Join us
Orange welcome sign that reads Royal Geographical Society with IBG.

Become a member and discover where geography can take you.

Join us
Closeup image of a person typing on laptop computer keyboard.

Making the most of the online platform

Find out how to upload asynchronous content and make the most of the conference's online platform.

The online platform for this year's Annual Conference is provided in partnership with Ex Ordo.

This page provides more information on how presenters and session organisers can make the most of the Ex Ordo platform's functionalities before, during, and after the conference. 

On this page:

Navigating the Ex Ordo event space

Browsing the programme

The programme can be accessed using Ex Ordo's virtual event space.

Click the 'at a glance' tab to view the full programme, where you can also download and print a hard copy (PDF version).

Use the search bar (in the top right corner of the event space) to explore the programme by presentation title, session, author, or topic.

To find details of papers included in Research Group-sponsored sessions, head to the 'discover' page. Here, you will be able to find contributions being made at the conference to your specialist field of interest.

Browse the online programme

Session formats explained

There are three types of session format at the conference: in-person only, hybrid, and online-only.

The format for each conference room is listed in the online programme, in parentheses after the name of the room. The format of the room determines the format of the session: in-person sessions take place in 'in-person only' rooms, hybrid sessions take place in 'hybrid' rooms (and online via Zoom), and online sessions take place in 'online-only' rooms (called 'stages').

All in-person sessions will take place in a room at Imperial College London, and all hybrid sessions will take place in a room at the RGS-IBG building. Online-only sessions will take place via Zoom.

All sessions and rooms (or 'venues') are listed in the 'at a glance' view of the programme on the online event space, which offers the definitive and most comprehensive guide to the conference. 

Hybrid and online rooms are also listed in the 'live' section of the online event space. Each hybrid or online room has its own 'stage' which can be accessed from this page.

Important note: sessions in hybrid and online rooms may appear to be listed twice in your version of the programme (one listing is for the in-person venue, and the other is for the online stage), but the timings will always be the same.

Joining sessions as an in-person delegate

Delegates attending the conference in London should join in-person only sessions (based at Imperial College London) and hybrid sessions (based at the Society) in-person.

Delegates at the conference in London can participate in online-only sessions the 'live' section of the event space, either by making use of dedicated space in the Society's Members' Room, or by finding quiet space at Imperial College London or elsewhere close to the conference venue.

Read our guidance on attending the in-person conference

Joining sessions as a virtual delegate

Delegates attending the virtual conference can access hybrid and online-only content via the 'live' section of the online event space.

To join an online or hybrid session, find the session you are intending to join in the online programme, then click 'view stage' under 'ways to watch' (the box to the right of the session description). You will be taken to the online 'stage' and, from there, given the option to 'click to join' the livestream.

Sessions taking place in-person only will not be live-streamed to online delegates or available for these delegates to join.

Read our guidance on attending the virtual conference

Download and use the conference app

A mobile guide is available to all delegates to download through the Ex Ordo app, allowing you to take the conference programme with you on the move and curate your own personalised schedule.

Download the mobile guide now in readiness for the conference.

Accessing the mobile guide

To access the mobile guide, first download the Ex Ordo app from the app store on your mobile device:

Once you've installed the app, create an account. You can use the same email (and password) as your existing Ex Ordo login, but you will be required to make a new account within the app.

Then, click on the 'passphrase' tab in the Ex Ordo app, and enter the conference passphrase: ac2024.

Click 'continue', and then click 'download guide'. The mobile guide will then be saved to the Ex Ordo app (you only need to download the app once). When returning to the Ex Ordo app, find the ac2024 guide saved under 'my guides'.

Navigating the mobile guide

The mobile guide includes several sections:

  • Programme: explore the conference programme. Sessions are listed by date and time in alphabetical order. Click into each session to read the session description and details of any papers or contributions included. Venue information is also listed. Tapping the plus (+) sign next to the session title will add this session to your personalised schedule.
  • My schedule: view your saved sessions.
  • Programme highlights: find details of programme highlights including the Chair's plenary conversations, journal-sponsored lectures, and book panels.
  • Evening receptions: find details of the evening receptions taking place during the conference.
  • Book of abstracts: read the paper abstracts featured in the conference programme. Abstracts are listed by time and date of presentation.
  • Find a presenter: search for delegates presenting at the conference.

Upload a personal biography

Authors and session organisers are encouraged to upload a personal bio which will be visible to other delegates in the conference programme and mobile guide.

To upload a personal biography:

  1. Log in to Ex Ordo using your account email and password.
  2. Click on the 'presentations' tab at the top of the page. A list of your papers (not panel contributions) will be visible. (If any submissions are not listed, you will not be able to make changes to these).
  3. Click on the relevant submission and its information box will expand; click 'edit' at the bottom of the box.
  4. Work through the seven-step workflow to confirm which authors will be presenting at the conference (step 1), and include a personal biography (step 2). You will also be given the option to upload presentation files to attach to your paper in the programme (steps 3-6): you can upload slides (step 3), poster files (step 4), papers/articles (step 5), pre-recorded video files (step 6), and images (step 7). Add files now if you wish, or return to do so later.
  5. Work through the six steps, clicking 'done' at the bottom of each, and then click 'done' at the end of step 7 to save your changes and upload your files.

Note, author biographies be visible in the conference's virtual event space as well as in the mobile guide.

Finalise your submission and edit paper details

Paper authors now have the option to make minor edits to their submission, prior to the commencement of the conference. Any edits made now will be updated automatically in the conference programme.

Paper authors have the option to change their paper title and/or abstract, and change the names and affiliations of presenting authors.

To make changes to your paper:

  1. Login to Ex Ordo using your account username and password.
  2. Click on 'my submissions' on the banner at the top of the page.
  3. Navigate to 'my final submissions' (on the left-side banner). All paper submissions on which you are a named co-author will be listed on the next page. (If any submissions are not listed, you will not be able to make changes to these).
  4. Click on the relevant submission, and its information box will expand; click 'edit' at the bottom of this box. 
  5. Work through the two-step workflow to confirm or edit the title and abstract (step 1), and then the names and affiliations of the paper authors (step 2). You can change the status of authors from presenting to non-presenting (and vice versa), and you can also reallocate the role of corresponding author, if desired.
  6. Click 'done' at the end of step 2 to save your changes.

Upload presentation files and asynchronous content

Paper authors have the option to upload files in advance of the conference for other delegates to view in before, during, or after the conference. You can upload presentation slides, copies of your paper, images, and pre-recorded video files. We encourage authors to make the most of this functionality before the conference commences. 

If your paper features as part of an online or hybrid session, we particularly encourage you to upload a pre-recorded video of your presentation in case technical issues prevent a live presentation from taking place on the day.

To upload materials:

  1. Log in to Ex Ordo using your account email and password.
  2. Click on the 'presentations'  tab at the top of the page. On the next page, a list of your papers (not panel contributions) will be visible on the next page. (If any submissions are not listed, you will not be able to make changes to these).
  3. Click on the relevant submission and its information box will expand; click 'edit' at the bottom of this box.
  4. Work through the seven-step workflow to confirm which authors will be presenting at the conference (step 1), include a personal biography (step 2), and upload relevant materials. You will be given the option to upload slides (step 3), poster files (step 4), papers/articles (step 5), pre-recorded video files (step 6), and images (step 7). 
  5. Work through the six steps, clicking 'done' at the bottom of each, and then click 'done' at the end of step 7 to save your changes and upload your files.

Presentation files will not be visible in the mobile guide, only in the online event space.