Splash Tutorials

Updated: August 2021

Why did we choose Splash?: There are a lot of event registration platforms out there! Feel free to use any of them. Some reasons we like Splash are that it’s very easily customizable, and unlike some other event registration platforms, Splash allows you to brand the page so that it feels like YOUR event. You can even use the publicity materials from the Board of Lectureship office.

While the basic version of Splash is free, if you would like to use Splash to send emails to registrants, you may need to purchase additional emails if you exceed sending 50 individual emails. To review the email credit pricing model, click here.

Why use an event registration platform?: 1) If your branch has its own website with a page dedicated to your lecture, a registration platform can act as a tool visitors to your page can use to receive reminder emails about the lecture. 2) If your branch doesn’t have a website with a page dedicated to the lecture on it, an event registration platform can act as such a page, giving more context than the basic info on the ad, and generally be able to use the same visual publicity materials as your advertising. It houses all of your lecture details and can function as a stepping stone for someone who has just seen an ad for the lecture and would like to find out more about Christian Science and the event, as well as act as a tool where visitors can sign up for reminder emails. Event registration platforms can be used for any type of lecture, whether online or in person.

IMPORTANT PRIVACY OBLIGATIONS. In order to send reminder emails about lectures, Splash collects the personal data of individuals who sign up for them. This creates a sober ethical, and in many cases legal, obligation to properly protect that personal data. Personal data includes email addresses, names, other contact information, and other information that can be used to identify an individual. To help churches manage that significant responsibility and limit their exposure to personal data, we are outlining a series of important steps to take when using Splash:

  1. Carefully follow the instructions in chapters two, three and four for informing registrants how their personal data will be used and obtaining their consent.

  2. Do not download, export, or save the collected email addresses. Do not use them for any future event or purpose.

  3. Delete all registrant personal data within 24 hours after sending the final splash update email after each lecture. (See Chapter 6 for how to do this.)

  4. Follow all laws in your location for handling personal data and sending marketing emails.

A word about deleting registrants’ personal data after the lecture. This tutorial does not include instructions for saving email addresses for future use, whether to contact attendees again about a future lecture or to add them to an email list. Saving email addresses creates additional privacy obligations, and is beyond the scope of this tutorial. This tutorial shows you how to obtain consent to use email addresses only for the current lecture. As a result, using email addresses for any purpose beyond that would be improper, and in many locations, violate privacy laws. To allow for future emailing, additional consents would first need to be obtained and secure data transfer and storage practices would need to be established. We are looking into adding procedures for this in a future tutorial for those churches interested in taking on these additional responsibilities. For now, all attendee data collected through Splash needs to be deleted within 24 hours after sending the final update email after a lecture.

Remember that the goal is to facilitate your attendee’s introduction to Christian Science. If you’d like to give them a way to be in touch with you in the future, the most prudent approach is to invite them to contact you.

For example, we recommend sharing the following with your attendees:

  • Link to your branch church website

  • Branch church email address

  • Branch church location and schedule of services

  • Reading Room location and hours

  • How to purchase Science and Health

 

Account set-up

IMPORTANT. Before using Splash, please read and understand any legal terms of service. These will most likely be found here: terms of service and privacy policy. Splash may use the personal data of event registrants in ways your branch church does not expect or want. Splash also may not properly protect that data. Splash may not be adequate for your branch church’s particular use. The information here and in this tutorial does not constitute legal advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as such. To understand your branch church’s legal obligations, and if it has any questions or concerns, it should consult a qualified local attorney and other qualified individual(s). If you do not agree to Splash’s terms, do not sign up for the product.

How to set up your account:

  1. Go to https://splashthat.com/signup

    1. Enter your first and last name, or the name of your branch church

    2. Enter the email address you would like to associate with the account

    3. Enter a secure password

    4. Read and agree to Splash’s terms of service

    5. Click “Sign Up”

  2. Set up your first event. Don’t worry! You can edit all of this information even after the event has been created.

    1. Select “RSVP EVENT”

    2. Enter the title of your lecture. This will determine your “Domain,” or the URL of your event.

    3. Select “Other” under “Event Type.” Then type “Christian Science Lecture” in the field that appears below.

    4. Choose the location. If your lecture is online-only, leave “Location” blank.

    5. Select the date and time of your event.

    6. Select the correct time zone

    7. Click “Next: Choose Theme.”

  3. You will now see several design themes on your screen under the “Starter” section.

    1. Choose one of the preset themes. We recommend one of the three outlined in orange above. For the purposes of these tutorials, we will be using

      1. The black and grey theme (far left above) if your branch church does not have a website, and you will need to create a detailed event page on Splash.

      2. The beige theme (to the right of the orange theme) if your branch church does have a website, and will only need to create a registration page on Splash.

    2. You will now be in the event dashboard. You should see tiles labeled “Event Page,” “Registration Page,” “Share Card,” and “Confirmations.” Before we dive into these, please proceed to the next section!

  4. Before personalizing your event, we need to verify your account so you have the ability to send emails. We recommend doing this a couple of weeks before you publish your Splash page.

    1. Click “Email” on the right-hand column of your dashboard

    2. Click “Request Access To Send Emails.” Why? ALL accounts in Splash need to be verified. This is to ward off people who might use Splash to send out spam.

    3. Complete this form:

      1. Enter your name, email address associated with the account, phone number, company (not required as this is not associated with the branch church work), select “Which Best Describes Your Role” (select “Event Planner” or “Other”), select “# of Events Per Year” (number of lectures your branch church hosts), and finally fill out “What type of email are you planning on sending out.” For the last section indicate that you are hosting a lecture, and you would like to send reminders and a followup to registrants.

      2. Check reCAPTCHA box

      3. Click “Request Email Access.”

    4. You will be notified when your account has been approved. You can complete Chapters 2 and 3 prior to your account’s authorization.