4. Set up Schedule

Where: the event site, under Schedule. You need: admin on the Schedule module (see Step 5 — Make sure someone can administer each module).

See also

Schedule quickstart — what the module does, from submissions through the schedule editor to digital signage.

Before you start

  • The Schedule module is switched on.

  • The event’s start date, end date, and time zone are set in Event Management → General (1. Create the event). The public schedule does not load without the dates.

  • No Stripe key is needed. Schedule takes no payments.

Everything below is a tab on one page: Schedule → Advanced → Schedule Settings (/app/schedule/system/settings/). If you are an admin but the Advanced group is missing from your menu, open that address directly.

Step 1 — Create rooms

  1. Open Schedule Settings → Rooms and click Add New Room.

  2. Fill in:

    • Room Name and Capacity.

    • Wayfinding Arrow — optional; the direction shown on signage.

    • Show on Schedule? — leave on for public rooms. Turn off for rooms you schedule but do not publish, such as a staff-only room. Panels in a hidden room never appear on the public schedule.

  3. Click Create Room. Repeat for each room.

Rooms must exist before you can place anything on the schedule.

Step 2 — Create tracks

  1. Open the Tracks tab and click Add New Track.

  2. Fill in Track Name and Track Color.

  3. Click Create Track. Repeat for each track.

Create at least one track if your submission form will ask for one (Step 5).

Step 3 — Review the e-mail

Open the Emails tab. Schedule has one editable e-mail: the panelist timeslot e-mail, which tells a panelist when and where their panel is.

  1. Edit Email Subject and click Save Subject.

  2. Edit Email Body, click Render Preview, then Save. Keep %%SLOTS%% in it — that is where the times and rooms go.

Good to know:

  • This e-mail is sent only when you click Email Timeslots on a panel in Responses. Nothing is sent automatically when someone submits, or when you accept or decline a submission — plan to contact submitters yourself.

Step 4 — Create a category

A category is a kind of programming you take submissions for — Panels, Performances, Meetups. Each category has its own submission form and its own open and close dates.

  1. Open the Categories tab and click Add New Category.

  2. Fill in:

    • Category Name and Description.

    • Open Date and Close Date — set both.

  3. Click Create Category. While today is inside the dates, the card shows Open for Submissions.

Step 5 — Build the submission form

Click Edit Form on the category’s card.

Minimum requirements. The form cannot be saved without this field:

Field

What to do in it

Panel Basic Details

Collects the panel’s name and description — they become its title and blurb on the schedule. Add it, open Edit, turn on Required, and save. It is not required unless you say so.

Then:

  1. Click Add New Field and add Panel Basic Details, configured as above.

  2. Add Track Selection if submitters should pick a track. It always demands an answer, so you need at least one track (Step 2).

  3. Add your own questions — Input Field, Select Field, Multi Select Field, Checkbox Field, Signature Pad, and Markdown Text for instructions.

  4. For each field, set its Label and whether it is Required.

  5. Click Save Category.

Warning

Every field you add must be opened with Edit and saved once, even if you change nothing. Until then, submitters see “Waiting for initial configuration…” in its place.

To change a category’s dates later, use Edit Form Details in this editor.

Step 6 — Leave the schedule unreleased

Submitters find your categories on the Schedule home page (Schedule → Home), with an Apply Now button on each open category. They must be signed in to open the form.

Important

The list of open categories is shown only while the schedule is not released. Releasing the schedule replaces it with the schedule itself. Keep Release Schedule off (Event Management → General) for as long as you are taking submissions.

Step 7 — Test it

  1. Signed in with a test account, open Schedule → Home and confirm the category is listed as open.

  2. Click Apply Now, submit a test panel, and confirm it appears under Schedule → Programming → Responses.

Ready check

  • The event has its dates and time zone.

  • Every room you will use exists.

  • At least one track exists, if your form asks for one.

  • The timeslot e-mail reads the way you want.

  • Every category has both dates set and shows Open for Submissions when it should.

  • Every category’s form has Panel Basic Details, marked required, and every field has been saved once.

  • Release Schedule is off.