| Background | | | | or the speakers. |
| Conference planners keep track of an enormous | | | | 3. Reports 24/7: The conference planner is able to |
| amount of information, especially 1-2 months prior to | | | | view/edit any speaker profile and instantly obtain |
| an event. For those responsible for the educational | | | | reports on submission status. |
| portion, chasing down the speaker data can be a | | | | 4. Automatic e-mail notification: The system can |
| nightmare and a productivity loss. The person handling | | | | automatically send e-mail reminders to speakers who |
| this task may receive hundreds of e-mails during this | | | | have missed deadlines. |
| time from various speakers: their abstracts, papers, | | | | 5. Validation of content: Storage of papers in one |
| presentations, biographies, photos, etc. each piece of | | | | central location allows members of the content |
| data must be carefully tracked and organized. This | | | | validation team to review the research making it |
| process works for smaller events or organizations | | | | easier for determining CME (continuing medical |
| hosting 2-3 events per year, but once events | | | | education) accreditation. |
| become larger or more frequent, a better, more | | | | 6. Point and click session planning: Web-based tools |
| efficient content collection system is needed. | | | | offer easy organization of papers into various |
| Solution: Automate the content collection process. | | | | sessions, planners can quickly move around speaker |
| There are multiple providers in the marketplace that | | | | times, sessions, etc with a few clicks. |
| offer secure, web-based tools for collecting all of the | | | | 7. Conference proceedings: Data can be readily |
| speaker information tied to an event. The files are | | | | compiled into printed or digital conference |
| stored in one central repository which is password | | | | proceedings. |
| protected and viewable by the conference | | | | Conclusion |
| management team, these tools are designed to | | | | By automating the speaker management portion in |
| automate the content collection process and improve | | | | the conference planning process, the organizer will |
| productivity. Benefits include the following: | | | | spend less time collecting information and more time |
| 1. Speakers upload the data themselves: Everything | | | | pursuing value added activities such those that will |
| from their contact information, disclosure statements, | | | | drive up attendance for the event. Speakers will also |
| papers, photos, videos, anything can be uploaded by | | | | benefit from a web-based tool through the reduction |
| them and edited at any time throughout the process, | | | | of e-mails they send to the organizer but more |
| no more keeping track of hundreds of emails from | | | | importantly, they will have the luxury of being able to |
| speakers | | | | instantly edit their profiles 24/7. In short, everybody |
| 2. No software installation: Being web-based, there is | | | | wins when the speaker management process is |
| no special software to install for either the organizer | | | | automated. |