Manage Event Templates

The “Manage Event Templates” feature in the Event Management module of Retention CRM allows Associations, Chambers of Commerce and Not-for-profit organizations to create reusable blueprints for events. This saves time and ensures consistency when setting up similar events. You can also use templates to manage recurring events.

General Functionality of the “Manage Event Templates” feature

• Filters:
  • Title: Refine the list of templates by keyword in the title.
  • Type: Narrow down the list by event type (e.g., Workshop, Conference).
• Table Columns:
  • Title: Name of the event template.
  • Type: Category of the event (e.g., Educational Session, Networking Event).
  • Created By: Username of the person who created the template.
  • Financial Type: How donations or fees associated with the event will be categorized.
  • Summary: Brief description of the event.
  • Start Date / End Date: These fields are not displayed in templates themselves, as they will be specific for each event created from the template.
  • Public: Indicates if the event (created from the template) will be visible to the public.
  • Paid Event: Whether there is a fee associated with the event.
  • Online Registration: Specifies if online registration is enabled for events created from this template.
  • Events: This column shows how many individual events have been created using this particular template.

Using the “Manage Event Templates” feature in Association Management

Let’s see how a nursing association can utilize “Manage Event Templates”.

• Scenario: The association holds monthly educational workshops for nurses on various topics.

Event Template Creation:

1. Title: Monthly Educational Workshop
2. Type: Educational Session
3. Public: Yes (assuming these workshops are open to all nurses)
4. Financial Type: Contribution – Educational Program (assuming there’s a fee)
5. Summary: This workshop series provides ongoing education for nurses on relevant healthcare topics.
6. Online Registration: Yes (to allow nurses to register online)
7. Start Date / End Date: These are left blank as they will be specific for each workshop instance.
8. Paid Event: Yes

Benefits:

• Save Time: By creating a template, the association only needs to enter common details once. They can then quickly create individual workshops with specific dates and topics.
• Consistency: All workshops will have the same registration process, fee structure, and basic information, ensuring a smooth experience for participants.
• Manage Recurring Events: If the workshops happen every month, the association can use the “repeat” functionality within Retention CRM’s Advanced Events extension (optional) to easily generate a series of events based on the template.

Additional Notes:

• The association can create multiple templates for different types of events they organize (e.g., conferences, networking events).
• They can use filters to quickly find specific templates based on title or type.
• The “Events” column helps track how many workshops have been created using each template.

More Use Cases for Associations

Streamlined Event Planning for Membership Events

Imagine the association offers exclusive workshops or conferences for members. They can create a template with “Public: No” and “Financial Type: Membership Benefit” (assuming it’s free for members). This template would be used for member-only events, saving time setting up each event and ensuring consistency for members.

Tiered Membership with Event Access

The association could create tiered memberships with varying event access levels. A gold-tier template might have “Public: No” and “Financial Type: Included in Membership,” while a silver tier might have “Public: Yes” and “Financial Type: Contribution.” This allows for offering exclusive events to higher tiers while managing event visibility and fees based on membership level.

Targeted Communication for Events based on Membership

Retention CRM allows segmenting contacts based on various criteria, including membership type. With templates, the association can create targeted email campaigns to promote events. They could use a template for member-only workshops and send it only to members, while another template for public events could go to a wider audience.

By effectively using “Manage Event Templates,” Associations, Chambers of Commerce and NGOs can streamline their event planning process, improve consistency, and make it easier for their donors, members and other stakeholders to register and participate in their online and offline events.