Core Concepts

How Beta Works

Forge uses a structured beta program to give early access to features that are still being developed and refined. Beta features are fully functional but may have known limitations, and their UI or behavior may change before general availability.

Opting in to beta

  1. Log in to Forge as a Salesforce Admin or a user with the Blackthorn Events Admin permission set.
  2. Navigate to /beta (click Admin in the sidebar, then Beta Features).
  3. Toggle on the features you want to enable for your org.
  4. Changes take effect immediately — no restart required.

Beta opt-in is org-wide

When a Forge admin enables a beta feature, it becomes available to all users in the org — not just the admin. There is no per-user beta toggle. If you want to test a beta feature without exposing it to all users, enable it in a sandbox environment first.

Current beta features

  • Badges — design and assign event badges; print or export for scanning.
  • Checkout Preview — preview the registrant checkout experience before publishing.
  • Hotels — manage hotel room blocks and registrant hotel preferences.
  • Invoices — generate and track event invoices.
  • Logistics — manage venue logistics, vendor contacts, and run-of-show.
  • Navigator — automated checkout flow testing tool (internal use).
  • Recurring Events — create an event series with recurring date patterns.
  • Tables & Seating — manage table assignments and seating charts.
  • Translations — translate event content into multiple languages.
  • Visibility — configure conditional visibility rules for event sections.
  • Resources — manage event resources (A/V, catering, staffing).
  • Event Content — rich content blocks for the event page.
  • Rooms & Resources (sidebar) — org-level room management.
  • Auctions — manage live and silent auctions (bt_fundraising__ package, beta).
  • Donations — manage donation campaigns (bt_fundraising__ package, beta).
  • Speaker Portal — self-service speaker profile and session management portal.
  • Sponsor Portal — self-service sponsor profile and materials portal.

Providing feedback on beta features

If you encounter a bug or unexpected behavior in a beta feature, use the Feedback button on the relevant page or contact Blackthorn support. Clearly note that the feature is in beta. Your feedback directly influences when and how features graduate to general availability.

Beta graduation

A feature moves from beta to general availability (GA) when it has no known critical bugs, its API contracts are stable, and it has been validated by a representative set of customers. GA features are available to all Forge users without opting in.