Events (Group Bookings)

How to create an Event (Group Booking)

 

Creating an event in the Orcoda Booking System (OBS) involves a simple two-step process. First, you'll need to create an event template, which sets the details for the group booking such as the date, time, and location. Once the event template is saved, you'll then move to a separate screen to add participants to the event. This guide will walk you through both steps to ensure your group bookings are set up correctly and efficiently.

 

To start creating an event, users must first set up an Event Template. This can be accomplished by going to the Events tab found in the Settings section of the menu sidebar. Once there, users should click on "ADD EVENT TEMPLATE" to proceed, as shown below.

 

 

Create Event Template

 

The first section of the event template form requires users to specify the dates for the event.

If the event is recurring, users must select this option from the drop-down menu. Additionally, if the recurring event has an end date, it should be entered in the "Last Date" field. If this field is left blank for a recurring event, the event will continue to repeat indefinitely.

 

 

The user will then need to specify which region this event will apply to, the name and also the type of the event

The system allows for two event types: "HOSTED" and "DAY TRIP", which can be selected from the "TYPE" field.

"HOSTED" events require a single destination, while "DAY TRIPS" need both a mustering point and a destination specified.

 

 

The next section of the form requires the user to specify the scheduled times and number of participants for this event.

For "Day Trip" events, it is important to note that the specified start and finish times refer to the mustering point rather than the actual event location.

Users must also specify the maximum number of participants allowed for the event, along with the number of waitlist spots. Any clients on the waitlist will automatically be transferred to the participant list if any cancellations occur.

 

 

The Per Passenger Value section of the form allows the user to specify a maximum onboard and unload time for this event.

It is advisable to set the Load/Unload time to a value lower than the default configured in your account.

Typically, accounts have a default load/unload time of about 2 minutes. If this field is left blank in the event template, the event will automatically use this 2-minute duration per client. For instance, if you have an event with 20 participants, a 2-minute load/unload time would total 40 minutes, which could be excessive.

By specifying a smaller load/unload time for the event, you can prevent this duration from becoming disproportionately long for larger groups.

 

 

Each event template must include at least one "Purpose" and one "Funding Source" to be valid.

Please note that this selection will dictate which clients can be added to this event, only clients with the funding source/s specified in the event template will be available to be added to the event.

The user has the option to add multiple purposes and funding sources to the event template.

 

 

After these fields have been completed, the "Create Event Template" can be selected at the bottom of the page

Once an event template is created, any future events scheduled within a designated timeframe will automatically appear in the "Events" calendar.

 

Adding participants/clients to an event

 

Now that the event template has been created, the user can now access this in the event calendar page and add participants to the event.

 

 

In the calendar view, you will see the number of events scheduled for each day. Begin by selecting the date of the event you wish to manage. On the subsequent page, you will find a list of events for that date; select the appropriate event to proceed.

Once you have chosen the event from the list, you will be directed to the event page. Before you can begin adding participants, it is necessary to lock the event. This action can be completed on the edit event page, where you can also make any last-minute adjustments to the event details as needed.

Please note that any adjustments made here will only apply to the event on this particular date.

Event Page:

Edit Event Page:

Now that the event has been locked, the user can begin to add participants on the previous event page.

To add participants, the user will need to begin typing the clients name in the search box shown below.

 

Please note that only clients with the funding source specified in the event template will be available to be searched/selected for this event.

Any participants that are added on top of the maximum participants number will be automatically placed into the wait list.

Any cancellations will automatically move clients from the wait list into the participants list.

 

If all participants in an event need to travel together on a specific vehicle, such as a large bus, a vehicle constraint must be applied to the event. This ensures that all bookings for the event are assigned to the same vehicle during scheduling.

The constraint can be selected from the "Constraint" field, as shown in the image below.

 

 

Please note that any vehicle constraints must first be pre-configured via the "Additional Constraints" page before they can be applied to an event.

 

 

The last step will be to confirm all the participants for the event and then schedule the event which will move all of these individual trips to the bookings page.

 

After this has been completed, the user will see that booking status for each participant change to "Paid". 

Once you navigate to the bookings page, you will find that the event bookings have been successfully transferred. These bookings will remain pending until the day of the event is locked in the bookings page, after which they will be pushed across into the scheduling platform OLMS.