Session Auto-Transitions: Explained

Updated: March 12, 2021

Before You Start:

Review some vocabulary:

1. Sessions – Any live or pre-recorded media made available in the Sessions page of the Administer menu. This can include livestreams, simulive content, on-demand videos, or embedded content.

Note: On-demand videos do not auto-transition.

2. Tracks – Categories of sessions in Engagez. You can filter Calendar panels by track so only certain categories of sessions appear. If one session is auto-transitioning to another, they need to be in the same track.

Follow along below to automatically transition your sessions throughout the day.

1. Add a Calendar Panel to your page by navigating to UI Design > Sessions Location (or its equivalent name) > Add > Calendar.

2. Find the Settings menu in the upper right corner of the panel. Click the dropdown and choose Settings.

3. Check the box labeled “Automatically Transition an Ended Session to Next.”

You should now see your sessions automatically transition.

Important Notes:

• Sessions will only transition when the next session begins. This means if one session ends before the next begins, the previous session won’t end until the next one starts. Attendees will never be forced out of a session unless:
  • The session time has ended (in Edit Session > Schedule) AND
  • The page is refreshed for the attendee. (The attendee can do this themselves.)

Tip: If you want the attendee to be pushed out of an ended session, you can force a page refresh by navigating to Administer > Operations Console and choosing Broadcast Refresh from the options. From there, you can refresh all pages or specific pages for attendees.

•  Sessions will only auto-transition when all these conditions are met:
  1. The two sessions are in the same track.
  2. The two sessions happen directly one after the other, without a session in between.
  3. The sessions following the first don’t happen at the same time. That means if you have all sessions in the same track, but the first session occurs at 8am and the next two sessions both occur at 9am, there won’t be an auto-transition.
  4. The time in between the two sessions is shorter than the “# of minutes prior to live session’s start time to allow attendees to enter the session.”  This can be configured in the Calendar Panel’s Settings.

Tip: If your sessions do not meet the requirements to auto-transition, you can use the Broadcast Message feature in the Operations Console to invite attendees into the next session or a networking room.

 

Best Practices:

• If a session is only supposed to be 60 minutes, but the pre-recorded video is 61 minutes, change the time to reflect this. Then broadcast a message to attendees inviting them to another session or room when that session ends.
  • In this case, if one session is auto-transitioning to the next at the 60-minute mark, add in some buffer time between sessions.
• If the pre-recorded session is shorter than its scheduled duration, fill the time with other slides indicating the time of the next session’s start and any other information you wish to share with the attendee. (This is a great time to have sponsor shout-outs!)
• Always add in buffer time between live sessions, at least 10-15 minutes if the live sessions are back to back. This gives your attendees a rest break and you some time to prepare your next speakers.
• Share a screen in between live sessions, with a slide showing the title of your next session, conference agenda, or language indicating the next session will start shortly. This allows you to continue to stream without stopping between sessions.

Still have questions? Visit the Engagez Support venue or email us at support@kb.engagez.com. If you’ve purchased an implementation package, please contact your implementation representative through Skype or email.