Once your event is confirmed, it is time to gather all the details you need to execute the event: the event schedule and functions, inventory items needed, instructions for staff, and more. You'll use this information to create event orders and invoices, and you can track all of your to-do's via tasks and task templates. This article will walk you through how all this works in Momentus Elite, and we'll link to articles with step-by-step instructions for specific items.
Before you can begin detailing events, you'll need to ensure that the tools you'll be using are set up on your account. These include:
- Inventory and Price Schedules: Your inventory library contains all the goods and services your venue offers to your clients: AV equipment, furniture, food and beverage, labor, etc. Your price schedules list the standard pricing for each of those items. Anything you wish to charge a client for will need to be set up in your inventory library. For an overview, please see Manage Your Inventory and Pricing; please also feel free to contact us if you have any questions or need guidance in getting this set up.
- Document Templates: During your account setup, we will create event order document templates. If your account does not have these templates or if you need your templates updated, please contact us!
- Task Templates: Task templates are not required to detail an event, but they are a useful tool to help you track all the milestones of event prep and execution. For more information about task management, please see Task Management. We also have a Task Template Gallery for inspiration.
You'll be doing the bulk of your work on the Detailing tab of the event's details page.
The detailing page is a list of all functions grouped by date and ordered by time. If functions have the same dates and times, they will be listed alphabetically by room and then name. By default we list ten day cards, all of which can be expanded or collapsed for easier viewing. If you'd like to view a different number of days, you can adjust that at the bottom of the page. This function list allows you to see function information at a glance, including the agreed (AGR), expected (EXP), and guaranteed (GTD) attendance and whether it has items (power), instructions (assignment) or an attachment (attach_file).
The top card lists any event-wide functions. Event-wide functions hold event information that is not specific to a particular day or room.
In the function cards, a placeholder will display for each booked space, listing its time and room. If the booked space has a room setup added, that will be listed as well. If it has a usage added, we list that in the Type column for easy reference. Once a booked space has a function, the placeholder will not be shown. If you don't wish to see the placeholders, they can be hidden by unchecking Show Placeholders in the Filter Functions slider.
Now, on to detailing!
- Build the Event Schedule
- Add Requirements: Items and Instructions
- Set Function Status to Ready
- Distribute Information: Operations Daily View and Event Orders
- Tasks and Task Templates
Build the Event Schedule
The first step in detailing your event is to build the event schedule. You will do this by creating functions. A function is part of your event that happens in a specific place at a specific time, such as breakout sessions, meals, etc. You may also create no-room functions for schedule items that aren't specific to a certain place in the venue, such as when to open the building doors.
You are able to create functions several different ways:
- Click Create Function on a placeholder.
- Click the + plus icon on a day card. The function dates will default to that date, but no other information will be pre-filled. For step-by-step instructions, see Create a Function.
- The mass editor gives you a spreadsheet-style interface to quickly build many functions, and allows you to create no-room functions. Click the list_alt at the top of the the page or on each day card to access the mass editor. For instructions on using the mass editor, please see Add and Edit Functions With the Mass Editor.
- If the booked spaces match or are close to the function schedule, click the more_vert more info icon at the top of the page to create a function for each placeholder with one click. If adjustments need to be made, they could then be done in the function mass editor or by editing the functions one at a time.
- If you have several functions with similar details and items, you may wish to create and detail the first function, and then copy it and all its information to create the other functions. We'll talk more about copying functions below.
If you need to edit function information, you can use the mass editor (see above), or click a function's name to open its details slider and click the edit pencil icon. On the details slider you can also start adding items and instructions - more info about that in the next section!
Add Requirements: Items and Instructions
Now that you have your functions built, you can add inventory items as well as instructions to those functions. Inventory items can include any item you need to execute the event, such as tables, chairs, staging, food and beverage (meals, coffee stations, snack breaks) and labor.
Each function has a details slider. You'll add items and instructions via that slider. To view the details of a function, click its name.
- To add items, click the + plus above the department list, or click the + plus by a specific department to add either items or instructions. Step-by-step instructions are available at Add Items to Functions and Add Instructions to Events.
- Packages can be added to the function either on the Packages tab or by clicking the plus by a department. See Add a Package to an Event for more information.
- If there is information that can be the same from event to event, such as designated entrances, closed/open sections, or standard instructions for certain event types, you may wish to create instruction sets. Please see Create an Instruction Set for more information. Instruction sets are added to functions by clicking the text box icon above the department list.
- To edit an item or instruction, simply click the item or instruction you wish to edit to open its details slider. For detailed instructions please see Edit Items and Edit Instructions. If the item is part of a package, the Edit Package slider will open.
- You may also mass edit the items and instructions in a department by clicking the edit pencil icon for that department. Please see Mass Edit Items and Instructions Mass Editor.
- What about those instructions or items (such as building wi-fi, parking, or security) that are not specific to a function but pertain to the overall event? You would enter those items and instructions in event-wide functions.
We also have several options for copying items from function to function or from another event. All copy functionality uses the copy icon, but depending on the location of the icon you'll access different functionality.
- Copy Details: The Copy Details icon in the very top header allows you copy an entire event's details to this event.
- Copy Day: The Copy Day icon on each day card allows you to copy this day's functions to another day or days.
- Copy Function: Clicking on a function name will open its details slider. The Copy Function icon there will allow you to copy this function's details to a new or existing function.
We have an article all about the various copying options here.
Set Function Status to Ready
Once all of your information is ready to go, set the function status to Ready. If you are using the Detail Change Tracking feature, Elite will then start to track changes to the function, items, or instructions.
You can update function status in several places:
- On the function's details slider (click the function's name to open it).
- In the function mass editor.
- If you would like to update all the functions in the event, click the more_vert more info menu at the top of the page and select Change all functions to 'Ready'.
Distribute Information: Operations Daily View and Event Orders
Once all of your functions are ready to go, you are able to distribute the information via the Operations Daily View or via Event Orders.
Operations Daily View
The Operations Daily View allows your Ops staff to view the event details without having to reference event orders. Since this page is in Elite, they'll always have the latest information, and can view changes as well. For more information, please see Operations Daily View.
Event Orders
Event Orders are documents created from custom templates created by us for you. You have the option to create one event order for the entire event, create an event order for each function, or combine functions into a single event order. You are also able to upload a room diagram or other attachment that will be included at the end of your event order. If any event details change, you'll be prompted to regenerate any existing event orders.
For instructions to create event orders, please see Create Event Orders.
Tasks and Task Templates
In an event's Tasks tab, you can create reminders and tasks to help you remember and track all the moving pieces for the event. Any tasks that are assigned to you will also appear on your Tasks page, and if you wish you can receive an email digest each morning of your tasks for the day. If you create a task and assign it to someone else, you can even get an email alert when they complete it!
If you have an event checklist, we highly recommend adding the checklist to Elite as a task template. You can have one checklist for all events, or create different checklists based on the type of event. We have a task template gallery here to get you thinking.
Rather than link to individual articles, this link will take you to our task management section in the help desk. The starred articles at the top will give you an overview of how tasks work in Elite, and below are articles with step by step instructions for all you'll need to do.