4 Ways OpenWater’s APIs Can Keep Your Conference Abstracts Organized

You may be wondering, “what’s an API?” Here’s the short version: An API (or “Application Programming Interface”) helps two computer applications talk to each other—usually to share data or access the features of one within the other. Having a full suite of relevant APIs is critical to keeping your conference abstracts well-organized, especially since so many databases and kinds of software can touch the abstract management process.  Here are a few of the ways OpenWater’s (many) APIs will help you out:

You Can Use Pre-Existing Contact Lists

Ready to start sending out calls for papers?  Is it time to identify the authors who submitted conference abstracts? Or maybe you have to remind reviewers that the deadline is coming up?  APIs in OpenWater are most often used for information lookups like these in external applications with pre-existing user bases.  

Maybe you’ve got a mainstream marketing CRM (like MailChimp, HubSpot, Salesforce, or CiviCRM), an AMS (like iMIS or Personify) or another user directory (such as Azure Active Directory).  These platforms could contain loads of useful information you want to import into OpenWater—mailing lists, contact information, affiliations, and more.  APIs enable easy-to-use person lookups and queries so that OpenWater can bring all that data right into your conference abstract system.

Everything Stays in Sync

There’s no duplicating your records when the right APIs handle the transfer of new information for you.  OpenWater supports bi-directional synchronization for many of its external APIs, which means that when you update the info in OpenWater, the external application linked by the API gets updated too—and vice versa. 

Made a change to a mailing list in HubSpot?  OpenWater will know about it. Fix the typo in a presenter’s last name in OpenWater?  Personify will make the correction as well. The same two-way street applies to APIs for mobile conference apps (like CoreApps).  Last-minute changes in either system will show up seamlessly, in time for attendees using the app to see the correct details.

Access All Systems Simultaneously

With a single sign-on functionality, OpenWater’s login mechanism is replaced (via APIs) with your existing system’s login page, so you can effectively access both systems at the same time.  This streamlines and centralizes conference abstract management so:

• All of your info is in one place
• There’s no need to create a new user account
• You only have one password to remember
• 2-factor (or other) security measures will still work seamlessly

Share the Agenda Automatically

API-powered data automation is not only a benefit while you’re still collecting and reviewing conference abstracts, but also after they’re complete.  Once you’ve grouped approved abstracts into sessions within OpenWater (or auto-added abstracts related to your session topics), you can easily create an organized schedule in our drag-and-drop online schedule builder.

At that point, APIs can get your finished agenda out to your attendees with no hassle.  All you have to do is link OpenWater to your conference’s mobile app, so the organized sessions and conference abstract presentations feed directly into the app.

Robust API integrations are just one way our platform can make your life easier. There are plenty of other features of OpenWater to help you manage your conference abstracts.  If you’re hunting for a better way to organize the process this year, we recommend giving all-in-one abstract management system a look.

David Lincoln

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