Introducing Event App Chat!

We are so excited about our new Chat Feature that allows Event Organizers to create event chat channels for their attendees to send public messages and connect during their event. Read below to learn details on how to:

1. set up the chat feature, 
2. how to ensure the user is set up to use the feature, 
3. and all the details surrounding what can be done within the chat channels. 

Setting Up the Chat Feature as the Event Organizer

To use the Chat Feature, our App Specialist will walk you through how to set it up when creating your app experience. Furthermore, keep in mind, you must require your users to authenticate. 

Setting Up the Chat Feature as the User

If users already have an Event App from a previous event, they will be prompted to sign in again. Otherwise, they will download the App at the instruction of the Event Organizer and then set up their account. During the process, users will create an account with their email and create a user name (no spaces and a minimum of 6 characters). They will have the option to authenticate themselves with their Google or Apple accounts. 

Channel Settings

Channels are different streams of chat messages that you can group by category of your choosing. Not only can the Channels be open for the general public of your event, but you can also create private channels that are limited to specific attendee types or field options.

Attendees may also chat in the same channel across multiple experiences if so desired. The content of each channel is based on a channelKey which is established when creating your chat channels. So by using the same channelKey in multiple experiences, you can easily connect attendees across experiences.

You can also customize each channel with a specific image and color for your users to easily distinguish between them as seen in the images above.

Notification Settings

In general, users must ensure their settings are on to get notifications. If they are not, they will be automatically notified and prompted to do so. Phone > Settings > Notifications

For Chat, users can edit their notification settings for each channel. In a specific Chat Channel, you can edit Notification Settings down in the text box by clicking the Bell Icon. From there, you can select notifications for: all new messages, only @ mentions, or no notifications. 

When a user has been @ mentioned, they can tap the notification and it will take them directly to that message. Furthermore, when multiple channels are displayed across the top, a red circle badge will appear on the channel icon to let you know you were mentioned in that channel. 

Chat Message Settings – User

• As previously mentioned, users can send @ mention notifications to other users in the app.
• When users type an @ symbol, a list of users in the app will populate.
• When users long press a message: they will have the option to LIKE or unlike it; COPY it, or FLAG or unflag it. In this case, flagging a message means they are reporting an inappropriate message and the user will be prompted to confirm they meant to flag the message.
• Users can EDIT and DELETE their own messages by long pressing and then clicking the desired action. 

Other Messages

Personal Messages

• Furthermore, when long pressing on a message that has a heart, you can scroll down on the pop-up screen to see who has liked it. 

• Users can NOT @ themselves or publish blank messages. 
• Users can NOT send links in messages.
• Users’ unsent typed-out messages will stay saved and displayed even when switching between channels or pages.
• Special note about Private Channels: When you type an @ symbol in a private channel to see a list of users, only users who have already visited THAT channel will populate.
• The software automatically censors profane or inappropriate words. While it is an exhaustive list of words, phrases, and special spelling variations of each, the flagging feature is a final resort to catch anything else. 

Host Panel – Admin Monitoring

• Event Organizers will have to authenticate on the app before they become a “host” in the chat panel.
• Event Organizers will have access to Chat moderation tools from the web, not inside an app.
• When users flag inappropriate messages, from the Host Panel, Event Organizers will see the message appear orange or red. From there, the EO will have the option to delete it. 
• When admins are using the web portal and switching between channels or tabs, their typed-out, unsent messages will NOT save as they do in the app. 

Authentication Settings

We now have a brand new way to capture data from those using your app. This new feature allows users to sign in with an email and password, Google, or Apple ID. Then, if you are using Brushfire for your events registration, the Authentication Feature will magically connect the user’s Brushfire tickets to experiences in the app, and a new profile view will be available for your attendees to manage their tickets and view curated attendee info. 

With the authentication and profile feature enabled, you can now send targeted push notifications to specific attendees or registration types. Again, this must be enabled to use the Chat Feature.