Debunking the Myth: Event Apps Are Still Relevant
There’s a common myth circulating that event apps are no longer being used effectively. However, as Matt, Managing Director at CrowdComms, points out, these tools are very much alive and kicking.
The key lies in understanding how to utilise and promote them effectively to unlock their full potential.
The Unique Value of Event Apps
Event apps serve a multitude of functions, making them indispensable for various types of events. Whether it’s a corporate conference, a trade show, or even a festival, these apps provide significant value:
- Personalised Agendas: Attendees can create their own schedules by adding sessions and favoriting them.
- Networking: Features like searchable delegate lists and matchmaking facilitate meaningful connections.
- Communication: Push notifications keep attendees informed about real-time updates and activities – often underused!
- Engagement Tools: Live polling, Q&A sessions, and gamification features boost interaction and participation.
When not to Use a Mobile Event App
Not every event requires an app.
For smaller gatherings such as intimate networking sessions or cocktail parties, an event app might be unnecessary as once you get people in the room, they’re not looking at their mobile event apps, they’re looking at and engaging with each other!
In such cases, the focus is more on face-to-face attendee interactions rather than digital meeting facilitation.
Case-Specific Features of CrowdComms Mobile Event App
The CrowdComms mobile event app, offers tailored features for event planners, depending on the event format required. For each type of event, we recommend below, basic elements that you should have as a minimum in your event app:
- Corporate Events: Emphasis on session engagement, live polling, and Q&A to ensure that employees feel heard and valued.
- Trade Shows: Focus on mapping, wayfinding, lead capture / attendee data exchanges and meeting facilitation to maximiSe exhibitor and attendee value.
- Festivals: Detailed schedules, food and drink stall information, and social features like photo and video sharing to help engage your audiences.
How to Increase Event App Adoption Rates?
A frequent concern among event planners is poor adoption rates for event apps.
This is often due to a lack of awareness and promotion. To ensure maximum app usage, here are some fundamentals that you should include in your attendee marketing campaigns:
- Pre-event Marketing: Include details about the event app in pre-event marketing materials like emails, newsletters, and social media posts. Don’t leave it to the bottom paragraph of your attendees emails!
- Promote at Registration/Check-In: Have staff members promote the event app while registering attendees or setting up their badges – have a simple image of QR code that attendees can scan to download or better yet, when they print their badge, send them a real-time notification to encourage downloading the app.
- Incentives for App Use: While you can offer prizes or discounts to attendees who engage with the event app the most, focus on what the purpose is of your event. If you are heavy on sessions and speakers, make your agenda and scheduling functionality front and centre of your app.
You can also read our 2024 Blog “How to onboard event app users with gamification“ for more tips!
Whatever you do, it’s important to communicate the app’s benefits clearly to your specific audience and make it easily accessible. Single sign-on options (or better yet, use our registration platform!) and compatibility with various devices (native apps, progressive web applications, desktop solutions) can significantly enhance user experience and ensure engagement long after the show doors have closed.
Real-Time App Usage and Post-Event Engagement
While most planners excel at promoting event apps before and during the event, post-event engagement often falls short. Yet, this is where significant value can be extracted.
Using the mobile event app to continue communication, gather feedback, and drive engagement and interest for future events is essential.
Event organisers can leverage comprehensive data analytics to understand attendee behavior and preferences, which allows for continuous improvement and more personalised attendee experiences.
The Future of Event Apps: AI and Data Analytics
CrowdComms is at the forefront of integrating AI into our analytics tools.
By providing natural language processing capabilities, we will enable users to query specific data points effortlessly. Imagine asking, “What was the return on investment for our keynote speaker?” and receiving detailed metrics on attendance, engagement, and feedback to know if the amount of money you spent on your keynote speaker was worth it.
This level of insight helps planners make informed decisions and refine their strategies for future events.
Conclusion
Event apps remain a vital component of modern event planning.
Their success hinges on proper use, promotion, and continuous engagement.
At CrowdComms, we are committed to helping you leverage these tools to achieve your event goals. Remember, the first step towards effective utiliSation is understanding the unique needs of your event and selecting the right features to meet those needs.
To get in touch with our team, visit our website.
