reports on specific registrants send a mass email invitation to each group.
Posted Friday, June 5, 2009 by
Carl Cordell
Each event created in Certain Registration has an option to create a website. The website tab allows you to easily create custom pages about your event. You can create up to 7 separate pages of information that are viewable prior to entering the registration form. This is useful for events that have a large amount of information that should be reviewed prior to registration.
The basic layout would be normally start with a welcome page. Any page can be customized to suit your needs. You may want a link about the location, directions, speaker bio, spa treatments and activities.
Each page has an HTML editor so you don't need to know any HTML to create the page. Simply type the text and format the font and colors, background color and add images. Each page will automatically appear as a link across the top of your event along with a link to register for the event.
There is also an optional feature to require a login and password to access the website. Normally this isn't necessary unless it contains sensitive information that should be hidden from public view.
The basic layout would be normally start with a welcome page. Any page can be customized to suit your needs. You may want a link about the location, directions, speaker bio, spa treatments and activities.
Each page has an HTML editor so you don't need to know any HTML to create the page. Simply type the text and format the font and colors, background color and add images. Each page will automatically appear as a link across the top of your event along with a link to register for the event.
There is also an optional feature to require a login and password to access the website. Normally this isn't necessary unless it contains sensitive information that should be hidden from public view.
| Next |
