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Can Event Espresso handle this complex registration?

Posted: July 9, 2014 at 10:09 pm

Viewing 11 reply threads


Cheryl Comfort

July 9, 2014 at 10:09 pm

Hi
I am involved with a national quilt symposium in Christchurch New Zealand in 2017. We estimate there will be about 1200 people attending. Registration is quite complex. There are multiple classes over five days. You can see the class schedule for the 2015 event at http://www.quiltsymposium.co.nz/Classes/index.aspx

People pay to register sometime in advance (as soon as the previous symposium has finished)to receive newsletters etc and are allocated a registration number.
To register for classes, registrants choose their 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices for each day (As well as paying for lectures, dinners etc but there are usually plenty of tickets for these).
Usually the forms are sent in hard copy by a certain date and then comes the laborious task of allocating classes. Registrants classes are allocated in the order of the registration number they were assigned earlier (so lower numbers are more likely to get their first choices).
They pay for their first choices when they send in their form and we settle any difference in cost later.
Is this something Event Espresso could handle? Or would look at doing some customising for? We’d pay for this of course. I can email you a copy of the 2015 registration form if this would be helpful.
Many thanks

Cheryl


Lorenzo Orlando Caum

  • Support Staff

July 10, 2014 at 12:08 pm

Hi there Cheryl,

I believe this is something that EE3 can handle this along with Multiple Event Registration enabled.

An event could be created for each day; the personal question group and address question group can be enabled; then unique question groups (3 of them) with drop-down questions can be created for each day since some events are offered on specific days.

QUILT SYMPOSIUM MANAWATU 2015 – Day 1
+ Personal Information
+ Address Information
+ Unique Questions – First Choice
+ Unique Questions – Second Choice
+ Unique Questions – Third Choice

QUILT SYMPOSIUM MANAWATU 2015 – Day 2
+ Personal Information
+ Address Information
+ Unique Questions – First Choice
+ Unique Questions – Second Choice
+ Unique Questions – Third Choice

QUILT SYMPOSIUM MANAWATU 2015 – Day 3
+ Personal Information
+ Address Information
+ Unique Questions – First Choice
+ Unique Questions – Second Choice
+ Unique Questions – Third Choice

QUILT SYMPOSIUM MANAWATU 2015 – Day 4
+ Personal Information
+ Address Information
+ Unique Questions – First Choice
+ Unique Questions – Second Choice
+ Unique Questions – Third Choice

QUILT SYMPOSIUM MANAWATU 2015 – Day 5
+ Personal Information
+ Address Information
+ Unique Questions – First Choice
+ Unique Questions – Second Choice
+ Unique Questions – Third Choice

Event Espresso records a date and time for each registration and this is stored in the Attendee Record Screen.

I do see that you mentioned variable pricing. Is it a flat fee per day?


Lorenzo


Cheryl Comfort

July 10, 2014 at 3:40 pm

Hi Lorenzo

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.

I’d like to send you a copy of the current registration form so you can see the complexity, but I can’t see a way of adding an attachment on the forum.

Each class has a different cost (e.g. overseas tutors cost more).

I was also hoping that after all the information was gathered – i.e. the registration forms come in by the set date, then the system could then automatically go through them and assign the classes, rather than a person doing it. The classes can’t be allocated until after that date and then in the order of their registration number.

I am in the very early stage of setting up the website. I am looking at using the Tyler theme http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/new-event-wordpress-theme-tyler. I have been playing with using S2Member for the initial registration that allocates the registration number after they pay the registration fee, but now I am wondering if that is something that Event Espresso could handle as well.

Thanks

Cheryl


Tony

  • Support Staff

July 14, 2014 at 5:57 am

I was also hoping that after all the information was gathered – i.e. the registration forms come in by the set date, then the system could then automatically go through them and assign the classes, rather than a person doing it. The classes can’t be allocated until after that date and then in the order of their registration number.

Currently this isn’t how Event Espresso works. You can set EE up so that Registrations are Not Approved, which basically means the registration is stored, but no payment is taken and that registration does not apply to the Event limits until the admin reviews the registration and either sets it to Approved (meaning it now DOES apply to the event, but payment is still to be made) or Pending Payments (does NOT apply to the event until payment is made, at which point the registration automatically switches to ‘Approved’)

So Event Espresso will not work exactly how you are requesting. It is possible to setup the events and registrations to allow users to select multiple events, ticketing options etc but the approval method would still be manual.

For example here is a registration I have just made onto an event set to automatically ‘not approve’ – http://take.ms/56lJP

Notice you can see the registration date (Reg Date) this could be used by the admin to decide who should be ‘approved’ first, so the admin would edit each registration and set them to ‘Approve’ or ‘Pending Payment’ and also send them the relevant email for that status (so if you set to Pending Payment status the attendee receives the Pending Payment email message, which they can then use to pay for the event if you have the payment gateways active) – http://take.ms/I9ghp

The registration process is rather complex (and niche) so currently is not something we have implemented within EE4, it could work but not in the exact way you are currently intending.

I would recommend signing up with demoee.org and Create a Test Site there, this will allow you to create events and see the options for yourself. You may get a better idea if this would work for you if you run through a few events and see the options. We are more than happy to answer any questions you may have from doing so.


Cheryl Comfort

July 21, 2014 at 3:43 pm

Hi Tony
Thanks for your reply. The way EE currently works might still be ok. I am not averse to a human doing the registrations, as even if they were done automatically they would still have to be reviewed by a person so there is probably not much difference in time spent anyway.
In the screenshot http://take.ms/56lJP you talked about the Reg Date as being the order how we could allocate them in. It is actually more the ID number we would use as people register (think of it as pre-registration) and are allocated a number and that is the number we use to determine the order that the registration for the classes is done. This pre-registration is paid for. When they did this would they be allocated a number (ID)? I’m hoping they can do this online and they will automatically be sent an email with their registration (ID) number, also we can add these in manually as some people will fill in a piece of paper. (In the past they were all done this way and some poor sod had to enter them all manually – something I am hoping to avoid!)

I will definitely have a look at setting up a test site. I have until January 2015 to have the pre-registration part operating so have a little time to work it out. I am looking at using the Tyler theme.

Thanks, I’m sure I’ll have more questions!

Cheryl


Dean

July 22, 2014 at 7:02 am

Hi Cheryl,

Attendees are actually given two numbers: a generic ID number which corresponds with the database and a unique registration number.

I modified Tony’s screen shot to show you: http://take.ms/1isOJ


Cheryl Comfort

July 22, 2014 at 3:23 pm

Thanks Dean, the ID looks like the number we’d want to use (it’s a sensible number peopl can remember!). For the pre-registration, it isn’t an event as such (there is no time etc) that people would be purchasing – is that possible? We might also like people to be able to purchase something like a badge on the main registration. Is that possible?
Also a couple of other questions:

Lorenzo answered my first email with “I believe this is something that EE3 can handle this along with Multiple Event Registration enabled.” Does this mean this isn’t available in EE4? I am trying to work out which one I should buy.

For example I see a feature in EE4 is event check-in list. I will need to be able to print off a list for each class, showing attendees, who has booked a sewing machine (to give to the sewing machine supplier so there is a machine in the classroom for the student who has booked one), who in the class has a special food requirement (a class list and the food requirement is given to the caterers so they can have the right lunches delivered to the classroom).

Thanks, I really appreciate the speedy responses to my questions.


Dean

July 23, 2014 at 3:38 am

Hi,

For the pre-registration, it isn’t an event as such (there is no time etc) that people would be purchasing – is that possible?

Sort of, the pre-registration would still have to be an event, with a time etc, but you could use the Pre Approval system to allow people to register but not take payment.

Then you can approve them (manually unfortunately) further down the line.

Or you could use the invoice gateway and tell them there isn’t a need to pay just yet.

In EE4 you would set them to Not Approved, whihc is basically the same as Pre Approval.

We might also like people to be able to purchase something like a badge on the main registration. Is that possible?

In EE3 this is possible via the Price Modifier Addon (does not work with the Multiple event Registration addon).

In EE4 you can use a separate ticket within the event to allow them to buy something extra.

Regarding the check in feature EE3 also allows you to export the attendees to a spreadsheet. You can then filter the spreadsheet as desired (there will be data in there you wont need) and then print it off.

Overall I think you can use EE4 for your site, but I think that you really need to check out the plugin on http://demoee.org as your requirements are not straightforward and you may find an issue for your needs that we can’t see.


Brandi Good

July 23, 2014 at 11:19 am

Sorry to butt in, but Cheryl be aware that Tyler only supports version 4, not 3! See this: http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/tyler-theme-guide

(I’m using Tyler right now and am having a similar complex registration problem…)


Cheryl Comfort

July 23, 2014 at 3:44 pm

Thanks for that Brandi, that mught hrlp to make the decision, but I will definitely have to have a play on the demo site.

Just FYI the pre-registration is paid for – it helps get the organisation seeding money as the symposium is all run by volunteers.


Cheryl Comfort

July 23, 2014 at 3:44 pm

Is there a shortcode foer the Registrant’s ID? (not the registration code).


Dean

July 24, 2014 at 1:45 am

Hi Cheryl,

There isn’t a shortcode for the registration ID. What are you wishing to do with the ID?

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