This is an early preview (beta). The new Facility Calendar is opt-in and still evolving, so a few things may change and you might spot the odd rough edge. You can switch back to the classic calendar at any time, and we would love your feedback.
What is the new Facility Calendar?
The new Facility Calendar is a faster, redesigned version with more flexibility and features. It stays smooth on busy days and adds search, filtering, customisable views, and quick ways to create bookings and closures directly from the calendar. Your classic calendar is unchanged and stays available.
A highlight of this beta version is that it is also tablet and mobile friendly, giving more flexibility to onsite teams accessing important information.
Turning it on
- The beta is enabled for each organisation by OpenPlay. If you cannot see the option, contact your Client Success Manager to have it switched on.
- Once enabled, open the Facility Calendar and select Switch to Beta in the top right corner.
- Your choice is remembered for your own staff login, even on a shared computer, so other staff on the same PC keep their own view.
- To go back at any time, select Switch to classic.
Note: after a Flow update you may need to select Switch to Beta once more.
What is new
11 (Eleven!) new features and improvements:
- Faster on high-volume days, so large venues stay responsive.
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Print the day's schedule:
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Fullscreen mode and a tablet-friendly layout for busy receptions:
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Configure the view:
- Decide what type of bookings to show.
- Which activity types to show.
- If you want to see scheduling alerts.
- And specific resources as is available on the classic view.
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Customise event cards and save your preferred view. Decide how much detail to display for maximum clarity or minimalism
- Show and hide Activity icons
- Show and hide customer names
- Show and hide payment status for your Block bookings
- Show and hide booking revenue -
Search the day by event, resource, customer or instructor.
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See opening hours, closing times and closures directly on the timeline.
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Create block bookings and closures straight from a resource lane.
*Each needs its own permission: creating a block booking needs the Activities V2 permissions View templates and Create schedules, and creating a closure needs Create location closures. A user who has only one of them sees only that option; a user with neither sees no option to create. See Who can do what below.
When hovering on a future date, the calendar will now highlight the 15 minute segment indicating that an action can be taken:Clicking on the desired time on the desired resource gives those staff users with permission the ability to create a Block booking or a Closure:
You can also click and drag for the desired duration:You can the create the Block booking or the Closure directly on the calendar in the new slide over which keeps you exactly where you are:
Create block booking Create closure -
Spot clashes with a clashes list you can use to jump to conflicting sessions.
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Open the linked activity directly from a timeline event.
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Choose your own event colours so the timeline can be scanned by activity type at a glance.
- Set a colour for each activity category, from 20 presets or a colour of your own.
- Override an individual activity template where one activity should stand out.
- Colours are shared across your organisation and also show on the classic calendar.
Who can do what
Opening the Facility Calendar is set per venue rather than by role. Any member of staff with access to a venue that has the Facility Calendar enabled can open it.
These actions are controlled by role permissions, set in System Configuration > Security against each user role. See How to configure permissions per module for a user role.
| To let staff | Tick | Found under |
|---|---|---|
| Create a closure by dragging on the calendar | Create location closures | Front of House > Location Closures |
| Change or remove an existing closure | Update location closures, Delete location closures | Front of House > Location Closures |
| Create a block booking by dragging on the calendar | View templates and Create schedules | Activities V2 |
| Open and edit the parent schedule | View schedules, Edit schedules, Delete schedules | Activities V2 |
| Print the attendee roster | Print attendee details | Activities V2 |
| Configure event colours | Edit timeline event colours | Activities V2 |
Note: the three Location Closures permissions are ticked by default, so a new role can create, change and remove closures until they are unticked.
Two permissions that are easy to misread:
- Allow to manage calendar activities (Front of House > Calendar Management) lets staff view activities on the calendar. Despite its description, it does not control updating or cancelling them.
- Open Facility calendar (Front of House > Facility Dashboard) only shows the button that opens the calendar from the Facility Dashboard. It does not stop someone opening the calendar from the Front of House.
Giving feedback
Because this is a beta, your feedback directly shapes the final version. If something does not work as expected, or you have a suggestion, let OpenPlay know via your usual support channel.
Troubleshooting
I cannot see "Switch to Beta".
The beta is enabled per organisation by OpenPlay. Contact your Client Success Manager to have it switched on. Until then, everyone stays on the classic calendar.
A colleague sees the beta but I do not, on the same computer.
The beta choice is saved per staff login, so each person keeps their own view. Sign in as yourself and select Switch to Beta.
I was on the beta but I am back on the classic calendar.
After a Flow update you may need to select Switch to Beta again. Your data is not affected.
How do I go back to the calendar I am used to?
Select Switch to classic at any time. You can move between the two whenever you like.
I can create a closure but not a block booking.
They need different permissions. A block booking needs View templates and Create schedules from Activities V2, as well as the closure permission you already have.
I cannot see the option to create anything when I drag on the calendar.
Your role has neither the closure permission nor the block booking permissions. Ask an administrator to add whichever you need.
A member of staff without "Open Facility calendar" can still open the calendar.
That is expected. That permission only controls the button on the Facility Dashboard. Access to the calendar is set per venue.