The use of mobile devices is very well
spread. For event planners, this can be practical to reach attendees. Indeed,
schedule and information can be communicated instantly. Moreover, applications
can allow networking between participants in a more effective and rapid way.
According to their name "mobile devices" are mobile. People can have
all the details they need on an event, anywhere. Geo localization is also
possible and is a great tool for event planners to know where people are using
the apps (work, home?). Tracking can be put in place and give feedback on where
and when people are visiting the applications. The effectiveness of the tool
can be then analyzed and improved.
Adam Parry is an editor at Event Industry
News. He wrote an article on Event Apps where he highlights that many organizers
are still hesitant concerning the use of applications to enhance their event.
Is it worth it? Are they just an extra expense? Do they improve attendees’
engagement and thus generate revenue? How do they really work and how can it be
useful?
Adam Parry decided to ask readers what they
did not know about apps and then ask Peter Keep (working at Propeller Mobile
which provides Event apps for example) to answer them.
For those who thought that their audience was
not using mobile devices, the reality is that ownership is still growing and
smartphones are not disappearing. During Christmas, five tablets are sold every
second. For those who are not yet equipped, they will soon be; they will then
be looking for things to do on it. Apps are there to fulfill people and to
entertain them mostly.
Event planners do not always know what to
put in apps. Peter Keep says that it depends on the type of objectives they
want to reach. Is it informative, interactive? Anything can be found on an
event app as the maps of the venue, the speakers’ biographies, and the detailed
program of the day or the exhibitor information. Networking but also
downloading presentations or business cards sharing are also possible. Those
features are up to the client and are supposed to enhance the attendee’s
experience in the event. The goal is to allow the participant to remember his
experience thanks to a useful application. Another useful tool is to link the
application to social media. Indeed, a direct link to Facebook, Twitter or
LinkedIn provides a simple way to share information with our personal and
professional network.
Mobile apps are powerful tools according to
Peter Keep. Indeed, contrary to internet, there is no spam filter to block the
communication. Sponsors are visible and are not blocked. Plus, notifications
are visible on the smartphones, on the applications’ icons, to show that
updates are available. Curiosity will lead the attendees to click on it to see
what it is.
Peter Keep suggests that the application should
be ready three to four weeks before the event.
It has to be complete by then because if it is not the case, users will
be discouraged to come back and won’t even try the app again. Propeller Mobile
usually needs one month to develop an app. It can be still useful after the
event if there is a networking function. Indeed, registration will be needed
and attendees will be connected. A community is then created for at least a
year (the approximate lifetime of an app of this kind). The content remains a
real issue and has to be taken into account for the app to be successful and
perennial.
Event apps, to be effective, have to be
complete, made of relevant topics and easy to use. If not, the objectives are
not sure to be reached. The interest is that it is possible to track the number
of people using the app and to get more detailed statistics about it. A good
application has to be useful before, during and after the event. Before the
event, the aim is to inform; during the event, the aim is to provide data and
after the event the aim is the networking process. It can be associated with
websites or social media to improve the strength of the communication.
Solenne ANNOUSSAMY & Juliette COURTY-GARNIER
Key words: event apps, Propeller Mobile,
Peter Keep, Adam Parry, Event Industry News, IT
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