Blog Articles and Resources
Read about conference management for research and academia events.
Introducing Organizations on Fourwaves
This year we're introducing Organizations on Fourwaves. This blog post aims to explain what Organizations are, why we're introducing them and what you need to know. What are Organizations? You can see an Organization as a home for all your events. For example, if you plan events for a research socie
10 Apr 2024
5 Best Event Registration Platforms for Your Next Conference
By having one software to organize registrations and submissions, a pediatric health center runs around 80 events successfully every year. That’s roughly six events a month. With up to 700 participants in each event. Picture it. Dozens of students, doctors, and sponsors attending on different days
14 Dec 2023
5 Essential Conference Apps for Your Event
In today’s digital age, the success of any conference hinges not just on the content and speakers but also on the integration of technology that enriches the attendee experience. Enter the conference app: an event organizer's virtual sidekick. Here, we dive into the world of conference apps, illustr
20 Nov 2023
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Top 5 Virtual Conference Tools Every Event Organizer Should Know
You’ve always used your current virtual conference tool, but lately, you wonder if there’s a better option. Maybe it’s the attendees lamenting about the lack of interactions. Or maybe it’s the tedious process of setting up registration. The point is, you need a features-rich tool that runs a confere
09 Nov 2023
Product Update: Redesigned User Dashboard, Peer-Review Updates and Email Communication Enhancements
Maybe you’ve seen it already in your account, but we’ve just released some major improvements in Fourwaves. Tailored for event organizers, participants and reviewers, these changes promise a more streamlined, modern and efficient event management experience. We’re really excited to announce all the
01 Nov 2023
The Best Oxford Abstracts Alternative for Abstract Management and Peer Reviews
Oxford Abstracts is a popular platform for managing abstract submissions and peer reviews for conferences and academic events. However, the rapidly evolving landscape of event management and academic research has paved the way for several robust alternatives. One such standout alternative is Fourwav
27 Oct 2023
Conference Marketing: A Complete Guide For Academic Events
Academic conferences are vital for knowledge dissemination, networking, and fostering collaboration among researchers. However, hosting a successful academic event requires more than just compelling content and knowledgeable keynote speakers. It requires effective marketing to ensure that your confe
25 Oct 2023
Your Guide to the Conference Peer Review Process
Research conferences serve as a pivotal platform for the scientific community to share and improve their research. Ensuring the validity and quality of the presented studies is crucial to the success of an event, and the peer review process plays an important role in this. Planning a scientific con
19 Oct 2023
Best Easychair Alternatives for Conference Management
Organizing a successful conference involves meticulous planning, efficient communication, and streamlined management processes. While the EasyChair conference tool has been a popular choice in the academic and research community, it's essential to explore modern alternatives that offer similar and o
17 Oct 2023
Ultimate Guide to Event Sponsorships for Academic Events
You’ve created several sponsorship packages, and you want to approach as many organizations as possible to support your highly anticipated academic event. There’s just one problem. You don’t exactly know which companies to target. In this guide, we briefly walk you through how to find the right spon
17 Oct 2023
42 Ideas to Increase Virtual Event Engagement
Attendee engagement is one of the main preoccupations for online events as the networking part can easily be lacking. To craft an amazing virtual event experience for your attendees, you need the right tools, and some virtual engagement ideas. So without further ado, here’s everything you need to kn
11 Oct 2023
28 Best Event Planning Tips for a Flawless Event
In the world of event planning, success hinges on the delicate art of turning visions into realities. The ability to orchestrate seamless experiences, whether it's a high-profile corporate event or an academic conference, is nothing short of magical. In this blog, we'll take a deep dive into the un
04 Oct 2023
Hybrid Conference Guide: 10 Tips for a Seamless Event
The evolution of scientific conferences over the past five years has been remarkable. From packed auditoriums to virtual meetings and webinars, the academic community continually adapts its means of disseminating knowledge. The latest trend in this realm is the hybrid conference. In this article, we
26 Sep 2023
8 Best Virtual Event Platforms for Scientific Conferences
Organizing a virtual event is no easy feat. No matter your level of experience and skills, you’ll need a virtual event platform to help you out. The only problem is…There are thousands of platforms on the market, all offering different features and functionalities such as video conferencing, event m
21 Sep 2023
13 Virtual Conference Best Practices for 2024
In today's digitally-transformed world, virtual conferences have gained significant popularity within scientific communities. They allow global attendees to gather, share, and discuss cutting-edge research without the barriers of geographical distance. If you're planning a scientific conference, it’
12 Sep 2023
Virtual Event Planning: The Ultimate Guide
Ask any researcher, and they’ll tell you virtual events lack the high-quality discussions of physical conferences. Does this mean your online event is doomed to fail? Absolutely not. Based on our experience working with organizations like Stanford University and MIT, we learned it requires a digi
05 Sep 2023
Inkscape Tutorial: How to Make a Scientific Poster
Designing an effective poster for a conference can be a challenging task, as it requires capturing the attention of attendees while conveying key scientific information. If you are reading this article, you are probably looking for guidelines and tips to create visually appealing and informative pos
30 Aug 2023
How to Write an Abstract For a Poster Presentation Application
Attending a conference is a great achievement for a young researcher. Besides presenting your research to your peers, networking with researchers of other institutions and building future collaborations are other benefits. Above all, it allows you to question your research and improve it based on th
15 Aug 2023
How to Plan a Successful Scientific Conference
In today's rapidly evolving scientific landscape, conferences play a crucial role in sharing knowledge, forging collaborations, and pushing the frontiers of research. But the road to planning a scientific conference can often be overwhelming (especially if it’s your first time leading an organizing
07 Aug 2023
Should Conference Papers be Peer Reviewed?
Scientific conferences and symposiums provide an invaluable platform for researchers to share their findings and exchange ideas with others in their field. An essential component of this type of conference is the presentation of research papers (which are typically reviewed by experts in the field b
04 May 2023
Product Updates Spring 2023
Here are some product updates! Color-Coded Session Tracks You can now create color-coded tracks and tag your sessions. Participants will be able to easily find session that match their topics of interest. Color-Coded Session tracks in your event schedule. Private Messa
28 Apr 2023
How to Make a Successful Scientific Poster
Good science goes nowhere if it’s not communicated well. Poster sessions at scientific conferences are a hub for knowledge dissemination and research networking. So, knowing how to design a good conference poster is a big part of becoming a successful scientific communicator and sharing your work wi
18 Apr 2023
How to Choose Reviewers for a Scientific Conference
Conferences are an essential part of the scientific community, providing a platform for researchers to share their latest findings and network with colleagues. However, planning a research conference requires a lot of effort, and one of the hardest parts can be finding reviewers to evaluate submitte
08 Mar 2023
The 6 Best Peer Review Software for 2023
Choosing a good peer review software is an important part of planning a research conference. High quality review management tools help you select better applicants faster and save you weeks worth of administrative work. With the growing popularity of online conferences and communities, there are new
22 Feb 2023
How to Present Your Research (Guidelines and Tips)
Presenting at a conference can be stressful, but can lead to many opportunities, which is why coming prepared is super beneficial. The internet is full to the brim with tips for making a good presentation. From what you wear to how you stand to good slide design, there
01 Feb 2023
8 Challenges Faced by Researchers (and Tips to Help)
Being a researcher is a rewarding career for many reasons: You get to explore new ideas, work with cutting-edge technology, learn about the world, and have important discussions with like-minded individuals. But, research doesn’t come without its challenges. Luckily, challenges get easier to overc
18 Jan 2023
Abstract vs. Introduction: What is the actual difference?
If you’ve never written a research paper, the number of boxes to check to complete it can be intimidating. Even if it’s not your first rodeo, there’s still so much to think about that it’s easy to get confused. The difference between an abstract and an introduction is a common concern fo
07 Dec 2022
7 Steps to Finding the Right Research Collaborator
Conferences are a great way to meet potential collaborators. You’ve likely heard that “two heads are better than one.” This phrase rings true in a variety of settings, but especially in the context of scientific research. It’s been proven repeatedly that cooperation is
23 Nov 2022
Storytelling in Science: Why it matters and how to improve your skills
Storytelling is a powerful technique that can be used when speaking at a scientific conference. Stories are powerful. Humans have been telling stories in all their forms for thousands of years: murals on the walls of caves, wisdom passed down around campfires, or tales
16 Nov 2022
2022 Schedule updates
Why we made those changes The schedule is often packed with information, including: A session description A list of presentations and speakers A presentation times Links to livestreams The name of the physical room and more. Many participants browse the schedule on their mobile phones. At hybrid a
14 Nov 2022
How to Write a Convincing Letter of Support for Grant
A well-written letter of support goes a long way toward convincing funding agencies that a research proposal is worth taking a chance on. Applying for a research grant is a daunting task. Between the main research proposal and all of the additional documents required, it can be overwhelming. While
09 Nov 2022
What to Wear to a Scientific Conference
Presenting new work, learning about new ideas, and making important collaborations are exciting parts of scientific conferences. While academics carefully plan their talk slides, posters, and travel itineraries, little thought and preparation go into what to wear for a scientific conference. What o
02 Nov 2022
Step-by-Step Guide to Organize a Virtual Conference in 2023
There are different things to consider when organizing a virtual conference compared to organizing an in-person event. If you’re organizing your first virtual conference, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know to help you organize a successful virtual
26 Oct 2022
The 6 Types of Academic Events (and which one to pick)
Organizing an academic event is a significant investment of time and resources, both for attendees and event organizers. These events can take different forms and as an organizer, you must be cognizant of this when choosing the type of academic event you want to host. The style and format of an acad
19 Oct 2022
How to Choose the Best Format for Your Conference
Before 2020, academic conferences typically took place in a hotel or conference center. When Covid-19 hit, legal limitations on gatherings and concerns about health and well-being caused conference organizers around the world to re-evaluate their strategies. In early 2020, many conference organizers
12 Oct 2022
10 Abstract Management Tips for a Conference
Collecting abstracts can be daunting, especially if it’s your first time. Even for small conferences, managing abstract submissions takes a high level of organization to avoid wasting time or missing a submission in your inbox. For large conferences, abstract management is even more complex due to t
05 Oct 2022
5 Virtual Poster Session Software Options
Poster sessions are an important part of most academic and scientific conferences. They allow students and researchers to present their work, get feedback from their peers, and network to spark collaborations. In-person poster sessions are straightforward to organize, but when it comes to planning v
26 Sep 2022
The 8 Best Abstract Management Software for 2023
An abstract management software is a platform for event organizers to plan and manage the submission, peer review, and publishing of work that researchers are submitting to present at a conference. These platforms allow you to centralize the entire abstract management process, saving you time and av
22 Sep 2022
The 5 Best Conference Management System You Can Find in 2023
A conference management system is a software platform that helps organizers manage their events. For academic conferences, a conference management system ideally allows users to collect registration fees, communicate with participants, manage abstracts, reviews and content uploads, and facilitate li
14 Sep 2022
How Much to Charge for an Academic Conference (with template)
With prices rising on everything from transportation to food to manufactured goods and with the new event format, many event organizers are rethinking their pricing strategies, to maintain accessibility while not incurring losses. Setting prices is one of the most important decisions academic confer
08 Sep 2022
Online platform for virtual poster sessions: How it works
Many event platforms have developed new virtual tools in the wake of the pandemic. Most of these tools are essentially the same: they allow the broadcasting of speakers, a chat, asking questions, and conducting live polls. Not much has been developed to organize virtual poster sessions. Why? First,
02 Sep 2022
Academic Conference Session Titles that Attract Attendees
Most conferences offer many different sessions, and sometimes they take place concurrently. Because conference goers can only attend one session at a time, they must plan their event schedule by choosing which sessions are most relevant to their particular areas of interest. Attendees turn to confe
11 Aug 2022
9 Proven Ways to Promote a Conference
The way you promote your conference can be the difference between a successful, well-attended event and a conference filled with empty seats. Conference promotion is a key step in the planning process for both virtual and in-person events and the backbone of a successful outreach effort is a strong,
03 Aug 2022
How to Write a Speaker Bio for a Conference (with Examples)
Author bios, or speaker bios, can be used for a variety of purposes. They can be included as part of your application to present at a conference or posted to an event website to introduce yourself as a presenter at the event. Bios can also be helpful to have on your profile in the participant direct
28 Jul 2022
What are Conference Proceedings & Frequently Asked Questions
Conference proceedings are an important record of the research presented at an academic conference. They can take different forms depending on the conference itself and the choices made by conference organizers. In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about conference proceedings,
07 Jul 2022
19 Practical Networking Tips for Your Next Conference
Academic conferences provide multiple opportunities for researchers. They are a chance to learn about new work being done in your field, they offer a platform to present your work and gather feedback, and they allow you to meet and network with other researchers., In addition, one of these people co
29 Jun 2022
5 Steps to Build a Conference Website
Your conference website is the first place visited by potential attendees, presenters, keynotes and sponsors, so it’s important that it’s built thoughtfully. Whether you’re planning your first conference or your twelfth, it’s best to take a step back and evaluate your website plan to ensure you end
24 Jun 2022
Conference Paper Format and Style Guidelines
There are many different ways to write a conference paper. Most journals have their own requirements around specific length, document type, and the font details of pieces being submitted for publishing. However, there are certain details that are commonly found in conference papers. Most are brief i
23 Jun 2022
Panel Discussions: What Are They and How to Organize One
Panel discussions are a dynamic and interactive way to explore a specific topic, bringing together a group of people with different perspectives to share their viewpoints in front of an audience. Whether conducted in-person or virtually, at academic conferences or webinars, panel discussions are a p
16 Jun 2022
7 Steps to Get Sponsors for a Conference
Event planning is already quite complex, with event marketing, abstract management, choosing your keynote speakers, deciding on a venue and everything else. But one of the biggest challenges that event planners face is covering all of the expenses associated with hosting their event and ending up wi
14 Jun 2022
Breakout Session Guide for Academic & Scientific Events
Breakout sessions are fun, engaging, and valuable elements of academic conferences. Conferences can be long, and I don’t know about you, but after sitting through multiple presentations my mind can start to wander, no matter how interested I am in the subject being discussed. Breakout sessions offe
10 Jun 2022
How to Create a Conference Program in 8 Easy Steps
A good conference program should be visually pleasing and easy to browse while remaining coherent to the focus of the event. If you’re new to conference organizing, preparing a program can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. With proper planning, a bit of research, and the help of readily avail
02 Jun 2022
How to Prepare for an Academic Conference - 8 Essentials
Academic conferences are a great networking opportunity for scientific researchers, students, and professors alike. These events bring together a group of engaged, like-minded people, providing researchers like you a perfect venue to get to know others in your field. They also expose you to new and
24 May 2022
Top 10 Academic Podcasts to Listen to in 2023
Last updated: Dec 16th 2022 - Have any podcasts suggestions? Send me an email to matt@fourwaves.com. Podcasts are a convenient, portable, and easily-accessed way to ingest information and gather new information and skills. They are often free, and even when there is a charge it is usually nominal. Y
19 May 2022
The Best Conference Announcements Sites for 2023
There are a lot of things to keep track of when you’re organizing an academic conference, and with so much to do, promoting your event can sometimes take a back seat. Advertising your event on conference announcement websites will increase the likelihood of attracting the best researchers available
17 May 2022
The 10 Academic Blogs You Should Follow in 2023
Academic blogs are a great source of information for researchers, professors, students or anyone interested in keeping up-to-date with new advances in their fields of interest. However, in the age of disinformation and fake news, when social media provides a platform for every person with an opinion
06 May 2022
The Best Conference Budget Template (& Planning Tips)
While there are many definitions of success when it comes to planning and executing an academic conference, adhering to a predetermined budget is part of every successful conference. A detailed, well-organized conference budget is a vital element of conference planning. Without this centralized loca
04 May 2022
The 6 Conference Organizing Committee Roles and Tasks
An active, committed organizing committee is at the core of every successful academic conference. Members of the committee act as ambassadors of the event, establishing agendas and timelines, and completing the call for papers and peer review process. They also make sure the location is appropriate
02 May 2022
Top 11 Apps for Researchers in 2023
The evolution of new technologies has caused a digital transformation in almost every industry and field of interest, including academia. Technology has changed the way that academics conduct research, document findings, and collaborate with peers. Academics can now rely on new avenues of collabora
01 May 2022
Your Call for Papers Template (with Tips)
So, you’re organizing an academic conference or a symposium. You’ve selected the conference date, you have your organizing committee in place, and you know the focus of your conference. Now it’s time to gather the research papers that will be presented at your event. An interesting, compelling call
27 Apr 2022
Single-Blind Vs. Double-Blind Peer Review - Simple Guide
While the first scientific journal was launched in 1665, the peer review process began in the 1970s and is often considered to be at the core of the scientific method. Peer reviews provide legitimacy and prestige to academic conferences and publications, and are essential to maintaining the trust be
27 Apr 2022
How to Spot a Fake Conference in 2023
Everything You Need to Know About Fake Conferences Fake conferences, also known as predatory conferences, are a major problem facing academia. By operating without the peer review and editorial quality requirements of standard academic conferences, fake conferences erode the trust that the public ha
06 Apr 2022
What is a Poster Session? Definition, Guide & Examples
What is a Poster Session? Poster sessions are an integral (and fun!) part of academic conferences or annual meetings, and an important opportunity for researchers at all career stages to present and discuss their work with other researchers in their field. Poster sessions typically take place in a l
31 Mar 2022
Conference Planning Checklist for 2023
Most researchers will organize at least one conference during their career, and sometimes many. Successfully orchestrating the meetup of hundreds of researchers, sometimes from across the world, to present their work and exchange with their peers is one of the most gratifying experiences. Seeing the
15 Mar 2022
The Difference Between a Symposium and a Conference
When organizing an academic event, you may be wondering what to call it - is it a conference or a symposium, or something else entirely? Similarly, when registering as an attendee, you may find yourself thinking that the schedule for a conference looks a lot like that of a symposium you attended in
10 Mar 2022
Welcome Speech for a Scientific Conference: Examples & Tips
Having a well written welcome speech that you’re confident about goes a long way in overcoming public speaking nervousness. A great welcome speech sets the tone for the conference. It makes everyone feel welcome and creates the appropriate environment for the exchange of knowledge. The speech should
15 Feb 2022
How to Write an Abstract for a Conference
Scientific conferences are a great way to show your work to researchers in your field, get useful feedback and network. For most conferences, you will need to submit an abstract of your research project to register. I remember when, a few months into my graduate studies, my supervisor recommended t
27 Jan 2022
The New Era of the Asynchronous Hybrid Events
The term “hybrid event” is on every event organizer’s lips these days. This format, which consists of mixing virtual and in person participants, is often seen as the savior in a world where everyone is tired of virtual events and where participants are hesitant to travel to an on-site venue because
20 Jan 2022
January 2022 product updates
Here's a summary of the biggest January 2022 product updates! Beautiful event websites Your event website is one of the key elements between you and your participants. A clean interface that is easy and pleasant to use makes a big difference. We decided to give some love to the look and feel as well
10 Jan 2022
Should You Host a Virtual Poster Session with Zoom?
In-person poster sessions are coveted moments in conferences. The buzzing ambiance, the finger food, and beer as well as the serendipitous encounters are memorable. Through the pandemic, virtual conference organizers did their best to find ways to recreate poster sessions virtually. Zoom is a natura
09 Dec 2021
Virtual Poster Presentation Guidelines: Template & Tips
In academic conferences, poster presentations are super important. They help participants gain experience in communicating their research, share their findings, and get feedback from their peers while also making events more dynamic. It is no wonder virtual event organizers keep them on the program
03 Dec 2021
10 Great Examples of Conference Website Designs
Get Ready to be inspired for your conference website A Conference website is a must for multiple reasons. Of course, sharing dates, location, keynote speakers, contact information is essential. But your conference website will also be a powerful weapon to address common challenges like: Attracting
29 Nov 2021
Meet Fourwaves
How It All Started It all started in 2012 when 4 Ph.D. students in bioinformatics at the Université de Sherbrooke in Canada were organizing a large student conference. They needed an easy way to plan and manage the event, but no tool was available at the time, so they built a website from scratch to
22 Nov 2021
15 Best Tips for Presenting at a Conference
Presenting at a conference is an important part of a researcher’s life: it allows you to share all the work you’ve been doing for months or years. At the same time, it also exposes some intimate aspects of yourself to the outside world, like your thought process, your level of knowledge on a topic,
18 Nov 2021
Station1 is Paving a Pathway of Opportunity through Socially-Directed Science and Technology
Introduction Founded in 2016, Station1 is a leading national nonprofit organization that is paving a pathway of opportunity through a new inclusive, asset-based, and innovative model of learning - socially-directed science and technology. Based upon pillars, such as diversity, equity, inclusion, an
26 Oct 2021
7 Benefits of Virtual Poster Presentations
Let’s face it, in-person poster sessions are memorable: meeting people face to face, walking in a vibrant large physical space, glancing at posters, and starting random conversations that last longer than expected, sometimes with a drink at hand. That being said, organizing a research poster session
19 Oct 2021
A symposium to help Early-Career Investigators (ECIs) working on GPCRs
For early-career investigators (ECIs), scientific events are very important to build solid foundations for their career and lab. The pandemic prevented many of these events from happening over the past 18 months. Recently, a viewpoint was published in ACS Publications on a symposium held using Fourw
28 Sep 2021
Announcement of the upcoming launch of Fourwaves Version 3.0
The evolution of the technology underlying Fourwaves has passed through different stages. Version 1.0 (Science on the spot) launched in 2012 and upgraded to version 2.0 in 2014. Version 3.0, which will be released in the spring of 2021, took a lot of effort and time. This is why there has been very
06 Feb 2021
Here are some tips for organizing your virtual or hybrid event
Virtual events raise a lot of questions. Here are some frequently asked questions that we receive and some possible solutions, which could help you. How do I include sponsors and exhibitors in my virtual event? First, we have seen some organizers not contacting their sponsors or exhibitors, believin
02 Feb 2021
How to host a virtual poster session
With the pandemic, many organizers transitioned to a hybrid (sometimes to an asynchronous hybrid) or virtual format for their poster session. For some, how to organize and host a virtual poster session is still a mysterious. To host a virtual poster session, you need a platform to collect posters an
20 Aug 2020