Sessions is an add-on to the MeetingMaxx module that provides a work-flow process in support of gathering and ranking session proposals for meetings, then slotting them into times/days and generating online searches for them. [Note: This add-on is not part of the base MeetingMaxx module; it must be purchased separately. Contact Matrix if you are interested.]
Accessing the Sessions Menu and Options
You may access the Sessions menu from any meeting within MatrixMaxx.
- Go to the meeting view page on the intranet side of MatrixMaxx
- Scroll down to and open the ‘Manage Add-Ons’ section
- Choose ‘Manage Sessions’
Setting up the Session Proposal Template for your association
When implementing sessions for your association, the MatrixMaxx team can customize the following fields with values specific to your organization:
- Priority Rank
- Status (though some statuses with special meaning, like Pending and Delete/Mistake, must stay in place)
- Type
- Interest Tracks
- Audio Visual equipment
These values are currently the same for the entire MeetingMaxx module; i.e., they are the same for all meetings.
Submitting Session Proposals
By default, the module allows for intranet entry of proposals. Most of the clients using this add-on have not wanted to force their submitters into using an online form, but encourage them to send in any way convenient and then the staff input the data into the MatrixMaxx database proposal template. (However, it is possible to implement a WWW form that users can access directly. Discuss with the MatrixMaxx team if desired.)
Managing Proposal Workflow
From the ‘Manage Sessions’ menu for your meeting, access the ‘Pending Proposals’ report. These proposals all meet your association’s definition of ‘Pending’ so there is still work to do on them. From here you may:
- Edit the session proposal
- Assign a Time Slot (but slots must first be setup!! See below)
- Confirm the speaker
To find particular proposals with particular statuses, choose the ‘Search Proposals’ option. This is useful if you have multiple stages of approval. For example, a staff member could search for ‘Tentative Approval’ or ‘Committee First-tier approval’ proposals to do the final yes/no decision on them.
Setting up and Assigning Time-Slots
Before you can assign an approved session to a time-slot, you must first set up the slots. Go to ‘Setup Session Timeslots’ to do so, from the Manage Sessions menu for your meeting.
Once you setup the slots, you can assign the slots by going into each proposal.
Confirming Speakers
Confirming the speakers is often the last step in this process for many organizations. You can search for proposals without confirmed speakers, and they are also in the pending list.
Triggering an Acknowledgement Email to the Speakers
If this is desired, the MatrixMaxx team can implement an email template during the setup of this module for you.
Setting up the WWW Sessions Search
Like many other WWW pages in MatrixMaxx, the Sessions add-on automatically generates a WWW page that the association may link up. This page is a ‘Sessions Search’ that only includes ‘approved’ sessions that potential attendees may use to browse the sessions, similar to the Tradeshow module’s search for approved exhibitors.
During implementation of the Sessions module, the MatrixMaxx team works with the association to:
- Determine the default style/wrapping for the Session search. [Currently, Sessions pulls into a generic wrapper, like the WWW Calendar, instead of pulling into the individual meeting’s style/template. This is on the long-term product roadmap for exploration and development.]
- Determine the definition of ‘approved’ … i.e., which status(es) do the sessions need to be and what does speaker status need to be in order for the session to be included as part of the WWW search.
Reporting
Sessions offers a variety of reports designed to help meeting staff quickly identify key or missing data. Please take the time to review available reports if you are using this module for the first time. Have an idea for a future report? Let us know!