Sessionboard vs Oxford Abstracts.
Oxford Abstracts is an abstract-only specialist with published per-event tiers and a quick start for smaller programs. Sessionboard extends past submission and review into speaker readiness, the agenda, transcription and sharing on one program record, for the committee that still chases speakers in email after acceptance.
SIDE BY SIDE
Where each one does its work.
Read from the approved comparison, not from a feature checklist. Where we could not verify a Oxford Abstracts capability from their own material, the cell says so.
| Capability | Sessionboard | Oxford Abstracts |
|---|---|---|
| Call for papers and abstracts | Submission forms with logic per track and format; abstracts, disclosures and files on one submission. Returning speakers arrive with their history. | Abstract submission and review; abstract-first scope without suite modules. |
| Review rounds and committees | Review plans with rounds, committees, rubrics and conflict-of-interest rules. Your team changes forms and review steps without a services ticket. | Review for straightforward programs; rounds and conflict-of-interest rules vary. |
| Speaker materials and portal | Branded speaker portal with task lists, agreements and e-sign; the Coordinator agent reminds whoever is late. | varies |
| Agenda and attendee program | Agenda builder with speaker and room conflict detection; program site, embeds and the Attend app update as it changes. | varies |
| Posters and ePosters | Poster tracks in the same call, review plan and portal; ePoster gallery with search and audio walkthroughs. | varies |
| Transcription and media library | Live Transcribe in the room or from Zoom, ON24 and Goldcast; transcripts, captions, clips and quote cards in a library searchable across events. | varies |
| Peer sharing with attribution | Share kits with tracked links for speakers, sponsors and attendees; registrations traced back to the share. | varies |
| Getting started | Sandbox with a sample program you can run end to end; guided setup with Team Lead. | Low friction when abstract count is modest and review is straightforward. |
| How it is priced | Quoted by events, speakers and portal users. | Published per-event tiers, including a free tier for smaller programs. |
| Registration | Stays where it is. Accepted sessions and speakers sync to Cvent, Swoogo, Bizzabo and others. | varies |
For abstract intake and review alone, Oxford Abstracts may be enough. The comparison matters when the work continues after the decision.
WHERE IT DIFFERS · AFTER ACCEPTANCE
The decision is where most tools stop and most of the work starts.
Accepted speakers get a portal with their bio, headshot, slides, AV needs and agreement on one task list. The Coordinator agent reminds whoever is late, the agenda builder flags conflicts, and the program site updates as it changes.
- Speaker portal
- Task lists
- Coordinator agent
- Agenda & conflicts
GROWSA program that is ready on the day
WHERE IT DIFFERS · THE RECORD KEEPS GOING
This year’s sessions are next year’s call for papers.
Every session is captured, transcribed and clipped on the record it started from. Returning speakers arrive with their history attached, and the library already holds what they said last time, so the next call opens with a corpus rather than a blank form.
- Live Transcribe
- Media library
- Returning speakers
- One record across years
GROWSSubmissions and returning speakers
Questions, answered
How do we migrate from an abstract-only tool?
Open the next call on Sessionboard and import past submissions and speakers onto records, so returning authors are already known. Forms mid-contract can stay until that call closes.
Does registration change?
No. Registration can stay on Cvent, RainFocus, EventsAir or Cadmium; accepted sessions and speakers sync out.
Can we export our abstracts and scores?
Yes. Submissions, scores, speakers, agenda and media export by CSV, program book export, the public API and webhooks.