Creating an event and sending invitations.

First you need to create a profile:

Click on the Profiles link at the top left of your screen - and create a new profile. Name it according to your event - and decide how many fields you want. For example if you have two questions and want to use dropdowns.

So change the dropdown field to 2 - then click on Save. Then go to Labels - where the fields will be - and you need to rename them and put in the options. For instance Drop down label 1 will become Attending - and in the blank space to the right you can put in as many fields as you need – be attending, possibly be attending, be unable to attend at that date etc.

Once you have finished the labeling - and you have saved - you must go to Compose Profile, where you will see the normal FCK editor page. Here is where you create the actual form - so the page that the recipient sees where you are asking the questions. This is a completely customisable html page - so you can put in a banner, change colours etc. The way to get your fields in is by using tags. If you scroll to the bottom of that page you will see your tags, which you enter where you want the options to be. So for instance your first question would look like this:

I will: #attending#

My advice is start with a table - put in a 600 pixel width table - so that all your text stays put where you want it. (The insert table icon is next to the Style drop down on the editor menu.)

Just remember to put the #confirmbutton# at the bottom of your form - this then moves the confirm button to the bottom of your form. Once you are done with your form and are happy with it, click on preview at the top - this will show you what your form will look like (if you do not see fields, but see hashes - then there is something wrong with a tag name; if the confirm and decline buttons are at the top of the screen – then you need to check your #confirmbutton#), and publish the form. If you do not publish the form - then it will not be web active! Any changes you make - remember to publish afterwards to make those changes show.

Creating the event and adding the profile.

Once you have finished with your profile, go back to your side menu - and create a new EVENT. On the mini calendar click on the date you want the Event on – and click on the time. Select New Event on the pop up that appears. Name your event, and then you will see the profile spot - where you can add the profile you just created and click save. You will then see the event on a list - with the profile added. Above the profile is a button that says Activate. Click on that - and then go to search for the groups you want to send the invitation to - once you have the groups - check their checkboxes - then click on the add to active event button in the green banner at the top of the screen, to add the groups contacts to the event. You can also use any of the other ways of adding to an event or group to get the contacts added to the event.

Sending the invitation

Now that you have added the profile and the contacts to the event - you are ready to send out the invitation. Go to the event - and on the list view you will see a little grey envelope - click on that to create the invitation email - this is the mail where you will give a basic background and information - and the #here# link will take them through to your profile - where they complete their information and confirm. If you do not see the #here# link - you have not clicked on the correct icon. Search for your event again - or go to the date of your event and click on the View link. Make sure you are clicking on the correct icon - the grey envelope, not the bulk mail icon.

Handling responses

When the contacts that the invitation was sent to click on confirm and have completed all their info - the system will pick this up and the status next to their name will change from Invited to Confirmed - and if you click on the Link - you will see their responses on the actual profile, so basically you will see the profile as they saw it and completed it. If you do not necessarily want to see the profile but just the responses you can click on the Edit link and a pop up will appear with the fields that are on the profile and their content. All this information can also be exported to a spreadsheet!

This is alot of info - but if you follow this step by step - you will get there! A word of advice - once you have created the profile and linked it to the event - add yourself, some of your team members and myself to the event first - to test the profile etc. Then you will see how the system handles the responses as well! Feel free to test this on me (lorna@opennetworks.com)!