How do I import data? From a spreadsheet? What is an associative import? (associated data)

Modified on Wed, 27 Dec, 2023 at 6:05 PM

What data can I import?

You can import:

sessions with their titles, dates, times, descriptions, speaker IDs, keywords, etc.
speakers with their names, titles, organizations, bios, photo URLs, keywords, etc.
abstracts with titles and their full text content
media items such as links to polls or PDFs stored your other vendor's sites
exhibitors with their company names, descriptions, booth numbers, web links, logo URLs, etc.
attendee lists from
using an associative import: add keywords, speakers IDs, or media IDs to sessions for example.

Watch a brief data field video that shows you where each field appears in the app.

Refer to the data specification document which displays all possible tables and available fields.

What is a data source?

A data source is where your data is stored that you wish to import. Edits to your data take place in the source and are imported from there into the Conference App Builder.

For example, you can import all your speakers with their names, titles, organizations, bios, and speaker photos by using a spreadsheet.

What if I have multiple data sources?

You can merge multiple different data sources. For example, you import all the scientific sessions from your Abstract Management System while you add all the workshops and social events via a spreadsheet.

Important

Session IDs must be unique across all data sources. If one data source has a record with the same ID as a record from another data source, the system will skip the record from the second source to prevent you from overwriting any data.

What data sources can I import from?

You can import data from

some abstract management vendors with whom a direct API integration exists such as ScholarOne or Confex. Contact support-eventpilot@ativsoftware.com with details about your abstract management vendor to see if an integration may be possible.
a Google Sheet via a CSV URL (how to generate a CSV URL from a google sheet)
a CSV file you upload or a CSV URL located on a server. For example, CTI would provide you with a CSV URL for sessions, speakers, and media (abstracts).

If you use EventPilot Pro, contact your project manager for additional API import services to build a custom import.

How do I create my own spreadsheets? Is there a template?

The spreadsheet tables must have specific columns and some columns are required per table. Refer to the data specification document which displays all tables and available fields. It includes screenshots to display where which field appears in the platform.

How do I set up a data source in the Conference App Builder?

Open the page for the data you want to import e.g. Agenda > Sessions

Open the Import card
Click the Add Import button
Add a Source Name WHERE the data is coming from. Examples: ScholarOne or Google Sheet or John in IT.
Select the Import Source Type
1. CSV URL - this is the link to a CSV file or dynamically generated content in CSV format on a server. If you use a Google Sheet, see how to generate a CSV URL from a google sheet.
2. CSV Upload - if you only have a CSV file on your computer, for example you exported from Excel, you can upload that file. However, we do not recommend using Excel as the content is not always UTF-8 encoded, which can turn into incorrect character displays. Turn your Excel file into a Google Sheet to make your life easier as all content is automatically UTF-8 encoded.
  1. Note: if you select CSV upload and you have updated data, simply re-upload the updated CSV file to your existing data source. Do not create a new data source for each CSV file.
3. You may see 3rd party vendors listed you can import from. If you use these vendors, you can import directly via their API. Ensure that the API on their side is turned ON for your project.
Next
Depending on your settings in step 1, paste the URL or upload the CSV file or set up the vendor import.
Next
Set up your field mapping and import your data. Field mapping ensures that the right column in your spreadsheet or data set appears in the right place in the app.

How do I add some additional data to existing content (e.g. link presentation pdfs to sessions or add a keyword to an existing session)? (Associative Data)

Speaker Portal Upload

Depending on the version of EventPilot you have purchased, you may have the speaker portal included. In this case, you can set up the import types and invite speakers to upload their content themselves. The content is automatically associated to their presentations.

Learn more about the Speaker Portal

File Upload with Automatic File Associations

Depending on the version of EventPilot you have purchased, you may have access to Conference App Builder > Media > File Uploads. You can upload PDF files, speaker photos, or exhibitor logos and have the system automatically attach those to the right places. The association is based on using the record IDs in the file names. Learn more about auto-association.

Associative Data Import

Imagine you imported media such as a list of PDFs (learn more about setting up a media data sheet in the data specification document). And now you wish to associate the media items to the sessions where they are supposed to appear. You can do this via an Associative Data import where you only import two columns: one for the session ID and one with the media ID(s) to be associated to that session.

When creating a new import source, click Advanced > under Import Method select Associative Data

You can also use associative data imports to add keywords, speaker photos, exhibitor logos and more. Learn more about available associative data fields.

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