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In my previous post I investigated the basic structure of Lightning Web Components. Now I’m going to dig deeper into one of the very crucial aspects of the framework: how you communicate with the backend. There are 3 ways to do so: Get a record(s) from the back-end Write a record to the back-end Call […]
Blackthorn Team
Event managers have a lot on their plates. Between coordinating with vendors, arranging for space and equipment, and making sure the event runs smoothly, there is a lot to keep track of. So it may seem like a tempting option to just let people show up at your event without registering first and having a […]
Blackthorn Team
Event registration is a vital process for successful event planning. It only takes a few off-putting experiences to forego attending at the beginning of an event entirely. Due to this, it’s recommended that a business makes their registration hassle-free and easy to do. But, what elements can go wrong with the registration process? How does […]
Blackthorn Team
An event app is an event app, right? Wrong. So, what’s the difference? Turns out that when you’re comparing Blackthorn Events to some of our competitors…there’s actually quite a lot. We asked ourselves, “Why Blackthorn?” so you don’t have to. A Salesforce Native Application: Since Blackthorn Events is built within Salesforce, you don’t have to […]
Kristen Hicks
Isn’t it interesting that a decade ago very few nonprofit organizations used nonprofit webinar software but now none of them can do without it? Face-to-face peer-to-peer meetings don’t happen as much as they used to in the past, especially for business networking. Everything is automated if it possibly can be automated. The whole COVID-19 pandemic […]
Blackthorn Team
Faculty management is often overlooked in the digital transition of education. Through the coronavirus pandemic, it has been difficult for educators to find affordable options in a format of ease. Educators must find access to free services and tools to help them plan college courses. One better solution to this is to use programs that […]
Blackthorn Team
Career development is something that occurs over an entire lifetime. This is something that higher education staff should emphasize to students. In fact, this is why you have career counsellors and career development in schools – to help students think about, assess, and plan next steps for their career. In addition to career counsellors and […]
Blackthorn Team
You may think of lanyards as something that simply holds ID cards around your neck, but it is much more than that. Lanyards are versatile and can help attendees of conferences in so many ways. Although your guests may prefer custom or branded lanyards, they do not need to be an expensive purchase. First off, […]
Blackthorn Team
Blackthorn.io Earns 2021 Great Place to Work Certification™ New York, NY — Blackthorn.io is proud to now be Certified™ as a Great Place to Work®! The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Blackthorn.io. This year, 100% of Blackthorn.io employees said it’s a great place to […]
Our team takes a quick company screenshot during our monthly all-hands meetings. Written By Kristen Hicks, tips curated by the Blackthorn team. I worked in a traditional office setting for over ten years before becoming a remote coworker. If there’s one thing I’m grateful for right now — aside from healthy family, friends, and coworkers […]
Wow! Over the last 18 months we’ve received amazing feedback from you, our customers and partners, about and how our apps are making payment processing and event management easier. Your success is what drives our business, so we’ve used those insights to inspire even more innovation and improvements for you. We feel […]
I was recently on a call with the founder of a Salesforce Implementation company new to Blackthorn, explaining how our customers – and our own company – use our Payments app to automate our subscription billing processes. “Chris. Wow. This is so intuitive and so easy. I want to use it myself, let alone offer […]
Hello Customers! Over the last few months, you may have seen periods of intermittent service disruptions. If I was in your shoes, I’d be frustrated, uncertain, and questioning- Why Blackthorn? Thank you for your continued trust. I’m writing this to describe the actions of what’s occurred, what we’re immediately doing, and what will be in […]
Video of the app in action (shareable YouTube) App functionalities Connection requests A two-sided opt-in for attendees to connect with each other Chat limit/throttling to control how many requests someone could send Connections were stored in Salesforce for post-event reporting on the most popular attendees Push notifications Initiated from Salesforce, Salesforce users could send push […]
Quality assurance (QA) is a way of reducing bugs in products and avoiding problems when delivering solutions or services to customers. With frequent updates comes frequent testing, and we’re no stranger to the concept. Unlike other solutions who update their apps quarterly or sometimes bi-annually, Blackthorn releases monthly updates to our Events and Payments […]
Need to send Level 3 card data? Blackthorn Payments supports “level 3 processing” via Stripe In short, level 3 gets you the best processing rate available by providing the gateway and processor full transaction details, such as you would see on an order. These include line-item level details, such as the quantity, product, and pricing […]
In December 2018, Salesforce announced a new frontend developer paradigm: Lightning Web Components. But…wait a minute! Didn’t they announce Lightning Components in 2016, the new frontend framework, and VisualForce finally retired? Haha, sure, but this is Lightning WEB Components! Here’s the situation: Now we have on Salesforce frontend 3 frameworks: VisualForce Lighting Components (which if […]
“There’s no prize for the richest person in the graveyard” is one of my favorite expressions. I believe an allocation of funds should go to helping others and our planet. As such, Blackthorn is pledging 1%, following in the footsteps of Salesforce.com and Marc Benioff’s “1-1-1” pledge, in pledging 1% of: Employee time Product (our […]
In my previous post I investigated the basic structure of Lightning Web Components. Now I’m going to dig deeper into one of the very crucial aspects of the framework: how you communicate with the backend. There are 3 ways to do so: Get a record(s) from the back-end Write a record to the back-end Call […]
Being part of a team that’s always been 100% remote (even pre-COVID), I cherish the times we get to connect virtually. Our team gets together via Zoom every Friday afternoon for a Happy Hour game. Last week, the subject came up about doing something fun for the holidays and it made me realize there are […]
When you’re planning an event, one of the most important things is getting people registered. And a key part of registration is sending out confirmation emails to let people know their registration went through. But what should be in that email? This complete guide will show you the best way to word your event registration […]
Conferences can be intimidating, but they are also an invaluable part of the academic career. Higher education professionals will find their life richer and deeper after attending conferences. Every conference experience builds off of what you know now vs. where you were before that first conference. Whether your goal is to learn new ideas to […]
The term “event attendee email” is used to describe the sequence of email messages that an event organizer or ticket seller sends to their attendees. Attendees are people who have expressed interest in attending an event. This intent is usually delivered through a registration form submitted online by visitors, but can also be sent via […]
Written by: Kristen Hicks, Director of Marketing and Partnerships @ Blackthorn.io and former Midwest College Director of Marketing and Communications. If you’re in higher ed marketing, you’ve probably seen a flurry of emails and LinkedIn posts about tips to ramp up digital marketing and virtual events. But despite all of the webinars, blogs, etc., you’re […]
If you’ve ever participated in a conference, you may have noticed that you are typically handed a badge at the door. Regardless of the industry, you may wonder, why use check-in badges? Surely now that there are so many advanced programs that can check you into an event using facial recognition software, you wouldn’t even […]
What kind of life do you offer the students on your campus? What does their student life include? What is campus life like to new students? How can students enjoy life more at your school? The answer is really to provide the best student life events you can think of. To make your campus the […]
Conferences and events measure their success with three things: participant satisfaction, the actual production, and the ability for customers to make business contacts during these events. There is a lot of planning involved in events in order to get an event together. Event registration is one of the more important service options at an event, […]
Let’s say you’re a higher education professional. You may be a professor or an adjunct faculty member. How do you gain a place in the lives and memories of all the students you are influencing? How do you make every conversation and every meeting count and increase the quality of life of those around you […]
Both 2020 and 2021 were intense years for college students. As faculty whether you teach at a liberal arts college, a private school, or one of the many public colleges across the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone. Because of the pandemic, many students graduating in 2020 or mid-2021 were cheated. These students were […]
Contactless event check in is here now and it’s getting more and more popular. It’s true that the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to instigate its arrival a lot quicker than perhaps what was expected. And with all the guidelines set up about social distancing, contactless event check-in works now whether or not your crowd for your […]
Whether you’re a first-time event manager or you’ve been putting on events for years, creating an event report is a vital part of the attendee engagement process. But what goes into an event report, and how do you create one that’s both accurate and informative? This blog post will walk you through the essentials of […]
When it comes to event registration, there are a lot of moving parts. You need to think about how to organize your database schema, what information to collect, and how to manage the registration process. This post will provide some tips on how to organize your event registration database schema for optimal efficiency. What Are […]
Anyone planning an event knows that registration is a key part of the process. But what questions should you ask potential attendees when they sign up? In this blog post, we’ll provide a list of effective questions to include in your event registration form. By asking the right questions, you can get a better understanding […]
I was recently on a call with the founder of a Salesforce Implementation company new to Blackthorn, explaining how our customers – and our own company – use our Payments app to automate our subscription billing processes. “Chris. Wow. This is so intuitive and so easy. I want to use it myself, let alone offer […]
If you’re an event manager, you know that ensuring the privacy of your attendees is a top priority. After all, you don’t want their personal information falling into the wrong hands. So here are a few tips on enforcing data privacy at your next event. GDPR and Events GDPR is a new data protection law […]
One major decision that you don’t want to leave out of your event planning is how your attendees will enter and exit the event. Security measures need to be in place, or your event could turn chaotic really quickly. There are many steps you can take to help with security issues. One of those, believe […]
The value of events as a marketing tool is still undervalued. Live communication is becoming more and more relevant to reach your target groups emotionally and consistently. In this article, we’ll show you how you can do this and what you’ll need to know in order to create a great brand experience. What Is Event […]
Ensuring very good event attendee experience is an important goal of the event management process. An event attendee experience is the sum of all direct and indirect experiences at an event. People may forget facts but the emotion evoked by an experience is hard to forget, whether negative or positive. Event attendees must perceive these […]
Whether your event is virtual, hybrid or in-person, you should always maintain an event attendee list. This helps you account for and record the number of people at the event, their names and contact info, and even the reason for their interest in your event. Having an event attendee list is essential for event planning […]
Every event manager should have an idea of the kind of attendee they’re looking for. This is your target audience. Your target audience is important because it offers important clues as to how you should deliver and market your event, and even where you should hold the event. The Best Ways to Identify the Target […]
There are a number of event check-in applications on the market that cater to different types of events. Some focus exclusively on corporate events, while others are geared towards more specific types of events, such as music festivals or trade shows. Choosing the right check-in application for your event can be a daunting task, but […]
Event planners say that in the mind of the guests at your event, it’s the check-in that is the first step of the event. It offers guests a first impression of your event, and sets the stage for everything that is to happen after that. That’s why event check-in shouldn’t be left to chance. There […]
When it comes to fundraising events or events for organizations of any kind, there’s a lot of information out there. But one of the most important tips that most people do not learn is that every event type, be it a conference or seminar, needs an on-site check-in. It is important that this process goes […]
Planning professional events is difficult enough when it comes to a workplace or conferences, but for higher education, it can prove even more intense. Higher education and learning services are essential to finding a career, and the experience depends on good planning, especially in the registration department. Whether the event is for recruiting, health, or […]
With every event that is planned, a lot of time and donor money goes into it, but what goes on behind the scenes is more impressive. If you want to learn how to generate engagement, and to promote high event registration, you must understand, and turn the market upside down, in order to improve your […]
As an organizer, you may be confronted with a whole series of new challenges in the “new normal”, ranging from complying with Covid-19 safety and social distancing regulations to marketing your event in a much more virtual way than before. In addition, there are fluctuating conditions associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, such as new variants […]
If you’re scheduling a meeting that requires registration, attendees will need to register their email address, name, and other optional questions. This will give you more information about your participants. Event pages, event catalogs, and event emails are created using predefined templates. Before you can create an event page, you’ll need to create a template […]
Deciding on the type of event you will have is just the first step in the long business process for creating and planning an event that is successful. Luckily with information technology and content management systems as well as tracking methods such as Google Analytics, marketing automation, professional certification generation, and engagement marketing, your public […]
Eventbrite is a platform used worldwide and a master in the organization of free and paid events. It’s also known as a self-service ticketing platform – a tool with which you can organize events and sell tickets online. We’ll take you through a step-by-step process of creating events and tickets using Eventbrite, and provide you […]
Teams using Salesforce Communities to interact with existing members of their campus communities can easily create in-person and virtual events using Blackthorn Events native Salesforce application. These branded event registration pages can be used for everything from college campus admission events to healthcare information sessions. Salesforce administrators can set up event branding and event templates […]
As an event manager, are you keeping up with your attendees? For example, are you tracking their attendance to your events? You may think it is unnecessary or intrusive on their privacy, but it’s not. In a lot of ways, it actually benefits your attendees. Attendance tracking can help by providing useful data and analytics […]
It’s always unfortunate when an event has to be canceled, but sometimes it’s for the better. With COVID running rampant and with no estimate on when it will get better, many event managers either need to limit the number of people at the venue or cancel their event altogether. Of course, canceling an event is […]
How do you measure event success? Well, attendee feedback is the best way to gauge what went right and wrong during an event. Getting feedback from attendees allows adjustments to be made for future events and provides a guideline for what attendees expect. The best way to get feedback is through crafting an event feedback […]
Blackthorn Events recently participated in Salesforce Demo Jam as a part of the Salesforce Ed Summit 2021. See the winning presentation and learn more about the number one events platform on the Salesforce AppExchange!
Participant check-in should always be seen as an integral part of the invitation and registration process for your event. There are some fundamental decisions to be made for each event that will have a major impact on the check-in planning process. For example, if you don’t have much space in the entrance area of your […]
Campuses around the globe have canceled their visit days, tours, and other admissions events, which are often the foundation of a recruitment strategy. The good news is, there are still ways to engage with interested prospects without having to reinvent the wheel completely. If your prospects are already online, maximizing digital marketing and virtual event […]
What is a QR code? A QR code is a high tech barcode. It’s a digital footprint that connects to your web content, flyer, advertising, service, invitation, event, and anything really that you are doing. It’s shown at the door of an event to the marketing attendant. It’s a genius invention that helps with automation […]
Waitlisting is a great way to collect information from every interested visitor – even those who were unable to sign up. And if you’re using Salesforce to manage your prospects and customers, there are huge benefits to using waitlisting within a native event management solution. Because Blackthorn Events is 100% native, users control all aspects […]
Stats: 4 apps replaced: Fonteva, Cvent, Attendify, and Eventbrite (in-progress) 700 person conference delivered with Blackthorn Mobile Check-in and My IAB 626 meetup requests facilitated at the Direct Brand Summit through the mobile app In 2016, Blackthorn began building a complete event management experience, native to Salesforce. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) trusted the Blackthorn […]
Back in March, when businesses canceled in-person events to help fight the spread of COVID-19, we realized an immediate need to help our customers pivot from in-person to virtual events. Since then, we’ve helped institutions like The HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, and non-profits like IVL create virtual events at scale and with impressive […]
Back in March, when businesses canceled in-person events to help fight the spread of COVID-19, we realized an immediate need to help our customers pivot from in-person to virtual events. Since then, we’ve helped institutions like The HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, and non-profits like IVL create virtual events at scale and with impressive […]
It’s safe to say that everyone is making changes due to the recent social distancing requests to help fight the spread of the Coronavirus. But we’re all in this together, and we are all doing our part to help each other, along with trying to help ourselves adapt. Our team knew right after seeing the […]
March was a monumental month for Blackthorn. After months of development and countless iterations, we released the Event Wizard for Blackthorn Events. Meet the Event Wizard Inspired by our customers’ feedback, we created a step-by-step event builder that’s remarkably easy to use (think Eventbrite or SplashThat) yet still offers the customization power of a […]
Event tracking can most easily be done with Google Analytics tools that are free – or paid. Obviously, the paid tool is going to give you more information you need to get the best implementation results on your website. This tool measures the interactivity of the web page via something called variable and attribute (research). […]
If you use Salesforce to send emails, you know how challenging it can be to create engaging emails using only standard Salesforce email templates. Well, gone are the days of being limited to plain text emails or having to use to an outside email marketing tool to invite, remind or follow up with your audience. […]
QR codes are quickly becoming a popular way for people to check in to events. By scanning a QR code with their smartphone, attendees can quickly and easily check in to an event. This can save time and hassle for both the attendee and the event organizer. These pieces of technology can also be used […]
Patients and community members today expect a personalized experience at every step of their health journey. Initial interactions with receptionists or contacts over the phone or online are critical to engaging patients and driving loyalty. Patients or community members searching for health-related education call their local hospital to get information on classes or sessions. Soon-to-be […]
In order to have successful events or conferences, some form of registration is needed for various reasons. It is essential to a business or organization to know who is coming to their event. Knowing how many people will be attending is also essential. This information can be used to determine what the interest is among […]
According to a recent HubSpot and Eventbrite survey of event organizers and attendees, 84% of respondents feel that attending events is an important part of their job, with 79% going to events specifically to learn something. Experts that ran a survey at PCMA found that 79% of event planners are going virtual for their events, […]
At any event, the one aspect that can cause the most chaos is printing, delegating, and scanning badges. As the world has moved into a more technologically advanced environment, the last thing any event should be doing is using the traditional style check-ins for their guests. Self-service event check-in allows quick and easy scan in […]
Are you looking for a new way to connect with prospective students? Consider hosting an admissions event. College fairs are great opportunities to interact one-on-one with potential students, but they also require extensive planning. After all, it’s not easy getting people interested in your school and convincing them that it has the best programs and […]
For higher education professionals, it is important to host student engagement events to help students stay motivated in their university work and engaged with their fellow classmates. Moreover, these events also help students discover extracurricular interests, develop social skills, and help them feel less isolated in a world where they are expected to become increasingly […]
Student orientation is designed to help incoming students ease into the facility and feel more prepared for the start of the new semester. Student orientation is often for incoming freshmen or new students who have not attended the institution the previous semester. However, that does not mean that orientation is limited to only these types […]
Student recruitment events such as job and career fairs can be a great way of recruiting students for a particular college and/or introducing them into the workforce. As a high school student, they need direction and guidance to help them decide what they want to achieve in their lives. Most high school students have no […]
When you plan an event, it’s not enough just to plan the event itself such as the type of event, the type and location of the venue, the speakers, entertainment, refreshments, and other details. It is also important for you to plan the checking-in process. If you don’t, then it could turn out to be […]
Businesses and organizations are looking at utilizing online events for the foreseeable future after canceling in-person events to combat the spread of COVID-19. While we know folks are dealing with more than just events right now, we want to do what we can to help make the process easier. If your organization is exploring or […]
Organizing an event can be a lot of work. One of the most important steps is setting up registration and ticketing so that people can sign up and purchase tickets. There are a few different ways to go about this, but using a template can make things a lot easier. There are many templates available […]
Are you an event manager tasked with confirming RSVPs and tracking event attendance? If so, you’ll want to make use of an RSVP system to help manage your attendees. This guide will show you how to set up an RSVP system for your event and how to use it to confirm attendee registrations. We’ll also […]
For upcoming college graduates, finding employment in their chosen fields can be a daunting experience. To say the process is exhausting would be an understatement. Countless hours are spent in the hot sun, “pounding the pavement” and passing out resumes, only to find that the hiring managers are out sick that day or in a […]
The first step to attending a conference is really simple: have your participants a badge! But this doesn’t mean they don’t have to prepare at all for the event. There are some things that can help your participants plan better and enjoy their experience more than if they didn’t do any research beforehand. As it […]
Event managers often make several common mistakes when designing and implementing an event registration process, which is done through careful research of trends and challenges in event management. Event planning is a complex project with many variables to consider, including logistics, expenses, marketing, promotion, and participant experience. In addition, event management professionals must work together […]
Event planning organizations are a phenomenal resource for education, networking, certifications…the works. Like our event app — Blackthorn Events — we’re all about saving you time. Don’t know which one is for you? Here’s a handy list of the event planner associations by industry and why you should join. Healthcare Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors […]
Event tracking involves web tracking via your web pages on your website. It involves Google Analytics, software, your customers, their computer or smartphone or mobile app, consumer behaviour, and interactivity between all these. It may involve real-time computing, hyperlinks, conversion funnels, reports based on the data collected (data aggregation) and bounce rates, payment to your […]
The alumni community of an institution is a large network of professionals in several fields of study. The advantage here is that all of them already share the same background. If they seek employment opportunities, or the employment is already looking likely, they can leverage the knowledge and connections of their alumni community. Every university […]
You may think of lanyards as something that simply holds ID cards around your neck, but it is much more than that. Lanyards are versatile and can help attendees of conferences in so many ways. Although your guests may prefer custom or branded lanyards, they do not need to be an expensive purchase. First off, […]
An event app is an event app, right? Wrong. So, what’s the difference? Turns out that when you’re comparing Blackthorn Events to some of our competitors…there’s actually quite a lot. We asked ourselves, “Why Blackthorn?” so you don’t have to. A Salesforce Native Application: Since Blackthorn Events is built within Salesforce, you don’t have to […]
Event registration is a vital process for successful event planning. It only takes a few off-putting experiences to forego attending at the beginning of an event entirely. Due to this, it’s recommended that a business makes their registration hassle-free and easy to do. But, what elements can go wrong with the registration process? How does […]
Event managers have a lot on their plates. Between coordinating with vendors, arranging for space and equipment, and making sure the event runs smoothly, there is a lot to keep track of. So it may seem like a tempting option to just let people show up at your event without registering first and having a […]
Being part of a team that’s always been 100% remote (even pre-COVID), I cherish the times we get to connect virtually. Our team gets together via Zoom every Friday afternoon for a Happy Hour game. Last week, the subject came up about doing something fun for the holidays and it made me realize there are […]
Written by: Kristen Hicks, Director of Marketing and Partnerships @ Blackthorn.io and former Midwest College Director of Marketing and Communications. If you’re in higher ed marketing, you’ve probably seen a flurry of emails and LinkedIn posts about tips to ramp up digital marketing and virtual events. But despite all of the webinars, blogs, etc., you’re […]
Blackthorn.io Earns 2021 Great Place to Work Certification™ New York, NY — Blackthorn.io is proud to now be Certified™ as a Great Place to Work®! The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Blackthorn.io. This year, 100% of Blackthorn.io employees said it’s a great place to […]
Campuses around the globe have canceled their visit days, tours, and other admissions events, which are often the foundation of a recruitment strategy. The good news is, there are still ways to engage with interested prospects without having to reinvent the wheel completely. If your prospects are already online, maximizing digital marketing and virtual event […]
Last January, when news of a novel coronavirus started to break, it was impossible to fathom the magnitude of impact it would have on the global economy, let alone our lives. Seemingly overnight, businesses were forced to adapt and face adversarial conditions head-on. While many industries faltered, many SaaS companies surprisingly experienced growth. The agility […]
It’s safe to say that everyone is making changes due to the recent social distancing requests to help fight the spread of the Coronavirus. But we’re all in this together, and we are all doing our part to help each other, along with trying to help ourselves adapt. Our team knew right after seeing the […]
March was a monumental month for Blackthorn. After months of development and countless iterations, we released the Event Wizard for Blackthorn Events. Meet the Event Wizard Inspired by our customers’ feedback, we created a step-by-step event builder that’s remarkably easy to use (think Eventbrite or SplashThat) yet still offers the customization power of a […]
Wow! Over the last 18 months we’ve received amazing feedback from you, our customers and partners, about and how our apps are making payment processing and event management easier. Your success is what drives our business, so we’ve used those insights to inspire even more innovation and improvements for you. We feel […]
Making a payment is a crucial touchpoint in any customer journey. While payments may seem simple from the outside, several complex components work behind the scenes to complete a transaction. If you are unfamiliar with payment processing, the terminology and components can be overwhelming. Today we’re shining a light on how payment gateways work and […]
A major goal of any field service business is to scale as quickly as possible. But as your organization grows, you may struggle to keep up. Processes get more complicated and arduous, stifling your operational efficiency. One common snag in the workflow is payment processing, especially if your company works with Salesforce Field Service Lightning […]
Blackthorn Payments provides the deepest Salesforce and Stripe integration available on the Salesforce AppExchange. Because we’re a trusted, official partner to both Salesforce and Stripe, teams can feel safe knowing they’re using a solution that’s on the forefront of online payment processing and customer relationship innovation. With Blackthorn Payments, Salesforce users can manage everything Stripe offers without leaving […]
Brief Overview of SCA SCA or Strong Customer Authentication, is a requirement of Europe’s revised Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) mandate to increase security and minimize fraud risk around electronic payments. PSD2 aims to protect consumers, promote banking innovation, and facilitate safer cross-border European payment services. SCA first came into effect in 2019. With approval […]
Event planning organizations are a phenomenal resource for education, networking, certifications…the works. Like our event app — Blackthorn Events — we’re all about saving you time. Don’t know which one is for you? Here’s a handy list of the event planner associations by industry and why you should join. Healthcare Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors […]
An event app is an event app, right? Wrong. So, what’s the difference? Turns out that when you’re comparing Blackthorn Events to some of our competitors…there’s actually quite a lot. We asked ourselves, “Why Blackthorn?” so you don’t have to. A Salesforce Native Application: Since Blackthorn Events is built within Salesforce, you don’t have to […]
If you’re like most higher education professionals, you’re always looking for ways to make your job a little easier. And one area where that’s especially true is budget and asset management. Fortunately, there are a number of great college asset management software programs out there that can help you streamline your workflow and keep your […]
Conferences can be intimidating, but they are also an invaluable part of the academic career. Higher education professionals will find their life richer and deeper after attending conferences. Every conference experience builds off of what you know now vs. where you were before that first conference. Whether your goal is to learn new ideas to […]
Are you curious about online learning software used by universities? Do you want to know more about the benefits it provides students and faculty? This blog post is for you! Learn all there is to know about this powerful educational tool. Find out what features make it so popular and why more and more schools […]
The Benefit of Alumni Connectivity Alumni connections can be the backbone of your university. Who better to promote the success of your current students than students who have previously attended and graduated successfully? After entering the workforce, they have the benefit of their experience to showcase the results of achieving their educational goals. They can […]
What kind of life do you offer the students on your campus? What does their student life include? What is campus life like to new students? How can students enjoy life more at your school? The answer is really to provide the best student life events you can think of. To make your campus the […]
Let’s say you’re a higher education professional. You may be a professor or an adjunct faculty member. How do you gain a place in the lives and memories of all the students you are influencing? How do you make every conversation and every meeting count and increase the quality of life of those around you […]
Accreditation in higher education is an external quality assurance tool. It is an official recognition of a college or university’s strategy, teaching, student support, research, and human and material resources. It helps prospective students and interested partners to assess the quality of the college or university. The accreditation in the higher education sector is also […]
College data compliance software is a web or cloud-based application allowing users to better edit, organize, and even circulate student documents in relation to compliance. It makes organization, editing, and procedure easier. This service helps if there are breaches in a division, improving the success and quality of education, but also makes it an automatic […]
College enrollment software can be your college’s lifeline or your college’s end. That’s what Seattle Colleges found out the hard way. They had switched to a new student enrollment and registration software called ctcLink and it ended up doing more damage than good. Apparently, some of the problems that have occurred have included the following: […]
Both 2020 and 2021 were intense years for college students. As faculty whether you teach at a liberal arts college, a private school, or one of the many public colleges across the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone. Because of the pandemic, many students graduating in 2020 or mid-2021 were cheated. These students were […]
Planning professional events is difficult enough when it comes to a workplace or conferences, but for higher education, it can prove even more intense. Higher education and learning services are essential to finding a career, and the experience depends on good planning, especially in the registration department. Whether the event is for recruiting, health, or […]
What is Google Forms? Google Forms is an affordable, easy-to-use option (it’s free!) to manage check-ins for your events. Google Forms is part of G Suite (which includes Google Docs and other tools), with access right next to your Gmail inbox. It’s a go-to tool if you need to DIY your event check-ins on a […]
Campus Management What goes into operating and managing a university or school campus? There are so many departments, staff members, counselors, administrators, teachers, current students, not to mention all the staff and leaders within each department as well as alumni students. Then there are also other administration offices and branches with numerous departments in other […]
College facilities are important in the growth and development of any college or university. Facilities need to be monitored for their maintenance through various management actions like requesting an inspection or arranging repairs. All these require software that makes the process easy and smooth. They also help in tracking budgets and improve the school’s image. […]
College course evaluation software are systems designed to collect student feedback and assess different aspects of a college course. The data collected can be used to discover patterns and identify areas for improvement in the future. It also makes it easier to see what students like and dislike about a class so instructors can change […]
Are you looking for a new way to connect with prospective students? Consider hosting an admissions event. College fairs are great opportunities to interact one-on-one with potential students, but they also require extensive planning. After all, it’s not easy getting people interested in your school and convincing them that it has the best programs and […]
For higher education professionals, it is important to host student engagement events to help students stay motivated in their university work and engaged with their fellow classmates. Moreover, these events also help students discover extracurricular interests, develop social skills, and help them feel less isolated in a world where they are expected to become increasingly […]
Student orientation is designed to help incoming students ease into the facility and feel more prepared for the start of the new semester. Student orientation is often for incoming freshmen or new students who have not attended the institution the previous semester. However, that does not mean that orientation is limited to only these types […]
Student recruitment events such as job and career fairs can be a great way of recruiting students for a particular college and/or introducing them into the workforce. As a high school student, they need direction and guidance to help them decide what they want to achieve in their lives. Most high school students have no […]
Any institution that manages money will highly benefit from using effective accounting software. With colleges being responsible for benefactors of the education system, institutions need an accurate accounting system that can help ensure that the student’s money is protected. While bookkeeping may have been an effective method fifty years ago, colleges now see an average […]
Without college fundraising software, managing any college fundraiser can be difficult. A college fundraising software provides multiple tools to help securely collect and process donations. Using an online platform, donors are able to quickly and easily provide funds to a college without much hassle. That being said, there are so many college fundraising softwares online […]
Student information systems are a great way to manage your student population. However, with so many different types and features, it can be difficult to know which one is right for you. Here are the best student information systems on the market today. Each one has unique benefits that can make your job as a […]
For upcoming college graduates, finding employment in their chosen fields can be a daunting experience. To say the process is exhausting would be an understatement. Countless hours are spent in the hot sun, “pounding the pavement” and passing out resumes, only to find that the hiring managers are out sick that day or in a […]
Student recruitment software is a must for college and university recruiters. This kind of software helps manage applications, automate student enrollment, and even coordinate admissions for grants and scholarships – making your life a lot simpler and easier to manage! In fact, with the right kind of software, you can also provide an excellent first […]
The alumni community of an institution is a large network of professionals in several fields of study. The advantage here is that all of them already share the same background. If they seek employment opportunities, or the employment is already looking likely, they can leverage the knowledge and connections of their alumni community. Every university […]
Career development is something that occurs over an entire lifetime. This is something that higher education staff should emphasize to students. In fact, this is why you have career counsellors and career development in schools – to help students think about, assess, and plan next steps for their career. In addition to career counsellors and […]
Faculty management is often overlooked in the digital transition of education. Through the coronavirus pandemic, it has been difficult for educators to find affordable options in a format of ease. Educators must find access to free services and tools to help them plan college courses. One better solution to this is to use programs that […]
Our Mobile Check Capture feature is in Beta. Be one of the first and few to try it out and give functionality feedback before it goes live! Contact support today to get more information. It’s a common scenario for many service organizations. A service agent finishes helping a customer with a service order, and […]
A major goal of any field service business is to scale as quickly as possible. But as your organization grows, you may struggle to keep up. Processes get more complicated and arduous, stifling your operational efficiency. One common snag in the workflow is payment processing, especially if your company works with Salesforce Field Service Lightning […]
Here at Blackthorn, we’re constantly innovating to develop better products based on customer feedback and the needs of the industries we serve. Our customers often send invoices to their clients for payment over the web. In an effort to make the process efficient, we built a tool that allows businesses to get paid faster while […]
If you’re hosting events across the globe with individuals of different nationalities and languages, multi-language support is a must. Help your event attendees avoid confusion and frustration by offering event landing pages and online registration entirely in their native language. Google translate is a good option for simple translations but often does not translate all […]
If you’re hosting events across the globe with individuals of different nationalities and languages, multi-language support is a must. Help your event attendees avoid confusion and frustration by offering event landing pages and online registration entirely in their native language. Google translate is a good option for simple translations but often does not translate all […]
Millions of websites today still fall out of ADA, WCAG 2.1 & Section 508 Compliance. Wait… what do all of those acronyms mean? In a nutshell, thousands of disabled individuals can’t use your website. Oh, and you could be at risk of costly lawsuits. Blackthorn makes sure that your event landing pages, calendars, and registration […]
For NGOs, there is a lot to learn from small businesses in the HR department. Although NGOs often try to operate specifically as an NGO, consider comparing the organization to businesses in a similar sector. This is a better option because you may not only have volunteers but also have workers on the payroll. The […]
Non-profit organizations can benefit from the best nonprofit accounting software for their accounting needs because it saves time and resources. A non-profit organization should have reliable software that will track all accounting in an easy-to-understand fashion. Non-profit organizations rely heavily on the money they receive from fundraising efforts and grants from benefactors, so it is […]
Non-profit tax software is an essential tool for charities and nonprofits. In this article, we’ll cover some of the top nonprofit tax software available to help ambitious organizations with their tax compliance needs. In recent years, nonprofit organizations have been required to become increasingly more transparent in their financial records and operations. Nonprofit software has […]
Let’s face it, in this all-virtual pandemic world your duties as a project manager can sometimes feel really challenging. Navigating an ever-changing marketplace, responding to new protocols and regulations, and managing the productivity of all those who are collaborating without ever actually working with them in person – that’s tricky, to say the least. These […]
If you are running a volunteer program for your nonprofit organization, you will find the best volunteer management software indispensable. These are programs designed to help organizations efficiently keep track of their volunteers while providing them with information about where to go and what they can expect. Volunteer management software is especially helpful if your […]
With every event that is planned, a lot of time and donor money goes into it, but what goes on behind the scenes is more impressive. If you want to learn how to generate engagement, and to promote high event registration, you must understand, and turn the market upside down, in order to improve your […]
Nonprofit organizations are establishments that are operated with the sole aim of meeting public or social needs with no intention of making a profit. Nonprofits are accountable to donors, volunteers, founders, recipients of the program, and the public community at large. As an organization whose finance comes solely from donations, public confidence is an essential […]
As a nonprofit, it’s crucial to design successful marketing campaigns so that a nonprofit can get donations. Benefactors will be more enticed to donate if a nonprofit organization implements strong marketing campaigns that are friendly and informative. While nonprofits can write emails, publish blogs, and expand their reach on social media, it doesn’t guarantee better […]
Just having a good cause for starting a nonprofit organization is not enough. A lot of time and effort goes into setting up and running a nonprofit business or organization. Lots of paperwork is involved and legal hoops to jump through. There are numerous details to address when getting started as a nonprofit organization or […]
When it comes to choosing interactive management solutions for a nonprofit organization, it can be tricky. Looking through FAQs, pricing, needs, and features, it can get complicated. You may not even be sure what your fundraising needs are, and what choices you want to make in choosing a solution. Rather than compare them yourself, we’ve […]
Fundraising isn’t easy. You need strong relationships with your donors, effective marketing communications, and helpful donor database management programs that enable you to fundraise with grace and ease. Typically, fundraising requires an understanding of your donors, facilitated by comprehensive data analysis. This usually means financial analysis, email builders, mail merge, social media campaigns, direct mail campaigns […]
When it comes to online fundraising for nonprofit organizations, administrative and marketing staff may have no idea where to begin. Whether your nonprofit works in schools, in one country or two, whether it has employees or volunteers, it does not matter. Every NGO requires donations in order to succeed. In order to obtain donations, your […]
Fundraising is the backbone of nonprofit organizations, but it can be difficult to keep all of the money and gifts organized. Choosing an interactive and philanthropic fundraising software does not come without its challenges. You should be looking for solutions that are both customizable, as well as informative. If you’ve seen an influx in mass […]
Individually implementing a training program takes a lot of time and uses up a lot of the budget for a nonprofit company. This is where learning management systems (LMS) come in – not only are they helpful, but they are also effective. If a company wants its members and potential members to become familiar with […]
Have you heard of Capterra, CommunityPass, ZiffDavis, Fonteva, DoubleKnot, Freshbooks, or Amilia? Are you using any of these membership management software packages for donation for your nonprofit? The advantage of using this type of automation is an increase in paid memberships within the first year of using the software. For example, OmniMagnet boasts that with […]
What Is Nonprofit Wealth Screening? As a manager of a nonprofit organization or NGO, you know you need major donors to help your cause. According to fundraising statistics, 76% of the gifts received are from only 3% of major donors. That is why it is essential to locate that 3% who are the contributors who […]
A non-profit association generally aims to promote an activity or defend social or humanitarian causes. And by nature, the strength of an organization of this type depends a lot on the effectiveness of its internal communication. So what are the best team communication software you can use to improve your team’s communication and make your […]
Salesforce is a cloud-based platform that facilitates the seamless management of volunteers, donations, and associated tasks. As Salesforce continues to grow in popularity amongst nonprofits, it can be helpful to have a sound understanding of how to utilize the platform effectively. Those who are responsible for managing volunteers must stay up-to-date on innovative strategies and […]
Once your nonprofit organization has created an online community and a product (business), start thinking about accepting payment online. The modern day cash register is a payment software that is able to accomplish a lot more than the old cash registers and contribute to business reporting like never before. And setting it up is a […]
Isn’t it interesting that a decade ago very few nonprofit organizations used nonprofit webinar software but now none of them can do without it? Face-to-face peer-to-peer meetings don’t happen as much as they used to in the past, especially for business networking. Everything is automated if it possibly can be automated. The whole COVID-19 pandemic […]
Give your customers the flexibility to make payments with both credit cards and ACH while taking PCI-compliant payments directly from your Salesforce application using Blackthorn Payment’s updated Virtual Terminal. The addition of ACH to the Blackthorn Terminal means that your customers have several payment options available. The configurable Virtual Terminal lets teams process card-not-present […]
Retail e-commerce sales are projected to make up almost 14% of total retail sales by 2021, more than doubling its contribution since 2012 (6%). But what you might find surprising is that most customers are dissatisfied with the online shopping experience. Shopkeep notes that one of the key reasons customers don’t purchase online is a […]
We’re obsessed with making accepting and processing payments in Salesforce fun and easy. A big part of fine-tuning and expanding our payment offerings has been helping customers increase their checkout conversions and enhance their buyer experience on a global scale. Our newest release, Stripe Checkout for PayLink, enables us to support a wide range […]
Let’s face it; subscription models are often complex. Say you have 50 customers on subscription plan A, 75 on plan B, and 100 on plan C. How do you keep track of who is on what, who has and hasn’t paid, revenue generated from each subscription plan, etc.? Now imagine a world where your subscription […]
Event planners and tech-savvy marketers rejoice! The light at the end of the virtual-only-events tunnel is here. A lot of organizations are combining virtual and in-person formats to maximize results. If you haven’t already, it’s time to hop on the train to hybrid events. The biggest benefit of hybrid events is network expansion (can’t be […]
Last January, when news of a novel coronavirus started to break, it was impossible to fathom the magnitude of impact it would have on the global economy, let alone our lives. Seemingly overnight, businesses were forced to adapt and face adversarial conditions head-on. While many industries faltered, many SaaS companies surprisingly experienced growth. The agility […]
Making a payment is a crucial touchpoint in any customer journey. While payments may seem simple from the outside, several complex components work behind the scenes to complete a transaction. If you are unfamiliar with payment processing, the terminology and components can be overwhelming. Today we’re shining a light on how payment gateways work and […]
We’re getting a lot of inquiries to have a ‘Billing Portal’ run out of Salesforce Communities. There are a number of approaches to achieving this. Many can be done with our app, Blackthorn Payments, out of the box. Here’s a doc on how to set it up. If you want to kick off a subscription […]
Blackthorn Payments gives you the freedom and flexibility to take payments directly from Salesforce. And in an upcoming release, your customers will have even more ways to pay for your businesses’ products or services, thanks to our new integrations with Plaid and Spreedly. Plaid Integration: Let customers connect their bank accounts faster so you can […]
Blackthorn Payments provides the deepest Salesforce and Stripe integration available on the Salesforce AppExchange. Because we’re a trusted, official partner to both Salesforce and Stripe, teams can feel safe knowing they’re using a solution that’s on the forefront of online payment processing and customer relationship innovation. With Blackthorn Payments, Salesforce users can manage everything Stripe offers without leaving […]
Brief Overview of SCA SCA or Strong Customer Authentication, is a requirement of Europe’s revised Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) mandate to increase security and minimize fraud risk around electronic payments. PSD2 aims to protect consumers, promote banking innovation, and facilitate safer cross-border European payment services. SCA first came into effect in 2019. With approval […]
Event planners and tech-savvy marketers rejoice! The light at the end of the virtual-only-events tunnel is here. A lot of organizations are combining virtual and in-person formats to maximize results. If you haven’t already, it’s time to hop on the train to hybrid events. The biggest benefit of hybrid events is network expansion (can’t be […]
Wow. It was awesome. 16 people flew from 9 US states plus India, China, and Spain to meet in Orlando for 8 days. We’ve been in business for four years. To date, we’ve never all met in-person. Some of us have never met outside of video chat. We’ve also doubled our team size in the […]
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