Author: Whova Team | Last updated: September 29, 2025
Managing an event involves a multitude of tasks, from coordinating logistics to engaging attendees. But one of the most intricate and tedious parts of event planning lies in managing the submission, review, and selection of proposals, which, is also known as call for speakers / abstracts, or abstract management. In event management, where time is of the essence, an abstract management software can come in handy as your personal online abstract manager.
From setting submission guidelines to assigning reviewers and finalizing selections, a robust abstract management solution can streamline every stage of your call for speakers process, saving event organizers valuable time and resources.
From industry-specific platforms for academic conferences to comprehensive solutions for scalable events, we’ll explore the top 12 abstract management software for managing calls for proposals, speakers, and abstracts.
What is Abstract Management Software?
An abstract management software is a specialized tool designed to simplify the abstract submission and review process for events and conferences. It’s a centralized platform to call for proposals, call for abstracts, and call for speakers or presenters. The software specializes in providing a submission portal to gather proposals, a centralized system to view all proposals, easy sharing of evaluation rubrics, apply decisions status for each application and finally email communication of final decisions. A good abstract management software can help any event planner save time, reduce errors, and ensure a smooth flow of information throughout the event planning process.
What to Look for in an Abstract Management Software?
Before diving into the top 12 best abstract management software, let’s first understand the key features to look for when choosing a suitable solution for your event.
- User-Friendliness: A good abstract management software should have an intuitive and user-friendly interface. It should be easy for both organizers and participants to navigate between pages, refer to past documents, and more to ensure a seamless experience throughout the submission and review process.
- Customization Options: Customization is key in ensuring the chosen abstract management software fits the unique needs of your event. The ability to tailor submission forms, review criteria, and compile information will play a large role in your conference or event.
- Integration Capabilities: An abstract management software with good integration capabilities can help reduce errors and workload. A suitable abstract management solution should easily integrate with your other event management software for registration systems, email marketing, and other event management tools to create a cohesive and interconnected event planning ecosystem.
Top 12 Abstract Management Software Solutions
Now that you know what to look for in abstract management software, let’s take a look at the top solutions in the market.
1. Whova Call for Speakers
Whova takes the lead in streamlining submission and review management. With its quick form setup and ready-to-use applications, Whova’s abstract management solution ensures a hassle-free experience for both organizers and speakers. Whova also simplifies communication, distributes the review workload, and keeps everything on track with its customizable timelines.
Best For
Conferences or association events looking for a streamlined way to do both abstract management and event management.
Core Features
- Abstract management: Ensure every document is submitted, reviewed, and published on time.
- Streamlined event agenda creation: Ensure every approved session is automatically added to the event agenda.
- Fair reviewal process: Detect conflict of interest
- Submission flexibility: Create multiple calls for different purposes (call for posters, call for speakers, etc)
- Submission tracking and filtering: Utilize tags to organize submission in the reviewer dashboard
- Speaker information form: Have speakers submit their presentation slides onto the platform, update their professional bio, photo, and conduct Q&A.
- Instant information update: Automatically update all approved speaker information and have it synced across webpages and event app.
- Speaker webpage: Style the speaker webpage without any manual design or implementation.
- Integration with event management features: Accepted submissions can be integrated with other Whova’s event management tools
2. Cvent Abstract Management
Image credit to Cvent
Notable for its comprehensive event management features, Cvent Abstract Management stands out as a robust solution for handling abstract submissions, reviews, and speaker selections. The platform allows you to customize your forms and allow speakers to submit their content to you. The application can be easily integrated into Cvent Event Management. With its laundry list of features, it is not surprising that Cvent comes with a higher price tag when compared to other solutions.
Best For
Conferences with big budgets that are familiar with Cvent system
Core Features
- Custom submission / speaker forms
- Automated communications for invitations, confirmations and reminders
- Reviewer management by assigning based on topic/track
- Agenda building & publishing
3. M|Events (formerly Confex Abstract Management)
Image credit to Confex
Recently Confex became part of M|Events, a technology provider for medical and scientific conferences to provide a more complete suite of service. M|Events is a comprehensive solution for events of all scales. It offers a suite of tools specifically for abstract submission, review, and scheduling. One of its key strengths is its structured approach to managing proposals and to call for speakers. The platform also incorporates robust scheduling tools to ensure your sessions are well-organized and simplified.
Best For
Scientific conferences
Core Features
- Invitation services to chairpersons and abstract presenters
- Integration with CRM system for event management
- Multi-submission of abstracts
4. OpenWater
Image credit to OpenWater
OpenWater stands out as an abstract management software for its versatility and adaptability. The application’s primary focus lies in abstract management and includes capabilities to encompass the management of awards and grants as well. This makes OpenWater a top choice for organizations and associations hosting a wide range of events with diverse requirements. OpenWater is also user-friendly and provides customizable forms, reporting, and analytical tools to help improve the event’s overall performance.
Best For
Academic associations and scientific conferences
Core Features
- Conditional logic form creation for submissions
- Multi-round peer review tools
- Dashboards to manage submissions & their review status
- Session builder for organizing accepted abstracts
- Branded websites for submitters
- Email communications tools for reminders and decision emails
5. Oxford Abstracts
Image credit to Oxford Abstracts
Oxford Abstracts is known for its flexibility and adaptability, making it a great choice for a wide range of event types, including academic conferences, industry symposiums, or corporate events. The platform offers customizable features that cater to the unique submission and review criteria for these events. With Oxford Abstracts, you can also tailor submission forms, review processes, and evaluation criteria to meet your specific event needs.
Oxford Abstracts also prioritizes user experiences, making it easy for participants to answer any call for proposals, call for speakers or call for abstracts. The focus on usability extends to the platform’s administrative tools, allowing organizers to manage these submissions, assign reviewers, and easily track progress. However, the platform can come with a high cost and a steep learning curve for those who are not familiar with abstract management software.
Best For
Academic conferences, industry symposiums and corporate events
Core Features
- Flexible submission forms with multiple submission types
- Multi-stage review with control over what submitters / reviewers see
- Exports and reports of submissions
- Interface for reviewers for submission tracking
6. EasyChair
Image credit to EasyChair
EasyChair has made a name for itself in academic circles. It is widely regarded as the go-to solution for conference and journal management with its straightforward abstract submission and review feature. Researchers, scholars, and conference organizers appreciate the platform’s intuitive interface, which simplifies the submission process and streamlines the review workflow. EasyChair also provides tools for paper submission, peer review, and conference scheduling. This integrated approach allows academic organizers to manage all aspects of their events from one platform, saving time and reducing administrative overhead.
Best For
Scientific and academic conferences, workshops and journal issues
Core Features
- Submission of papers, posters and panels
- Single or double-blind review
- Reviewer assignment tools including specific assignment such as taking account of conflicts
- Discussion and comments between reviewers/authors
- Export of accepted abstracts
7. Precision Conference Solutions
Image credit to Precision Conference Solutions
Precision Conference Solution is designed to handle the entire submission and review process with ease, making it one of the leaders in the field of abstract management solutions. Precision Conference Solution offers event organizers flexibility and scalability for a wide range of event types and sizes. Whether organizing a small academic conference or a large-scale industry symposium, the platform offers customizable tools for the submission and review process.
Best For
Conferences and organizers that mainly only need submission management
Core Features
- Submission management
- Easy account creation
- Conflict management
- Review dashboard
8. Reviewr
Image credit to Reviewr
Reviewr stands out with its streamlined solution for its ability to call for proposals, call for speakers, and call for abstracts. The platform has a user-friendly interface that promises efficient workflow and is designed to simplify the event planning process. With Reviewr, participants can easily submit their abstracts, and reviewers can easily evaluate and provide feedback with the platform’s built-in tools. One of the key advantages of Reviewr is its focus on user experience and its interface, which is designed to be intuitive and easy to navigate.
Best For
Organizers looking for submissions of nominations, scholarships, grants, fellowships
Core Features
- Branded program landing page
- Submission management dashboard
- Submission filtering and sorting
- Reviewer group creation for specific review assignments
9. Fourwaves
Image credit to Fourwaves
Fourwaves is an event management software that specializes in academic conferences with its abstract management software and other event management tools such as registration, event website creation and conference program management. It’s simple design and workflow allow researchers and academics to create submission forms and peer review collectively. It proudly markets itself as being flexible and simple, eliminating any complicated setups and configurations.
Best For
Academic and university conferences
Core Features
- Simple setup with an intuitive interface
- Flexible forms with custom fields, conditional logic and multi-format uploads
- Submission management dashboard
- Custom email notifications
- Reviewer portal for scoring and feedback
- Automatic or manual submission distribution to reviewers
10. Ex Ordo
Image credit to Ex Ordo
Ex Ordo is an accessible and intuitive abstract management software scientific, medical, and technical conferences. The product mainly focuses in its strong peer review process that allows multiple reviewers to easily score multiple submissions. Additionally it provides a registration system and a virtual conference platform for program building, attendee messaging, and secure online payments. Their focus on scholarly and research events will guarantee good experience for those types of events.
Best For
Scientific, medical, technical and scholarly events
Core Features
- Abstract collection with topics, formats and word counts
- Single or multi-track conferences
- Automatic matching of submissions to reviewers
- Easy scoring cards for review
- Notifications to accepted and rejected submissions
11. Mira Smart Conferencing
Image credit to Mira Smart Conferencing
Mira Smart Conferencing takes a holistic approach to event planning, offering an integrated solution for calls for abstracts and speaker and session management. The platform recognizes the interconnected nature of these event components and aims to provide a cohesive solution for a well-managed event. Mira Smart Conferencing provides organizers with built-in collaboration tools to facilitate communication and collaboration among speakers, reviewers, and participants. The platform allows users to easily share documents, exchange feedback, and coordinate logistics in real time.
Best For
Small conferences with tailored pricing or conferences with abstract management needs
Core Features
- Simple abstract submission portal
- Peer review with options for simple review process or complex review process
- Admin dashboard for submission management
- Session manager with printable conference schedules
12. Morressier
Image credit to Morressier
Morressier specializes in abstract and poster management for academic and scientific events. It offers a comprehensive solution for handling complex and large volumes of abstract submission and review processes. The platform is flexible and scalable, allowing organizers to easily switch between managing large-scale conferences and small symposiums without leaving the platform. Morressier also offers advanced analytics and reporting capabilities, providing organizers with valuable insights into abstract submission trends, reviewer feedback, and overall event performance.
Best For
Academic and scientific events
Core Features
- Auto-assign reviewers
- Automatic emails for submission invitations, review requests, and decision notifications
- Analytics dashboard of submissions
- Journal submission management
Choose the Best Call for Speakers Software
Event organizers should carefully review all available abstract management software solutions, considering factors such as user-friendliness, customization options, and integration capabilities. Take the time to evaluate your options and consider all factors so you can make an informed choice for a seamless and efficient event management experience. .
While the top 12 abstract management software solutions listed above come with their strengths, one stands out for its comprehensive approach – Whova. Whova can do more than steamline the submission and review process for you. It also provides event organizers with customizable options, integrated communication, and a user-friendly interface. Request a free demo today and find out how Whova can enhance your event management experience.
FAQ
What is abstract management?
Abstract management is the process of collecting submissions, assigning reviewers, tracking submission status, and finalizing accepted content for academic conferences, research publications, or professional events. Abstract management ensures that fairness and proper guidelines are followed in the review process while also providing a smooth integration of abstracts into the event.
What is an abstract manager?
An abstract manager is either a professional or software that manages the submission, review, and organization of abstracts. Abstract managers ensure that all abstracts are properly organized, are reviewed with the proper evaluation criteria, and are accepted or rejected accordingly.
What is the process of abstract management?
The process of abstract management includes the following steps:
- Call for abstracts – Event organizers create a submission portal or channel to collect submissions.
- Submission – Submitters upload their abstracts through an online abstract management system while following the submission guidelines.
- Review and evaluation – Assigned reviewers evaluate multiple submissions and provide feedback based on the agreed criteria.
- Decision-making – Reviewers discuss which submissions to accept or reject.
- Notification – Submitters are informed of the reviewers’ decisions.
- Program or publication preparation – Accepted abstracts are organized into conference sessions, proceedings, or journal issues.