How to track presenter registration before a conference

Set the rule at acceptance

State in the call and in the acceptance email that at least one author of each accepted abstract must register by a given date to appear in the programme. Everything below depends on that rule being clear and applied equally.

Match accepted abstracts with registrations

You need a view that shows, for each accepted abstract, whether its presenting author is registered and paid. If the two lists live in different tools, match them by email address and check name variants by hand. Keep one status per abstract.

• Accepted, not registered.
• Registered, payment pending.
• Registered and paid.
• Withdrawn or replaced by another presenter.

Remind at fixed points

Send reminders at three points: one week after the acceptance, two weeks before the deadline and three days before. Say what will happen if they do not register. Copy the co-authors, because the corresponding author is not always the one who will travel.

Decide what happens to those who do not register

Choose in advance whether unregistered abstracts are removed from the programme, kept in the book of abstracts or moved to a waiting list. Tell authors before the deadline and apply the rule to everyone, including invited speakers and committee members.

A simple tracking sheet

A shared sheet is enough for a small meeting, and the same columns apply to a system. The important thing is one row per accepted abstract and one status column that everyone reads the same way.

Abstract ID | Title | Presenting author | Email | Type | Accepted on | Registered? | Paid? | Status | Last contact | Notes 214 | Hybrid models for river forecasting | A. Costa | a.costa@… | Oral | 21 Apr | Yes | Yes | Confirmed | 12 May | 231 | Groundwater sampling in karst | M. Lee | m.lee@… | Poster | 21 Apr | Yes | No | Payment pending | 03 Jun | Invoice sent 245 | Urban drainage and heat | T. Novak | t.novak@… | Oral | 21 Apr | No | No | Not registered | 10 Jun | Reminder 2 sent

Reminder emails

Two messages cover most cases. Keep each to one request and one link, and put the deadline in the first line.

Subject: [Conference name]: please register by [date] to keep your slot Dear [Name], Your abstract “[Title]” has been accepted for [oral presentation / poster]. To be included in the programme, at least one author must register by [date]: [link]. If your plans have changed, please tell us so that we can offer the slot to another presenter. [Programme chair] ——— Subject: [Conference name]: final reminder to register by [date] Dear [Name], We have not yet received a registration for “[Title]”. The deadline is [date], in three days. After that date the abstract will be removed from the programme but will remain in the book of abstracts. Register here: [link]. [Programme chair]

Substituting a presenter

Presenters fall ill or lose funding, and a colleague can often present the work. Allow substitution, with limits stated in advance. A typical rule is that another author of the abstract may present, that the change must be reported by a date, and that the substitute must register. A person who was not an author needs the chair’s approval, since the work might otherwise be sold or presented without the authors’ agreement. Record the change in the tracking sheet and the programme, and inform the session chair.

Co-authors and multiple abstracts

One registration should not cover an unlimited number of abstracts, but you may not want to charge a second fee for a second talk by the same person. Decide the rule and publish it. Common policies are that one registration allows one oral presentation and one poster, or up to two abstracts in total. When one person is the presenter of several abstracts, mark it in the sheet so that the programme does not schedule them in two rooms at the same time. When a co-author, not the presenting author, registers, check that the person who registered is actually the one who will travel.

Invitation letters and visas

Some presenters need a letter to apply for a visa or to obtain funding. Decide whether you provide one and on what conditions, and say so on the website. A typical policy is that a letter confirming acceptance and registration is issued after registration and payment, and that it states the name, dates and place of the meeting. Be careful with the wording: a letter confirms participation, and does not guarantee entry to a country. Ask for the details you need at registration, such as the passport name, to avoid errors and delays later.

Presenters who will join online

If you allow remote presentation, treat it as a separate status. Confirm the time zone, check that the presenter can test the connection before the session, and decide whether a remote presenter pays the same fee as an in-room one. Include them in the tracking sheet with a column for “remote”, and tell the chair how questions will reach them. A short technical rehearsal a few days before avoids most problems.

Reporting to the committee

A short weekly report keeps the programme chair informed and prompts action at the right time. Report the number of accepted abstracts, the number registered and paid, the number of reminders sent and the number of withdrawals. A trend is more useful than a single figure, so show the change from last week. Highlight the abstracts at risk, for example those from presenters who have not replied to two reminders, so that the chair can decide whether to call the person.

The final decision on no-shows

After the deadline, apply the rule you announced. Send a message to each presenter who has not registered, saying what happens to their abstract, and give a short grace period for those who ask. Be consistent: an exception for one person will be requested by ten others. Once you have applied the rule, update the tracking sheet and the programme, and give the programme chair the final list.

Feed the result to the programme

Give the programme chair a list of confirmed presenters a few days after the deadline. Empty slots need filling and sessions may need to be merged, so time this before you finalise the schedule and print anything.