Conference Scheduler--Print/Export WITH Interests

[JHoyer]

I've got my sessions for SGF 2016 all figured out. Of course, there are always way more interesting topics I'd LIKE to attend but there are conflicts. In the past I've 'double book' myself when I had more than 1 thing that I was interested in. That way, if the first topic was full or didn't match my expectations I could go to my '2nd choice' and so on. With the 2016 scheduler, you can only put in 1 session for a given time frame. You can label others as 'interests' but they don't print out or export from the scheduler. I think dropping that flexibility to have multiple sessions on your calendar at the same time was a big mistake. Here's another example: Session 1 goes for 90 minutes from 9 to 10:30, that locks me out from scheduling sessions that go from 10:00-10:50 completely, even if I would have dropped in only for the last half of the discussion. I think we've taken a step backwards in the online scheduler this year.

[mbuchecker]

Hi JHoyer,
When I go to the "My Schedule" there is a button near the upper-right that says "Add Interests". Clicking that shows the interests, and both Export and Print show both chosen and interested items.
Are you not seeing that?

[JHoyer]

Yes, both those buttons are there. Clicking interests shows them on the screen but they do NOT export or print out. Also, when you click 'print' you in essense get a screen shot of the time shown on the screen, not the entire schedule.

[mbuchecker]

Interesting. I just checked Export to CSV and you are correct, no interests show. But if I click print with interests turned on it shows them. Oh, and the attachment is just a snippet. Entire print file is 5 pages with interests, 2 pages without.

[jwaller]

In order to get your interest to print you need to use the Print Button near the Export button. If you use Print under the File menu of your browser you will only get the screen shot. However, using the Print button next to the Export button will give you a PDF that contains not only your scheduled events, but those events that you are interested in.

[MetteHenriksen]

If I use Internet Explorer 11 the print button just makes a screen print, but in Chrome I get a full list of my schedule incl. interests.

[jwaller]

Thanks for the info @MetteHenriksen. Regard the export option, I have asked whether there is something that can be done about allowing interests to be exported. Stay tuned.

[JHoyer]

Yup, confirmed. I was using IE 11 and I just get the screen shot. When I go to chrome I get the full schedule WITH interests. The export button still though EXCLUDES the interests.

[LoriGoldman]

I totally agree. This new "feature" has been very frustrating for me as well. Hey, if there are any SAS PTB (powers that be) reading this thread, is there any chance of getting an upgrade to the scheduler in place before the conference?

[JHoyer]

I agree, I don't know where they got this agenda builder from, the older conference ones they used were MUCH better. This really puts a bind on participants with them deciding to go green and NOT print schedules to hand out on site anymore. I'm all for going green but there has to be a viable alternative in place for a conference like this where you choose where to go.  

[gmbaker]

Thank you all for this great feedback. It is so appreciated. We are researching other options as we speak. I will update this as soon as we know more. Thank you for your patience.

[JHoyer]

Thanks for your attention. Here's another idea. I know in Dallas last year I was unable to attend a number of sessions because they were 'full'. I understand the fire codes and why you have to do this. With the Agenda builder online, can you mine that data so you would know ahead of time that for example a session has been added to 400 calenders, yet the room only has space for 200? Would it be possible then to switch to another room? It is frustrating to be in some sessions that are in HUGE rooms with only 50 people attending and then go to some of the others where we were standing room only in a tiny room. If we are really 'green' now and all work off of smart phones and/or tablets, couldn't we have a kind of 'dynamic' room assignment that is set once you get to the conference and attendance in sessions is somewhat understood?

[jimw]

Great idea.  I had the same experience last year in Dallas.  Several talks in very large rooms with few attendees, and others in small rooms were too full to attend.  I would also like the Interests to export, or allow us to double book.  However, if we are allowed to double book, then the idea of assigning rooms based on the # of people scheduled would not be accurate.  Might be better to leave it as scheduling our first choice, and identifying other choices as interests.  That data might be useful for determining room size.