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 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 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 Thursday, June 4, 2009 by
Rick Borry
Last week, our lead software architect Ryan "The Man" Manville presented a preview of our upcoming Certain Registration version 5.0 online event registration software. Even though I've seen the new user interface a few times already, it got pretty exciting when I realized we were now within weeks of being able to unveil this to professional meeting planners.
I'm not sure if this post will get through our Marketing censors, but here is a sneak peek at the new look of Certain's complete conference management solution.
I'm not sure if this post will get through our Marketing censors, but here is a sneak peek at the new look of Certain's complete conference management solution.
Posted Tuesday, June 2, 2009 by
Rick Borry
Yesterday I finished the design to connect the TRX ResX corporate travel user interface to Certain Registration, our online registration software. This continues our drive to integrate all aspects of the meeting experience - event attendee registration, hotel, air, and ground travel - as I've spoken about previously.
This step of our "Travel Integration" program involves linking the confirmation page of the online event registration form to the ResX travel reservation tool via a "Single Sign On" process (SSO). Thus the attendee can complete their meeting registration and then transfer seamlessly to the air travel search page, without having to re-enter their travel login information or type in the event's arrival and departure dates and inbound airport.
It's another step in our mission to make event registration as quick and automated as possible - for both the attendee and professional meeting planner.
This step of our "Travel Integration" program involves linking the confirmation page of the online event registration form to the ResX travel reservation tool via a "Single Sign On" process (SSO). Thus the attendee can complete their meeting registration and then transfer seamlessly to the air travel search page, without having to re-enter their travel login information or type in the event's arrival and departure dates and inbound airport.
It's another step in our mission to make event registration as quick and automated as possible - for both the attendee and professional meeting planner.
Posted Thursday, May 28, 2009 by
Kimberly Enright
The Certain Software team has been busy at IMEX, the largest European trade show for meeting & event planners, and conference organizers in Frankfurt this week. Certain's sales team from the UK and Europe has had a full appointment schedule with demonstrations of Certain Events, events(TM), the leading event management software solution. It was a gathering of many familiar faces and clients of events, the first IMEX trade show since Amlink merged with Certain Software last year.
Posted Wednesday, May 20, 2009 by
Lila Meyer
In this week's latest release of Certain Registration, we're offering improved support for program item reservations and guest assignment. The Program Guest List feature allows a primary registrant to reserve multiple program items and return to the registration form later to assign the program items to specific guests.
This feature is useful in situations where the primary registrant needs to reserve spaces for their guests, but they don't know the guest names yet. For example, if you are allowing registrants to sign-up for dinner tables for up to eight people, they can reserve eight dinner slots, and come back to the form later to assign the slots to specific guests. If they need to edit or change the guest assignment, they can also do so without losing any of their reserved inventory.
The Program Guest List feature must be activated for your account by our product support team. Starting May 22, you can email support@certain.com for access to this free feature. For additional information on how to setup your registration forms using the Program Guest List feature, please go to the Certain Community website and download the tip sheet called Reserving Program Items for Guests.
This feature enhancement was suggested by our customers. We're happy to assist meeting planners by offering a more complete conference management tool!
This feature is useful in situations where the primary registrant needs to reserve spaces for their guests, but they don't know the guest names yet. For example, if you are allowing registrants to sign-up for dinner tables for up to eight people, they can reserve eight dinner slots, and come back to the form later to assign the slots to specific guests. If they need to edit or change the guest assignment, they can also do so without losing any of their reserved inventory.
The Program Guest List feature must be activated for your account by our product support team. Starting May 22, you can email support@certain.com for access to this free feature. For additional information on how to setup your registration forms using the Program Guest List feature, please go to the Certain Community website and download the tip sheet called Reserving Program Items for Guests.
This feature enhancement was suggested by our customers. We're happy to assist meeting planners by offering a more complete conference management tool!
Posted Wednesday, May 20, 2009 by
Rick Borry
Last week Dustin and I started the development of our Travel Integration between Certain Registration and the Global Distribution Systems. GDS integration is one part of a complete event management solution, and I've wanted to add it to our online registration software for several years.
We've been working with some Fortune 100 corporate meeting planners and several meeting management companies to define the integration process they need. On the bright side, one of the benefits of being a bit behind our competition on GDS integration is that we can learn from their mistakes. We also benefit from a more mature Web Services platform at the major GDS's.
We've been working with some Fortune 100 corporate meeting planners and several meeting management companies to define the integration process they need. On the bright side, one of the benefits of being a bit behind our competition on GDS integration is that we can learn from their mistakes. We also benefit from a more mature Web Services platform at the major GDS's.
Posted Friday, May 15, 2009 by
Rick Borry
Yes the economy in general is poor, but these are good times to clean up your house and take advantage of opportunities for future growth.
Here's an opportunity - one of our customers' most experienced Certain Registration expert has found herself on the job market. She's a leading expert in online registration and event management software, and I had the pleasure of working with her extensively over the past five years.
If you are looking for an event technology expert, let me know and I will connect you.
Here's an opportunity - one of our customers' most experienced Certain Registration expert has found herself on the job market. She's a leading expert in online registration and event management software, and I had the pleasure of working with her extensively over the past five years.
If you are looking for an event technology expert, let me know and I will connect you.
Posted Monday, May 4, 2009 by
Kimberly Enright
Last month, Certain Software launched Certain Community for its meeting and event planners who are users of Certain Registration, the leading online event registration solution. Certain Community is an online forum for meeting and event planners to share best practices and tips on online registration, attendee management, strategic meetings management and other timely topics. To find out more, please join the Certain Community today!
Posted Wednesday, April 29, 2009 by
Kimberly Enright
Certain Software is proud to be the official online event registration sponsor for SGMP, the Society of Government Meeting Professionals at the upcoming National Education Conference in Louisville, KY on May 13-16. Certain's Dr. Rick Borry will be speaking on the emerging technology trends in the meetings & events industry.
We hope to see our government meeting planners at the event!
http://www.sgmp.org/EducationConferenceInformation.asp
We hope to see our government meeting planners at the event!
http://www.sgmp.org/EducationConferenceInformation.asp
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