VIB Conferences

VIB Conferences wanted a Drupal conference website supported by Drupal Commerce that keeps scientists and companies informed of its conferences in a structured way. Another crucial part was that its target groups had to easily find the information they were looking for and order tickets efficiëntly. A strong connection with the registration module VIB Services was crucial in this process.
 
In summary, the new platform needed to:

• provide a clear overview of all conferences
• contain clear navigation with structured information
• offer a ticketing system that creates a smooth ticket buying-process 
• contain strong and efficient processes that optimize the visitor's experience
• give an extensive profile to registered visitors that makes it easier for them to network with other participants
• give visitors all the information about a certain conference through an extra, user-friendly, sticky navigation menu.

Unique conference website

The project kicked off with an analysis of the existing Drupal 7 website. This Drupal audit provided Aviato with valuable insights into its platform. Old functionalities, pages and processes that still worked properly and catered to the needs of the different target groups were transferred and improved. Other items that addressed unanswered needs of the target groups were developed.

The user-friendly website welcomes visitors on its homepage with a clear overview of upcoming conferences. The calendar module on top shows the first 5 upcoming events with the topic, data, and location. A 6th block links to the calendar page where all the conferences are listed. 

Visitors filter the conferences based on their interests or field of study in the calendar page with the research topic filter. This enables them to efficiently find a conference. A call-to-action button then leads visitors to a detailed conference page were they find more information on the conference.  can register for the event. 

Because the conference page holds a lot of detailed information, an extra sticky navigation bar consisting of different tabs was built. Thanks to this, the different target groups find general and specific information regarding a conference. Each tab takes the visitor to the right piece of information. A sticky ticket module ensures an  the visitor on the conference page. This makes ordering tickets easy.

Efficient processes for specific target groups

Each conference page contains useful processes for scientists and companies that are linked to the registration module VIB Services. 

Submit abstracts for scientist

Scientists can - once logged in - submit abstracts for the conference to make their research known to the public. All participants to the conference get access to all selected abstracts shortly before the conference. This process prepares participants for specific talks of the conference.

Networking with an online profile for participants

The list of participants is also an example of an existing process that was copied. Registered visitors can add photos and LinkedIn links to their extended profiles. Once registered for a conference, they also get access to the list of participants giving them the choice whom they would  like to meet. 

Sponsor conferences for companies

VIB Conference Series also offers companies the opportunity to present new products and technologies at conferences. How? Through a sponsorship page that provides them with a process to confirm their sponsorship. Via the “Become a VIB Conference sponsor” button, companies are directed to a form in which they submit their details and conference choice.

Tickets through Drupal Commerce

If visitors want to buy tickets, they click on "add to cart", after which they are directed to the VIB Services registration module. This is where they register or create an account. With different budget codes, a possible discount is determined based on the profile (student, scientist, company). If a visitor is a VIB employee (verification based on VIB email address) a simplified flow is used without payment with multisafepay.

The next step is the shopping cart where the visitor gets a clear overview of ordered tickets. At the bottom, sub-products can be re-ordered for the event or the visitor continues to the payment procedure. A new registration feature on the website makes it possible to order multiple tickets at the same time. Very handy if you want to order tickets for your fellow researchers.

The result

The result is a high-performance, integrated and user-friendly Drupal platform through which the various target groups efficiently navigate and convert. A platform that clearly guides visitors through the registration process with Drupal Commerce and VIB Services. This Drupal 8 platform with Commerce made VIB Conferences a happy customer who continues to improve the conference experience for its target groups.