Also, now is probably not the time for it, and I'm leaving this as a "You should ping me about this later when we're both not as stressed and can think about it" comment, but....
Why do events not start out as a database? It's not that hard to freeze new entries at the deadline, run a report based on whatever factors need reports run, and then run something that's "vaguely a start" for you and let you massage it into a pretty program book schedule. In fact, given that the embedded stuff is from dabbledb.com, I'm betting that it DOES start out as a database. Why not LEAVE it as a database, and then write the page such that attendees can, oh I don't know, SEARCH THE BLOODY THING. Or even re-order it into something more useful to themselves.
My guess is either that "the webmaster doesn't have time/know how to do that" or "the hosting provider doesn't allow that." I know how, have a lot more free time than I used to, and I know where there's a hosting provider I can make do that. (And I just looked at dabbledb.com, which says it's shutting down in May 2011, so I'm thinking that y'all will need a new solution next year anyway.)
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Why do events not start out as a database? It's not that hard to freeze new entries at the deadline, run a report based on whatever factors need reports run, and then run something that's "vaguely a start" for you and let you massage it into a pretty program book schedule. In fact, given that the embedded stuff is from dabbledb.com, I'm betting that it DOES start out as a database. Why not LEAVE it as a database, and then write the page such that attendees can, oh I don't know, SEARCH THE BLOODY THING. Or even re-order it into something more useful to themselves.
My guess is either that "the webmaster doesn't have time/know how to do that" or "the hosting provider doesn't allow that." I know how, have a lot more free time than I used to, and I know where there's a hosting provider I can make do that. (And I just looked at dabbledb.com, which says it's shutting down in May 2011, so I'm thinking that y'all will need a new solution next year anyway.)