ShoWorks Help Articles

Exhibitors are forced to use passwords they do not know

Problem:

New exhibitors cannot register online because they are forced to use a password that they do not know.

Solution:

Upload your data without any exhibitors or pre-assign passwords to existing exhibitors.

Summary:

ShoWorks requires that exhibitors have unique names in order to prevent two or more people with the same name getting the wrong premium check or wrong judging, etc.  Therefore when making online entries, if an exhibitor name already exists and the exhibitor wants to use that name, the exhibitor must provide credentials proving that they are indeed that exhibitor.  This is done in the form of a password.  Otherwise, the exhibitor must choose a different name that does not already exists.

When setting up the ShoWorks Web for online entries, the fair basically has two choices: either to upload a data file without any exhibitors, thereby allowing exhibitors to register and create their own passwords (this is the preferred method) or pre-assign a password to each exhibitor with a value that they will know, before uploading the fair data.  This (pre-assigning passwords) is not a preferred method, as it involves not only tedious data entry, but also allows for mistakes and calls into the fair office from exhibitors who may not know or understand what passwords you have assigned them.

Solutions:

The fair has two options for handling exhibitor registration:

Option A (preferred and most popular option): Upload your data without any exhibitors

This allows anyone to create any name (as long as it isn't previously taken) and thus creating their own password.  If you do not already have exhibitors in your ShoWorks data file, you may simply upload it without worry.  If you already have exhibitors in your data file and use a version of ShoWorks prior to ShoWorks 2009, you will need to remove them by the following (ShoWorks 2009 allows you to specify whether or not you want to upload exhibitors when you upload):

ShoWorks 2006 and prior users only:

1. Make a backup of your data (see ShoWorks documentation on how to make a backup - simply by File>Save As..).
2. Delete all exhibitors by selecting File>>Utilities>>Clean out unused Exhibitors.
3. Upload your data file (even if you already have web activity, this will not overwrite any existing entries/exhibitors made on the web).
4. Revert to your original file that you backed up in the first step.

Option B (not preferred): Assigning passwords to existing exhibitors

This option would allow you to keep existing exhibitors that are already in your office file.  Steps:

1. Turn off the password masking option under Tools>>Options in ShoWorks.
2. Assign passwords to exhibitors in your existing data file (you should use something they will already know, such as the last 4 digits of their social security number). 
3. Upload your data file (even if you already have web activity, this will not overwrite any existing entries/exhibitors made on the web).

• You can always upload and re-upload your data without worry of overwriting any data that has already been entered online.  Measures are in place to ensure that what is entered online will not be overwritten by repeated uploads.
• When uploading, it is strongly recommended that you disable the online entries (File>>Online Entries>>Disable) for 30 minutes prior to attempting uploading.  Otherwise, traffic on the site may prevent your upload and you will be locked out for 30 minutes after each attempt.