Attending Programs and Events

Idea Exchange's programs and events calendar lists all of our public events, including onsite gallery exhibitions, and virtual events to enjoy from home. Programs and events are offered in a number of different ways including virtually. Virtual programs can be viewed or attended using a variety of online services such as Zoom or Facebook live - the online service will differ to suit the program. Some programs are offered through a third-party service.

You will be able to join all or some of the programs in a series with a few clicks, add family members and friends to your registration, and cancel your own registration if you can't attend - making more room for others to enjoy our programming.

Do I have to have a membership card to register for a program?

No, you can register for and attend programs without having a membership card.

How do I register?

Find the event you are interested in on our E vents Calendar and click on the button to register or join a waitlist.

You may also want to check out our Featured Programs and Events or start out on our For Kids page to find programs geared to a particular age group.

For our adult author online events and Cambridge Third Age Learning online events, click on the button to register in our Events Calendar. These registrations will be through Eventbrite.

Some programs are offered through a third-party service provider. Contact information for registration or third-party apps will be available in the event listing.

How do I know I'm registered?

You will receive a confirmation email within a few hours of registering. If that email does not contain your Zoom link, we always send out a reminder email 1 to 2 days prior to the program and it will contain the Zoom link.
Important: Please note that these emails may go to your junk mail or promotions folder in your email. Please double-check there if you have not received your confirmation email with the zoom link.

How do I cancel my registration?

Near the end of the confirmation email you receive after registration, there will either be a registration reference code or an option to view and manage your order online.

To cancel your registration:

If you have a registration reference code, go to Manage My Events and enter your last name and your registration reference code. Then click the button that says, "cancel registration", confirm your cancellation and then your registration will show as canceled.
If you have the option to view and manage your order online via Eventbrite, click on the “view and manage” link in your email and log into Eventbrite. When viewing your ticket, click on “Cancel Order”, and confirm your cancellation. Need help? Call 519-621-0460, start a chat or email us.
If you have registered for a program with a third-party service provider, you will cancel your registration by contacting them directly. Contact information will be in the program listing.

How do I change the number of people I have registered for a program?

Most of our virtual programs encourage one registration per viewing device, but some programs let you register multiple participants through one registration if it is important to count each participant. If the confirmation email you receive after you register contains a registration reference code you can go to Manage My Events and log in with your membership card number and PIN or your name and reference code. Then, if guest registration was enabled, click on "Manage Guests", and cancel or add guests to your registration. Need help? Call 519-621-0460, start a chat or email us.

When does registration close?

Registration typically closes an hour before the program starts. Programs can also fill up quickly. Unfortunately, if you have not registered before registration closes, you’ll be unable to attend the program.

If registration is full, can I join a waiting list?

Go to the event you are interested in on our Events Calendar and click on the button to register or join a waitlist. Please keep in mind that only certain programs have a waitlist.

Zoom

Zoom is an online platform that allows Idea Exchange to host various programs, meet-ups, and events virtually, either through a meeting or webinar format.

Zoom Meetings will allow attendees to turn on their videos and mics, allowing them to interact with staff, speakers, or fellow attendees. Many of our children’s programs and virtual meet-ups use Zoom Meetings. Attendees do not have to turn on their videos and mics during these programs if they do not want to.

Zoom Webinars are for larger programs and events. Attendees cannot turn on their videos and mics when attending a webinar. They can still interact with staff, speakers, and fellow attendees through the chatroom and Q & A section.

What is Zoom?: Zoom is an online platform that lets you join and participate in virtual programs and events.
Do I need to have Zoom to participate in a virtual program?: Yes, you do. Before joining a Zoom meeting on a computer or mobile device, you can download the free Zoom app from their download centre: https://zoom.us/download It’s best to do this somewhat before the program’s start time, otherwise, you will be prompted to download and install Zoom when you click a join link and depending on your computer/device/internet that can take some extra time and you may miss some of the program.
How do I join a program I have registered for on Zoom?: Once you have downloaded Zoom, you simply need to click on the Zoom link to join the program! We always send out a reminder email 1 to 2 days prior to the program and it will contain the Zoom link.
Is this event going to be recorded? What about my privacy?: At Idea Exchange, your privacy is our utmost concern. Most programs are not recorded. If the program was to be recorded, the programmer running the program would have to get your permission (this is called informed consent). There will never be a time when you are recorded and you are unaware that it’s happening in any Idea Exchange program.
Why are links in emails sometimes live (clickable) and sometimes not (just text)?: Your email program and/or your internet browser determine if links in your emails are live (clickable) or not. When an email is sent, it can be generated either using what is called “plaintext” (just text like you see here), or using “HTML code”, which is what makes up websites. The HTML is interpreted by your browser and converts that into what you see on a web page. Our Event emails are generated in Plaintext, which means it’s up to your email provider to interpret the text email, and what that means. There are many different email providers, all of which interpret links differently. Some will automatically convert them into a clickable link, and others will leave them as just text. If you receive an email with a text link that you cannot click on, select the link using your mouse, and copy and paste the link into your web browser to access it.
Why can't I log into the meeting?: There are many reasons why someone might not be able to join a meeting. Here are some things to try: Try clicking on the meeting link again. If that does not work, try copying and pasting the meeting link into a browser window manually. You can also try to open Zoom and manually type in the Meeting ID and Passcode. The meeting ID and Passcode cannot be sent out automatically for all meetings. If you find you can only join using the meeting ID and passcode and you do not have them, contact your program host, call us at 519-621-0460, start a chat or email us.
Why can't I hear anyone on Zoom?: Take a look at this video from Zoom about adjusting your sound and video options during a meeting. If that doesn't help, try some of the following tips: first, make sure that you connected your Computer Audio. Next, try going into Audio Settings and make sure your Microphone is connected – you can test the Microphone from the Zoom Audio Settings. If you have a Windows 10 PC, you may need to go into the Privacy Settings to authorize Zoom (Settings -> Privacy -> Microphone: Make sure “Allow apps to access your microphone” and “Allow desktop apps to access your microphone” are both switched on – underneath the second option, you should see Zoom Meetings in the list). If all of your settings look correct, try leaving the meeting and rejoining. You may also want to restart the Computer before rejoining.
How come all I see are tiny boxes?: You are probably in Gallery View! You are seeing all of the other participants, but they don’t have their cameras on. You need to switch to “Active Speaker View” – find the “View” button, and select “Speaker” from the drop-down list. See this help guide for assistance and more details.
How do I ask questions?: This depends on whether you’re in a Meeting, or a Webinar. If you are in a meeting, use the Chat Box to talk to the event hosts. If you are in a Webinar, use the Q&A feature to ask questions
How do I get my video working?: First, you need to make sure whether the host is allowing video – in many programs, participants are not allowed to turn on their camera for privacy and security reasons. However, some of our programs encourage audience participation with your own video allowed on. In the case where video is allowed, try clicking on the Camera Icon on the Zoom screen. If that does not work, go into the Zoom Video Settings and make sure the right camera is selected (you will see a preview). On certain devices, the operating system may ask you to give Zoom permission to use the camera before you can proceed. For more information, watch this video from Zoom about adjusting your sound and video options during a meeting.
Why is the video quality bad or delayed?: The most common cause of bad video quality on a Zoom meeting or webinar is that one or more participants have an unstable or insufficient internet connection. Unfortunately, there is not much we can do about internet speed, but there are some things you can try if you are experiencing slow internet. If you are using Wi-Fi, try moving closer to your home router, or try connecting a network cable from your device to the router. You can also try restarting your router or calling your internet provider if you have recurring issues.