Creating an event

Events are used to create instructor-led training sessions, and to provide hands-on access to software at customer events.

Participants are invited to an event, giving them access to their own environment.

An event does not consume compute resources until it is started and its environments are launched.

When creating an event, all settings can be configured, including the required environment templates, and event schedule. Supporting content can be added to the event for participants to view during the event.

From the Left Navigation menu choose Events, and then click Add from the Top Navigation menu.
In the Create new event window complete the following information:

- In the Setup tab:
  - Event Type: First it's important to select whether the event is based on independent environments, where each participant has their own independent and isolated environment. Alternatively, select shared environments if participants are to share resources in a single environment.
  - Name: This is the name that will appear in the Events list
  - Host: Select the event host, it can either be the user creating the event, or a different user.
  - Host Template: Select the template to be used by the host. This can be different to the participant template. There is only one host template per event.
  - Participant Templates: Select the template to be used by participants. Also enter how many seats are required for the selected template. An event can support participants with different templates. If this is relevant to your event, select Add template to add another participant template. For example, this can be useful if you have participants located in different geographical regions, since each group can use a template located in their own region, thus optimizing performance. Note: To run a multi-region event, first check if your Heropa subscription has access to multiple regions.
  - Select Next
- In the Schedule tab, set the event schedule. If default event settings have been configured by an administrator for your Heropa tenancy, they will be shown here.
  - Timezone: Select the timezone the event is being held in.
  - Schedule: Select to apply a Daily or Custom schedule to the event.
    - A daily schedule alllows for the bulk creation of consecutive days with the same schedule. Weekends can be optionally excluded.
    - A custom schedule allows for the creation of non-consecutive days, or days with different schedules.
    - Select the required start and end dates and times.
  - Pre-launch: This is the amount of time before the event start time that you want the environments to launch, which will result in them being built and ready at the start of the event.
  - Select Next
- In the Options tab, configure the remaining options. If default event settings have been configured by an Administrator for your Heropa tenancy, they will be shown here.
  - Prevent access outside of class hours: Select to disable the user's ability to access the workspace outside of an event's schedule each day.
  - Start VMs at start of class hours / Stop VMs at end of class hours: Configure these options to automatically start or stop the VMs at the start and end of class hours. This will start and stop the VMs independently of any user actions in the workspace.
  - Stop VMs after user inactivity: This option will automatically shutdown VMs if users are inactive / idle after a selected duration. This automatic shutdown can be limited to outside of class hours.
  - Require authentication on seats: If configured, users will be required to log in before accessing their event seat.
  - Include shared drive: Select this to include a shared drive in your event. When configured, Windows VMs in the event will show a shared drive that can be accessed by hosts, instructors and participants in the event. This will facilitate file sharing during the event. Note: The shared drive will be created only when the event is launched and the first user opens the workspace. See: Using shared drives.
  - Delete event when finished: Select to automatically delete the event a certain amount of time after it finishes.
  - Delete participants when finished: If you want to also delete the event's participants, select this too. Selecting to delete an event's participants will delete all users that do not have a pre-assigned role in Heropa.

Tips on Pre-launch:

Give yourself enough time before the event to get everything ready. Allow 1-2 hours before the event if you want to test environments, run launch scripts, etc. On average, it takes under 5 minutes to launch all the seats in an event.
Setting pre-launch to ‘Never’ means the users will launch the environments themselves once the event starts. This setting can be useful if you are not sure how many people are planning on attending the event.
If you want your environments to be running when the event starts, ensure that the policy covers the additional pre-launch time. Alternatively, enable 'Prevent VM shutdown' while the event is running.

Once the above information is complete, click Create. You will be redirected to the Environments tab for the event.

Configuring event settings

Once the event is created, additional settings can be configured as required.

In the Configuration tab, you can:

Add an Instructor to the event. Multiple instructors can be added to an event. This will give them access to the event's Classroom view so they can provide assistance to participants. Note: Adding an instructor gives them access to the Classroom view, but does not give them a seat in the event. If this is required, they can be assigned a seat. See Managing event participants.
Edit the event's schedule, including the start date and time, and dates.
Set a Usage Type: This can be useful to track resource consumption for billing purposes. Note: Custom Usage types can be managed in company Admin settings, and then associated with any running environment.
Add content (content manual, link, slideshow) to the event workspace
Modify automatic deletion settings, to delete the event and its participants when the event finishes
Include shared drive: Select this to include a shared drive in your event, or modify existing shared drive details. When configured, Windows VMs in the event will show a shared drive that can be accessed by hosts, instructors and participants in the event. This will facilitate file sharing during the event. Note: If a shared drive is modified after an event has started, users will need to close and re-open the workspace to view it. See: Using shared drives.
Configure workspace options: Various options to customize users' workspace experience during the event.

To add content to an event:

When creating an event, custom content or a link to a file can both be included.
To add content to the event, locate the template, then:

1. To add a link to a document: In the Download manual link field, insert the URL of the document you would like for users to be able to open from within the event workspace.
2. To add content created within the Content module: In the Content field, select the name of the content you would like to display in the Content panel of the event workspace.

To manage communications settings within an event:

Firstly, set the 'Show comms' toggle to ON. This will display the comms side panel in the workspace which contains integrated chat, audio and video.

If you plan to use audio and video in the event, check these 2 settings:

Show host audio and video:
Show participant audio and video:
- Set this to ON if the event is interactive;
- OFF if the event is a one-way webinar style event

If you plan to use chat in the event, check these 2 settings:

Group chat: If this is OFF then a participant can chat with an instructor, but not with other participants.
Hide request assistance: If this is OFF then a participant can request assistance from an instructor.

Template tab

Templates determine what the host and participants see in their workspace. In this tab, you can:

Manage the number of seats using each participant template
Add a new template
For the host and participants separately, manage which VMs are visible in the workspace, automatically start up in the workspace, and are pinned, as well as their order

Next...

Manage event participants

Running an event

Managing events

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