Intro to Location-Based Messages

Location-Based Messages is a feature within the DoubleDutch platform that allows event organizers to create messages that can be delivered to attendees based on their proximity to physical locations at the event. Your messages can link to different content within the application such as Polls, Surveys, Sponsors/Exhibitors, and any other regular item within the application.

Beacons

Beacons are small, battery-powered, low-cost pieces of hardware that transmit data packets via a Bluetooth LE (low energy) signal. Beacons are only able to "advertise" their signal to nearby smartphones. The signals can trigger apps that are installed on the phone to perform certain actions.

Beacons have very low power requirements, giving the device a typical battery life of two years. 

In order for a beacon to be compatible with this feature of the DoubleDutch app, it must follow the iBeacon Bluetooth LE standard developed by Apple. Beacons that conform to the iBeacon standard will advertise a signal with the following data:

• UUID: a unique identifier that is used to distinguish the "owner" of a group of beacons. For example, all beacons set up to trigger messages in DoubleDutch apps will share the same UUID.
• Major: a value used to determine a specific beacon within a group
• Minor: a value used to determine a specific beacon within a sub group

Compatible Devices

If an attendee has the event application installed on one of the following compatible devices they will receive a Location-Based Message:

• iOS devices with Bluetooth 4.0 (iPhone (4s and later), iPad 3^rd generation and later, iPad mini (1^stgeneration and later), iPod Touch (5th generation), running iOS7 or later).
• Android devices with Bluetooth 4.0 and Android 4.3 and later.
• In order for attendees to receive these messages on the above compatible devices, the attendee will need to have Bluetooth turned on and have the profile setting for “Bluetooth Messages” enabled (see Permissions section of this document for more info).

Location-Based Message Types

Using Location-Based Messages, you can send out four distinct types of messages (each up to 90 characters). Below you will find the different message types, their proximity level, and what they do.

• Welcome Message: a message to attendees as soon as their device receives the beacon signal. This message can be used to welcome attendees as they enter a specific location at your event such as the expo hall.
• Survey/Poll: a message to attendees that will take the attendee to a survey or poll within the application. The attendee will receive this message when they have been in range of the beacon for the amount of time you configure in the CMS. This message can be used to ask attendees to complete your session survey.
• App Content: a message to attendees that will take the attendee to any item within the app. The attendee will receive this message when they have been in range of the beacon for the amount of time you configure in the CMS. This message can be used to point attendees to the details of the keynote session as they enter the auditorium.
• Exhibitor/Sponsor: a message to attendees that will take the attendee to any exhibitor list item within the app.The attendee will receive this message when they have been in range of the beacon for the amount of time you configure in the CMS. This message can be used to point attendees to learn more information about your key sponsors in your expo hall.

Permissions

When attendees get the app for the first time, they will be asked for the permissions outlined below. Granting permissions enables the app to listen for signals that are being broadcast by the beacons. If an attendee detects a beacon signal, they will receive the Bluetooth message when they have been in range of the beacon for the time needed as explained above.

• This feature requires users to grant DoubleDutch permission to access their Location (iOS) and Bluetooth (Android). We require these permissions so that the app can listen for Bluetooth signals that are being broadcasted by the beacons.
• We also require Bluetooth notification permissions, so that they can receive messages from the beacons. This can be enabled/disabled in the user’s profile settings.
• On Android: users can turn Bluetooth off on their device at any time, to completely opt out of this feature or they can simply disable the Bluetooth message option.
• On iOS: users can manage and revoke location permissions from their device settings, turn off Bluetooth, or disable Bluetooth messages from their profile settings.

Setting up Location-Based Messages

In order to set up Location-Based Messages, you must first create all the messages within the DoubleDutch CMS and then configure the beacons within the content management system provided by your beacon supplier. Follow these instructions to set up your messages within the DoubleDutch CMS:

Log in to the CMS and click 'Setup' from the top menu.

Select 'Location Based Messages' on the left and then click the '+Add Beacon' button at the top to create a new message.

1. From the “Beacon Message Type” drop-down select the type of message you would like to send.
   
   Reference Intro to Location-Based Messages to learn about the differences between the messages.
   
   
2. Once you have selected your message type, next assign the name for the beacon that will be broadcasting the message.
   
   We recommend using the name that is printed on the beacon you purchased so that it is easy to keep track of.
   
   
3. Next, using no more than 25 characters, provide the message title that will appear on the notification.
   
   
4. In the next message body field, use no more than 90 characters to compose the message in your notification.
   
   Note: if you are creating a welcome message, you can skip to step 9.
   
   
5. If you are creating a survey/poll, content, or exhibit message, you will be able to customize the action button text in this box using no more than 12 characters.
   
   This is the button an attendee would press on the notification to take them to the linked item.
   
   In the "linked ___" box, you will want to create the link to the item in the app that will open when the attendee taps the action button.
   
   For a survey/poll message, first select the type of item you want to link to, and then you will see a “select” box appear. Once that box has appeared, type the name of the survey or poll you would like to link to your message.
   
   For a content message, you will see a “linked item” box appear where you can link to any standard item in your app. Take note this can only link to a single item within an app section, and not the app section itself.
   
   For an exhibitor message, type the name of the exhibitor you’d like the attendee to be taken to within the app in the “Linked Exhibitor” box.This is the button an attendee would press on the notification to take them to the linked item.
   
   
6. Start time: it's possible to schedule a message to only trigger within a specific time frame.
   
   
7. End time: enter the end time for the specific time frame.
   
   If no start/end times are entered, then there will be no time restriction around when a beacon signal can trigger this message in the app.
   
   
8. Minutes to trigger: for each type of beacon message you can adjust the time delay, e.g.. how long an attendee has to be in the proximity of the beacon in order to receive the message. For example, if the time delay is set to 5 minutes, a user will have to be in the proximity of the beacon for 5 minutes or longer.
   
   
9. Click 'Save Changes' and you will be taken to the list of all your Location-Based Messages.
   
   
10. Repeat steps 1-9 for all of the messages you’d like to create. Once all your messages have been set up, continue to the next step to configure your beacons.

As soon as you create and save a message, you will be able to see the UUID, Major and Minor by clicking on the name of the message in the CMS. UUID stands for Universally Unique Identifier. This provides flexibility in setting up the messages, ability to work more easily with different beacon vendors and to distinguish iBeacons configured for your event from all other beacons outside your control. 

You can simply use the numbers that are automatically generated by the CMS for the UUID, Major, and Minor, or you can edit the numbers for the three fields to be whatever you would like for easier tracking. 

Using these IDs, you can assign multiple messages onto a single ibeacon as long as the times do not overlap (for example, if you have message 1 triggering between 2-4pm, you can have message 2 trigger between 4-6pm from the same beacon).

To do this, set the appropriate start/end times for each message, and simply make sure that the messages you want to be triggered from the same beacon have the same UUID, Major, and Minor. 

Configure Your Beacons

Once your messages have been set up in the DoubleDutch CMS it is time to configure your beacons. The beacon configuration will take place in the content management system provided by your beacon supplier. Below we will be using our recommended beacon provider, Kontakt.io, to explain how to set up the beacons. To learn more about Kontakt.io, please see the FAQ for info on recommended beacon providers.

1. Email the UUID, Major, and Minor values from the CMS to yourself.
   1. From the Location Based Messages page in the CMS where you’ve set up your messages, select all of your messages using the check box on the top left.
   2. Then select the 'actions' drop-down on the right, and from there select 'email info'.
      
      
2. Download the Kontakt Administration App from iTunes or Google Play.
   
   
3. Log in to the Kontakt Proximity Web Panel, and click on 'Infrastructure' on the panel header and then on 'Beacons' to get a list of all your devices.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Click on a device ID or edit link and one by one, copy the UUID, Major, and Minor values from the email, and paste them into the respective fields. (You can also bulk edit beacons by following the instructions here.)
   
   For a quicker process, you can copy the UUID and Major value once and paste it into the correct field for all your beacons as these do not change. Take note that the minor value will be different for all your beacons.
   
   Take note that the Kontakt Panel will only show you the beacons it detects as nearby so be sure to have all the beacons with you when doing the configuration.
   
   
5. To update your beacons with the new configuration you'll need to get in range of the beacon with a device running the Kontakt Administration App on iOS or Android. Instructions for synchronizing beacon configurations can be found on the following articles from Kontakt's Knowledge Base:
   1. iOS
   2. Android
      
      
6. Repeat this process for all your beacons and they will be set up to trigger messages in the DoubleDutch app.