July 2016
Technology
21
Abstract made concrete by
poster boys Shocklogic
AEM looks at how technology experts on powering association meetings, Shocklogic,
delivered a Green scientific programme for a major conference of anaesthetists
The Association of Anaesthetists
of Great Britain and Ireland
(AAGBI) was using specialist
event software to collate and
evaluate academic abstracts from
its members well before its 1,000
delegates turned up for its Winter
Scientific Meeting (WSM) in
London in January.
The association opted to
use software from Shocklogic:
‘Abstractlogic’ and ‘Eposterlogic’
before, during and after WSM to
power the submission, review and
publication of all abstracts and
ePosters. AAGBI says staff were
able to administer the systems
with minimal need for IT support.
The team used the software to
publish 200 international scientific
proposals for WSM, which took
place at London’s QEII Centre,
13-15 January 2016.
The Eposterlogic software also
provided an ecofriendly solution
with less waste than from the
old printed posters and boards.
The organiser was also able to
integrate the software suites, thus
minimising data transfer.
The meeting programme
offered sessions on topics ranging
from haemorrhage management
and critical care, to laparotomy
and life support. This meant the
programme management process
was complex, entailing months of
careful selection from hundreds
of scientific proposals.
CN-06-16-AEM.indd 21
Applying the science to abstracts, posters and general association meeting admin
Abstractlogic’s specialist features
also helped organisers deal with
the complex scientific scoring
systems involved in evaluation.
Two of the keynotes emerged
through the system, including
Justiaan Swanevelder from Cape
Town, who spoke on perioperative
medicine and Baroness professor
Susan Greenfield from Oxford
who addressed the topic of
‘Perspectives on consciousness’.
During the event, ePosters were
displayed on flat touch screens of
three different sizes and formats,
for delegates to explore in their
own time. This replaced rows
of the old style poster boards,
enabling AAGBI to create a
professional looking area for
attendees to view posters digitally.
All ePosters, as well as other
accepted proposals collected preevent, were available post-event via
an online library journal.
Post-congress feedback showed
80% of proposal submitters rated
the technology as ‘excellent’.
The key to the success of the
WSM was the organiser’s ability
to deal with high volume content
and communication tools. The
distribution channels also saved
time for the delegate.
Dr Mark AbouSamra from
Derriford Hospital said, “having
a standard format [for all
ePosters] allowed the audience
to concentrate on the content
more than on how the poster
looks”, while Dr Elliott Worku
from Frimley Park Hospital said
the solution used was “much
clearer and slicker than using the
old paper posters. This format is
definitely the future”. The new
abstract management system and
ePoster solution allowed AAGBI
to secure wider sponsorship and
increase attendance by 25%.
Shocklogic head of marketing
and business development Johnny
D. Martinez said the experience
showed that AAGBI and
Shocklogic not only contributed
to the delivery of a rich scientific
and educational programme on
anaesthesia, but also “to new
advances in our understanding
of the role of new materials and
applications, as well as teaching
and training the next generation”.
To see a case study video, go to:
https://vimeo.com/156286517
27/06/2016 12:13