Complete Guide to Session Management | Planadar Help

Complete Guide to Session Management

Overview

Sessions are the building blocks of your event schedule. They allow you to organize talks, workshops, panels, and activities with speakers, locations, and time slots.

Key Benefits:

Create multi-track agendas
Enable audience interaction (Q&A, polls)
Track attendance per session
Analyze engagement metrics
Manage speakers and resources

Creating Sessions

During Event Creation

Step 1: Access Session Builder

Navigate to "Create Event" form
Complete basic event details first
Proceed to "Sessions & Schedule" tab

Step 2: Add Your First Session

Click "Add Session" button
Fill in required fields:
- Title: Descriptive session name
- Description: What attendees will learn
- Date & Time: Start and end times
- Location/Room: Physical or virtual location
- Track: Optional category (e.g., Technical, Marketing)

Step 3: Add Speaker Information (Optional)

Speaker name
Speaker bio
Speaker photo/avatar

Step 4: Configure Session Settings

Enable Q&A (allows audience questions)
Enable Live Polling
Set capacity limits
Mark as featured session

After Event Creation

Edit Existing Sessions:

Go to Event Details page
Navigate to "Sessions" tab
Click "Edit" on any session
Or use "Add Session" to create more

Session Scheduling Best Practices

Creating Multi-Track Agendas

Use Tracks to Organize:

Technical Track
Business Track
Networking Track
Workshop Track

Avoid Overlapping Popular Sessions:

Check analytics from past events
Survey attendees beforehand
Leave buffer time between sessions

Time Management:

Standard sessions: 45-60 minutes
Workshops: 90-120 minutes
Keynotes: 30-45 minutes
Breaks: 15-30 minutes every 2-3 hours

Room Assignments

Match Room to Expected Audience:

Popular speakers → Large venues
Technical workshops → Computer labs
Networking sessions → Open spaces
Breakout discussions → Small rooms

Include Clear Directions:

Room names/numbers
Floor levels
Nearby landmarks
Interactive maps (if available)

Live Polling

Live polls engage your audience in real-time during sessions.

Creating a Poll

Access: Organizer Admin → Live Polling

Steps:

Select your event
Click "Create New Poll"
Enter poll question
Add answer options (2-10 choices)
Link to specific session (optional)
Set duration or keep open-ended

Managing Active Polls

During the Session:

Go to poll dashboard
Click "Start Poll" to make it live
Monitor responses in real-time
Display results to audience
Close poll when ready

Poll Options:

Multiple choice (single answer)
Multiple choice (multiple answers)
Open-ended text responses
Rating scales (1-5 stars)

Viewing Results

Real-Time Dashboard:

See responses as they come in
View percentage breakdowns
Export results to CSV
Share results with attendees

Pro Tip: Use polls for feedback, topic selection, or quick surveys!

Session Q&A

Enable attendees to ask questions during or after sessions.

Enabling Q&A

For a Single Session:

Edit session settings
Toggle "Enable Q&A"
Save changes

For All Sessions:

Set default in event settings
Individual sessions can override

Managing Questions

Moderation Tools:

Approve questions before displaying
Mark questions as answered
Highlight important questions
Delete spam or inappropriate content

Display Options:

Show on attendee app
Project on screen during session
Send to speaker device
Archive after session

Q&A Best Practices

Before the Session:

Announce Q&A availability
Encourage early submissions
Review pre-submitted questions

During the Session:

Monitor incoming questions
Group similar questions
Prioritize based on upvotes
Allocate time for Q&A segment

After the Session:

Archive answered questions
Follow up on unanswered questions
Share Q&A recap with attendees

Session Check-Ins

Track attendance for individual sessions beyond the main event check-in.

Generating Session QR Codes

Access: Organizer Admin → Session Check-Ins

Steps:

Select event
Choose session
Click "Generate QR Code"
Download high-res image
Print and display at session entrance

Tracking Session Attendance

Real-Time Monitoring:

View check-ins as they happen
See who's attending which sessions
Identify no-shows
Track capacity utilization

Check-In Methods:

QR code scan at entrance
Manual check-in by organizer
Automatic check-in via beacon (if enabled)

Session Analytics

Attendance Metrics:

Total attendees per session
Check-in rate vs. registrations
Peak attendance times
Late arrivals tracking

Engagement Metrics:

Q&A participation
Poll response rates
Session ratings
Feedback submissions

Speaker Management

Adding Speakers

Individual Speakers:

Enter during session creation
Or edit existing sessions
Include name, bio, photo, title

Multiple Speakers:

Add co-presenters to sessions
Designate primary speaker
Share session materials access

Speaker Resources

Provide Speakers With:

Session QR codes
Presentation guidelines
Room setup details
Tech support contact
Schedule of their sessions

Speaker Portal (Coming Soon)

Future feature allowing speakers to:

Update their own bios
Upload presentation materials
View session analytics
Respond to Q&A questions

Session Analytics & Reports

Accessing Analytics

Navigate To: Organizer Admin → Analytics → Session Reports

Key Metrics

Attendance:

Most popular sessions
Lowest attended sessions
Average attendance rate
Capacity utilization

Engagement:

Q&A questions per session
Poll participation rates
Session ratings (if enabled)
Feedback sentiment

Trends:

Peak attendance times
Drop-off points
Track performance comparison
Speaker performance

Exporting Data

Export Options:

CSV format for spreadsheets
PDF reports for stakeholders
Raw data for custom analysis
Scheduled email reports

Available Reports:

Session attendance summary
Individual attendee session history
Speaker performance report
Engagement metrics by session

Advanced Features

Session Tracks

Create Track Categories:

Technical
Business & Strategy
Design & UX
Networking
Workshops

Benefits:

Helps attendees filter schedule
Creates themed experiences
Simplifies program navigation
Enables track-specific analytics

Session Registration

For Limited Capacity Sessions:

Enable pre-registration
Set maximum capacity
Manage waitlist
Send confirmations

Automatic Notifications:

Registration confirmation
Reminder before session
Room change alerts
Cancellation notices

Recurring Sessions

For Multi-Day Events:

Create session template
Duplicate across days
Adjust times automatically
Maintain speaker assignments

Best Practices Checklist

Before Event Launch:

✅ All sessions have clear titles and descriptions
✅ Speaker information is complete
✅ Room assignments are finalized
✅ No scheduling conflicts
✅ Q&A and polls are enabled where needed
✅ Session QR codes are generated

During Event:

✅ Monitor session check-ins
✅ Moderate Q&A in real-time
✅ Launch polls at appropriate times
✅ Track attendance trends
✅ Handle room changes promptly

After Event:

✅ Review session analytics
✅ Collect speaker feedback
✅ Export attendance data
✅ Archive session materials
✅ Plan improvements for next event

Troubleshooting

Sessions Not Showing in Schedule

Possible Causes:

Session dates outside event dates
Session marked as "hidden"
Browser cache issue

Solutions:

Verify session dates match event dates
Check session visibility settings
Refresh page or clear cache
Contact support if issue persists

QR Codes Not Working

Common Issues:

Expired QR code
Wrong event selected
Check-in window closed

Fixes:

Regenerate QR code
Verify correct session selected
Check session start time
Ensure check-in window is open (15 min before to 30 min after start)

Q&A Not Receiving Questions

Check:

Q&A is enabled for session
Session is currently active
Attendees are checked in
App permissions are granted

Actions:

Toggle Q&A off and on again
Verify session timing
Ask attendees to refresh app
Check for connectivity issues

Low Session Attendance

Strategies to Improve:

Send reminder notifications 1 hour before
Highlight sessions on event app homepage
Offer incentives (gamification points)
Create compelling session descriptions
Feature popular speakers
Avoid conflicts with other popular sessions

Getting Help

Need Assistance?

Pro Tip: Use session analytics to continuously improve your event programming!