Manual
The Conference Engine™ is an intuitive and self-explanatory system. Most of users spent from 2 to 10 minutes for registration and abstract submission. However, we provide manuals for each component of the system for those who wish to master of the information shape.
We provide a separate manual for Organisers. It describes administrative tools, e.g. how to manage participants, accept or edit submitted abstracts, etc.
Website editor
Conference website editor allows for change of conference website from any location using standard web browser. Work may be distributed among people, so several co-organisers edit different sections of the webpage at the same time. Access to various parts of the document (e.g. symposia sub-pages) may be arbitrairly granted, which enforces smooth team-work and clearly defines responsibility ranges.
The website editor is a small, convenient application similar to Word, running in your web browser (see compatibility specifications). You may insert and edit images, lists or tables. It needs no installation so can be used even in Internet cafés.
On-line registration
On-line registration is done by set of on-line forms that allow to insert and/or edit information related to participant, his/her affiliation(s), abstract(s) and respective data of all co-author(s) of the abstract(s).
Participant's registration forms are very simple, intuitive and validated agains errors. It means that participant is lead not to enter an incorrect data. Underlying scientific database facilitates choices since the user is prompted rather to pick ready answers from list than to enter several times the same data.
The database remembers user's preferences, so most dialogs are prepared dynamically, e.g. the user is proposed only to choose withing institutions he/she may be related to, not whole scientific world.
Abstract submission is the most demanding task in the registration procedure. User is offered with a great degree of editing freedom, however, the Organisers and the publisher define a common format in order to provide consistent appereance of all abstracts submitted. Therefore upon pressing of "Save" button, the abstract is immediately processed by the Conference Engine that checks and automatically corrects the abstract according to the format requested.
Payment processing
The Conference Engine™ has integrated on-line payment processing and financial accounting systems. The first acquires payments from participants while the second automatically manages cash flow of the Conference.
All major credit card are accepted and charged in real time. Payments are immediately accounted in the built-in financial database to provide clear picture of the conference incomes. Participants' receipts are prepared automatically.
Administrative tools
The Conference Engine™ gives Organisers direct control to participant registration, abstract registration and event settings. While logged-in, the Organiser finds extra "Administration" item in main menu. Options available withing this item give power to manage participants, view, edit, accept or reject their abstracts and more.
Underlying powerful database engine analyses decisions made and automatically keeps participants informed, i.e. compares current knowledge of participant with recent changes of his/her status made by chairman and sends e-mail when needed. This automated notification system is designed to maintain minimum of e-mails sent, which means that participant receives only crucial information and is always up-to-date.
Specifications
Compatibility
The Conference Engine™ tools are operating-system independent, however require a contemporary web browser to be fully functional. The following browsers were checked and function well:
Ancient versions (4.x and earlier) of Netscape and Internet Explorer do not work properly (this screen may be seen degraded, too). Opera and Safari may work in a degraded (plain text) mode. Gecko-based browsers (e.g. Galeon) are expected to function well.
Our reasearch shows that over 97% of webpage requests are made using CE-compatible web browsers.