You can open the event doors up to five months before it goes live to build excitement and prepare your attendees for the event. This guide explains how to enable Early Access and provides an overview of the Early Access attendee experience.
During Early Access, attendees can organize and maximize their time within an event. They will receive the Early Access invitation email (which you can customize) and be able to access the following areas and features:
- Preview the event schedule and Reception area.
- Set their agenda and book seats in Onsite schedule segments.
- Participate in chat, Q&A, and polls.
- Access the Networking Area and participate in Speed Networking.
- Schedule 1:1 meetings with other attendees.
Tip: You can disable event areas and control attendee permissions in the event settings.
Important: In a Webinar event, Early Access defaults to 15 minutes and cannot be disabled.
Enabling Early Access
To enable Early Access:
- Go to the Event Dashboard > Venue > Venue Controls (or to Event Dashboard > Setup > Access and setting for Onsite events).
- Under Access to the event, select the Enable early access check box.
- Enter the number of hours, days, weeks, or months attendees will be able to access the event before it is live.
Note: Early Access can only be enabled for up to 5 months before the event starts. - Click Save.
Early Access invitation email
Once the doors open, attendees will receive the Early Access invitation email with a link to access the event. To customize the email, go to Event Dashboard > Marketing > Emails > System emails.
Attendee experience during Early Access
Attendees won’t be able to access most event areas yet, including Sessions, Stages, and Expo Booths. However, they will be able to interact with the event schedule and other attendees.
Reception area
The Reception area is a great place to familiarize yourself with the event and get oriented. It displays the welcome message, sponsors, speakers, schedule, and integrated apps.
Networking area
In the Networking area, attendees can browse Recommended connections to connect with others and participate in Speed Networking. For more information on how to make the most of the Networking area, refer to our guide on Navigating it.
Schedule
The event schedule is displayed in the Reception area and can be accessed via the Schedule modal linked to the event venue header. Attendees can add segments to their calendar or My agenda as well as book seats in Onsite schedule segments.
Tip: You can disable My Agenda in the attendee experience settings.
Pre-event 1:1 meetings
Attendees can exchange direct messages as well as schedule and hold 1:1 meetings before the event starts.
Tip: You can disable attendee action for all attendees or selected ticket types in the attendee experience settings.
Audience engagement
Attendees can participate in event-wide Chat, Q&A and Polls. This will help create more engagement for your attendees before the event starts and also provide meaningful insights.
Tip: You can disable the Chat, Q&A and Polls tabs in the event settings or directly in the event venue.
Early Access analytics
To gather more information on the attendee behavior during the Early Access period, refer to the following reports:
- Scheduled meetings report: Here, you can check who created meetings before the event starts.
- My Agenda report: Generate this report to check who accessed the event and added segments to their agenda before the event starts.
- Speed Networking report: Here, you can check if someone participated in Speed Networking before the event started.
- Attendee log report: Here, you can review the movement of attendees across the event before the event starts.
Note: Accessing an event during Early Access doesn't count as attendance. Registrants and Attendees Reports will not reflect attendance data until the event has officially started.