Numerous settings must be configured and/or enabled to successfully manage Interactive Sessions at your event. These include:
- Make a Session Interactive
- Set a Session to Live
- Interactive Sessions Statuses
- Configure Display Screen Settings
- Configure Attendee Device Settings
- Configure Audience Polling Response Chart Colours
- Manage Interactive Sessions images
- Create an Interactive Sessions user
How to make a session interactive
Before setting up your Interactive Sessions, they will need to be made interactive. Once they are interactive, they will be visible as a list, details those interactive sessions and what status they are set to.
To make a session interactive
- Navigate to Interactive Sessions > View Sessions from the Navigation Menu
- Select Make a Session Interactive from the right-hand options
- Tick the relevant sessions
- Click Save
How to set a session to Live
To set a session to Live
Setting a session to live ensures the session is ready for attendees to participate in the session.
- Navigate to the Control Panel
- Select the event
- Click Facilitator for the relevant session
- Navigate to Session Status and select Live
By default, sessions will be set to opening soon when they are made interactive. Each session status has its own rules and should be set up according to your event.
Interactive Sessions Statuses
Opening Soon - This session is closed, please check back later
The session will appear as opening soon. Audience members will be unable to view the interactive session.
Accepting Questions - Ask questions you'd like to us to address in the session
The session will appear as accepting questions. Audience members will be able to ask questions and participate in the Live Discussion.
Live - It's go time, join the session and participate
The main state of Interactive Sessions. Use this when ready to ask questions. This option enables all three features and allows audience members to vote on questions.
Results - We're done, check out the results of the session
The session will appear as results only. Audience members will be able to view the results of any questions that were asked through Live Polling but will be unable to comment on the Live Discussion or ask questions.
Finished - It's over, thanks for coming and enjoy the rest of the event
The session will appear as finished. Audience members will be unable to view the interactive session.
Configure Interactive Sessions Display Screen settings
The Interactive Sessions Display Screen can be configured with a variety of display settings. These settings will affect all instances of the Display Screen.
- Navigate to Interactive Sessions > Settings from the Navigation Menu
- Select the General Settings tab
- Update the below settings as required
- Click Save
Answer Numbering: Set whether letters or numbers are displayed with the Audience Polling responses when shown on the Display Screen.
Global Transition Animation: Set how the various screens transition between one another (e.g. Moving from the Audience Polling question to displaying the answers). Fade is recommended as this is the least distracting.
Allow users to Submit Questions when not Logged In: Restrict whether attendees must be logged in to participate in Submitted Questions. If not enabled, attendees can submit questions as ‘Anonymous’
TIP: If attendees haven’t already logged into the app, this will ensure an attendee’s name is associated with their Submitted Question.
Show Profiles on Questions & Comments: Restrict all comments and questions displayed on the Display Screen to only show as ‘Anonymous’. This will still allow an attendee’s name to display in the Live Discussion feed and any Submitted Questions in the upvote queue.
TIP: If this setting is disabled, attendee names will still be visible in the app for both Live Discussion and Submitted Questions. This setting is solely for the Display Screen.
App Update Frequency (seconds, between 1 and 10): Set how quickly the app refreshes when controlling the app display (e.g. moving from the Audience Polling question to displaying the answers).
Configure Attendee Device settings for Interactive Sessions
Attendee devices have some settings that can be configured to enhance how Interactive Sessions appears on an attendee's device.
To configure Attendee Device settings for Interactive Sessions
- Navigate to Interactive Sessions > Settings from the Navigation Menu
- Select the General Settings tab
- Update the below settings as required
- Click Save
Disable Q&A Sorting Bar: Control if attendees can sort Submitted Questions in the upvote queue displayed in the app. If enabled, attendees can sort questions by Newest First, Oldest First, Highest Voted or Lowest Voted.
Default Q&A Sorting: Select the default order Submitted Questions in the upvote queue will display in the app. Questions can be sorted by Newest First, Oldest First, Highest Voted or Lowest Voted.
Configure Interactive Sessions Display Screen colours
The colours used on the Interactive Sessions Display Screen can be set to either use colours selected for your App Appearance design or can be given new colours.
To configure the Interactive Sessions Display Screen with App Colour Settings
- Navigate to Interactive Sessions > Settings from the Navigation Menu
- Select the Colours tab
- Navigate to Colour Selection and select App Colour Settings from the drop-down
- Click Save
TIP: Using the App Colour Settings will use the App Highlight Colour as the background for questions and comments, and the App Details Bar Text Colour for any text on top of this. It is important to ensure these are not the same colour if using this setting. Alternatively, you can use Custom Colours and set your own.
To configure the Interactive Sessions Display Screen with Custom Colours
- Navigate to Interactive Sessions > Settings from the Navigation Menu
- Select the Colours tab
- Navigate to Colour Selection and select Custom from the drop-down
- Click Save
- Update the Custom Background Colour and Custom Highlight Text Colour as required
- Click Save
Configure Audience Polling response Chart Colours
The colours associated with Audience Polling responses on the Display Screen can be changed to better match your app/event branding. By default, there are 14 colours pre-selected for convenience.
To configure Audience Polling response Chart Colours
- Navigate to Interactive Sessions > Settings from the Navigation Menu
- Select the Colours tab
- Navigate to Chart Colours
- Update response Chart Colours as required
- Click Save
Manage Interactive Sessions images
Branded images are required for any event using Interactive Sessions. These images act as the background and holding screens for all sessions using Interactive Sessions.
To manage Interactive Sessions images
- Navigate to Interactive Sessions > Settings from the Navigation Menu
- Select the Images tab
- Populate the following images as required:
- Interactive Sessions Background (required): This image is required for ALL projects using Interactive Sessions. This image is displayed when the Display Screen is not in use (e.g. not displaying a question or comment).
- Animation Holding Image (optional): This image is used when using the Slide In/Out Global Transition Animation. If the Global Transition Animation is set to something else, this image is not required.
- Standalone Session Header (Interactive Sessions Standalone only): This image is used if you are having an Interactive Sessions Standalone project. It will appear in the top header and will be the main source of design for this app. If you do not have an Interactive Sessions Standalone project, this image is not required.
Create an Interactive Sessions user
Similar to staff user accounts, user accounts can be created that limit user access to just the Interactive Sessions element and Control Panel.
When creating an Interactive Sessions user account, it is recommended to use a generic email address, so this user account can be shared. It is also recommended to set a basic generic password for sharing on the day.
To create an Interactive Sessions user
- Navigate to Project Configuration > Users from the Navigation Menu
- Click +
- Input the Email Address of the new user Click Next
- Input other required details. If this is pre-filled, this person already has a user account
- Click Save
- Select Interactive Sessions as the User Role
- Click Save