Topic: How to connect ConfTool to external resources for a virtual conference  (Read 10355 times)

We have decided to use ConfTool as a platform for the organization of a virtual conference.
How do we let participants know for each session or presentation where to find the online resources, live streams, chat rooms or virtual meetings?

(A German version of this article is available.)

Please note that ConfTool GmbH does not provide live streams or video conferencing tools. However, you can still use the agenda of ConfTool Pro to provide media resources like presentation slides including an oral presentation (for instance PPT files with audio track) and short videos (for instance MP4 files) by using the final upload function, which allows authors to upload up to 3 files. The file type can be defined by the organizers and the maximum file size is about 200MB.

If you want to add a link to external resources like live streams, chat rooms or virtual meetings in your agenda, you have two options:
  • You can add a link to an external resource to each session in the agenda. Please go to:
    Overview => Scheduling => Create, Configure and Delete Sessions => Edit Session
    You can use the field "External Resource" for this purpose (see image 1).
  • You can add a link to an external resource to each presentation in the agenda. Please first go to:
    Overview => Settings => Main Settings for Abstract and Paper Submission
    ... and activate the expert settings on the bottom of the page.
    For the option "Add Field for "External Resource?" choose one of the three settings (see image 2) to activate the feature.
    Please note that one of the options allows authors to enter the external resource to their video or presentation themselves. This field can then also be enabled for the final upload form.

    Then go to the submissions and edit them:
    Overview => Submissions & Reviews => List of Submissions => Contribution Details => Edit Contribution Details
    In the field "External Resource" add the URL to the external resource (see image 3).
With the option "Access to External Resource" define for each session who can have access to the external resource in the agenda:
Overview => Scheduling => Create, Configure and Delete Sessions => Edit Session
The setting refers to both the external resource of the session itself and to each presentation that is assigned to this session (see image 1).


Hints:

If you have decided to create an online agenda with a mobile app, e.g. Conference4Me, you can activate an additional field for each submission. Its contents, e.g. URLs to live streams or virtual conference sessions, will then be exported to and displayed in the mobile app.

You can add a link to an external resource to each presentation in the mobile app. Please first go to:
Overview => Settings => Main Settings for Abstract and Paper Submission
... and activate the expert settings on the bottom of the page.
For the option "Add Field "External Resource for App"?" choose "Yes" (see image 1) to activate the feature.

Then go to the sessions and edit them:
Overview => Scheduling => Create, Configure and Delete Sessions
In the field "External Resource for App" add the URL to the external resource (see image 2).