Understanding groups and sessions
Pour :Administrateur
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Before using the Event Journeys module on a daily basis, take a few minutes to understand how Unisoft structures events. This page lays the foundations used everywhere else in the module documentation.
The principle: two levels
Unisoft separates the identity of an event from its dated instances:
| Level | Definition | What it carries |
|---|---|---|
| Event group | The type of event, reusable | Name, public title, image, mode (standalone or multi-session) |
| Session | A dated instance belonging to a group | Start and end dates, forms, funds, accounting Booklet |
The group defines the concept ("Annual gala"). The session embodies a precise occurrence ("Gala 2026 of September 12").
Visual example
Group: "Passover"
├── Session: Passover 2024 (from April 22 to 30, 2024)
├── Session: Passover 2025 (from April 12 to 20, 2025)
└── Session: Passover 2026 (from April 1 to 8, 2026)
You create the group once, then a new session each year (or each week, for a weekly Shabbat).
What is a group?
An event group (pe_groupe in the system) represents a type of event that recurs or that exists in unique form. It's the lasting identity of the event.
What a group contains
- Internal name — used by you, in the admin list (e.g.: "Annual gala")
- Multilingual public title — displayed to visitors on the site
- Mode —
STANDALONE(a single session expected) orMULTI_SESSION(several sessions, single page) - Poster image — displayed on the public page (only in multi-session mode)
- Content block — introduction text displayed above the session selector
- List of sessions — managed automatically by Unisoft
Good and bad examples of group names
| ✅ Good example (group) | ❌ Bad example (it's a session) |
|---|---|
| Women's evening | Women's evening 2026 |
| Purim | Purim 5784 |
| Farbrengen | Farbrengen Shabbat Bo |
| Avot Uvanim | Avot Uvanim – 3 |
| Annual gala | Gala 2026 |
What is a session?
A session (pe in the system) is the dated instance of a group. It carries all the information specific to an occurrence: dates, registrations, donations, budget.
What a session contains
- Internal label — for you (e.g.: "Passover 2026")
- Multilingual public title — displayed to visitors
- Multilingual description — detailed text on the public page
- Start and end dates — including precise time
- Display period — how many days before the start the session becomes publicly visible (default 30 days)
- Active status — determines whether registrations and donations are open
- Automatic closing time — automatic cutoff X hours before the start date (optional)
- Poster — image specific to the session. In multi-session mode, if you don't define an image on the session, it inherits by default the visual defined on the group: practical for having a common visual identity for all editions without re-uploading the image each time
- Linked forms — registrations, reservations
- Linked funds — monetary collections
- Accounting Booklet — created automatically when the session is created
The session is the management unit on a daily basis
It is the session that you open, track, close, and archive. The group remains in the background as a reusable identity template.
The two modes: standalone vs multi-session
When creating a group, you choose its mode. This choice is structuring for the future.
| Mode | Behavior | Public page | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standalone (default) | Each session is independent | One URL per session: /evenement/[session-id] | Annual galas, unique holidays, exceptional evenings |
| Multi-session | All sessions are grouped | A unique URL for the group: /evenement/[group-id], which lists open sessions | Weekly Shabbat, weekly classes, course series |
When to choose Standalone?
- The event is rare or annual (gala, holiday)
- Each edition has its own identity (different visual, particular theme)
- You want a dedicated URL to share for each edition
When to choose Multi-session?
- The event is recurring on a regular cadence (week, month)
- Visitors look for the next one or the upcoming sessions without knowing the precise date
- You want a single page that presents all upcoming sessions with a selector
Use cases by mode
Case 1 — Annual gala (standalone)
- Group: "Annual gala" — standalone mode
- Sessions: "Gala 2024", "Gala 2025", "Gala 2026"
- Public page: a URL for each edition, shared for annual invitations
- Benefit: possibility to close registration for the current edition without hiding past editions
Case 2 — Passover (standalone)
- Group: "Passover" — standalone mode
- Sessions: "Passover 2024", "Passover 2025", "Passover 2026"
- Public page: a URL per year, ideal for targeted campaigns
- Benefit: each year has its own visual, description, and content
Case 3 — Weekly Shabbat (multi-session)
- Group: "Shabbat Meals" — multi-session mode
- Sessions: created each week (Shabbat Bereshit, Noah, Lech Lecha, etc.)
- Public page: a unique URL
evenement/[group-id], which presents the upcoming Shabbat - Benefit: the congregants always consult the same URL to reserve their seats for the next date
Case 4 — Course cycle (multi-session)
- Group: "Wednesday class" — multi-session mode
- Sessions: one class per week for 12 weeks
- Public page: a URL that lists the upcoming available classes
- Benefit: registrants can see and reserve several sessions in a single visit
Complete anatomy of a group and a session
| Concept | Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Name (label) | Reusable internal identifier |
| Group | Title (multilingual) | Displayed publicly |
| Group | Mode | Standalone or Multi-session |
| Group | Image | Common poster (multi-session) |
| Group | Content block | Intro text of the public page |
| Session | Label | Internal session identifier |
| Session | Title (multilingual) | Displayed publicly |
| Session | Description (multilingual) | Detailed text on the public page |
| Session | Start / end date | Time range of the event |
| Session | Display period | Delay before which the session becomes visible |
| Session | Active | Registrations and donations open (yes/no) |
| Session | Automatic closing time | Cutoff X hours before the start |
| Session | Poster | Visual specific to the session |
| Session | Linked forms | Registrations, reservations |
| Session | Linked funds | Monetary collections |
| Session | Accounting Booklet | Created automatically, used for budget tracking |
| Session | Additional links | External buttons (PDF program, map, etc.) |
Going further
- Create an event group — detailed procedure
- Create a session — parameterize a dated instance
- Public page and sharing — how your visitors access the event
- Track a session — budget, statistics, payments