The Enhanced Digital Content (EDC) Sales package is available for purchase as an add-on to the EMM Plus and Pro packages. This valuable add-on allows show management teams to offer exhibitors access to create content-rich online booth profiles and the freedom to fulfill purchased items in the Event Portal automatically.
This article outlines the features and functionality available to sell in the EDC Sales add-on package and details the backend admin setup process.
Jump to Section:
- EDC Package Features & Functionality
- Global Admin Setup Steps
- Event Portal Setup Steps
- Frequently Asked Questions
EDC Package Features & Functionality
Enhanced exhibitor online profile listing features offered in all EDC packages include the following:
-
Company Logo – Stand out on the interactive floorplan with a company logo
-
Expanded Company Description – Provide detailed information to increase the visibility of a company in the Event Portal
-
Product Categories – Select custom fields to appear in more searches
-
Product, Press Release, & Show Special Listings – Add dynamic content listings to highlight products, publish press releases, and promote show specials.
-
Videos – post engaging videos that drive leads to visit the company booth during the event
Additional features that accompany the EDC Sales package include:
-
Automated Add-On Financials
- Use automatic financials to sell upgrade packages on the Online Exhibitor Contract and dedicated add-on sales page.
- Configure individual add-on items via Global Admin’s add-on tool and the Event Portal’s Organization Manager.
- Leverage backend system automation to automatically fulfill & apply package upgrades upon exhibitor booth purchase.
-
Dedicated Sales Pages
- Upsell add-ons to exhibitors on the online contract during booth sales
- Showcase add-on options available for purchase on the dedicated Add-on Sales Page
-
Custom Exhibitor Booth Upgrade Packages – Generate revenue by setting up and selling Exhibitor online booth upgrade packages
- Build up to four custom package levels
- Customize profile enhancements included in each package level
- Customize package-level names
- Include Add-Ons in packages by enabling Company Limits in the category form.
-
Sell package upgrade add-on items a la carte
- Custom event-specific enhanced digital listings
- Online profile enhancement functionality (Featured photo, Cover photo, Vanity URL)
- Advertisement Display Options
- Videos
-
Automated Exhibitor Fulfillment
- Display outstanding actions on the Exhibitor Hub Page
- The Org > Items block displays call-to-action buttons and reminders prompting exhibitors to upload outstanding content needed to fulfill their upgrades.
- Use the Org > Tasks block to assign upgrade items in need of fulfillment as a task
Note: Tasks can be assigned to a defined URL or to a custom form created in Forms Manager.
- Display outstanding actions on the Exhibitor Hub Page
Global Admin Setup Steps
Set up Automated Financials in Global Admin
Completing the Financial Setup workflow in Global Admin is the first step to configuring the EDC-Sales package in the Event Portal.
Refer to our Financial Setup Overview article for instructions on completing the financial setup in the database, including how to:
- Configure the rate card by defining financial items and item types
- Define payment schedule and cancellation schedule
- Create add-on types and associate add-on items with a defined type.
Customize the Dedicated Add-on Sales page
The EDC-Sales package upgrade includes access to the functional Add-on Sales page. Exhibitors may access this page to purchase booth upgrades and supplementary add-ons. This dedicated revenue-generating legacy page is listed as e_AddOnSales.aspx in the GA Content Management tool. Similar to Legacy content pages, show management can edit and customize the content to provide additional verbiage and personalize individual snippets of text via Message Management.
Important: Ensure the content ID is preserved to display content above the system’s pre-programmed data accurately.
Event Portal Setup Steps
Setup Custom Exhibitor Booth Upgrade Packages
Booth Upgrade Packages are configured via the Organizations Manager > Details table in the backend Admin Panel tool.
This Details table manages the digital content and profile allotments included with each package level. Admins can define four unique packages, including a standard package available to all exhibitors and up to three upgraded levels. As packages are generally designed to be incremental, by default, all exhibitors receive features tied to the bronze package and additional items or allocations per each subsequent upgrade level.
After automated financials are set up in Global Admin and packages are configured in the Details table, the Event Portal automatically fulfills exhibitor upgrade packages.
Note: Upgrades become available shortly after booth assignment and upon the company contact logging into the Portal after purchasing an upgrade.
Complete the following steps to create Custom Exhibitor Booth Upgrade Packages via the Org Manager > Details table:
- Navigate to Admin Panel > Site Building Tools > Organizations Manager > Details
- Select the checkboxes in the header column of the table to enable the package enhancement and grant exhibitor access.
- Define the following fields as desired according to individual features included in each package:
Enable Sponsorship Advertisements — Grant exhibitors access to upload ads and/or specify a custom tag based on their upgrade level. Sponsorship advertisements include Skyscraper, Leaderboard, and Billboard. Refer to the Organization Sponsor section of this article to learn more about displaying advertisements throughout the Event Portal.
Important: If sponsorship advertisements are enabled and included in booth upgrade packages, they cannot also be configured to sell as an a la carte add-on item.
Enable Analytics Access — Grant exhibitors access to view analytics via the Org > Org Insights block. Refer to the Organization Insights section of this article for details on the specific types of analytics offered when enabled.
Important: Attendee login is required to ensure analytics are accurate for exhibitor review. Insights will be incorrectly reported if site pages have not been restricted behind a login.
Note: This option can be enabled for all exhibitors, disabled for all exhibitors, or enabled for specified upgrade levels.
Enable Top of List — Feature exhibitors associated with the specified package level at the top of the Org > Organization List block each time the page reloads.
Note: By default, the system randomly selects 3 unique exhibitors upon every refresh. Admins can customize this setting via the Organizations > Organization List block settings.
Enable # Product Categories Allowed — Grant exhibitors access to select a defined number of product categories that appear on the Org > Org Profile block and set as filters to search by on the Org List block. Product Categories can be disabled for all exhibitors, enabled for all exhibitors, or enabled with limits dependent upon upgrade level.
Note: Admins must first define product categories in Global Admins, after which they can be mapped as fields and synced to the Event Portal.
Enable # Messages Allowed — Grant exhibitors access to receive user messages via the company profile. This option is available with the Matchmaking add-on.
Enable # Meetings Allowed - This option allows exhibitors to schedule meetings with their organization. It is available with the Matchmaking add-on.
Enable Description Limit - Grant exhibitors access to enter a company description with defined character limits.
Enable Enhanced Digital Content (EDC) Listings — Grant exhibitors access to enhanced digital listings tied to a custom submission form that appears on the Reviews > List of Review Items and the Reviews > Items blocks. By default, EDC packages have three pre-configured digital listing forms: Show Specials, Products, and Press Releases.
Note: Any custom form can be enabled or enabled with limit restrictions depending on the purchased upgrade level. To learn more about building custom forms, refer to the Forms Manager – Categories article.
Enable # Videos Allowed — Grant exhibitors access to display videos via the Videos > Video Metadata and Videos > Video Listings blocks. Exhibitors can add a link to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Twitch, Nexus Webcast, or Brightcove. Additionally, this option may be enabled for all exhibitors, disabled for all exhibitors, or enabled with limits depending on the upgrade level.
Complete the following steps to customize package upgrade level names:
● Navigate to Admin Panel > Site Building Tools > Localization Editor
● Locate the ID column search field
● Search for Organizations_Level
● Click the name listed in the Edit Locale column to make the desired change
● Click Save before exiting the page
Associate Add-On item orders with Profile Enhancement Functionality
Set up, associate, and sell access to specific functionality for exhibitor online booth profiles by associating add-on item orders with designated features. Available features include the ability for exhibitors to upload a company logo, an exhibitor list featured photo, obtain a vanity URL, or purchase a specific type of sponsorship advertisement.
Important: Sponsorship Advertisements may be included in either the upgrade package or sold as an a la carte item, but not both. If an add-on order is associated via the Org Mgr > Add-Ons section, the option to enable sponsorships in booth upgrade packages from the Org Mgr > Details table is disabled.
Complete the following steps to associate add-on item orders with specific profile enhancement functionality:
- Navigate to Admin Panel > Site Building Tools > Organizations Manager > Add-Ons
- Locate the desired functionality, then click Associate Add-on
- Select the appropriate add-on option from the dropdown menu
- Click Add
Associate Add-On item orders with EDC Listing Category Forms
Important: Add-on items and item type setup must be completed in Global Admin before an add-on order can be associated in the Event Portal.
In addition to including profile enhancements with defined upgrade packages, show management teams can generate additional revenue by selling add-on items a la carte and allowing exhibitors to fulfill their purchases in the Event Portal seamlessly.
Complete the following steps to associate add-on item orders with EDC Listing Category Forms:
- Navigate to Admin Panel > Site Building Tools > Forms Manager > Categories
- Locate an existing Digital Listing Form Type and click Edit or, if desired, create a new category form. Note: Add-on item orders can only be associated with the Digital Listing Category Form Type. Additionally, if a new category form is created, click Save before proceeding to the next step.
- Locate the Associated Add-On: field and select the appropriate add-on order from the drop-down menu.
- Click Save.
Once the setup is completed, Exhibitors who have purchased the item will have access to the form and can fulfill the order upon login to the Portal.
Manually Associate or Automate assigned Featured Exhibitors
The EDC Sales package allows show management teams to sell Featured status to Exhibitors participating in the show. Although the Event Portal provides functionality to feature exhibitors in various ways, two more common methods include manually associating exhibitors individually and automating fulfillment by associating an add-on order via the Organization Manager's Featured tool.
Perform the following steps to associate an organization as a featured exhibitor manually:
- Navigate to Admin Panel > Organization Manager > Featured > Organizations
- Click Associate Organization
- Select the desired organization from the drop-down list
- Click Add
If preferred, show management teams can automate this process by associating an add-on order, which automatically assigns GA company records with the order attached in the system.
It is important to note that automated fulfillment of add-on orders can only be processed if the exhibitor purchases the upgrade via the front-end add-on sales page or the OEC during booth purchase.
Perform the following steps to automate fulfillment for purchased Featured Exhibitor add-on orders:
- Complete the Financial Setup process in Global Admin to create the Financial Type and Financial Item
- Complete the Add-On Setup processes in Global Admin to create the Add-On type and Add-On item
- In the Event Portal, navigate to Admin Panel > Organizations Manager > Featured > Organizations
- Click Associate Add-On and select the desired option from the dropdown menu.
Regardless of the method used to designate companies as featured, whether automated via add-on or manually by individual organizations, the online profiles appear on the front end automatically via the Organizations > Organizations List block after the Show Featured Orgs Only block setting checkbox is selected.
Setup Exhibitor Sponsorship Fulfillment Forms
With the EDC sales package, exhibitor-purchased sponsorship items can be associated with a custom form and assigned as a task to be fulfilled. It is important to note that the Sponsorship Item and Item type financial setup in GA must be completed before an item can be assigned as a task. Refer to the How-To: Setup Sponsorship Fulfillment in the Event Portal article for detailed instructions on configuring this feature.
Note: When configuring a la carte videos, the add-on order must be associated in the dedicated Video Category form located in Admin Panel > Site Building Tools > Videos Manager.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. - I do not see where exhibitors can upload their EDC (products, press releases, show specials, etc.) when viewing the Exhibitor Hub page. How would I fix this?
A. - Add the Organizations> Items block to ensure exhibitors can see EDC upload fields on the Exhibitor Hub page. The Add Listing buttons appear on the block after the setup for EDC limits in the Site Building Tools > Organizations > Details table has been completed and the Exhibitor's upgrade level syncs to the Portal from Global Admin.
The Organizations > Items block shows the Exhibitor Profile task completion bar and EDC upload buttons. The Users > User Profile Completion block is only intended for the User Profile page, not the Exhibitor Hub page.
Q. - Is there a limit to how many digital listings I can set up for exhibitor use?
A. - There is no limit; however, to ensure exhibitors receive the allotted amount per upgrade level, you must select the Enable Organization Limits checkbox on the category form edit page and then set parameters in the Admin Panel > Site Building Tools > Organizations Manager > Details table.
Q. - Is there an image size recommendation for EDC content, such as products or other digital listings?
A. - Generally, we recommend uploading a rectangular image that is 900x480 pixels for EDC listing photos for products, press releases, show specials, and other digital listings.
Q. - I created a category for exhibitors to upload videos, but it is not showing under the category list for videos. How do I get them to appear?
A. - Unlike other EDC products controlled by the Forms Manager, Videos are controlled in Admin Panel > Videos Manager.
To properly configure Exhibitor access to this feature, first, navigate there to set up the Video Category (ensure the Enable Organization Limits checkbox is selected) and set the limit for the category in Admin Panel > Site Building Tools > Organizations Manager > Details table. Navigate to Admin Panel > Site Building Tools > Page Editor and confirm the Videos > Video Listing block is added to the page where you want the videos uploaded to the category to appear.