Event Mobile APP Become a Necessity

As we all know, technology moves quickly and it can be a challenge keeping up with all the latest trends. In today's MICE industry, technology has played an increasingly important role. Conference online registration platform, event mobile APP, website and conference management system are all new ways to help the organisers saving more time and money.

According to a new survey through surveying over 300 planners and 160 attendees, AMEX (American Express Meetings & Events) compiled data to uncover the most important aspects of the event technology experience. Not surprisingly, 90% of smartphone owners say they use it for business at meetings and events demonstrating the opportunity planners have to add value to their attendees’ experience. Thus, a good APP user experience also can become a major bright spot of the event.

The event app’s main objectives included better attendee engagement, enhanced branding, and a better way to measure success. Besides, event app is a convenient way to disseminate information, updates, and other materials to all attendees, regardless of device, and to keep them engaged throughout the event. What’s more, an event app would provide a reprieve from the costly and cumbersome printed materials that her attendees had been saddled with in previous years. So that’s why event app becomes a necessity in events.

                        (Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zHcaCoBB4w)

There’s no doubt that technology has dramatically changed the attendees’ experience over the past 5 years. With the rapid adoption of mobile devices and the expectation of always staying connected, each and every conference app has its own look, own feel, and own characteristic. As the event planner in charge, we need to decide exactly what are our attendees’ experience, how we are designing modern experiences. 

All the event essentials covered

                             (Source: http://doubledutch.me/event-app.html)

According to AMEX research, a gap exists between what planners and attendees want in meeting technology. So what is it that attendees really want in an event APP?

(Source:  http://www.eventmobi.com/blog/2015/01/13/best-custom-mobile-event-and-conference-apps/)

For the most part, planners have effectively gauged what’s most important to their attendees. Both attendees and planners agree these are the top 5 features or capabilities in an event app:

1. Access to Event Schedule

2. Access to Session Descriptions

3. Ability to Receive Updates from Organizer

4. Ability to Create a Personalized Schedule

5. Access to Maps

Event mobile APP is a way to provide meeting agenda, guest speakers’ overview information. Participants can use it both on the trip and during the event. From the perspective of the participants, the key success to attend events is finding new cooperation. Event organizers have realized the social network has huge potential of the events. Social media platform allows participants to communicate with their customers or potential customers, and collect valuable feedback. Event mobile APP provides a channel to attendees having the chance to communicate with others anytime, anywhere and master meeting dynamic. Free and stable wireless can not only make the participants understand the related conference contents, but also can share the meeting experience.

All in all, digital technology opened up a new possibility for the events. It can improve participants meeting experience, which is organizers looking for. 

Sources:

http://doubledutch.me/event-app.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zHcaCoBB4w

http://www.eventmobi.com/blog/2015/01/13/best-custom-mobile-event-and-conference-apps/

http://www.eventmobi.com/blog/2014/10/09/research-do-you-know-what-your-attendees-really-want-in-an-event-app/

Honyin ZHANG & Bao WANG