January 22, 2026 | 3 min read
Contacts in Eventact
In Eventact, a Contact refers to an individual in your database. The system is built so that a person’s identity and activity are linked across all of an organizer’s events. This allows organizations to foster ongoing relationships with their participants across various conferences and meetings over time.
The 3-Layer Data Architecture
Eventact contact management utilizes a three-layer structure to make management effective for the unique needs of event organizers. The person’s identity is maintained across your entire account, while their event-specific activities remain organized and isolated.
Why this fits event organizers’ workflow: This model mirrors the way event teams are structured. While the organization needs a unified database for long-term analytics, the event team needs to manage each project separately. Even within a single event, different coordinators often handle registration, abstracts, and the event app as independent modules. This 3-layer approach enables targeted data management at every level without compromising the integrity of the "Master" contact record.
- Layer 1: The Contact (Global Master Record): The "Master Profile" is a unique person in your account. It holds identity data—such as Name, Email, or Membership ID—that is shared across projects.
- Layer 2: The Participant (Event-Level Container): When a contact joins an event, a Participant record is created. This layer acts as a bridge, sharing data such as an "Event Role" across different modules within that event.
- Layer 3: Module & Activity Data (Specific Scope): This layer encapsulates data unique to a specific function. Registration details (preferences, travel info, tickets, accommodation), Abstract submissions, and App data (personal agendas, meetings) live here, keeping them from cluttering the global contact profile.
The Global Contact Profile
- Customizable Data Attributes: Contact-level fields are fully configurable. Organizers can choose or add specific fields - such as job title, company, country, or membership IDs - based on the information they want to track and share across events.
- Streamlined User Experience: Profile info and organizer-preloaded data can be set as the default for new registrations, helping optimize the registration workflow. When users return, the system fills in these fields. Participants can then check or update the info.
- Administrative Control: Not all contact data is public. Some info is for staff only, like internal notes or history, and is hidden from participants.
Login & Authentication: Managing Entry Points
The login process is the primary way Eventact links new registrations with existing contacts. It is both critical for data integrity and a vital part of the user experience.
- Recognition First: The system first asks for a User ID (typically an email address). It immediately checks for an existing Contact record, reducing the user’s cognitive load by not asking for a password until an identity is confirmed.
- Adaptive Authentication: If the user is found, the system prompts for a Password or a One-Time Password (OTP). If the user is not found in your database, this step is bypassed, allowing for a seamless new registration.
- Restricted Access Control: For private events, organizers can turn off the "Allow New Contacts" setting. In this mode, the login screen acts as a gatekeeper; only individuals preloaded into your contact database can proceed.
- Integrity vs. Ease of Use: You can toggle authentication for specific forms. While disabling it provides the "path of least resistance," keeping it active ensures participants remain linked to their master profile, preventing data fragmentation and duplicate records.
Flexible Identification
Eventact provides flexible options for participant identification. While many organizers primarily use email as an identifier, others may use phone numbers or other methods such as member IDs, national IDs, or employee IDs.
Importing Contact Data
The contact database grows naturally as new registrants are added. However, in some cases, you may need to preload contacts. This can be done using the contact Import Wizard to import a list from Excel files.
File Requirements and Limits
- Format: Files must be in .xlsx format.
- Column Titles: The first row of the spreadsheet must contain column titles. Eventact automatically maps Excel columns to Eventact fields based on these titles.
- Mandatory Data: All new records must include a Name.
- Import Volume: The system supports imports of up to 10,000 contacts per file.
Updating Records & Processing Rules
To modify existing profiles, a unique key (like email) must be selected to prevent duplicates. The system also performs automated cleanup and supports mapping for:
- Dropdowns & Checkboxes: Accepts exact text or numerical IDs.
- Country Fields: Accepts full names, ISO codes, or numerical IDs.
- Ticket Names: Must match your Price List exactly.
Importing Accompanying Persons
Importing guests linked to a primary attendee - often for recreation, accommodation, or travel purposes - is handled through the general contact import process.
To link them correctly:
- Map the primary attendee’s ID to the internal field PassportNumber.
- Define the relationship (e.g., Spouse, Child) in the second column.
- The system automatically assigns these records a Secondary status, identifying them as dependents and preventing them from registering as independent primary contacts.
Summary: Core Pillars of Contact Management
This post outlines the key pillars of contact management in Eventact: the 3-layer architecture, adaptive login logic, and technical rules for data imports.
While these sections cover the essential mechanics of how the system identifies and stores participant data, they do not cover every configuration available. Contact management is a broad area, and specific event requirements may necessitate deeper customization or different workflows than those described here.