System Updates X-CD Technologies

What’s new in X-CD

X-CD updates and changes

See what's new in X-CD and what we're gradually rolling out. ✨

June 2024

Mobile App Updates

Home Screen

New layout with tabs to view:
- Itinerary feed added directly to home screen
- Upcoming sessions added directly to home screen

Exhibitor Floor Plan

Embedded floor plan added into mobile app to compliment the directory view
Click on booths to read company profiles
Click on the booth number to find the company’s location

Mobile App/VC Auto-Login Links

When adding an external link to the navigation on a Mobile App or Virtual Conference, you can now tell the system to convert it to an auto-login link. This is somewhat old but wasn’t announced earlier. Some use cases include:
- Links to evaluation forms
- Links to attendee registration, to add additional items

Misc Abstract Changes

Submission steps are now hidden after the deadline.
Speaker Screen in microsite updated for a more modern look and responsiveness.

Speaker Portal Updates & Overview

In order to improve the tools available for managing speakers, we’ve added unified file uploads to the speaker portal.
The speaker portal helps manage your speakers by providing a single screen which displays everything a speaker/chair should know going into the conference, including:
- Session & presentation times
- Other speakers within their session
- Chair responsibilities
- RSVP responses
- Registration status for the event & more..
Recently, poster & presentation uploads were added, allowing everything to be managed on one screen.

Authorize.net and Paypal

If a client using Authorize.net and would like to add paypal, they can get a paypal account, and then link both accounts from the authorize.net dashboard.
This allows users to use Paypal as a payment option in addition to processing a credit card with Authorize.net

May 2024

Advanced Speaker Upload Notifications

New feature to allow conference organizers to set automated correspondences when a specific action is taken on a submission. Actions can be:
- When a Draft Paper is Submitted
- When a Final Paper is Submitted
- When a Presentation is Uploaded
These actions can then trigger custom actions/emails which can go to:
- Assigned Reviewers
- Related Track Chairs
- Primary Submitter

Managing Contact Groups Update

The contact group management area has been updated with more specific tabs to select from when making changes to existing contact groups

Managing a Contacts Relation to a Group

Instead of a single page listing all groups, the user group management area has been separated into sections for easier management of member and non-member groups.
Click HERE to learn more about these updates within our knowledgebase

Attendee Module Admin Registration Screen Updates

Significant updates have been implemented to the Attendee module Admin Registration menu screens to provide a clearer interface when managing an attendee’s registration items
Click HERE to learn more about these updates within our knowledgebase

April 2024

Onsite Digital Signage

Custom digital screen output intended for television monitors that display real-time information about current/upcoming sessions in a specific set of rooms
Option to group the session output by session tracks

Session Note Taking – Mobile App & VC

Note taking feature for attendees accessble within sessions
Export notes taken post conference

Lead Retrieval Re-Design

Modernized look and feel to the exhibitor lead retrieval app

Virtual App Video Variable Bitrate

Upload high quality video; and then convert the low and medium bitrate for better playback on weaker internet speeds

Mobile App: Author Directory

Specific directory displaying just program participants
- Just presenters OR presenters + co-authors
- Optionally include session chairs

Minor Form Adjustments

Updated alignment of fields
Added max character count to text fields in abstract module

Time Block Management and Track Chair Drag and Drop

Admin can now import time blocks by going to Imports in the program module and import time blocks
Program track chairs who have time block management enabled, will be able to drag and drop sessions into time blocks within their program tracks

March 2024

Quick Batch Session Creation

Simply enter session titles categorized by session type
MFA is a security enhancement that reduces the risk of unauthorized users accessing data within your conference site.

UI for restricting reviewers from same state or institution

Enable a setting that will smartly not assign reviews to people in the same institution or state as the submitting author

Reviewer Split Screen

Give reviewers a preference choice of how they read and submit their review questionnaire
Offer a modern user interface that allows them to read and make the decisions side-by-side

Track chairs can edit reviewer sign up form in TC module

Chairs can create and submit their invited reviewers and adjust their areas of expertise as need

Badge Preview Function

Attendees can build and edit their badge as they flow through the registration portal
Last minute changes are always immediately reflected in the X-CD OnSite badge printing app

RSVP Module

Speaker RSVP module is now available to all clients using the abstract or speaker management modules
Speaker RSVP allows administrators to send invitations to speakers, track acceptances, and follow up with those who have not responded

February 2024

Enhanced Admin Security: Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is now available for administrators accessing client data through the admin site.
MFA is a security enhancement that reduces the risk of unauthorized users accessing data within your conference site.
If you would like MFA enabled for your client site, please reach out to your X-CD support contact or submit a support ticket.

Speaker Portal Display Modes: Module vs Session

These modes allow clients to configure speaker data in two different ways based on their preference.

Module Mode: displays a card for each module, indicating the status of the module, the status of the submitters participation, and the outcomes of the various reviews.
Session Mode: provides a central place for a speaker to learn about their responsibilities during a conference, including presenting & chairing.

Chair Site Updates

For clients using a reviewer sign-up form, your chairs may decide that someone is not qualified for their track.
- Instead of requiring and admin to intervene, you can allow track chairs to remove a reviewer’s track selection from their signup form in the chair site.
Track associations are no longer required when building your reviewer sign up form
- Although they can make things easier for track chairs.

Speaker Advanced Notifications

This new feature provides administrators flexibility to send special notifications when specific actions take place within the abstract & speaker management system.
Advanced notifications allow you to trigger email to go out whenever:
- A draft paper is submitted (first time, or updated)
- A final paper is submitted (first time, or updated)
- A presentation is submitted (first time, or updated)
- A submission is submitted (first time, or updated)
Go to Speaker Module, Settings, Advanced, Advanced Notifications.

January 2024

Attendee Networking in Mobile App

Give attendees the opportunity to get contact information of attendees by scanning (with their X-CD mobile app) the QR code on their badge
Once the attendee has scanned someone’s badge, they have made a connection with that attendee and can see their phone number and email in their Connections list on the Participants screen
Requires having the attendee QR code printed on their badge (see our onsite badge printing options)

Single Child Style for Parent-Child Submission

Instead of allowing the parent to add multiple child submissions at a time, this feature forces the parent to add 1 record at a time.
This feature should be used when the child must submit an entire abstract form instead of just a title & author name.
- The full form will lead to a complete submission being created.
In the standard multi-child format, children are created without a full submission and could be deemed as “incomplete” by the conference organizers.

Duplicate Conference Mobile App & Public Program Pages

This update allows you to duplicate the custom pages created for past conferences for your upcoming conference, alleviating the need to start from scratch.
- Select from a list of conferences with pages to copy and then select the pages to be copied over.
This function is only applicable to the following page types:
- Custom text
- Accordion
- PDF
- External Link
- Image

Duplicate Program Tracks

Ability to copy distinct program track from other conferences that have program tracks
- Submission tracks cannot be copied over and must be manually connected to the duplicated progam tracks.

Duplicate Session Types

Ability to copy distinct session types from other conferences to your upcoming conference.

Chair V3 Module – Batch Email Reviewers

Chairs now have the ability to batch email reviewers within their track from their chair dashboard.
Chairs can also email reviewers individually and monitor response activity.

December 2023

Chairs (V3) Email Authors

The configuration enables a button to send emails to speakers through the chair site. Once configured the button will open a modal to draft an email to the presenter.
- You can also elect to copy the email to other chairs within the track by enabling the function and adding their emails.

Coloured Session Tags

Add colours to your program tags to give them more prominence

Split-Screen Review Mode

Allows reviewers to simultaneously view submissions on the left side of their screen and the scoring rubric on the right
Boost reviewer productivity as this view reduces the need to scroll from submission to scoring rubric

November 2023

Mobile App Flyer

Branded PDF download containing conference banner and mobile app QR code
PDF can be printed a poster and displayed at regisration desk enabling attendees to easily download the conference app

Swapping Registration Items

Instead of deleting and adding a new option, use the Swap Items option under Registration when managing an attendee’s registration
E.g. A good feature to use when wanting to apply the early bird rate to a registration once the date has passed
Also used if the attendee has selected the wrong item and it needs to be changed

October 2023

In-App Voting

Give attendees the ability to vote on Best Poster or Best Paper by using the mobile app In-App Voting.
The results tally in the admin site in the Event app area

Display Total Percentage of Score in Review Module

Reviews can be displayed as a percentage on reviewer front end site, not just the total score

September 2023

Cross Field Discount Codes

Create a discount code that applies to multiple fields (different from golden ticket)
E.g Discount applies to registration rate, event ticket but not merchandise – the discount will be applied to all fields included in the discount

Discount Codes at Checkout

For an easier registration experience, discount codes can be applied at checkout
Enable the Display Checkout Screen Discount Entry so your attendees can apply their discount code at the end instead of under the field it applies to
This is especially handy when you have created a cross field discount (see above)

August 2023

Attendee Itinerary Download (Hotkey)

Found within the attendee module reports, this hotkey will generate a unique link allowing attendees to download a PDF overview of their itinerary
Itinerary items include:
- Favourited sessions
- Sessions attendee is connected to as chair or speaker
- Pre-registered sessions

Picture Rotator

From the admin site, rotate profile photos if they have been uploaded with the wrong orientation

July 2023

Room Mapping – Floorplans, Output on Public Program

Connect your venue floorplans to your online program and mobile app
Create multiple floorplans (for venues with multiple buildings or floors) and map your rooms to the floorplan
Creates a pin on the map so an attendee can see where to find the room

Custom Registration Confirmations

Configure custom payment confirmation emails based on registration items
I.e. a specific confirmation if someone signed up for a workshop or about a ticket to an event

June 2023

Clone Review Assignments

Allows administrators to easily clone review assignments over from previous review module as opposed to starting from scratc
This functionality is useful for clients with multiple review stages

Print Single Submission in Reviewer Portal

Give reviewers the option to print a single abstract to view offline/print
Previous option allowed them to only print all the abstracts they have been assigned to

May 2023

New Report: Live Participation

This report provides a detailed overview of all live sessions within the program
Useful for administrators managing a virtual event with concurrent live streamed sessions
Report is a CSV download that includes all session details as well as embedded live streaming channel information

Global Credit Summary Download

Give reviewers the option to print a single abstract to view offline/print
Previous option allowed them to only print all the abstracts they have been assigned to

April 2023

User Accessible Abstracts

Administrators can now add and assign author roles that give the user access to edit/contribute to a submission.
Co-authors assigned with this type of author riles will have the same permissions as the primary contact & presenter.
Co-authors without this author role will continue to solely have read-only access to submissions

March 2023

New Report: Incomplete Attendee

This report queries attendees who checked-in at the event but are still listed as incomplete registrants.
Useful to monitor attendees that owe money post-conference.

February 2023

Digital Session Signage

Custom output of all applicable session information (title, track, chairs, speakers, presentation times, etc.)
Replaces need to print physical signage and swap sessions while allowing last minute updates for changes within sessions

January 2023

Email Attendees by Participation Type

When emailing attendees using a report, administrators have the ability to easily filter by participation type (In-person, hybrid, online only)
Allows administrators to send email communications to specific attendee types

December 2022

Session Logistics Management

From your program module you can now add, manage, and export session logistics information like Audio/Visual requirements and Food and Beverage needs.
An admin is able to create custom fields either on a room – or on specific sessions for creating their event BEO.

November 2022

Redesigned Mobile App

As in person conferences resume, we have released a brand new version of our conference mobile app! A sleek redesign makes our new mobile app not only more user friendly, sleek and intuitive for attendees, but it also makes browsing rich media like videos, posters, and live streams perfect for hybrid events. Our mobile app can essentially a mirrored version of your hybrid platform, but optimized for on site attendees

October 2022

File Explorer

We have made managing your database files much easier with our new and improved file explorer. You can now create folders to organize all of your files and content and quickly access URLS of your content for future use.

September 2022

Multi-Stage Review Module

Create multiple review modules, within a single submission module with its own reviewers, review cycle, settings etc.
Run your standard abstract review with a group of reviewers, review questions, and final status assignments, while simultaneously running a separate disclosure review with different reviewers, questions and final statuses.

August 2022

Continuing Education Credits Import

You can now import Credits & Evaluations for Sessions in bulk after your sessions and program are all created.
Export a csv of conference sessions – apply credit information data to csv and import back to apply credit hours to sessions

July 2022

Updates to Schedule Sessions screen

Create multiple review modules, within a single submission module with its own reviewers, review cycle, settings etc.
Unscheduled sessions containing a single abstract will display the abstract submission ID number in brackets after the Title.

June 2022

Global Speaker Disclosures

Global speaker disclosures allow you to ask your speakers to submit their COIs and disclosures in one step.
Once submitted, speakers can indicate which disclosures are relevant to their abstracts, and keep them up to date as their financial relationships change with organizations over time.

May 2022

Closed Caption Speaker Editor

When a presenter records or uploads their pre recorded presentation video to their submission, X-CD can transcribe or closed caption the video file.
Sometimes academic research content can contain specialized scientific words and jargon that the transcription service doesn’t caption correctly.
This tool allows your speakers to edit their transcription/closed caption text sentence by sentence to ensure 100% accuracy.

April 2022

Login Link to Module in Complete Attendee Wizard

When creating your email template using the Complete Attendee Wizard, you can now include the [LoginLinkToModule] hotkey which will automatically log the incomplete attendee into their registrant shopping cart to complete their registration.

X-CD provides the industry’s most robust suite of integrated software for academic associations and conferences. Manage all aspects of your complex membership and conference management processes though a single cohesive platform.