Project onboarding
A project is a single event in ema — it holds that event's registrations, program, exhibitors, budget, tasks, and documents. This page explains what standing up a new project looks like: how one starts, what the setup wizard asks, and a sensible order to configure things in so you are not backtracking later.
If you run events for external clients, read PCO and agency model first — it explains how projects sit under client organisations and how billing mode is decided, both of which come up during onboarding.
Two ways a project starts
- From a won opportunity — when you mark a sales opportunity as won in the CRM, ema can convert it into a delivery project. This is the usual path for agencies: it creates (or links) the client organisation for that customer and carries across the commercial terms, including the project's billing mode.
- Created directly — for an event with no preceding sales record, create the project yourself with the Project Setup Wizard. You choose the client organisation (or your own operator organisation) as you go.
Either way you end up in the same place: a new project, attached to the right organisation, ready to configure.
Convert a won opportunity into a delivery project.
The Project Setup Wizard
Admin > Projects > New Project
The wizard walks through two steps:
- Project basics — the project name, its dates, the client organisation the event is for (for a client-direct or association setup, that is your own organisation), a starting template, and the posting configuration: the revenue basis and client money custody that decide how the event's money is treated. See PCO and agency model.
- Module configuration — which feature areas this event needs. Modules keep the project focused: a one-day workshop does not carry an exhibition floor plan or an abstract-review system it will never use. See Modules.
Everything chosen here can be changed afterwards, so you are not locked into first decisions — with one exception noted below. You add the project team and assign roles once the project exists; see Access and permissions.
Configuring each module
When you enable a module, ema offers three ways to set it up:
- Defaults — applies a sensible standard configuration. Best for getting moving quickly, or for exploring.
- Configure — asks a few plain questions ("paid or free event?", "accepting abstract submissions?") and builds the configuration from your answers. Best for a tailored start.
- Clone — copies the configuration from another project in the same organisation. Best when you run the same event format year after year.
A project's posting configuration — its revenue basis and client money custody — locks as soon as the first financial activity exists on it: a deal, order, invoice, journal entry, event funding record, bill, purchase order, or expense claim. Get it right at onboarding. See PCO and agency model.
A sensible order to configure things
Once the project exists, this order avoids rework:
Client organisation, dates, and posting configuration are correct — before any financial activity begins.
Turn on only the areas this event needs; start each on Defaults or Configure.
Apply the project's theme and email branding so everything the audience sees is on-brand.
Invite staff and assign roles so the right people can work on the project.
Program, registration, exhibition, and financials — configured area by area.
Give the client organisation access when there is something for them to review.
What you can change later
Almost everything is adjustable after onboarding. You can enable or disable modules at any time from Project Settings > Modules — disabling a module hides it without deleting your data, so you can turn it back on later and find your configuration intact. Team members and roles can be added or changed at any time. The one thing to settle early is the posting configuration, which locks once money starts moving through the project.
The step-by-step guide to the Project Setup Wizard.
Enable and disable modules for a project after onboarding.
The full end-to-end path for setting up an event once the project exists.