Online Event

Creating Online Events is a feature now available in the YRRP EventPLUS system enabling YRRP leadership to offer online YRRP events. As this feature is only available to national leadership and staff, you will need to set up the event and provide your staff delegate access so that they may utilize this feature, much like you would do for an in-person event.

This online event feature allows Service members and their families the opportunity to participate in YRRP training via eLearning, if they are unable to attend an event in person.

Building an online event is very similar to the process of creating an in-person event, with the exception that online courses replace the usual breakouts and sessions. When creating an online event, you have the opportunity to establish which online courses Service members and their guests should participate in.

Similar to an in-person event, Service members and their family register through EventPLUS for an online event; they must then be approved by the event planning team, and once approved, each registrant receives an email with a unique link to their own online event dashboard. From the dashboard, the attendee has the opportunity to participate in the selected courses complete with quiz questions that measure retention of the content. Attendees participate in an event evaluation and upon successful completion, they receive an event certificate.

Properties

1. In EventPLUS, hover over EVENTS on the menu bar, and click CREATE ONLINE EVENT. The Create Event (Properties) page appears.

2. Complete the properties of the new event on the Create Event (Properties) page as follows:

Enter the appropriate information in the Overview section:

Field Name	Action/Input
Category	Select Yellow Ribbon.
Event State	Select a state from the drop-down list.
Hosting Component	Select the service component that is hosting the event. Only one component can be selected.
Deployment Phase	Select the deployment phase you are hosting at the event.
Event Title Hosting Unit Hosting Unit UIC Hosting Command	Complete the Event Title/Hosting Unit/Hosting Unit UIC/Hosting Command fields provided as outlined below. Note that the display of this field depends on the hosting component of the event. Event Title: (Training and Air Force Reserve events only): Type a title for your event. Hosting Unit: (Army Reserve events): Specify your hosting Command, MSC and Unit details. Hosting Unit (ANG/ARNG events): Select your hosting unit from the drop-down. Hosting Unit UIC: (Coast Guard Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve events): Type the six-character unit identification code that uniquely identifies your operational unit. Hosting Command: (Navy Reserve events only): Select your Navy Command Center. To specify additional hosting units, click and complete the additional fields displayed. Note: As you enter Unit/Command codes and descriptions for AFR, CGR and MCR-hosted events, the data is stored so that subsequent users can select them from a pre-populated list. If you type a previously entered code in the Hosting Unit/Hosting Unit UIC/Hosting Command field, a list is displayed allowing you to select the correct code and description combination. You cannot change previously entered Unit/Command code and description combinations.

Select the event start date and time, including the time zone and end date and time.

In the REGISTRATION area, select the checkbox if you do not want to allow public users to register for your event. By default, the Register button will appear.

Use the calendar icon to select a date when registration will close to the public.

In the Registration Quota field, enter the maximum number of registrants you want to allow to attend the event. Event Owners and Co-Owners can increase the quota to ensure more registrants can attend.

In the Display From field, use the calendar icon to indicate when the event should be displayed on the YRRP EventPLUS site.

NOTE: once the event ends, attendees will no longer be able to access their own online event dashboard.

Specify information for the event’s point of contact (POC). When first displayed, these fields default to show your contact details as the Event Owner.

If you want to change the default POC, type the email address of the desired point of contact in the POC Email field. The system locates the specified email address in the YRRP EventPLUS database, and populates the POC Component, POC First Name and POC Last Name fields accordingly. Select the appropriate status and rank from the remaining drop-down lists provided.

Note: The email address you specify in the POC Email field is the address to which emails will be directed any time a registrant clicks the Send Message link from the Event Details page.

Enter a description of the event in the Information for Attendees text box. Apply text formatting as required and/or apply a link to a specific web location by typing the URL, highlighting it and clicking the applicable Font icon.

YRRP EventPLUS applies standard HTML code to produce text formatting in your description. For example:

[B]Bold Text[/B] for Bold Text.
[I]Italicized Text[/I] for Italicized Text.
[U] Underlined Text[/U] for Underlined Text.
[A]http://www.deployment.com[/A] for a clickable hyperlink.

The system also checks for and, if necessary, inserts http:// in front of all hyperlinked text. This is required for YRRP EventPLUS to interpret the links correctly.

To view your description formatted as it will appear, click PREVIEW.

Note: Formatting may not be preserved if you copy and paste from another application.

To attach a file describing the event, such as a PDF or Word document click the UPLOAD FILE button to open and upload the appropriate file. Once the file has been uploaded, it will appear in the Event Files section.

For each file that you upload, you can do the following:

· Set as Public or Private: Select the Public radio button if you want this file to be accessible to the public. Otherwise, select the Private radio button.

· Delete: Click the DELETE button on the far right hand side to delete the file.

· Add a Description: Enter a description for the uploaded file in the Add Description field.

To personalize the event with the hosting program’s logo, click the image in the Event Logo section and select the appropriate logo from the Logo Library. Note that if you do not see the logo you want to use in the Logo Library, please contact the YRRP EventPLUS HelpDesk at 1-877-677-9991 or feedback@yellowribbonevents.org to have your logo added.

To delegate additional staff members to assist you in managing the event, select the Yes radio button in response to the question under Delegate Roles.

Determine the type of access you want your delegate(s) to have to your event in EventPLUS:

Viewer: Access to view the event only. Viewer delegates are not able to edit an event.
Contributor: Access to view the event and manage registrants.
Co-Owner: Full access to the event, including the ability to view or edit the event.
Attendance Coordinator: Access to view the event and manage registrants. This delegate role cannot approve registrations.

Select the type of access you want to grant your delegate(s) in the Event Roles drop-down list, then click the ADD button to select your delegate(s) from a list.

In the list of users displayed, search by name, role or state. Select the check box to the left of the appropriate delegate(s), then select the check box to add the individual(s) as delegate(s) with the selected event access permissions.

Repeat this step to add additional delegates or delegates with different access permissions.

Notes:

Certain state and national staff members are automatically delegated to YRRP events. You will be able to see and update this list after publishing the event.
For Air Force Reserve hosted events, the system automatically delegates Event Coordinators as Attendance Coordinators and Service Component PMs as Co-owners.
When a new or existing user is approved for a YRRP staff role, YRRP EventPLUS automatically delegates the user to the appropriate YRRP events that already exist in the system. It retroactively employs the same delegation rules used when the events were first created.
Hover over the info icon to see a complete breakdown of the roles. A list of features that are available to each user role will appear.

3. Once you have finished completing the properties for your event, click the Next button at the bottom of the page. The Setup Courses page appears.

Setup Courses

For each online event you create in EventPLUS, you must select online courses for registrants to complete. Once approved, an email will be sent to each registrant, supplying a unique URL to their online event dashboard. The courses you selected when creating the event will appear, and the registrant will take the online courses required of them to succesfully complete the event.

To setup courses:

2. Check the checkbox beside the courses you want to add, then click ADD COURSES TO THE EVENT.

3. Click the Next button at the bottom of the page once you have finished completing adding breakouts and sessions for your event. The Registration Setup page appears.

To add live web meetings:

1. Click ADD LIVE WEB MEETING to schedule and host a live audio and video web meeting to this event. The Live Web Meeting Information pop-up appears.

To create a web meeting using Microsoft Teams:

1. Click the link in the instructions to set up a web meeting using Microsoft Teams.

2. Confirm the meeting's date and times are correct.

3. Click Send to save the meeting invite.

4. Open the meeting that you just saved. The newly created meeting contains the details of the meeting URL, conference ID, and call-in number.

5. Copy the meeting details from the meeting invite to the EventPLUS Live Web Meeting Information pop-up.

6. Click SUBMIT when you have finished adding the meeting details.

Notes:

You must have a Microsoft Teams' license to schedule a live meeting using Teams.
When using Microsoft Teams, ensure that you include at least one additional invitee before saving the meeting.
If you are using a web meeting product other than Microsoft Teams, launch it separately and follow the same steps.

4. Click the Next button at the bottom of the page once you have finished completing adding breakouts and sessions for your event. The Registration Setup page appears.

Registration

The Registration Setup page lets you customize the registration forms for the primary registrants and their additional attendees of your event. You can also choose to receive and forward notification emails each time someone registers for your event. And you can enable the Topic Tree which adds an additional step to the registration process inviting registrants to indicate which topics they are most interested in.

Select the Yes radio button at the top of the page if you would like to receive a copy of all outgoing emails tied to your event. The system will use the email address in your user profile.

If you would like to also send a copy of these emails to another individual, select the Also send to the following email address(es) check box.

Enter the email address in the Add New Email Address field, then click the ADD button.

The Topic Tree feature allows you to collect feedback from registrants in regard to topics of interest they would like to see at future events. To enable this feature, select the Yes radio button under Indicate which topics event registrants would like to learn more about header.

Note: Once you have enabled the Topic Tree feature for your event, public registrants will be presented with an additional step in the registration process where they can identify topics of interest. If you register on an attendee's behalf, they will receive a link to the Topic Tree in their registration confirmation email.

The default registration form is different based on the component hosting the event. Different components include a different mandatory fields on their respective forms. All components display a different version of their default registration form for different attendee types - generally, a different version for Attendees (Service members and families) versus Support Staff. In the case of Air Force Reserve-hosted events, the default registration form appears slightly differently for every attendee type. Despite these differences, the customizations implemented on the Registration Setup page during event creation apply across all registration forms on which the fields appear.

Select the registration fields that should be completed by members when registering for the event.

To display a field in the form, select the Display check box to the right of the field name.

To make an entry in the field mandatory, select the Mandatory check box to the right of the field name.

Sort the order of any of the field names using up and down arrows to the right.

To add custom field(s) to the form, select the field options(s) in the following boxes at the bottom of the field list, then click the ADD button:

Add New Custom Text Field: To add a new text field, in which users can enter free-form text.
Add New Custom Yes/No Field: To add a new field to which users can respond Yes or No.
Primary Registrant: To display the new field to the primary registrant.
Additional Attendee: To display the new field to additional attendees.
Set Field as Mandatory: To make an entry in the custom field mandatory.

Frequently Asked Online Event Creation Questions

1. How do registrants access their online event dashboard?

Just like an in-person event, each registrant MUST be approved through EventPLUS. Once approved, an email will be sent to each registrant, supplying a unique URL to their online event dashboard. It is important to note that once a registrant is approved, you should not alter their registration status.

We recommend communicating to registrants that they must wait for an approval email to access their online event dashboard to complete the courses. If they try to complete the courses through the ONLINE COURSES page, it will not track their progress through the online event.

2. How is the Online Courses feature different from an Online Event?

The Online Courses feature allows anyone the ability to browse and complete an individual course on the ONLINE COURSES page. An Online Event allows staff the opportunity to set up an event and determine which courses a Service member must complete and tracks course completion for each registrant.

3. How do I know who has registered for the event?

Event creators, owners and co-owners are able to view the Registration page to see who has registered for an event. You can also generate a Registration Report that provides registration details for everyone who has registered for the event.

4. How do I know what modules an attendee has completed?

To see which modules an attendee has completed, generate an Attendance Details Report. This report tracks with sessions an attendee has successfully completed.

5. How do I know when an attendee has successfully completed the online event?

Use the Attendance Details spreadsheet to search and filter for those who have completed the mandatory courses and have completed the appropriate number of electives.

6. Who can create an online event?

Currently, only National Leadership (OSD-RA National PM and OSD-RA National Staff) and Service Component Program Managers (the Reserve Component Coordinators) have the ability to create online events.

You will need to set up the event and provide regional or state staff delegate access so that they may utilize this feature, approve registrations and access event reports, much like you would do for an in-person event.