The Power of Mobile Event Apps
Mobile apps radically revolutionized the event industry.
With event apps, there’s no more hauling around bulky paper agendas or missing important sessions. Now the entire event is right at your fingertips!
Attendees access the schedule, speaker bios, presentation slides, exhibit floor maps, and more in one convenient app.
Enhanced Attendee Data Tracking and Engagement
Event mobile apps allow organizers to track attendee data and engagement. With user analytics, organizers see:
This granular data streamlines segmented messaging and personalized attendee recommendations.
Personalizing experience through suggestions for sessions, exhibitors, and networking contacts increases engagement.
Gamification through trivia, polls, leaderboards, and rewards encourages app participation.
Attendees motivated by point systems and recognition will happily provide data.
And with badge scanning integration, access point monitors track attendee traffic and engagement across venues.
Heat maps visualize high-traffic areas versus underused spaces.
Experience an unprecedented understanding of the attendee journey before, during, and after events.
Data empowers organizers to refine future events for maximum impact.
Innovating Networking and Connection
But mobile event apps provide so much more than just information.
They facilitate networking and engagement like never before.
Participants rate sessions, interact with other attendees, join discussion forums, and give organizers invaluable data and analytics.
Attendees access exclusive content like live polls, quizzes, surveys, and gamification features.
These features make the event more interactive and fun. They provide valuable feedback and insights for the organizers and speakers.
We’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible with mobile technology.
Event planners have yet to capitalize on the potential during live events.
Speakers today quickly promote the event app’s capabilities on stage and give attendees a few minutes to connect through the app.
Networking and lead generation increase exponentially.
People easily find and meet their perfect contacts without wandering a crowded expo hall.
Rethinking Printouts and Embracing Virtual
Event organizers still overspend time and money on wasteful printout materials.
It’s no wonder why the average event attendee produces 1.89 Kg of waste per day, 85% of which end up in a landfill!
Tables get filled with unwanted flyers, brochures, and swag attendees don’t need.
This creates unsustainable clutter and information overload.
Mobile event apps prevent clutter by digitizing brochures, flyers, and coupons and making them accessible through the app.
Attendees browse materials selectively and download only what interests them.
Apps create virtual booths that maximize marketing opportunities for sponsors before, during, and after events.
Interactive mini-sites allow creativity impossible with printouts.
Videos, 3D demos, and multimedia content bring booths to life.
After the event ends, the booth can remain open to provide continued value.
Organizers gain crucial data on booth visits and prospect interactions that printouts never could.
Embracing virtual over physical printouts reduces waste and information overload for attendees.
Meanwhile, sponsors benefit from greater engagement, interactivity, and actionable insights.
Event apps hold the key to preventing booth clutter in the digital age.
Connecting In-Person and Virtual Attendees
Mobile event apps encourage seamless networking between in-person and virtual attendees.
Online participants browse attendee profiles and can request face-to-face video chats.
Likewise, physical attendees can match with digital counterparts based on shared interests and goals.
Virtual meetups, socials, and networking sessions come to life through the app.
Robust collaboration features like activity feeds, forums, and messaging foster an inclusive event community.
Conversations started in-person continue online.
Polls, Q&As, surveys, and group chats bring all attendees together in real-time engagement, regardless of physical location.
The app becomes the hub uniting virtual and physical worlds.
This omnichannel networking creates a unified event experience.
Physical limitations disappear as attendees collaborate and connect through the power of technology and community.
Continuous Engagement Before, During, and After
Online event apps encourage sponsors to continuously engage with attendees before, during, and after events.
Sponsors set up one-on-one appointments, provide videos, and exchange brochures and information easily via QR codes. They have the power to market to qualified leads long after events end.
Sponsors connect with qualified leads in private virtual meeting spaces. A safe place for personal conversations is much less intimidating than crowded physical booths.
Apps reduce the need for expansive physical booths.
Sponsors and attendees enjoy a more comfortable experience.
Organizers focus less on managing exhibit halls and more on facilitating meaningful networking and engagement.
Sponsor marketing and attendee interactions no longer have to end when events are over. The opportunities to connect extend far beyond the physical timeframe.
It’s time to embrace the potential of mobile and web apps fully:
Move from guesswork to data-driven insights. The future of events is now!
Picking the Best Event App: Key Factors to Consider
Choosing an event app is one of the most crucial technology decisions when planning engaging virtual, hybrid, or in-person events.
The right app becomes the digital heart of your attendee experiences before, during, and after your event.
Carefully evaluate critical factors to pick the perfect app for your specific needs.
Intended Use Case
Events come in all shapes and sizes with diverse goals. What should you consider first?
Match the app capabilities to your intended use case.
Take a needs-first approach, starting with must-have functionality based on your unique event format, objectives, and audience expectations.
This establishes a minimum viable baseline for app selection.
Customization and Branding
An event app becomes a direct extension of your brand.
Attendees will associate their experience within the app with your event and organization overall.
Look for platforms that allow deep customization and white labeling options, such as:
Brand and configure the app to match your event creatives.
Create cohesion across touchpoints and enhance engagement through familiarity.
Attendee Experience
Put yourself in your attendees’ shoes. Test drive the app interface through their perspective.
Complex apps easily confuse and frustrate users.
Prioritize clean, simple designs on both desktop and mobile. Conduct user testing with target demographics to uncover pain points.
Optimizing user experience ensures maximum adoption and participation.
The app should delight attendees, not distract them from their overall event participation.
Data, Analytics, and Reporting
Event organizers use app data to gain insights about attendee behavior and preferences before, during, and after the event.
Determine what analytics matter most and select technology capable of delivering them. This may include:
The flexibility to extract and analyze data specific to your KPIs gives actionable insights to refine and improve event execution continually.
Budget
Avoid spending on unnecessary bells and whistles or underinvesting in core functionality that might frustrate users.
Many platforms offer tiered packages or scalable pricing models. Pricing may be dependent on attendee numbers and use cases.
Take advantage of trials and demos to establish actual needs. Review attendee data and other ROI the app delivers.
Your cost-benefit analysis should weigh capabilities, adoption, support, and total lifetime value.
Always allocate your budget based on what you really need for event success.
Support and Training
Even the most well-designed apps only succeed if properly implemented. Select a seasoned provider who offers robust live support and training resources.
Don’t go it alone – leverage providers who support your team before, after, and during the event for the ultimate event success.
Easy starting packages • Advanced options • Proven results
Top Mobile Event Apps for 2023
Innovative mobile apps provide digital solutions to enhance in-person events and virtual experiences alike:
Hubilo
Hubilo is an all-in-one event management platform built to drive engagement and ROI. From conferences to trade shows and webinars, it powers immersive online experiences.
Key features include:
Hubilo empowers event profs to create customizable and interactive digital environments. It’s a streamlined way to manage attendees, sessions, exhibitors, and sponsors.
Airmeet
Airmeet is a feature-rich virtual and hybrid event platform.
It focuses on recreating authentic connections through modern tech like spatial audio, expertly designed stages, and intuitive networking capabilities.
Notable features include:
Airmeet makes online events feel real and authentic, not like a series of passive speaker videos. The mobile experience allows attendees to network spontaneously from their phones.
Cadence
Cadence offers an end-to-end event app builder for creating interactive mobile experiences. Use it for conferences, summits, seminars, and more.
Key capabilities:
Cadence focuses on maximizing attendee participation before, during, and after events. The mobile app encourages social sharing and networking for a connected experience.
Eventee
Eventee focuses on networking and lead generation mobile apps. Meet quality prospects based on role, industry, and interests. Schedule 1:1 video meetings or group meetups.
Notable features:
Eventee makes big events feel small and personal. Find your people and develop valuable connections from your phone.
Welcome
Welcome offers a mobile event app builder with engagement features for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events. Drive participation before, during, and after.
Notable capabilities:
Welcome places everything attendees need in one place. It captures data to provide impactful event insights. The mobile experience empowers participation.
HeySummit
HeySummit offers an intuitive event management platform with built-in marketing automation and lead nurturing capabilities.
Manage everything from registration to ongoing community engagement.
Key features:
With its seamless event marketing integration, HeySummit simplifies end-to-end event execution and follow-up.
BigMarker
BigMarker provides a full-service virtual event platform for webinars, conferences, and summits. Deliver engaging experiences with ease.
Notable capabilities:
BigMarker makes running seamless virtual events simple, whether public or private.
Livewebinar
Livewebinar is an intuitive, cloud-based webinar platform loaded with engagement features:
Features include:
Livewebinar provides a reliable, full-featured live broadcast solution made simple.
Hopin
Hopin delivers immersive virtual experiences on a flexible event platform. Ideal for multi-day conferences and trade shows.
Notable capabilities:
Hopin allows organizers to recreate the feel of lively in-person events in a smooth virtual setting.
Zoom Events
Zoom Events combines the familiar Zoom Meetings platform with dedicated tools for large-scale event production:
Key features:
Zoom Events lets you leverage Zoom’s scalable architecture for immersive virtual attendee experiences.
Other Notable Mobile Apps
While not complete event management platforms, these apps offer excellent solutions for engagement, networking, and gamification:
Get Event Tech Upgrades with RFID Reader Apps
Want to use RFID technology but don’t want to invest in hardware? These apps turn your smartphone into a digital scanner for event check-ins and data collection. Pretty cool, right?
No more wait times in crowded lines. Just tap your phone to sign in via personalized RFID name badges instantly. Data flows into the event app in real-time.
Organizers get up-to-the-second analytics on attendee traffic. And sponsors instantly retrieve info from scanned booth badges.
Some top RFID reader apps to elevate your next event:
These apps offer less hassle for attendees, more data for organizers, and a smoother event for everyone.
Event Apps of the Future Change Events Forever
Event apps are evolving rapidly alongside virtual, augmented, and mixed-reality tech. Here are seven futuristic concepts that could soon be a reality:
- Apps that transport attendees into interactive 3D event environments using AR/VR headsets. Explore exhibits, view sessions, and network.
- AI-driven recommendation engines connect attendees with perfectly matched sponsors and exhibitors.
- Biometric face scanning for seamless check-in and lead retrieval at booths.
- Hologram technology “teleport” speakers in real-time across the globe without travel.
- 5G and neural networks enabling simultaneous translation into multiple languages in attendee headphones.
- Blockchain protocols to manage payments, contracts, and transparently track engagement data.
- Drone delivery from sponsors when a booth interaction triggers a personalized gift.
The possibilities are endless! While some of these concepts seem far off, the pace of mobile technology means the event apps of tomorrow will arrive sooner than we think.
Here are three apps you can use right now to do some of these things:
VRDirect Virtual Reality Environments
The possibilities are endless! While some of these concepts seem far off, the pace of mobile technology means the event apps of tomorrow will arrive sooner than we think.
Here are three apps you can use right now to do some of these things:
Zenus Facial Recognition
The possibilities are endless! While some of these concepts seem far off, the pace of mobile technology means the event apps of tomorrow will arrive sooner than we think.
Here are three apps you can use right now to do some of these things:
Grip Artificial Intelligence
The possibilities are endless! While some of these concepts seem far off, the pace of mobile technology means the event apps of tomorrow will arrive sooner than we think.
Here are three apps you can use right now to do some of these things:
Embrace the Future
The event landscape 5 years from now will look different thanks to ever-evolving mobile tech. But for now, embrace the apps already revolutionizing today’s conferences.
The future will arrive faster than you imagine!
7 Best Practices for Success
Now that we’ve covered some of the top mobile event apps let’s discuss seven best practices to maximize app benefits:
- Promote the app prominently – Drive downloads by promoting across websites, emails, social media, and on-site signage. Offer incentives for use.
- Offer tutorials – Educate internal teams and attendees on how to use the platform best. Offer live demos, videos, and guides.
- Incentivize app activities – Increase usage and engagement by rewarding interactions with points, badges, leaderboard placement, or prizes.
- Gather feedback – Ask attendees directly for suggestions on improving the app via in-app surveys.
- Start small – Don’t roll out all features at once. Test tools and features. See what works best and what needs improvement.
- Integrate with other tools – Connect your app with existing systems like CRM, marketing automation, registration, and payment platforms.
- Analyze data – Review analytics regularly to identify adoption and usage trends and where to improve.
By following best practices around promotion, education, incentivization, and integration, have high adoption and attendee satisfaction with your mobile event app experience.
Transform Your Next Event with a Mobile App
We hope you found this guide eye-opening! Mobile event apps have tremendous potential to create unforgettable immersive, measurable, and interactive experiences. They pack a serious punch from attendee networking and gamification to lead capture and detailed data tracking.
Now is the time to stop settling for stale, one-dimensional events!
Leverage cutting-edge tools to create awe-inspiring event experiences unlike any other. With strategic planning and promotion, take your events to the next level.
Take your events to the next level with strategic planning and promotion.
Choosing the right event app can be tricky. One size doesn’t fit all.
With 20+ years of virtual and hybrid event production, we’ve vetted hundreds of apps to find the perfect fit based on each client’s unique needs.
Lean on our insider knowledge to find the ideal app based on your event format, objectives, and target audience. We provide seamless integration with your other platforms and insightful ongoing training so you always get maximum value and unparalleled results!
Schedule a free strategy session today. Tap into our event app marketplace expertise. With the right app and We & Goliath at your side, create memorable experiences that boost engagement and unlock invaluable data. Let’s find the perfect fit! Contact us today!