Drowning in Speaker Proposals? Save HOURS with a Software

It’s rare for an event to run as smooth as butter. It’s a miracle what event planners pull off. 

Behind the scenes, you have a ton of conflicting priorities like speaker coordination, session planning, and abstract management, that can quickly spiral into chaos.

And if you rely on a traditional approach for managing it all, it’s a recipe for burnout. 

Every hour spent manually tracking abstracts through scattered email chains and spreadsheets is an hour stolen from creating memorable experiences for your attendees.

Part of being exceptional at what we do is recognizing when systems aren’t serving us anymore and having the courage to try something new.

Fortunately, event technology can help you stay sane and on track. 

In This Issue:

• Spotlight: Stop using email chains and spreadsheets for speaker and abstract management
• Fresh from the Pod: Dahlia El Gazzar Spicy Take on AI in Event Planning
• Field notes:  7 habits that separate exceptional event planners from the rest
• Reads Worth Your Time: Feedback collection tactics that don’t make attendees run away

Is abstract submission slowing you down? You’re not alone.

You’re organizing a conference that’ll feature speaking sessions. You need to collect and review dozens (or even hundreds) of speaker submissions or research abstracts. 

What starts as a few simple submissions can quickly spiral into hours (or days) of admin work—reviewing, chasing missing info, assigning reviewers, and sending out updates. 

Managing this through email threads, Google Forms, spreadsheets, and last-minute speaker edits can get chaotic. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Abstract management software is built to take that chaos off your plate. 

• Authors submit through a branded, user-friendly portal.
• Reviewers are automatically assigned based on your criteria.
• You track everything in one place—no digging through email chains.
• And when decisions are ready, submitters get an email, which you can automate.

Not only does this save you time, but it also gives your speakers and reviewers a smoother, more professional experience.

Want to see how it works?  Your future self will thank you. Watch the demo.

️️Fresh from the Pod: AI is the Saving Grace Planners Asked For

We love a spicy hot take and got plenty in our latest podcast episode. 

From calling out event trends as pure hype to declaring AI the event planner’s long-awaited digital transformation,  Dahlia El-Gazzar brought so much value and personality to the Epic Event podcast.

AI is changing the way we do business in events. It’s not just about data and analytics; it’s about making our workflows more agile, allowing us to work faster and smarter, and giving us the ability to personalize the attendee experience in real-time.

Dahlia El-Gazzar

Founder of Dahlia Plus Agency

Not only is she enthusiastic about AI, but she also shared some incredible use cases for events:

• Use tools like Gamma for speakers and VIPs to create personalized content on the spot and have a contest
• Make registration a personalized experience with AI to auto-fill details and offer custom options.
• Have AI assistants in mobile apps that go beyond answering basic questions to creating personalized experiences based on attendee preferences

                                        Get the complete AI playbook from Dahlia — Listen Here

Tools & Templates to Make Your Life Easier

To further streamline your event planning, consider these resources:

• Tired of designing event websites from scratch? Use these free event website templates to get started quickly and create a stunning site today!
• Planning a symposium or conference? Check these AI prompts to plan your next event… but make it better!
• Need to brainstorm names for your symposium or conference? Try our event name generator!

Field Notes: Lessons from the Trenches

Miriam Wexler | Business Coach for Event Planners 

7 Actionable Habits of Highly Effective Event Planners

1. Time Management Masters: Block focused work time, use project tools religiously, and delegate strategically to maximize productivity.
2. Relationship Builders: Treat every connection as valuable and maintain consistent contact, even between projects.
3. Crisis Navigators: Stay calm under pressure with prepared contingency plans and solution libraries.
4. Continuous Learners: Dedicate monthly time to explore new industry trends, technologies, and approaches.
5. Self-Care Practitioners: Prevent burnout by setting boundaries and scheduling non-negotiable personal time.
6. Innovation Champions: Maintain inspiration libraries and cross-industry idea collections for fresh concepts.
7. Reflective Analyzers: Create post-event debrief templates to systematically capture insights and improvements.

Read the full post here

Reads Worth Your Time

• Do attendees sign off without sharing feedback? Try these tactics.
• Aviagen spilled the tea on how they checked in all attendees in under 15 minutes.
• Tired of the chaos? vFairs abstract management streamlines submissions, reviews, and scheduling in one easy system.

That’s all for today. We’ll see you next month.