# Live Events

## Background

Instruqt Live Events help you facilitate technical workshops. Live events enable instructors to do the following: 

* Manage events from start to finish
* See how attendees (and the group as a whole) are doing at a glance
* Connect to attendee sandboxes and troubleshoot when needed

## Run Live Events

Follow the steps below to run up a Live Event ([or watch the video tutorial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXFG2Ip9ey4)):

### Step 1. Create an invite

You create invites using the Web UI.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="🌐 Web UI" %}

1. [**Create a new Track Invite** ](https://docs.instruqt.com/tracks/track-invite-links#step-1-create-a-new-track-invite)or [**edit an existing Track Invite**](https://docs.instruqt.com/tracks/track-invite-links#edit-a-track-invite). 
2. Select **Live event** as Track Invite type.
3. Fill in the rest of the form fields. *Make sure to specify a start time*.
4. Click **Create invite**. 
   {% endtab %}
   {% endtabs %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
Make sure to specify **"How many unique users can access this invite?"** - this will ensure Instruqt's default IP/hour play limit does not impact your live event.
{% endhint %}

### Step 2. Share the invite

You copy invite links through the Web UI.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="🌐 Web UI" %}

1. Click the invite you just created.
2. Click **Copy invite link** in the top-left corner and share the link with attendees.
   {% endtab %}
   {% endtabs %}

{% hint style="info" %}
Attendees can access the invite link 24 hours before the start time, and the invite will be labeled <mark style="color:green;">**Active**</mark>.&#x20;
{% endhint %}

### Step 3. View dashboard and run event

You can view a live progress of leaners from the Web UI.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="🌐 Web UI" %}

1. From the Invite details page, click **Go to Live dashboard**. As learners access the link, the dashboard will populate with their names, and show their progress.&#x20;
2. On each learner's row in the dashboard, you can click ••• to perform the following actions:
   * *Inspect sandbox*: Connect to the live instance of that sandbox
   * View activity: View a log of every action the learner has taken in the event
   * View sandboxes: View a list of all the sandboxes the learner has created
   * Remove attendee: Kick the learner out of the event
     {% endtab %}
     {% endtabs %}

### Step 4. Analyze event activity

You export invite activity reports through the Web UI.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="🌐 Web UI" %}

1. Once your event is finished, from the Invite details page, click **View activity report**. This is an exportable activity report to view all the learner data relating to the event. The activity report includes information like how long each learner spent in tracks, how many attempts they took, etc.
   {% endtab %}
   {% endtabs %}

## FAQ

<details>

<summary>Can I communicate with the attendees during a Live Event?</summary>

Yes! We recommend using the internal chat, where you can broadcast messages to all attendees or send personal ones to specific people. You can learn more in our Instructor Tools guide [here](https://docs.instruqt.com/tracks/share/run-live-events/instructor-tools).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Who can access the Live Event dashboard?</summary>

Any team member with the content creator, owner, and instructor role will be able to access the Live Event dashboard (simultaneously).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can attendees join Live Events anonymously?</summary>

Yes. When creating a Live Event, select *Anyone with the link* under *Access settings.* Attendees will not be asked for their name when they join, and appear as `Anonymous attendee x` on the Live Event dashboard.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can the Live Event dashboard also be used on embedded tracks?</summary>

No. Currently, the Live Event dashboard is only available on content that's accessed through a track invite. We're looking into ways to support embedded content as well.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Will attendees be able to access the the invite link if they're late?</summary>

Yes, the link is accessible for attendees until the specified end date and time of the event.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Will attendees be able to access the invite link after the event has ended?</summary>

No. The invite link will <mark style="color:red;">**expire**</mark> on the end date, meaning that new attendees will not be able access it. Attendees who previously accessed the link (before or during the event), will remain access to the invite and its content. You can set [additional restrictions](https://docs.instruqt.com/tracks/track-invite-links#set-track-invite-restrictions) to further limit access.\
\
**Tip: remove the end date on your Live Event to make the invite link accessible forever.**

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is there a limit to the number of attendees that can join simultaneously?</summary>

No, in theory there's no limit, but a higher number of attendees will likely increase the time to create their sandboxes. To mitigate this, we recommend setting up a [scheduled Hot Start pool.](https://docs.instruqt.com/sandboxes/manage/hot-start#scheduled-pool)

</details>

<details>

<summary>Are attendees notified when I inspect their sandbox?</summary>

No, an attendee won't see when you're inspecting their sandbox. If this is a concern for you, we recommend giving them a heads-up or asking for consent before inspecting.

</details>

<details>

<summary>When inspecting an attendee's sandbox, is my/their activity reflected immediately?</summary>

No. The attendee must refresh their page in order to see any changes to made by you. You must also refresh your page to see any changes made by the attendee.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I see and manage attendees' sandboxes from the Live Event dashboard?</summary>

Yes, [during event](#during-event).

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>How can I view or download a list of all attendees and their activity after the event?</strong></summary>

From the *Manage track invites page*, click on your invite, followed by **View activity report.**\
↳ The Activity report opens. Here you'll see all attendees and their activity.\
⇨ Click **Download CSV report** to download and process the data in your tool of choice.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>How can I restrict access to the invite link to specific people?</strong></summary>

⇨ Create or edit the Track Invite you wish to restrict. Under [*Access settings*](https://docs.instruqt.com/tracks/track-invite-links#step-4-define-the-access-settings) at the bottom, select **Only specific people** and enter the allowed email address or domains.

</details>

## Further reading

* [Differences between self paced and live event invites](https://docs.instruqt.com/tracks/track-invite-links#track-invite-types)
* [Explanation of Track Invite statuses](https://docs.instruqt.com/tracks/track-invite-links#invite-statuses)
* [7 tips to set up your virtual tech trainings and workshops](https://instruqt.com/blog/virtual-tech-training-set-up/)