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Packages allow you to add specific 'extras' such as marketing tags, hotel rooms, function tickets, travel tickets to be included with a registration type, sponsorship, or stand booking. You set up a package that combines all these items, then assign it to a specific:
Registration type
Exhibitor stand type
orSponsorship category.
Example:
For example, if you wanted to create a package for all VIP attendees that includes a complimentary hotel room plus two free concert tickets, this is how you'd set it up:
Create a package called VIP Registration (in Setup Panel, Advanced - Packages)
Within the Package setup, add the Accommodation Module, and include the complimentary hotel room; then add the Functions module and add the concert tickets (complimentary or inclusive).
Go into Setup - Registrations, create a VIP Registration Type, check the box to include a Package and select your newly-created VIP Package.
Then any attendee with a VIP Registration Type (whether they book it themselves online, or you allocate it via the attendee panel) will automatically have the extra items added (a complimentary hotel room and two free concert tickets).
How to add packages
Adding a Package to a Registration Type (or Stand Type or Sponsorship Category) means everybody with that Registration, Exhibition or Sponsorship type will be automatically assigned that package (i.e. everything it includes) when they select that item (the registration type, exhibition stand type, or sponsorship level).
Another method is to add a package to only selected attendees, via a Submit Action ("Data Creation" Submit Action) on an interactive (registration) site. Search this help site for more information about Submit Actions.
The Submit Action method of adding a package lets you add items such as registration types, notes, etc. to an attendee record "behind the scenes", and you can filter to select who'll get the package. For example, you may decide to have three different packages for the same registration type, based on geographic region. You can set this up with a question on your registration site that has three different possible answers, and then add three different Submit Actions, adding a filter to each Submit Action so that the correct regional package will be created when the registration site/form is submitted.
Sometimes you want to keep your registration site very simple BUT you still need to allocate a registration type to all attendees - e.g. to log into an OnAir portal or for event check-in or name badge printing. Instead of having site users manually select a registration type, you allocate one automatically using a package and a "data creation" Submit Action.
NOTE: If you assign a package via a Submit Action only (so it's not attached to a Registration Type, Exhibition Stand or Sponsorship Category; it's only added as a Submit Action), the package details will NOT change automatically in the attendee's record if you later manually change the attendee's Registration Type, Exhibition Stand or Sponsorship Category.
Packages allocated via Submit Action will only update if the change is made via the Interactive Site and you've set up a separate Submit Action up for edited registrations/bookings.
Things to remember:
The payment status for any package items can only be a non-paying status (e.g. Inclusive, Complimentary, Own Expense, Waitlist No Payment etc). This is because whole idea of packaging items is that they're included, so you can't attach a cost to items inside the package. The payment statuses you see in the package setup area will depend on what payment statuses you've set up for that module, but you won't see statuses such as 'purchase'. Unless you're giving away the items, you would usually factor in the extra cost and add it to the overall cost of the item the package is part of.
Package items shown in the Attendees panel, on the contact record, are italicized.
How to create a package
In the Setup Panel, look under Advanced Settings and open up Packages.
Click on the Plus symbol next to Package to create a new package.
Enter a name for your new package and then select Create.
The name of the package can now be found under the "Details" tab in the package setup, where you can find it and change it later if you need to. The package itself is created in the "Builder" tab.
Using the drag-and-drop builder, drag over the elements/modules to include in your package.
You can include specific Notes or Marketing tags along with items such as registration types (to add to an exhibition or sponsorship item), function fee types/tickets, hotel and travel bookings, or exhibition stands (to add to either a registration type or sponsorship category).
For example, to add a hotel stay, drag over the Accommodation element.
Click on the Setup Cog for the item you've just added (e.g. Accommodation).
Add information (e.g. hotel name, room type, check-in and check-out dates).
Select a payment status (which will be a non-paying status, as explained earlier).
Select close.
Drag over another package elements such as Functions.
Click on the setup cog for the next element (e.g. Functions).
Select and fill in the details as you did for the previous element.
When you've set up all package inclusions, press SAVE.
Now you need to assign the package.
We're going to use the example of including a package with a registration type (you could also assign it to an Exhibition Stand or Sponsorship Category using much the same process).
In Setup Panel, choose Registrations (for our example).
Create a new Registration Type (or find the existing registration type you want to add the package to).
Select the box for "Include Package" and choose the name of the package you created from the drop-down menu, then save.
The package is now part of that registration type.