Description, pricing, emails, registration and more!
In this article, we'll cover the basic steps to create a new program in Retreat Guru.
- Information tab
- Pricing tab
- Registration tab
- Email tab
Create a new program
You can create a new Program from the Admin Sidebar,
or from the Add New button on the Programs Listing Page.
Information tab
Title
The program title will appear on your website, the online registration form, in emails, on the guest statement, and in other contexts.
Best practice is to keep the title short, using only letters and numbers - avoid the use of special characters (although the use of a hyphen is usually safe).
Retreat Guru will automatically generate a URL (webpage address) based on the program title you entered. Click on Edit permalink, then Edit to modify this URL.
NOTE: If you modify this URL, be sure to update all pages that reference the URL.
Dates
Fixed date (previously called Standard - fixed dates)
For a Fixed date program type, you may set the Start Date, End Date, and the List Until date. The program listings are displayed with the programs starting soonest at the top of the list.
Retreat Guru will automatically hide the program listing and stop registrations at about 11:59pm on the List Until date.
Flexible Dates (previously called Hotel - guest chooses their dates)
If a program is configured with Flexible Dates, where the guest chooses their start date and number of nights - you can set additional fields. The online registration form will display a calendar-style date picker so guests can choose their arrival and departure dates.
Minimum length of stay - if applicable, enter the minimum number of nights for a guest stay. For example, if you set the minimum length of stay to 2 nights, a guest will not be able to book a 1-night stay, but they will be able to select a 2, 3, or more night stay range.
Exclude start days - check days that the guest can NOT select as the start date for their stay.
Set booking date range - guests will be able to complete a registration on dates between the Earliest Date Allowed and the Latest Date Allowed.
Package (previously called Package - fixed length, guest chooses start)
If a program is configured as a Package type, the guest can choose their start date for the fixed number of nights you configure for that package. In the example below, the package includes 3 nights, and the guest can choose the start date.
Anytime (previously called Ongoing - dateless)
If a program is configured as an Anytime type, the program has no fixed start or end date. You may choose a List Until date. Retreat Guru will automatically hide the program listing and stop registrations at about 11:59pm on the List Until date.
Teachers
Select the teacher(s) associated with this retreat from the drop-down menu.
Click Add another to add another existing teacher from your teacher database, and click 'Add New' to add a new teacher to your database.
Click Remove to remove a teacher that was selected. Note: The order in which you select the teachers is the order that they will appear on the listing.
Description
The program description appears only on the retreat listing page. Include information that describes your retreat in this box - location, schedule, how to get there, and other important details.
Add images by clicking on the Add Media button. If you wish to include basic HTML, switch from Visual to Text mode (tabs at upper right).
Draft or publish
When you first create a program, Retreat Guru considers it a draft. Programs in draft mode will not be displayed on your website.
When your configuration is complete, and you are ready to make your program available for registration, click on Publish. Once published, your program will be available for display on your website.
You may keep a program private by checking the box beside Remove from public listings. When checked, the program will not show in any public listings (it will not show on your website or the Retreat Guru marketplace). However, if you provide the registration link to a person (for example, via email) that person can follow the link to register for the program.
If you wish to close registration and hide the listing for this program on a specific future date, configure a list until date. The listing will be hidden, and registration closed at 11:59 pm on the date set. The default list until date is the start date of the program or stay.
Program categories
The two primary uses of program categories are for reporting by category and to filter programs for display on your website.
In the Edit Program view, Information tab, you can select one or more categories for the program. You can add additional categories by clicking the Add New Program Category button.
On your website, the Program Categories will look similar to a menu. Each title will link to a page that lists all the retreats that fall under that category.
You may edit program categories by selecting Programs from the main menu, then Categories. The Program Count column shows the number of programs assigned to each category.
Featured image
To add an image, click on Set featured image. Choose an image from your Media Library within Retreat Guru, or upload a photo from your computer.
Make sure you add a featured image that is the right size for your site. Also, ensure that your images are formatted as jpegs and optimized at 50%. Your image size should always be under 100k.
Program color
You may set the color associated with this program's display on the room bookings page. For example, you may wish to color code core programs in green, guest leader programs in blue, rentals in yellow, and so on.
Pricing tab
Pricing method
Simple, multiple
The Simple, multiple pricing method allows you to configure multiple price points for your program.
As viewed in the Pricing section of the online registration form:
Lodging based
For on-site programs with overnight stays, the Lodging based pricing method allows you to configure fixed cost line items - in the example below, Tuition, Meals and Eco Fee - and offer multiple lodging options.
As viewed in the Pricing section of the online registration form:
Optional items
You may configure optional items your guest can choose when completing their online registration. When they select an optional item, that purchase is automatically added to their registration and will appear on their guest statement.
Optional items are configured in Programs > All Optional Items. Once configured, optional items may be added to one or more programs.
Early bird discounts
You may configure early bird discounts on fixed date programs.
To enable an early bird discount, set the status to Active.
Early bird discounts may be configured as a percent of the initial registration total or a fixed amount. You may set the early bird discount to begin X days before the program start date and end X days before the program start date.
You may edit the message on the online registration form when early bird discounts are available.
Donations
This option allows you to collect donations for specific causes. Registrants will be able to enter any amount they choose, and this will be added to the cost of their retreat. You may add one or more donation items or check the box next to Hide the donation form for this program.
Pay total or deposit
Select whether you would like guests to pay the total, a deposit only, or have the option of either. Deposits can also be set as percentages or as a fixed amount.
With a deposit in place, the participant will pay a portion, for example, 50% in advance, and the balance will need to be charged later.
See also, Installment and Scheduled Payments.
Registration tab
Registration Questions
All of the custom fields (questions) you have created under Questions will appear here. Select which fields you would like to include on the form for this particular program. If you require a response to a certain question, select the Required box.
You can add or delete questions in your question bank by clicking on the Manage questions link, or click on Questions from the main navigation menu.
See also, Create or Edit Questions and Secondary Form Questions.
Registration options
To allow participants to register online, select Is Open. This option will ensure that your site shows the Register button at the bottom of the program page, which will direct participants to the registration form.
By selecting Is Not Required/Closed, the system will hide the registration button on the programs page and the registration form.
You can include a note to explain the situation. The note you write will be shown in place of the registration button.
If you would like to have participants register on another website, you can include the URL here. This will bypass the system's built-in registration form.
Accepting payment
If you want participants to pay online, set Accepting Payment to Is Enabled. If you wish to disable payments for a program, set Accepting Payment to Is Disabled.
Max person capacity
Limit the number of registrations by entering a Max Person Capacity. Leave this field blank if there is no limit. Once the limit has been reached, online registration will be disabled; however, you can use the special link below to always allow registration. You can send a participant this direct link to override the system and allow an additional registration beyond the max capacity.
Waiting list
Once a program reaches its registration capacity, you may automatically start a waiting list. To do so, check the box next to Enable waiting list.
To control who from the waiting list is offered registration when a spot becomes available, check Restrict registration to people on the waiting list.
For more information, see Manage a Waiting List.
When you have enabled a waiting list, Retreat Guru will either show the number of people on the waiting list, or show The waitlist is empty.
Exclude registrations from reports
This feature may not be available with your current plan. Contact your friendly Support Guru for more information.
You can automatically exclude registrations from meal reports and/or arrival and departure reports with this feature, at the program level or for a specific registration. This helps to keep your reports simple and with less clutter for your kitchen and housekeeping staff.
At the program level, this feature is usually applied to those offered online and other programs that don't include meals. In these cases, you can check the box next to Exclude from meal reports.
For one or more specific registrations, you can check the box under Reporting Options on the right side of the registration. A common example is commuters - you may wish to check the box next to Exclude from arrival and departure reports.
Email templates
Registration confirmation email
Retreat Guru can automatically send a registration confirmation email to the person who completes a booking. The Registration Notification email template will be used. Configure this template at Reg Settings > Emails.
Insert custom notice
On a program-by-program basis, you may add a custom notice to a registration confirmation notification email at Programs > (choose a Program to edit) > Email > Email Options > Registration Email > Insert custom notice.
Use the email template code to include your custom notice in an email.
To access the Insert custom notice option, choose Registration Email > Send standard registration email. (The option will not appear if Send custom registration email is selected.)
Enter the text for the notice and Save Changes. Once saved, if you wish to send a custom registration email, choose that option and Save Changes.
Even though the Insert custom notice option is no longer available, you may still use the template code in your custom registration email.
Pre-arrival emails
In addition to the initial registration confirmation email, you may configure one or more additional emails to send automatically before your guest's arrival date.
You may configure email templates in Reg Settings to use as pre-arrival emails, or you may create custom pre-arrival emails on a program-by-program basis.
Post-departure emails
You may also configure one or more post-departure emails to be sent automatically x-days after the program end date.
You may configure the default post-departure email in Reg Settings or create custom post-departure emails on a program-by-program basis.
We love to support you to do what you do best - delivering programs that impact lives. If you have questions or comments, contact your friendly support guru.