How to assign contributions to several sessions

(A German version of this article is available.)


Is it possible to assign an accepted contribution to several sessions?

For our conference we have planned two poster sessions running at different times. All of the accepted posters will be presented in both sessions, and we want to represent this in the schedule created in ConfTool. While the assignment to the first session works well, we are not able to assign the posters to the second session. Can you please advise how to assign all posters to both sessions?

Currently, ConfTool Pro does not provide a direct option to assign contributions to several sessions, but there are three alternative approaches available.
 
1.   You can use "Referencing Sessions" to refer from one session to another session (called "Parent Session"). The referencing session always shows the same presentations as the parent session, but you can set another time and another room for the referencing session.

To enable referencing sessions, please go to:
Overview => Conference Program Scheduling => Main Settings for Conference Session Overview
First, enable the expert settings in the footer of the page by clicking on "Expert Settings Disabled" or the cogwheel. Then, scroll down to section “Further Options” and activate the setting "Enable Extra Session Types" (see Image 1).
 
If enabled, you can select a "Session Type" for each new session (see Image 2). Please use the Session Type "Referencing Session", select a "Parent Session" from the list of existing sessions and set a new session time and location. You also have the option to enter an alternative title for this session (if the title field is left empty, the title of the parent session will be shown).

2.   Alternatively, you can use a more "manual" approach to create a copy of the presentations of a session. Please start by assigning the contributions to the first session. Please go then to Overview => Conference Program Scheduling => Create, Configure and Delete Sessions and create the second session. Use the normal session type and disable the option “Assign Contributions” for this second session (see upper green box Image 4). Now you can either:

• copy the session output of the first session into the abstract input field of the second session (see Image 3), or
• insert an HTML hyperlink into the input field “Further Information on the Session” (see lower green box of Image 4) with a related comment like “See session xxx for further details” (more Information on how to create HTML links can be found in the ConfTool documentation). Please note that you have to use the URL of the public session overview (instead of an internal page for chairs or administrators) as link reference.

3.   You can also copy contributions if you want to assign only selected contributions/presentations to several sessions. The copied contribution can then be assigned to the second session. This approach is recommended if not all contributions from one session are supposed to be taken over to another session.

For being able to copy contributions, please go to
Overview => Settings => Main Settings for Abstract and Paper Submission
and enable the “Copy Submission Option” (see Image 5).

Afterwards you can copy the desired contribution in the detail view (see Image 6).