Let’s be honest: organizing a cutting-edge scientific conference is not easy. You are bringing experts together, showcasing new research, and fostering collaboration all in one space. But on top of all that work, you must achieve a positive and effective conference ROI.

A successful meeting isn’t just about packed rooms. It’s about forging lasting partnerships and boosting your organization’s reputation as a leader in the field. How do you convert all that incredible effort into tangible outcomes? It starts with forward thinking and the right tools.

Understanding ROI in conference planning

When discussing return on investment (ROI) for your conference, it’s easy to think only about money. Sure, keeping an eye on the budget and bringing revenue is necessary – but for a STEMM meeting, the real ROI is a little more nuanced. It’s about:

• Satisfied attendees: Were they engaged? Did they find value in the content and networking opportunities provided? Happy attendees are repeat attendees and valuable advocates, which you need to ensure successful events in the future.
• Efficient knowledge sharing: Were the research and academic studies effectively shared and absorbed? Did it lead to new insights and potential collaborations?
• Connections that count: Did attendees create meaningful networking opportunities that could turn into future collaborations and advancements?
• Improved reputation: Did the conference enhance your organization’s standing as a key player and thought leader within the industry?

Ultimately, maximizing your event ROI means fine-tuning every step of the planning and execution to create an event that delivers exceptional and lasting value for everyone involved—from the presenter sharing their work to the attendees eager to learn and connect. It’s about creating an environment where innovation thrives and knowledge shines.

Common challenges that lower ROI

You’re dedicated and account for every minor detail, but even the most skilled meeting planners and PCOs can face some common challenges impacting that precious ROI. Recognizing and addressing these pitfalls is the first step toward implementing more effective strategies. Let’s take a look at some of the points to look out for:

Manual abstract collection

The initial call for abstracts for a conference can feel like opening the floodgates. There’s a ton of valuable research waiting to be picked – but if you rely on inefficient methods like endless email threads and spreadsheets to collect, organize, and review these submissions, you’re likely spending too much time on something that could be simplified.

A manual or inefficient abstract management system will waste valuable time better spent in other areas of your meeting—like making the agenda more interesting or engaging with potential sponsors—and opens the door to human errors.

Overlooking a great submission or miscommunicating crucial feedback to a presenter is a reality when your team is drowning in submissions. This inefficiency directly impacts your conference’s quality and, you guessed it, your ROI.

Industry stats show that event planners spend a significant chunk of their week on manual tasks. That’s a lot of potential time you could invest in strategies that boost attendee engagement and the overall impact of your conference.

Disconnected tools

Picture this: you’re using one system for abstract submissions, another completely different one for building the program schedule, another for managing speaker presentations, and maybe even more for registration and sending out updates. Sound familiar? This “island mentality,” where your tech tools are siloed and don’t talk to each other, creates massive headaches. Manually transferring data between systems is a huge time-waster and a breeding ground for errors. In fact, a recent study from Forrester revealed that 73% of event professionals use between one and five event technologies.

Think about the frustration of trying to match speaker information from the abstract system to their session in the program software—it’s like trying to fit puzzle pieces that weren’t made for each other. This lack of seamless integration negatively impacts the conference ROI because you spend valuable resources wrestling with technology instead of creating an exceptional experience for your attendees.

Poor program coordination

The program (or meeting agenda) is the roadmap for your STEMM conference, guiding attendees through the content and opportunities available. But things can go south quickly when selecting abstracts, managing speakers, and scheduling sessions aren’t tightly coordinated.

Imagine attendees arriving at a session only to find out the speaker has been moved or the topic has changed, and they weren’t informed. Or what about the frustration of building a personal agenda when the program information is confusing or incomplete? Poor program coordination leads to a disjointed and frustrating experience for your attendees, decreasing their satisfaction—a key metric of your conference ROI. When attendees aren’t happy or engaged, they’re less likely to recommend your conference to their colleagues or return in the future. A well-thought-out program, on the other hand, powered by integrated software, ensures a smooth and informative journey for everyone, maximizing the value they get from the event.

Last-minute changes and errors

The dynamic nature of the STEMM industry often requires a degree of flexibility when planning, as new findings can emerge during the late stages of event planning. That means you might encounter last-minute changes to abstracts, speaker lineups, or presentation content. Managing these inevitable adjustments without an integrated system can be a logistical nightmare. Think about the frantic emails, the manual updates across multiple documents, and the sheer panic of trying to reprint program guides last-minute. These errors make your conference look unprofessional and consume valuable time and resources that could be better spent on ensuring a smooth onsite experience for your attendees.

Benefits of integrated software solutions

Thankfully, there’s a powerful solution to these common challenges; embracing integrated software that seamlessly connects your abstract management, program planning, and presentation management processes. This approach is about making your life easier and unlocking efficiency, enhancing the attendee experience, and ultimately driving a significantly higher conference ROI.

Centralized data management

Imagine having all your crucial conference information—from abstract submissions and valuable reviewer feedback to detailed speaker profiles, session schedules, and the final presentation files—all in one easily accessible place. That is the power of centralized data management offered by integrated software. No more hunting through endless emails or cross-referencing spreadsheets.

This single source of truth eliminates those frustrating data silos, drastically reduces the need for manual data entry (and the errors that come with it!), and ensures that everyone on your team has the most up-to-date information at their fingertips. This clarity empowers you to make smarter and faster decisions with greater confidence, leading to more efficient and effective planning and a healthier conference ROI.

Automation of key workflows

One of the biggest wins with integrated software is the ability to automate those repetitive, time-consuming tasks that used to use up so much of your day. Think about automatically sending confirmation emails to abstract submitters, intelligently assigning submissions to reviewers based on their expertise, building the initial program draft based on accepted abstracts and speaker availability, and even sending out schedule updates to attendees.

These tools handle the heavy lifting, freeing up your valuable time and energy to focus on the strategic aspects of your conference that make a difference. As mentioned earlier, reports indicate that automation can slash event planning time by a significant margin. That is more time you can dedicate to crafting engaging content, building strong relationships with sponsors, or designing innovative networking opportunities that leave a lasting impression on your attendees—all of which directly contribute to a better conference ROI.

Better attendee experience

Integrated software also makes the attendee journey much smoother! Attendees can easily submit their abstracts, effortlessly navigate the program on their phones or laptops, create personalized schedules packed with the sessions that interest them most, access speaker bios and presentation materials with a click, and receive real-time updates on any changes directly through the event app.

This seamless and intuitive experience leads to happier and more engaged attendees. And happy attendees are more likely to actively participate, network effectively, and ultimately feel they’ve gotten real value from your conference. The numbers speak for themselves: 72.5% of organizers felt their event platform was crucial in ensuring their conference had a positive impact. This positive experience translates directly into higher satisfaction scores, increased loyalty, and invaluable word-of-mouth recommendations that can boost attendance at future events.

Real-time updates and flexibility

As we’ve mentioned earlier, the world of STEMM moves fast. New discoveries happen, speaker schedules shift, and sometimes, you need to make changes on the fly. Integrated software gives you the agility to handle these inevitable adjustments with grace. Real-time updates to the program, presentations, and speaker information can be communicated instantly to attendees through their event app or online portal, minimizing confusion and ensuring everyone has the latest details. This flexibility not only saves you countless hours of manual updates and frantic emails but also enhances the professionalism and efficiency of your conference, leading to a better experience for everyone and a strong ROI.

Reduction of human errors

By automating key processes and keeping all your critical data in one central system, integrated software significantly reduces the risk of human errors. This accuracy ensures the integrity of your program, streamlines communication, and upholds the high standards expected in the scientific and academic community. A polished and error-free event reflects well on your organization and saves you the time and resources you’d otherwise spend fixing mistakes.

Measurable impacts on ROI

Sophisticated integrated software often comes equipped with potent reporting and analytics tools. These features allow you to track key metrics like abstract submission numbers, session attendance, attendee engagement levels (think polling participation or app usage), feedback scores, and even how often presentation materials are accessed after the event. Analyzing this valuable data helps you better understand what worked well and what should be improved for future conferences. This data-driven approach empowers you to make informed decisions about content curation, session scheduling, marketing efforts, and resource allocation, ultimately leading to more impactful and successful events with a demonstrably higher ROI. For example, analyzing session attendance can reveal popular topics, helping you plan future content. Platforms like cOASIS, CTI Meeting Technology’s event management hub, offer insights into event analytics.

How CTI Meeting Technology software can help

At CTI Meeting Technology, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities of STEMM meetings. That’s why we’ve developed a suite of seamlessly integrated software solutions designed to address your needs. Our platform combines the power of abstract management, the intricacies of program planning, and the efficiency of presentation management into one intuitive environment. These effective tools help streamline your workflows, create exceptional attendee experiences, and, most importantly, boost your conference ROI.

By choosing CTI Meeting Technology, you’re not just getting software; you’re gaining a partner committed to helping you achieve your conference goals and maximize your investment. You’ll benefit from:

• A truly unified platform that breaks down those frustrating data silos.
• Powerful automation that frees up your team to focus on what matters most.
• Intuitive tools that enhance collaboration and communication.
• Features specifically designed to delight your attendees.
• Comprehensive reporting and analytics to prove your ROI and inform future decisions.

Wrapping Up…

By moving beyond outdated, disconnected processes and embracing the power of integrated abstract, program, and presentation software, you’re not just streamlining your workload – you’re unlocking the full potential of your conference.

This isn’t just about saving time. It’s about creating a more engaging and valuable experience for your attendees, fostering stronger connections within the STEMM community, and ultimately elevating the impact and reputation of your organization.

Explore our solutions to deliver better meetings that generate the ROI you deserve. Book your free cOASIS demo now!