According to Nielson, in America alone,
smart phone ownership reached 54.9% in mid 2012. Today, 2 out of 3
Americans who buy a new phone purchase a smart phone. These
technology trends are playing a major role in the ever evolving nature of
events. Apps that are used by either planners or attendees (or both) have
become a common element in event planning and execution. Sometimes,
attendees may even expect an event to integrate apps. Event apps
are still relatively new, however, so planners are discovering how to include
them in an effective and efficient way.
An article in Event Industry News reports GenieMobile’s predictions for the event app industry in 2013. Michaels
Douglas, Operations Director at Genie Mobile, says they believe that apps will
become a normal event element. They also see trends towards multi-event
apps and increased demand for ROI. Below is a summary of the entire list of
predictions for 2013:
1.Platforms will need to be compatible with web
and tablets
2.Apps will become a normal event element
3.Greater focus on ROI
4.Rise in use of multi-event apps
5.App vendors will have to deliver higher
quality products
6.Customers will use information collected from
apps to plan future events
7.Customers will look for one supplier for apps
services instead of multiple
8.Customers will need to create content with differences between smart phones and tablets
9.Augmented reality will replace QR codes
10.Show floor tracking for understanding
participant movement
Obviously, staying updated on trends in the
event app industry will be crucial for planners this year. It will help
them keep up with the rest of the industry and provide a better product to all
involved. It is important that event planners and their clients are aware
of attendees’ demand for more technology integration during events in order to
ensure ease and satisfaction. They also need to know what kinds of devices their attendees prefer and how they are using them. In addition, planners must be aware of new
tools that are being developed to make app creation, use, and measurement of
ROI easier.
Quickmobile makes this possible with the
development of SnapApp. This application allows planners to manage event
content and supply attendees with a down-loadable app- all within one platform.
First, Quickmobile designs a master app for the client, with all of their
needs in mind. Next, the client and their staff are given access to the
content management system and are able to customize apps for particular events.
Finally, event attendees download the master app and log in in for access
to their event’s app.
This multi-event technology helps companies save
time and money that would otherwise be spent on creating individual apps for
each event from scratch. It’s easy to use (perfect for companies without
programming expertise or money to pay for it) and attendees can even use
it to create content. Possible interactive content include photo
contests, polls, sweepstakes, and personality contests.
Apps may reduce attendee confusion during the
event as well. It is difficult for attendees to navigate the official
event website on their smart phones through normal search engines.
Providing a well-designed app with all of the important information they
might need for the event provides convenience and will, in effect, increase
attendee satisfaction.
Then, there’s the common concern of ROI.
With SnapApp, attendees are able to share content through the app on
various social media sites. The app then allows the company to view their
performance analytics based on these activities. There are still doubts
about the accuracy of measuring ROI from apps. At the moment,
implementing best practices for measurement is necessary. Observing the
amount of attendee activity and use of the app, along with the amount of
“likes” and “shares” will give the planner or client an idea of the
effectiveness its effectiveness.
Contributed by Ludell Maggard and Yumeng Xie
Article: Parry, A. (2013). Top ten predictions for the event app industry in 2012. Retrieved from http://www.eventindustrynews.co.uk/2013/01/top-10-predictions-for-the-event-app-industry-in-2013/?doing_wp_cron=1359627817.1960639953613281250000#sthash.M2rVTY2j.JdNAbRbd.dpbs
Other sources:
Key words: event apps, event IT trends, multi-event apps, event industry
Contributed by Ludell Maggard and Yumeng Xie
Article: Parry, A. (2013). Top ten predictions for the event app industry in 2012. Retrieved from http://www.eventindustrynews.co.uk/2013/01/top-10-predictions-for-the-event-app-industry-in-2013/?doing_wp_cron=1359627817.1960639953613281250000#sthash.M2rVTY2j.JdNAbRbd.dpbs
Other sources:
No comments:
Post a Comment