This guide will show you how to create, test, and publish an activity using the Live Event Template.

What are Templates? Templates are created by Rievent and added to your account for you to create CE/CME activities. Each activity type (journal, live event, enduring, RSS, webinar, and manuscript review.) will have its own template. 

Please note that an Activity Evaluation (as well as other evaluations) can be built into the template if the same questions are asked for every activity. If this is the case, Rievent can build the evaluation into the template and provide it as a checkbox option on the Activity Options tab. This saves administrators from having to create the same evaluation questions over and over for each activity. These "shared" or "built-in" evaluations are not editable by a customer, so if changes need to be made, please let us know.

Step 1: Creating a New Live Event Activity

1. To begin, click the icon next to the Manage Your Program Menu.

2. Enter the Short Name for the activity. The Short Name is how the activity will be listed in the Manage Your Program menu and will not be exposed to learners. If you have not already decided to do so, we recommend setting up a naming convention for your activities.

When creating the Short Name, please keep in mind that it must be unique and should also include the Activity ID. For example, if your Activity ID is RD305, the Short Name might be in the format RD305 - Annual Updates in Anesthesiology.

3. During the pre-production stage, you have the option to add the activity to other administrative accounts and upload any production-related files for storage (optional). Please note the files uploaded here are for storage only; this feature is not intended for content hosting. Files stored here cannot be accessed by learners. 

Adding the activity to other administrative accounts allows them to see and access the activity from the Manage Your Program menu in their own admin accounts. Click Pre-Production complete to continue.

4. Next, select the Live Activity template. This template supports both single location and multi-location live events.

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Production Wizard

The Production Wizard will walk you through the process of creating the activity step-by-step, starting with the Activity Info tab. Once you've completed a step, you can go back at any time to edit what you've entered by clicking the appropriate tab in the Production Wizard. Always click the Save button for the steps that include a Save button, and Next after making any changes.

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Activity Info tab

5. From the Activity Information tab, enter the Internal Activity ID, Activity Title, and the Start/End date.

• Internal Activity ID: This is your internal identification number and must be unique, as it cannot be used by other activities. Typically the Activity ID is also included in the Activity Name. For example, if your Activity Name is RD305 - Annual Updates in Anesthesiology, the Internal Activity ID would be RD305.
  
  
• Internal Activity Name (same as the Short Name): This will already be populated for you and is how the activity will be listed in the Manage-Your-Program drop-down menu. The Activity Name usually includes the Activity ID. (e.g., RD305 - Annual Updates in Anesthesiology)
  
  
• External Activity Title: Title of the activity as you would like it to be displayed on certificates, transcripts, event-related emails, and the overview page (if included).
  
  
• Activity Start Date: The first-day learners can begin registering for the event.
  
  
• Activity End Date: The last full day that learners can request credit. Credit will expire at midnight Eastern Time, on the date entered into the field.

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CE Catalog

6. From the CE Catalog tab, you have the option to enter a brief description of the activity and assign metadata tags. This information will display in the CE Catalog and Events Calendar (if the activity is published) and provides learners a quick summary description of the activity.

For more information on uploading images, visit the FAQ: How do I use the Image Upload Tool?

Go through the list and check the meta-data tags you would like to assign to the activity. Once created, the list of metadata choices will be maintained by the Rievent Platform, so you do not need to recreate the list for each activity.

You can create new tags by clicking the Add button. To edit an existing tag, simply double click it, make the changes, then click Save. You can also remove a tag by clicking the Delete button.

The images below shows how the meta-data tags will be displayed in the CE Catalog and Events Calendar. Only the metadata tags checked during production will show up in the CE Catalog and Events Calendar.

CE Catalog:

Events Calendar:

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Credit Options

7. Next, configure the credit options that will be available for the event. You can include one or multiple credit options. If the credit option you are looking for is not listed, you can create one using the Certification Management Tool. If there are many credit options listed, the Search box can help quickly locate the desired credit type.

Check the boxes of the credit type(s) you would like to include, then fill out the min, max, and credit increment fields. To set a static credit amount, without the option for learners to choose incremental credit, enter the same number for the min/max and enter "0" in the increment field. 

If you want to allow learners to claim more than 1 credit option at a time, check the box next to Allow Multiple Credit Selection. Learners will receive a certificate for each credit option they select.

By default, all the selected credit options will be available for the duration of the activity (set on the Activity Info tab). However, under the More Options menu, you have option to add a Credit Release and Credit Expiration date for individual credit options. This allows you to offer certain credit options for only part of the duration of the activity.

Also under the More Options menu, is the Certificate Activity Accreditation Statement field. This field is for certificates that (1) have been created using the certification management tool and (2) that contain the Activity Accreditation Statement merge tag. The information provided here will override the existing credit accreditation statement and be merged onto the applicable certificate. More information on the Certification Management Tool and Accreditation Statement Merge Tag.

Click the Next button when you are finished.

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Activity Options

8. From the Activity Options tab, you can select which evaluations to include and enable features like eCommerce. Depending on your template, you may also see additional pre-built evaluations (also referred to as "shared" or "common" evaluations) as options to include.

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Live Event Options

9. Next, indicate if this will be a single or multi-location live event. Additionally, you can configure if registration is required for the event. NOTE: When registration is required, only registered learners can claim credit for the event.

Single Location Live Event

• If selected, this live event will be streamlined for a single location

Multi-Location Live Event

• Learners will be unable to use the unique access codes for claiming credit with multi-location events.
• Enabling "Require Pre-Event Registration" is recommended for multi-location events in order to streamline the credit request process.
• If pre-event registration is not required, non-registered learners must be provided the Request for Credit URL for completing their credit request following the event.

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Overview Page

10. If included, the Overview Page will appear to learners as the first page of the activity and is typically used to present activity information, such as learning objectives, accreditation info, disclosures, etc.... A default overview page may already be built into the template, but you must be sure to add any activity specific information, such as the learning objectives, to the page.

You can also include a disclosure's checkbox to verify the learner has read the Overview page information before continuing with registration.

Helpful Articles on the Overview Page:

• FAQ: How do I use the Image Upload Tool?
• Configuring links to open in a new window

Use the rich text editor to add formatting, images, links, tables, etc. to the page. To work with the HTML view of the page, click the Source button in the toolbar.

Selecting the Require Disclosures Agreement checkbox will include a disclosure's checkbox at the bottom of the Overview page that learners must check to verify they have read the all the information before continuing into the activity.

When you are finished creating the page, click Next to continue.

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Pre-Activity Evaluation

11. The Pre-Activity Evaluation will display to registrants during the registration process. Some customers use this survey to asses registrants' current knowledge of the event topics, ask dietary needs questions, or to collect any other needed information. 

If you selected to include a Pre-Activity Evaluation, you will create it now. To add questions, click the Add Question or Text button and then use the editor to enter the question text and answer choices.

The Pre-Activity Evaluation for this example will be configured as a single rating question, asking learners to rate their current knowledge level of the event’s topics. More information on configuring rating style questions.

You may also edit the name of the evaluation as it appears to learners (e.g., “Pre-Activity Evaluation” to “Knowledge Assessment”) by hovering the cursor over the text, then double clicking to edit.

When finished, be sure to click Save before clicking Next.

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Post-Test

12. Next, if it was included, configure the Post-Test (Pre-Tests are configured the same way). There are two different ways to enter the test questions. You can enter them all at once using the Multiple Choice Parser (more info), or one at a time using the wizard.

To configure multiple choice test questions individually, start by clicking the Add Question or Text button and then selecting the Choose One question type.

Next, double click the question to insert text. To add answer choices, click the  icon and then double click to insert text. You can also delete questions and answer choices with the  icon.  

 
To mark an answer choice as correct, click the  icon next to it and the icon will change to a . You can also add Answer Choice Rationale by clicking the  icon. 

You may also edit the title displayed to the learner, minimum passing score, and the number of attempts the learner will be allowed to achieve the passing score. Awarding of credit and a certificate of credit is contingent on meeting this minimum passing score.

When you are finished configuring the test, be sure to click the Save button before continuing.

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Session Evaluation

13. Next, create the Session Evaluation. To add questions, click the Add Question or Text button and then use the editor to enter the question text and answer choices.  More information on configuring rating style questions.

When finished, be sure to click the Save button before clicking Next.

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Speaker Evaluation

14. Create the Speaker Evaluation next. To add questions, click the Add Question or Text button and then use the editor to enter the question text and answer choices. More information on configuring rating style questions.

When finished, be sure to click the Save button before clicking Next.

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Activity-Specific Evaluation

15. If you selected to include an Activity Specific Evaluation (Pre-Activity Evaluations are built the same way), you will create it now. To add questions to the evaluation, click the Add Question or Text button and then use the editor to enter the question text and answer choices.

For this example, the evaluation will be configured as a single rating question, asking learners to rate how well the activity met its stated learning objectives. More information on configuring rating style questions.

When finished, be sure to click the Save button before clicking Next.

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Outcomes Evaluation

16. Lastly, if an Outcomes Evaluation was selected from the Activity Options tab, use the same set of tools as the Session/Speaker Evaluations and Activity-Specific Evaluation to build the Outcomes Evaluation. When finished be sure to click Save before clicking Next.

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Finished Tab

17. All the activity parameters have now been entered. Click Finished to create the activity and transition to the Review stage.

After the activity is created, you (along with any stakeholders) will have the opportunity to review. If any changes are required, you may return to the Production Wizard to edit the activity.

After the activity is created, the following must be completed before testing as a learner:

1. From the Live Events tab, configure the event, session, speaker and venue information.
2. If eCommerce was included, you will need to create a product(s) for the activity, along with any associated participant types (if included) and/or discount codes from the eCommerce tab. Click here for detailed instruction on configuring eCommerce.

Once these additional steps have been completed, you (along with your stakeholders) can then review the Registration, Request for Credit, and Outcomes (if included) portions of the activity as test learners. If changes are needed, you may return to the Production stage at any time to edit the activity.

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Step 2: Adding Event, Session, and Speaker Information

After creating the activity, go to the Live Events tab to:

1. Create an Event
2. Configure the Event’s Sessions
3. Add Speakers to sessions (optional)
4. Add Topics to a session (optional)

Creating an Event

For single location live events (configured from the Live Event Options tab in the Production Wizard), the scheduling page will automatically display. However, for multi-location live events, you will need to click the Schedule New Event button to begin.

From the Scheduling page, first enter the event's start/end and the registration start/end date. By default these dates will be set to what was entered into the Start Date field on Activity Info section of the Production Wizard, so be sure to adjust them to the correct dates/times.

Next, enter the Customer Event ID (optional) and the event’s Capacity. The Customer Event ID field (optional) can be used to track your events internally and will not be displayed to the learner. You can use the Capacity field to limit the number of registrants for the event. The Capacity will be set to unlimited by default, however, you can change this by unchecking the "Unlimited" box and entering a number.

You can also configure the waiting list and registration options for the activity as well.

If the waitlist option is disabled and capacity has been reached, learners will no longer be able to register for the event. If the waitlist option is enabled and capacity has been reached, learners will have the option to be added to the waitlist. When waitlisted, if a registered learner cancels, an admin can choose to manually promote them or have the platform automatically promote them. 

Be sure to select Registration Enabled in order to allow learners to register. By selecting Disabled, an event will be created on the admin side but will not be visible to the learner for registration in the CE Catalog. You can also enable the waiting list option as well and choose whether the registrants will be promoted from the waiting list automatically, or manually.

To include additional details related to the event (on-site registration details, venue details, travel options, etc.), enter them in the Additional Details. The text entered here will be displayed to learners during registration when selecting the event they would like to attend. The Additional Details text will also appear on the Registration Confirmation page and Registration Confirmation email. 

Next, configure the event’s Location by clicking the Choose button.

Select a location from the list. If you do not see the correct venue listed, create a new one by clicking the New Location button. More information on setting up a new location

After selecting the Location, click the Save button to create the event.

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Configuring a Session

Next, configure the session(s) for the event. Every live event has to be set up with at least one session, even if session and speaker evaluations will not be included. Also, in order to associate speaker(s) to an event, there needs to be at least one session created for the event. Sessions can be created by clicking the Sessions tab for an event:

From the Session tab, click Add New Session.

First, configure the details of the session.  Each of these fields will show to the learner on the Session Selection page when requesting credit for the event.  The only field that will not be shown to the learner is the Reporting ID,  as this is for internal reporting and tracking purposes.

When entering the Credit Amounts, be sure to enter only the credit amount for the session you are creating, not the overall event (unless there is only one session for the event).

Session credit can be set up two different ways, with (1) incremental credit or (2) static credit.

Incremental Session Credit

When configuring sessions with incremental credit, learners can select the amount of time they spent in the session, based on what you add for the session Min, Max, and Increment values.  If they did not attend one of the sessions, they can simply leave it blank.

Static Session Credit

You can also configure credit so the learner just checks off they attended the session, and then they will automatically be given the full max credit amount for the session. This is configured by setting the min and max credit values to the same number, and using "0" for the increment.

Incremental Session Credit Configuration	Static Credit Credit Configuration

You can also add additional details (optional) about the session, such as listing the session's objectives, in the Details text box. Click Save Session when you are finished. After you have saved the new session, you will have the opportunity to add speakers and topics to the session.

The images below show how the session information (Name, ID, Room Number, Credit Amounts, and Start/End Times) will display to the learner on the Session Selection Page, Session Evaluation, and Speaker Evaluation. If you include Building/Room Number or Reporting ID, these fields will not be displayed to the learner from the Session and Speaker Evaluations. However, the Session Selection page will display Room Number and Session ID but not Reporting ID. 

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Adding Speakers to a Session

With the session created, you can now add speakers. From the Speakers tab, then click the Add Speaker button. Select a speaker from the list, or click the New Speaker button to add a new one.

Once a speaker is created, they will automatically be added to the Speaker database to use for future events. To access the Speaker database, be sure a live event activity is selected, then click the Speakers sub-tab, located under the Live Events tab.

When adding a speaker to a session, only the speaker's first name, last name, prefix, and credentials will display to learners. 

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Adding Topics to a Session

Select the Session Topics tab to access the topics area for the selected session. Then click the Add Topic button.  Choose the correct topic from the list, or click New Topic to create a new one.

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Removing Speakers and Topics from a Session

To remove a speaker from a session, first locate the session. Then click the Speaker dropdown and click the    icon.

To remove a topic from a session, first locate the session. Then click the Topic dropdown and click the    icon.

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Removing a Session

To completely remove a session, first make sure the desired session is selected from the drop-down list, then click Remove Session.

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Step 3: Configuring eCommerce

If eCommerce is included, you will need to configure the products, discount codes, and/or participant types associated with the activity. Please refer to the eCommerce How-to Guide for detailed instructions on how to create new products, discount codes, participant types, schedule automatic price changes, and more.

If eCommerce is not included, you can skip this step and move on to reviewing the activity.

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Step 4: Reviewing the Activity

From the Review stage, you will have the opportunity to test the activity from a learner’s perspective, as well as add the activity to other administrative accounts.  

Managing Administrative Access

Click the Assign to Administrator... button to manage activity access for other administrative accounts. Adding the activity to other administrative accounts allows them to see and access the activity from the Manage Your Program menu in their own admin account.

Testing the Event

In the Draft Review Links section, use the various Launch Program buttons to review Registration, Request for Credit, and the follow-up Outcomes Evaluation (if included). After going through the entire activity once, in order to test the again using the same learner account, you will need to delete your record of participation.

Use the Preview Program Components links to jump directly to a specific page in the activity. This allows you to review a page in the activity without having to run through the entire activity from start to finish. These links can be helpful when trying to review a small change, such as a spelling correction on an evaluation, but should never be substituted for testing the learner experience end-to-end.

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Testing Registration

If registration is required, test the registration portion of the activity by click the Registration Launch Program link. The activity will pop-up in a new window and you will be able to run through the complete registration process exactly how it would be presented to the learner, including any evaluations and/or eCommerce.

After reviewing the registration process once, in order to test it again using the same learner account, you will need to delete your record of participation.

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Testing the Request for Credit Process

If registration is required, you must first register yourself for the event.  Once registered, click the Request for Credit Launch Program link. If registration is not required, you can skip registration and immediately click the Launch Activity button. 

After going through the Request for Credit process once, in order to test again using the same learner account you will need to delete your record of participation, then register for the event again (if registration is required).

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Testing the Outcomes Evaluation

To test the Outcomes Evaluation, click the Outcomes Launch Program link.

NOTE: You do not have to complete the Registration and Request for Credit portions of the activity in order to test the Outcomes Evaluation.

After reviewing the outcomes once, in order to test again using the same learner account, you will need to delete your record of participation.

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Step 5: Publishing and Locking the Activity

When you have finished reviewing and are satisfied with the activity, click the Complete Draft Review and Lock Activity button. This locks the activity to prevent any accidental changes from being made and transitions you to the Publish stage. You can always go back and unlock an activity to make edits. 

Once the activity is locked, the Share Activity “friendly” URLs for accessing the activity are provided. If you haven't already done so, be sure to also delete any test records that were created during the review process.

To publish the activity to the CE Catalog, click the Publish button. Once an activity is published, it will appear in the CE Catalog. 

Below is the updated CE Catalog and Events Calendar, which now contains the newly created activity.

CE Catalog:



Events Calendar:

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Deleting Test Records

Once you have tested the activity, be sure to delete all test records created during the review process.  Each time the activity is tested as a learner, a participation record is created. Test participation records can be deleted using the Records tab. 

1.  First be sure the correct activity is listed in the Manage Your Program drop-down menu.

Leaving all criteria fields blank and clicking the Search button will return all records associated with the activity (which can be useful in deleting test records for activities not yet available to learners, since all the records listed will be test records). However, you can also search for individual records by using the various search criteria fields. 

2. From the search results page, click the icon to delete the test records. You can also check the boxes for all the test record(s) you would like to delete, then click Delete Selected button.

You can also search for test records across all activities by selecting ALL PROGRAMS from the Manage Your Program menu.

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Making Changes to the Activity

To make a change, go to the Production tab and click Production in the production timeline.

If the activity is locked, you will need to unlock it. To edit a locked activity, simply click the Unlock for Edit button. When an activity is unlocked, it will be removed from the CE Catalog until you re-publish it. Any learners that are actively participating in the activity when it is unpublished will not be affected in any way. 

Access the different areas of the Production Wizard by clicking the tabs on the left side of the screen. After making the necessary changes, be sure to click the Save and/or Next button.

Lastly, click the Finished button on the Finished tab to complete the change.

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Creating a New Location

Be sure you have a live event activity selected from the Manage Your Program menu. If you have not created a live event activity yet, you must create it first before adding a location. 

There are 2 ways to create a new location for live event:

• From the Events sub-tab, located under the Live Events tab
• From the Locations sub-tab, located under the Live Events tab

If you are accessing from the Events sub-tab, located under the Live Events tab, click the Choose button and then select New Location.

If you are accessing from the Locations sub-tab, located under the Live Events tab, click the New Location button.

Next, fill out all the Location details.

To add an image for the location, locate an online image of the venue and copy/paste the image URL into the Image (URL) field.

An easy way to find an image URL is to search for the image on Google, then right click the image and click Copy Image Address.  Paste this address into the Image (URL) field in the Rievent Platform. 

Be sure to click the Save button when finished. 

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Production Wizard Glossary - Live Events

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