Anyone who has been out and about in Salzburg recently will have noticed that the **15th ** ISRM Congress took place recently in the Kongresshaus. Those who were also curious and visited the hosts website (the Austrian Society for Geomechanics, aka. ÖGG) also got a glimpse at an Alphaport project that we are really very proud of.

The ÖGG website has been an Alphaport work-in-progress since 2019. That year, Alphaport won the ÖGG's open tender and created their new state-of-the-art website based on the "Apostrophe" framework. The cooperation with the ÖGG during the development of their new website also resulted in the opportunity for Alphaport to create the websites for two congresses, where the Geomechanics Congress is held yearly in Salzburg.

The new ÖGG website

The new ÖGG website now offers members and administrators a variety of important functions for digital membership management.

When registering, members have the option of choosing between different types of membership. They can then view and edit their data, download documents and more via the members' area of the website. This self-administration by the members has already relieved the administrators of a lot of work, as some administrative tasks can now be carried out by the members themselves.

The website now also offers administrators the opportunity to manage members in greater depth, upload documents and conduct surveys and votes.

Websites for the Geomechanics & ISRM Congress

The congresses that Alphaport was commissioned to develop websites for are the above-mentioned annual Salzburg Geomechanics Congress and the ISRM Congress, which took place in Salzburg for the first time this year.

The registration process for members of all websites follows a similar logic. Visitors can register for a membership with the ÖGG or for attending one of the congresses on the respective website and then complete the registration online using a clearly structured form. For members who are already registered on the ÖGG website, the registration process for the congresses is simplified, as the member data can be transferred and does not have to be entered twice.

A key element of the congress websites is the exhibition area. Exhibitors can register here and enter their data directly into the system. Booth reservations are made online, with a selection of the booth position on a linked site plan. The booth fee can then also be paid online; with prices depending on the category, which can also be found on the site plan. Exhibitors also have other options available online, such as booking a stand supervisor. This online exhibitor area makes the work of congress administrators easier, as they now only have to respond to exhibitors' requests. Due to the Corona lockdown in 2020, Alphaport also added a virtual exhibition to the congress website, which allows visitors to follow the presentations online and get in touch with other congress participants. This feature has been retained even after the end of the lockdown and is therefore available to participants.

Alphaport also developed a web app for the Geomechanics Congress that offers visitors useful functions at the event. These features include an interactive map with directions to specific booths. The app also allows users to add presentations to their personal calendars and communicate directly with other participants via a WhatsApp group. In addition, administrators can send time-sensitive notifications to congress participants.

Conclusion

Recently the ÖGG announced that the ISRM congress was a great success, well attended with 1500 participants from 64 countries. We are happy to have been part of such a great project and to have enabled the congress administrators to handle important functions such as membership management and congress organization digitally.