Cvent integration (SOAP and REST API)

The Cvent integration module allows you to easily build a bridge between your event in Cvent and the SpotMe platform.

This allows you to effectively use the SpotMe platform to build and manage an app for an event, based on data stored in your Cvent account, and to synchronize the data between both platforms.

In doing so, the module can receive data from Cvent and import it into Backstage, and can likewise push data from the SpotMe platform to the Cvent system.

Depending on the CVENT API you are connecting to, you can install either the CVENT SOAP integration module OR the CVENT REST API module on your workspace from the Marketplace.
More information on using CVENT SOAP or REST API

The below article focuses essentially on using the Cvent integration module. For more information on configuring the SpotMe API engine, including mapping data points and managing snychronizations, please refer to the SpotMe integration configuration page.

Supported data types

The following data is supported by the module:

• Users (attendees and guests, without photos).
• Speakers (with photos).
• Sessions.
• Custom session tags, when the "Tag guest sessions" option is enabled. More information
• Registrations (when imported from Cvent to SpotMe via the integrations synchronizations, and automatically updated from SpotMe to Cvent when attendees register in the SpotMe apps - more information).
• Map locations.

When adding sessions to the SpotMe workspace, we recommend that you choose a single approach: import them all from Cvent OR creating them all directly within SpotMe. More information

Best practices when using the Cvent integration module

• Depending on the CVENT API you are connecting to, you can install either the CVENT SOAP integration module OR the CVENT REST API module on your workspace from the Marketplace. Do not install both versions on the same workspace. More information
• Once the integration is set-up and data has started to synchronize, you should only make changes to imported attendees data in Cvent, and not in Backstage. Any change done in Backstage will be overwritten when the next Cvent synchronization runs.
• When adding sessions to the SpotMe workspace, we recommend that you choose a single approach: import them all from Cvent OR create them all directly within SpotMe. Mixing both approaches can cause the data to be out of sync.
• If you are importing attendees from Cvent, but also will be using a SpotMe registration page for your event, then you should only make the SpotMe registration page accessible to attendees after you have imported the attendees from Cvent. If an attendee registers via SpotMe registration before they are imported from Cvent, the integration will not update the user's data. Remember that, in the SpotMe registration page settings, you have the option to prevent certain users from registering via the SpotMe registration page, based on the email domains they use to register.
  If possible, disable the profile information updates option in the SpotMe registrations page settings. This will avoid having the Cvent integration overriding any attendee changes thata re made.
• Once you open registration for a synchronized agenda session within SpotMe, we recommend that you no longer register users on the Cvent side. If you do need to register users on the Cvent side side, please close the registration for the sessions on the SpotMe side first, do the session registrations in Cvent, and then synchronize the data from Cvent to SpotMe, before reopening registration on the SpotMe side.
• Once an event is passed, or should you wish to stop the integration from synchronizing data between the two platforms, simply disable the autosync functionality in the integration in the SpotMe workspace.
• Please note that the import session registration functionality in Backstage cannot be used if you are using the Cvent integration on your workspace.

Installing and connecting the Cvent integration module

Depending on the CVENT API you are connecting to, you can install either the CVENT SOAP integration module OR the CVENT REST API module on your workspace from the Marketplace.

The Cvent integration module can be installed on your workspace in Backstage from the SpotMe Marketplace.

After the installation, Backstage will take you directly to the Cvent integration module located in the Integration category of the Backstage main menu.

Connecting to Cvent REST API or SOAP API - which module should I install?

Cvent is gradually transitioning from an existing SOAP API towards a REST API, and will be deprecating their SOAP API in the new future (no exact timeline has been provided).

As such, depending on the CVENT API you are connecting your workspace to, there are two modules that are available to be installed on your workspace from the Marketplace:

CVENT SOAP integration module OR the CVENT REST integration module.

Connecting the SpotMe Cvent SOAP API integration

If you are using the Cvent SOAP API integration module, you will need to follow the below instructions when adding the credentials to the Credentials tab:

The User name and Password fields here require that you add the Cvent API user name and the Cvent API password, not your personal user name or password.

Event code on Cvent
The Event code can be obtained on the Cvent website by clicking on the ⌄ icon next to the Preview button. Note: This is not the Cvent event ID.

The Endpoint is used to select the Cvent endpoint that your account credentials are linked to.

The Use proxy checkbox should be selected only if Cvent is configured to allow only certain IP addresses to connect to Cvent (see https://support.cvent.com/s/communityarticle/Whitelisting-IPs-for-API). Please note that IP whitelisting is not recommended using the Cvent integration v3.0.0 upwards, however if you are using whitelisted IPs, please contact SpotMe support to receive the applicable list of IPs that need to be whitelisted.

After entering the above information, go to the Data types tab to begin synchronizing data.

Connecting the SpotMe Cvent REST API integration

To connect the SpotMe Cvent REST API integration module and exchange data, you will need to  specific Cvent Client Credentials and scopes. These credentials are specific to the CVENT REST API, and are different to the credentials used to connect the integration module to the CVENT SOAP API.

These Cvent Client Credentials and scopes need to be generated in Cvent and provided to SpotMe.

Generating the necessary Cvent Client Credentials and scopes

To get these credentials, you will need to follow the below steps in Cvent:

1. Log in to Cvent and create a workspace.
   Workspaces in Cvent are specifically used to invite developers and manage their access to the API via scopes, and are not to be conceded with “events”.
   
   
2. Create an application and add the necessary scopes and permissions to the workspace.
   The application and its scopes will control the accesses that the SpotMe Cvent integration module will have to data within the Cvent workspace.
   
   Make sure that you select your application type as “Machine to Machine”.
   
   Make sure to select the following scopes in the application:
   - event/events:read
   - event/attendees:read
   - event/sessions:read
   - event/speakers:read
   - event/session-enrollment:read
   - event/session-enrollment:write
   - event/session-enrollment:delete
   - event/air-request:read (*)
   - event/hotel-request:read (*)
   (* optional based on Cvent’s contract and usage scope)

Once the above two steps are done, the application will provide you with the:

• Client id
• Client secret
• Cvent event code

These credentials will need to be used to connect the SpotMe integration module to the Cvent event.

Using the credentials to connect the Cvent integration module to the REST API

In the Cvent integration module in SpotMe, you will need to follow the below instructions when adding the credentials to the Credentials tab:

Region:
Use the dropdown to select the region that your Cvent account is hosted in.

Event code on Cvent
The Event code can be obtained on the Cvent website by clicking on the ⌄ icon next to the Preview button. Note: This is not the Cvent event ID.

Cvent Client ID
Add the Client id provided in the previous step when creating the application.

Cvent Client secret
Add the Client id provided in the previous step when creating the application.

Add extra invitee registrations (optional)
This is an option that can be used if your event will be supporting "guests".
Enabling this option will ensure that your attendees are registered to all the sessions that their "guests" are registered to, and they will therefore see those sessions in their agenda in the app.

Add flight details to attendees
Enable this option if you wish to synchronize flight details of attendees from Cvent to SpotMe.

Add hotel requests to attendees
Enable this option if you wish to synchronize the hotel requests of attendees from Cvent to SpotMe.

Attendee Cvent statuses
This is an open text field that you can use to specify what status(es) in Cvent the attendees should have in order to be synchronized.
The available statuses that can be added here are: "Accepted", "Cancelled", "Declined", "Denied Approval", "No Response", "Pending Approval", "Visited" and "Waitlisted".
It is recommended that you leave this field set to the default "Accepted" status.
You can add multiple statuses to these field by separating them with a comma, for example "Accepted,Declined".
If you leave the field empty, attendees with all status types will be synchronized.

Managing data types

Once you have entered the credentials, you can go to the Data types tab to display the types of data that can be synchronized, and see when they were last synced:

Here you can also:

• Import or export data integration configurations, by selecting the data type(s) and using the Export XLS or Import XLS buttons.
  
• Enable automatic synchronization of these data set using the Auto sync column (and determine the synchronization frequency).
  Please note that the autosync will automatically stop 7 days after the end date of the event.
  
• See a preview report of any data that you would wish to synchronize, by clicking on the relevant Preview button for a data type, and manually synchronize any selected data sets, by clicking on Sync:

Session registration and managed capacity

When adding sessions to the SpotMe workspace, we recommend that you choose a single approach: importing them from Cvent OR creating them directly within SpotMe.

Registrations for sessions imported from Cvent

For imported sessions, when a user registers to a session via the SpotMe app, the registration will be visible in Cvent immediately. When a user is registered to a Session in Cvent, the registration will be visible in SpotMe after the integration has synchronized both systems (i.e. the "Session registrations" sync has been triggered either manually or via the autosync).

Important: Once you have opened registration for a synchronized agenda session within SpotMe, we recommend that you no longer register users on the Cvent side. If you do need to register users on the Cvent side side, please close the registration on the SpotMe side first, do the registrations in Cvent, and then synchronize the data from Cvent to SpotMe, before reopening registration on the SpotMe side.

Registrations for sessions created within SpotMe

For sessions created directly in SpotMe (Backstage), when a user registers to a session via the SpotMe app, the users will not be marked as registered to the session in Cvent.

Session capacity management

When a user registers to a session via the SpotMe app, the SpotMe system checks the session capacity that is visible in Backstage, via Sessions > Your session > "Edit Capacity Settings" > "Capacity when managed".
If you change the session capacity in Cvent, remember to synchronize the sessions in SpotMe as well.

Important: Do not change the "Registration mode" option in Backstage > Sessions > Your session > "Edit Capacity Settings". Cvent virtual session capacity is not supported by the integration.

Troubleshooting

If you find that users are still able to register to sessions even though session is at full capacity:
Please make sure that your Cvent integration module is using version 2.8.0 (or greater) to ensure that session capacity is properly verified.

Data configuration and auto syncronization

In the Data types tab, you can you can click on any data type to display and edit its configuration.

This opens the below View data configuration page, where you can:

• Add more data mapping. More information available in the Adding new data mapping section below.
• Apply filtering to the mapped data. More information available in the Filtering synchronized data section below.
• Configure the auto sync frequency based on the number of imported attendees. More information.
• Use the Email subscribers field to receive periodic email summaries on the synchronization activity.

Configuring the auto sync frequency

The Cvent platform has a limit for the number of times external platforms such as SpotMe can request data. If this limit is not respected, the data will not be synchronized between the Cvent and SpotMe platforms.

To ensure that the synchronization of data runs smoothly, it is therefore important that you adjust the Auto sync frequency of the integration according to the total number of Cvent invitees and attendees.

The autosync frequency must be adjusted in two data points: Users and Session registrations

Below are the recommendations for the auto sync frequency for those data points:

Number of attendees	Auto sync frequency
0 to 3'000	15 minutes
3'000 to 6'000	30 minutes
6'000 to 12'000	1 hour
Over 12'000	3 hours

Note:
- If you are connecting to the Cvent SOAP API (using the CVENT SOAP integration module), then all attendees with the status "Accepted", "Pending approval" and "Waitlisted" are by default imported into the SpotMe workspace, and will by default have an "Active" user status.
- If you are connecting to the Cvent REST API (using the CVENT REST integration module), then the imported attendees will be dependant on how you have populated the Attendee Cvent statuses field located in the Credentials tab.

Adding new data mapping

The API data mapping section lists out the pre-configured data mapping that is specifically set-up for Cvent integration in Backstage. We recommend that you do not modify these pre-set mappings.

However, you can add additional data mappings by following the below steps:

1. Click on the blue + button, to add a new data mapping item at the end of the list:
2. Now click on the newly created data mapping item to edit its details.
   
   API field: Enter the data type you wish to map in Cvent.
   SpotMe field: Enter the data type you wish to map in SpotMe.
   Import empty field? By default, if fields are empty in Cvent, no data will be imported. If this option is enabled, empty fields in Cvent will be imported and will overwrite any existing data in the corresponding SpotMe field.
   
   
3. Click on Close to exit the window.
   
   
4. Now click on Save in the View data config tab to save your changes.

We recommend that if you modify the name or the order of an existing Cvent field that may be used for data mapping between Cvent and SpotMe, please do a preview of the synchronization to ensure that you have not disconnected the field mapping.

User data mappings that are necessary to pull session registrations

Please be aware that the below "User" data mappings are needed to ensure that session registrations are synchronized properly:

• fp_ext_id
• fp_status
• fname
• lname
• email
• fp_ids
• contact_id

Synchronizing users

When using the Cvent integration to synchronize users, the integration will aggregate data from many different Cvent objects.

For example, each Cvent user has a list of associated products. This is represented in the preview, in columns such as orderdetail.0.productname, which means field "productname" of the first order, i.e. position 0.

Mapping list fields such as orderdetail should be avoided, because you do not know at which position in the list an element will be placed.

In general, any column name displayed in the preview which contains .0., or another number, is a list field.

If you need to map list fields, please reach out to SpotMe support and explain your use case, so that we can assist you.

Filtering synchronized data

In the View data config tab, you can apply filtering to any selected mapped data sets, in order to target only a specific data to be imported in the workspace during the sync.

Use the Filters fields to target the specific data in Backstage, by selecting the SpotMe data's corresponding metadata.

Only the SpotMe data matching the specified metadata criteria will be synced.

How do guests appear in the SpotMe app?

To support "Guest mode" in Cvent, attendee guest information can be imported as part of the session data into the SpotMe agenda.

In the SpotMe app agenda, the attendee will see the sessions, with both the attendee and their guest's name visible in the form of tags:

Important: We recommend that Guest mode is only enabled on events with less than 1'000 attendees, to ensure that data synchronizations between Cvent and SpotMe are fully successful.

To enable this, go to Integrations, open the Sessions data type, and tick the Tag guest sessions check box:

Error handling

If you experience an ACCESS_DENIED or a “Cvent authentication failed, please check credentials” message:

1. Check that the Cvent credentials are correct. Check the Account Number, User Name, Password, and Event Code.
   
   
2. If you are connecting to the Cvent SOAP API (using the CVENT SOAP integration module), check if the Cvent API is configured to allow only certain IP addresses to connect to Cvent (see https://support.cvent.com/s/communityarticle/Whitelisting-IPs-for-API).
   
   Please note that IP whitelisting is not recommended using the Cvent REST API integration module, however if you are using whitelisted IPs, please contact SpotMe support to receive the applicable list of IPs that need to be whitelisted.