What is the Live Events app?

The Bazaarvoice Live Events app lets you capture user-generated content (UGC) while offline. Using an iPad and this native iOS application, you can collect reviews for key, seasonal, or new products during live events—even without Wi-Fi. Later, when reliable internet access is available, you can publish the collected content to your Bazaarvoice account in a few simple steps.

Just as with content collected by other methods, Bazaarvoice applies our moderation and authenticity standards to UGC you capture with the Live Events app. Optional content badging during the submission process ensures UGC is can be easily identified and attributed.

How does it work?

Before your event, you and your Bazaarvoice project team will work together to set up the Live Events app. With your input, Bazaarvoice will prepare the app’s display, which contains customizations such as your logo, background and primary colors, submission forms, campaign ID, and category and product data.

When your display is ready, the project team will provide you with a passkey. When entered on the initial app setup screen, this passkey enables you to download and load your custom display configuration.

At your event, you’ll use one or more iPads to collect reviews from your event participants. When reliable Wi-Fi access is available, the app administrator can publish the reviews you collect.

In most cases, the Live Events app can be ready for your event within a few weeks after project kickoff. To get started, contact the Event App team or Bazaarvoice Support .

What do you need?

The Live Events app requires an Apple iPad running iOS 11 or higher. You must supply your own iPads; Bazaarvoice does not provide them.

Set up the app

First, contact the Bazaarvoice Event App team to talk about your event timeline. Then, follow the steps in the following sections:

Note: All UGC submitted from the Live Events app must be badged according to the Bazaarvoice Authenticity Policy. Please notify your Bazaarvoice project team if you need to disclose employee/staff, incentivized review, or other badging information.

Provide display data

Attributes marked with * are required.

Attribute Description
Logo URL* Absolute URL to the logo image to use in the app. The image must be .jpg or .png format, no smaller than 200px by 200px, and no larger than 200px by 2194px.
Category Data* Category data is used to create the category tiles and navigation hierarchy. The following information is required for each category: Name, ImageURL, and parent category (if category hierarchy exists). Category data can be provided in CSV format or in an Excel/Google Sheets spreadsheet.

Comma Separated Values (CSV):

Name,ImageURL,ParentCategory
Bikes,https://website.com/imgs/catbks.png,
Mens Bikes,https://website.com/imgs/catmbks.png,Bikes
Womens Bikes,https://website.com/imgs/catwbks.png,Bikes
Watches,https://website.com/imgs/catw.png,
Nutrition,https://website.com/imgs/catn.png,

Excel/Google Sheets:

Product Data* Product data is used to create the product tiles. The following information is required for each product: Name, ImageURL, ProductID, and Category. Product data can be provided in CSV format or in an Excel/Google Sheets spreadsheet.

Comma Separated Values (CSV):

Name,ImageURL,ProductID,Category
Mens Mountain Bike,https://website.com/imgs/mmb.png,mmb01,Mens Bikes
Womens Hybrid Bike,https://website.com/imgs/whb.png,whb88,Womens Bikes
GPS Fitness Monitor,https://website.com/imgs/gpsfm.png,gpsfm200,Watches
Energy Bar,https://website.com/imgs/eb.png,eb12,Nutrition

Excel/Google Sheets:

Styling Reference* Defines the primary buttons and background colors. Bazaarvoice typically uses your website as reference.
Campaign ID* The value to set as the default campaign ID for a given display. Each display may have a different campaign ID value. Campaign IDs may also be further customized manually for each iPad, using options within the app. See Change the campaign ID for more details.
Text Translations (if applicable) You may be required to provide text translations for non-English displays.
Submission form customizations (optional, additional fees apply) Live Events app submission forms can be customized independently from your website's Bazaarvoice integration. Examples include adding opt-ins or additional fields to collect event-specific data.

Install the app

Follow these steps to install the app on each iPad:

  1. Make sure your iPad is running iOS 11 or later. From the iPad home screen, go to Settings » General » About » Version.
  2. Verify there are no outstanding iOS updates. From the iPad home screen, go to Settings » General » Software Updates. Install any pending iOS updates.
  3. Make sure you are connected to the internet.

  4. Download the app. To do this, use one of these methods:

    a. Open the Safari app, and then browse to: https://appstore.com/LiveEventsMT

    This link automatically opens the App Store and locates the Live Events MT app.

    b. Open the App Store app and search for “Bazaarvoice.” From the results list, select the Live Events MT app.

  5. Tap Get or Install and enter your credentials if requested. When installation is complete, tap Open.

Load the display

Follow these steps to set up your customized display:

  1. Open the Live Events app on your iPad.
  2. Enter the passkey provided by Bazaarvoice.
  3. Tap Load Configuration. The app will install everything needed to run offline at your event, including styling, text, products, submission forms, and images.
  4. When installation is complete, tap Go. The home screen appears.

Enable access to the iPad camera and photo library

If you want reviewers at your event to be able to add photos with their reviews, then you must allow the app to access the iPad camera and photos library.

To grant access:

  1. Select a product to review.
  2. On the Write a Review screen, tap the camera icon under Upload your photos.
  3. In the prompt that appears, tap OK.
  4. In the Photo Type prompt, select Camera.
  5. A final prompt appears. Tap OK.

This action is required only one time. Once configured, your reviewers won’t see this prompt when they add or take photos.

Note: If you initially decline access and then change your mind, select Settings » Live Events from the iPad home screen to adjust the access options.

Test the app

Before you start collecting reviews at your event, you should familiarize yourself with the app’s user interface and make sure everything looks right.

Here are some things you should do:

  • Tap the category or product images to navigate through the categories and products.
  • Use the breadcrumb trail, back button, or logo to “go back” while navigating.
  • Select a product and scroll through the fields on the submission form.
  • Write a test review and add photos (if enabled).
Important! Make sure to include "TEST REJECT" in your test review title and review text.

Finally, follow the steps in Publish content to publish your test review to Bazaarvoice.

Reporting issues

Does something look wrong? Is something missing? Report any concerns to your Bazaarvoice project team.

Using multiple iPads

You can install and deploy the Live Events app to multiple iPads to use at your event. Each iPad submits UGC independently to Bazaarvoice.

How many iPads should you use? This depends on several factors, such as event type, size, length, number of product reviewers, and personnel available to monitor the iPads and assist reviewers. While the app is simple and intuitive, you may need to assist product reviewers who aren’t familiar with touchscreens or iOS devices.

Make sure to install, set up, and test each iPad you plan to use. You’ll use the same passkey for each device.

At the event

First, prepare the app for your product reviewers. Follow these steps for each iPad:

  1. Open the Live Events app.
  2. Make sure the app displays the top category level. If not, tap the logo image to go there.
  3. Make sure the app’s reviewing-as feature is not enabled.

The app is now ready for product reviewers. At this point, you should:

  • Demonstrate how to navigate the app.
  • Describe the review and submission process.

Each product review “round” looks like this:

  1. With the Live Events app open and ready, you give the iPad to a product reviewer, who then:

    1. Selects a product.
    2. Writes a review.
    3. Submits a review.
    4. Repeats the write/submit process for each product they want to review.
    5. Returns the iPad to you.

  2. You return the app screen to the top category level and then give the iPad to another reviewer.

Reviewing-as

The reviewing-as feature lets product reviewers continue submitting reviews as themselves. This feature expedites submissions by pre-populating repetitive field values (such as nickname and email address) between submissions.

The reviewing-as option is presented to the product reviewer after each submission. The reviewer or app administrator can opt out of the feature from the Category/Product navigation screen, or from the “Thank You” screen after each submission. After five minutes of inactivity, the reviewing-as feature is disabled automatically.

Your Bazaarvoice project team can configure the automatic opt-out time and which fields are pre-populated.

Enable the reviewing-as feature

  1. Find and select a product to review.
  2. Write a review, and then tap Submit. The Thank You screen appears.
  3. Tap Write another review as username.
  4. The next submission will include pre-populated data in configured fields.

Disable the reviewing-as feature

  1. Find the “Reviewing as username” text near the top right of the Category/Product screen.
  2. Tap Reviewing as username.
  3. Tap Yes, I’m Done.

The reviewing-as feature is disabled, and data is no longer pre-populated in the submission form.

Note: The reviewer can also disable the feature by selecting I'm Done on the Thank You page that appears after a submission.

Publish content

The app administrator should publish collected reviews as soon as possible after the event.

Best practice: If you have a strong Internet connection at your event, the app administrator can periodically publish collected content to help avoid lengthy upload times. This is particularly helpful if product reviewers add photos with their submissions.

To access the Admin screen:

  1. Tap Admin at the top right of any screen.
  2. Enter the admin password provided by Bazaarvoice.
  3. Tap Submit.

To publish content, make sure you have a reliable Internet connection, and then:

  1. Log in to the Admin screen.
  2. Tap Review Submissions. The right side of the screen shows all reviews on the device.
  3. Tap Publish All Submissions. The app will begin uploading all submissions to your Bazaarvoice account. Upload time will vary depending on the number of submitted photos and reviews, and Internet connection speed. When upload is complete, a prompt appears with upload results.
  4. Tap OK. All successfully submitted content is removed from the iPad.
  5. Tap Exit to leave the Admin screen and return to the Category/Product screen.

Advanced Options

Use the information and procedures in this section to update your campaign ID and manage displays.

Change the campaign ID

A campaign ID helps identify UGC collected by the Live Events app in Bazaarvoice reports. Bazaarvoice sets the campaign ID value in the display, which is then included in each review submission. The value can be changed manually for each device if granular event tracking (such as iPad performance tracking) is needed.

To change the campaign ID value:

  1. Go to the Live Events app Admin screen.
  2. Navigate to Advanced Options.
  3. Find the campaign ID.
  4. Update the value, and then tap Save.
Note: The campaign ID is always prepended with "eventios-." For example, if your campaign ID is "spring-demo," then the final value submitted to Bazaarvoice would be "eventios-spring-demo."

Reload a display

If you request updates to a display, such as text changes or the addition or removal of products, you must reload it. While connected to the Internet:

  1. Go to the Live Events app Admin screen.
  2. Navigate to Advanced Options.
  3. Find Reload Current Display.
  4. Tap Reload. The app connects to Bazaarvoice to retrieve the latest display version and download required assets.
Note: Reloading the display will reset the campaign ID to its original value.

Add a display

Use this feature to add displays to the Live Events app. While connected to the Internet:

  1. Go to the Live Events app Admin screen.
  2. Navigate to Advanced Options
  3. Find Add Display.
  4. Enter the new display passkey value.
  5. Tap Add. The app connects to Bazaarvoice to retrieve the new display and download required assets.

The new display becomes the active display.

Advanced options for multiple displays

If multiple displays are available, more advanced options appear.

Change displays

  1. Go to the Live Events app Admin screen.
  2. Navigate to Advanced Options.
  3. Find Change Display.
  4. Select a display from the list of options.

Reload displays

Use this feature to update all available displays. While connected to the Internet:

  1. Go to the Live Events app Admin screen.
  2. Navigate to Advanced Options.
  3. Find Reload all Displays.
  4. Tap Reload. The app connects to Bazaarvoice to retrieve the latest versions of all available displays and download required assets.

Remove a display

  1. Go to the Live Events app Admin screen.
  2. Navigate to Advanced Options.
  3. Find Remove Display.
  4. Select a display from the list of available displays.
  5. On the confirmation prompt, tap Delete.

Common questions

Can’t find the answer to your question here? Contact the Event App Team or open a case with Bazaarvoice Support .

Question Answer
Does Bazaarvoice supply iPads to use at live events? Not at this time. However, please tell us so we can track demand for this additional service.
Is my iPad compatible with the Live Events app? Your iPad must be able to run iOS 11 or higher. To verify your version, go to Settings » General » About » Version from your iPad home screen.
Can I install the Live Events app on multiple iPads? Yes. Read Using multiple iPads for details.
Where can I find the Live Events app on the Apple App Store? On your iPad, find and open the Safari app, and then browse to this address: https://appstore.com/LiveEventsMT. This link will automatically open the App Store app to the Live Events app.
When will reviews captured at an event appear in my Bazaarvoice Workbench? Reviews must first be published to Bazaarvoice, after which the SLA for Moderation applies.
Why are there no results when I filter for my event campaign ID in Workbench? Verify the campaign ID value you are filtering for is the correct value. Note that campaign IDs are case sensitive. Additionally, the Live Events app automatically prepends "eventios-" to the campaign ID value. For example, if your campaign ID value is "spring-demo," the final value submitted to Bazaarvoice would be "eventios-spring-demo."
How do I customize the app? Customizations cannot be made directly within the app. The Bazaarvoice Event App team maintains the customized display configurations that define all UI customizations in the app. Contact Bazaarvoice to request updates to your display.
Can I use the Live Events app to collect UGC in store? Yes. However, please note that the app doesn't automatically upload reviews to Bazaarvoice. Your store employees would need to periodically publish the UGC to Bazaarvoice.
Does UGC from the Live Events app adhere to Bazaarvoice authenticity and moderation policies? Yes. Please notify your Bazaarvoice Event App team if content submitted through the Live Events app should include disclosures such as Incentivized Review or Staff badging.