The OpenWater Blog

Virtual Summit Software: The Best Platform and Tools

A virtual summit is a great way to bring people together and earn non-dues revenue for your organization. Your summit platform should include the basic features that enable your attendees […]

Academic Conference Management Software for Higher Ed Events

What Makes an Event Platform Work for Academic Conferences and Higher Ed Events? Academic, scientific and medical conferences are content rich experiences that enable niche networking. In the context of […]

A Guide to Virtual Symposium Platforms

There are many virtual symposium platforms out there to choose from. How do you choose the right one? It helps to start with the basics by defining what a symposium […]

How to Find the Best Virtual Conference Platforms for Large Groups

Attending a large in-person conference will not be an option in 2021. Therefore, organizations that host conferences for large groups of participants must turn to alternatives such as virtual conferencing. […]

Virtual Conference Platforms with Breakout Rooms

Breakout rooms are a necessary component for any virtual event. Virtual conference platforms with breakout rooms enhance attendees’ conference experience by keeping them engaged. It can be a virtual conference […]

legacy software
Everything Around Your Legacy Software Has Changed: What Can You Do?

Your legacy software was the perfect solution at one point.  After all, it paved the way for all of the standards that followed.  It might not have the advancements or […]

Frankenstein software
You Can Update Frankenstein Software Systems Forever, But Should You?

“It’s alive!” Years of updates, layers of add-ons, and a quick-fix around every bug-infested corner can keep a struggling legacy system alive and walking almost indefinitely.  But at a certain […]

custom SQL database
Rescue Your Old Custom SQL Database With APIs

SQL (Structured Query Language) has been around since the 70s, but it’s still the standard language for relational databases—such as those common to websites.  It may not be the most […]

AMS Database
Is Your AMS Database at War With Your Other Software?

The core of an association’s technology stack is the AMS database (Association Management System).  It houses your membership data, gathers dues, collects event registrations, automates email marketing, and more.  Depending […]

old software
Why Supporting Old Software Isn’t Worth the Cost

You may have heard—Microsoft officially ends “extended support” for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020 (mainstream support stopped years ago). However, it’s still in use on 39% of all PCs. […]