One Participant Record, Every Module
In Eventact, each participant has a single record used across all modules, including Registration, Agenda & Abstracts, Website, Event App, Badges, and Messaging. Role and permission updates are reflected across the platform.
Why a Shared Participant Record Matters
At conferences and academic events, individuals may hold multiple roles, such as delegate, author, presenter, or app user. Because all modules use the same participant record, you can manage each person centrally:
- One record per event: Submissions, tickets, and app activity are linked to the same participant record when the individual uses the same contact profile.
- Changes flow downstream: Assigning the Speaker role enables the participant to appear on website speaker lists (if Visible in public lists is enabled), receive the appropriate badge at check-in, and access speaker-specific app features after their next app refresh.
- Status is separate from exposure: You can assign roles such as Keynote Speaker or Committee Member internally and control public visibility by enabling or disabling the visibility setting.
- Tickets assign roles automatically: Purchasing specific tickets assigns roles to the holder. For example, anyone who buys an Exhibitor Ticket automatically receives the Exhibitor role.
Core Concepts: Role vs. Visibility & Access
Each participant record has two main controls that determine display, access, and permissions across the platform:
- Role defines the participant's function in the event, such as Participant, Speaker, Keynote Speaker, Exhibitor, Committee Member, Staff, or Organizer. Participants may hold multiple roles simultaneously.
- Visibility & Access determines where the participant appears and what actions they can perform, such as being listed on the public website, appearing in the app directory, or moderating live sessions.
A Role defines identity, while Visibility & Access controls exposure and permissions. For example, assigning the Keynote Speaker role does not add someone to the public keynote list unless the Visible in public lists option is enabled.
One Setting, Shared by Every Module
Roles and Visibility & Access are assigned per participant within each event, not to the global master contact profile. A contact can be a Speaker at one event and a Participant at another, with no overlap between events.
Within a single event, one configuration applies across all modules:
- Set it anywhere, it applies everywhere: Tagging someone as a Keynote Speaker from their abstract submission updates the website keynote list (if visible), the Event App, and the keynote badge layout at check-in (if applicable).
- Remove it anywhere, it updates everywhere: Removing the Speaker role in the registration module removes the person from public speaker rosters and revokes speaker-only app features on their next app load.
Roles and Role Families
Participants can hold any combination of roles. Roles are grouped into families to simplify platform settings, including app permissions and directory access rules.
| Role | Family | Use It For |
|---|---|---|
| Participant | Participant | Standard registered attendee |
| Visitor | Participant | Exhibition-only visitor or non-delegate pass |
| VIP | Participant | Guests receiving specialized badges, access tiers, or privileges |
| Speaker | Speaker | Anyone presenting; required baseline for public speaker directories |
| Invited Speaker | Speaker | Presenters invited directly by the organizing committee |
| Presenting Author | Speaker | Author delivering an accepted oral or poster presentation |
| Keynote Speaker | Speaker | Headline presenter; populates the website keynote directory |
| Chair | Speaker | Session moderators and track chairs |
| Committee Member | Speaker | Scientific, program, or advisory committee members; drives committee lists |
| Exhibitor | Exhibitor | Booth staff and vendor personnel |
| Sponsor | Exhibitor | Sponsoring company representatives |
| Staff | Staff | Operational crew working on-site (can log in to the app) |
| Organizer | Staff | Core organizing team; populates the website organizers list |
| Press | — | Accredited media (cannot log in to the app without an additional role) |
| Custom Roles 1–3 | — | Up to three custom-named roles per event (e.g., Student, Volunteer) |
Visibility & Access Configuration
These switches control public visibility and operational rights independently from participant roles:
| Setting | Module | Operational Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Visible in public lists | Website | Displays the person on role-based website lists (Speakers, Keynotes, Committee, Organizers) |
| Featured speaker | Website | Adds the person to the featured speakers list/section |
| Visible on exhibitor website page | Website | Lists the participant on their company's exhibitor profile |
| Available for meetings from event website | Website | Allows website visitors to request B2B meetings with this contact |
| Visible in participant list | Event App | Surfaces the person in the app's attendee directory and search |
| App host | Event App | Moderator rights: manage live polls, moderate the social wall, control rooms, record, and broadcast |
| Block sending messages | Event App | Restricts the person to read-only messaging access |
| Block networking | Event App | Blocks 1-on-1 chat and revokes their access to the participant list |
| Mute messages from participants | Event App | Blocks incoming messages from regular attendees (useful for VIPs and keynotes) |
| Mute messages from exhibitors & sponsors | Event App | Blocks incoming outreach from commercial booth staff and sponsors |
Public lists require both the appropriate role and an active Visible in public lists setting.
Event App Access by Role
In Event App → Settings → Role-Based Access, permissions are set for three main groups: Participants, Speakers, and Exhibitors/Sponsors.
| Option | What It Controls |
|---|---|
| Login | Controls which groups can authenticate and access the app |
| View Wall / Publish to Wall | Controls who can view the social feed and who can post updates |
| Collect Leads | Grants access to badge scanning and lead capture tools |
| Visible on participant list | Determines which groups appear in the attendee directory |
| View Participant list | Controls who can view and browse the attendee directory |
| Schedule Meetings / Receive Meeting Request | Sets who can initiate or receive meeting invitations |
| Send Messages / Receive Messages | Controls who can initiate and receive private 1-on-1 messages |
Access Rules for Operational & Non-Standard Roles
- Staff: Users with only the Staff role can log in to the Event App.
- Organizers, Chairs, and VIPs: These roles automatically receive all permissions granted to the Participants group.
- Press: Users with only the Press role are not included in any Role-Based Access group and cannot log in to the app. To grant access, assign an additional role, such as Participant.
- App Hosts: Users with the App Host switch enabled have full operational access to all features, regardless of role, as long as the master app login status is open.
- Master Login Override: The Login status toggle above the permission matrix controls access for the entire app. If set to Closed, no users, including App Hosts, can log in.
How Roles Are Assigned
Roles are assigned to participant records through several standard administrative and automated methods:
- Participant Record (Roles Tab): Assign roles manually in the Roles card, set directory visibility in the Speaker List card, and configure App Host or messaging controls in the Application Features card.
- Abstract Page: Roles and Visibility cards are also available on accepted abstract records for the presenting author.
- Website Speaker Manager: Adding someone to a Keynote, Committee, or Organizers list automatically assigns the base Speaker role, applies the specific sub-role, and enables the Visible in public lists setting.
- Registration Form Settings: Set default roles on specific forms so all registrants inherit those roles. This is useful for dedicated speaker, staff, or exhibitor portals.
- Tickets & Price List Items: In ticket setup, use the Role of Ticket Holder card to link roles to items. Anyone who purchases the ticket automatically receives the assigned roles.
- Bulk Actions & Imports: Apply or remove roles and visibility settings across filtered participant lists, or set them in batches during attendee spreadsheet imports.
Configuration Recipes
1. Put an Accepted Author on the Public Keynote List
- Open the submission under Agenda → Abstracts.
- In the Roles card, tick Speaker and Keynote Speaker.
- In the Visibility card, tick Visible in public lists.
- (Optional) Set a speaker category and sort position to control display order.
2. Designate an In-App Moderator Without Public Exposure
- Open the attendee's profile via Participants → Roles.
- In the Application Features card, tick App host.
- Leave Visible in public lists unchecked. The user will have room controls, broadcast rights, and moderation tools in the app but will not appear on any public website list.
3. Automatically Assign Exhibitor Badges and Permissions via Tickets
- In the price list, open the Exhibitor Ticket and tick Exhibitor under Role of Ticket Holder.
- In the badge designer, map your exhibitor badge layout to the Exhibitor and Sponsor roles.
- Anyone who purchases this ticket automatically receives the Exhibitor role, prints the correct exhibitor badge at check-in, and gains exhibitor-level app permissions.
4. Stage App Rollouts (Speakers & Exhibitors First)
- In Event App → Settings, verify the master Login toggle is set to Open.
- In the Role-Based Access matrix, enable Login only for Speakers, Exhibitors, and Sponsors.
- Once the event is ready for general attendees, enable Login for Participants.
Safeguards
- Missing From a Public List: Confirm the following settings: the base Speaker role, the specific list role (Keynote Speaker, Committee Member, or Organizer), and that the Visible in public lists setting is enabled.
- Organizer vs. App Host: The Organizer role determines who appears in the public website organizer directory (when the Visible in public lists setting is enabled) but does not grant app administrative privileges by default. The App Host role provides app moderation capabilities without displaying the individual on public rosters.
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App Login Rules for Single Roles:
- A user with only the Staff role can log in to the mobile app.
- A user with only the Press role cannot log in to the mobile app. To grant access, assign an additional role with app access, such as Participant.
- Master App Status: If the app's master login toggle is set to Closed, all authentication is blocked for all users, including App Hosts.
- Roles are Additive: Form submissions, ticket purchases, and speaker updates add roles without removing existing ones. To remove an obsolete role, update the participant record manually or use a bulk action.
- Protected Form URLs: Form-level default roles are added to every participant who submits the form. By default, forms only add the basic Participant role. Ensure forms assign elevated roles, such as Speaker, when needed.