The role mobile event apps play in today’s business culture has been enormous. Apart from facilitating seamless integration with the delegates and stakeholders, event apps can help the event managers streamline the event and plan it accurately, making it an indispensable tool in business.
The growth of event apps
It is interesting to note how event apps became such an important part of business culture. What was once done on pen and paper can now be done easily in an app. When the spreadsheet came into prominence, several people shifted to that and it became a trend. But mastering an online spreadsheet did require some sort of expertise. And you had to keep the document under lock and key so one else would access the sheet while you are away from the computer. This went on for some time until a few years ago when the app revolution conquered the world. You have apps for everything, now, and eventually, it might have entered your head that having an app would help you conduct events in a better way. Which is a good thing.
Building an app takes time
It is important to remember that app development is a process that takes time. So, you have to keep about 4-6 weeks to develop the app. If the timelines don’t match, you need to find a way around it. You can begin by building a framework because it provides the event planner with a basic groundwork for the entire event. You will have to move around a few things (for example, brand, exhibitors, sponsors, etc.), but planning earlier will definitely work in your favor.
However, there are some beliefs that keeps people from actually building and using event apps.
Here are some of those myths.
Myth 1. Mobile apps are expensive
The popular belief is that mobile apps are expensive to create, and that belief extends to mobile event apps. Fortunately, that’s a myth because you can easily create an inexpensive app if you do it the right way. It could range between £1,800 to £20,000, depending on how complex or easy you want it to be.
Myth 2. You cannot measure the ROI of an event app
It is possible to measure the ROI of your event, contrary to popular belief. Measuring the ROI will help you improve the planning process of your app, lower the cost of your next event and maximize the value of the event itself. By measuring the ROI, you can also analyze the level of brand awareness that you create, check how the sales pipeline grew after your previous event and even gauge an understanding of how well you were able to generate new leads.
Myth 3. Attendees are intimidated by the use of technology
It is true that some people are intimidated by technology, but people are actually interested in smartphones, and a good percentage of senior citizens have started using smartphones to communicate with their loved ones. If you simplify the process of downloading and using the app, then you will find that more people will use it. Just make it simple – put up notices of the event in emails, signage onsite, offer online check in, timely notifications and intimations.
Myth 4. Having a website is enough; having an app is just unwanted expense
Many event planners believe that creating an event app is just expense they can cut. Unfortunately, they fail to realize that a website is much more generic when compared to mobile apps because you can always give your customers a personalized experience.
Myth 5. The attendees have to be continuously connected to the internet to use the app
This is definitely a myth; your attendees don’t have to be connected to the internet to access the map. You can create a native app, so they have all the information they need when they access the mobile app.
Myth 6. The publicity you can spread about the event is negligible
You can create a buzz about your event app, and spread it across social media channels to help spread the word about the event. You can promote your event by promoting the app through social media, event announcements, posters and advertisements.
Myth 7. Event apps will not work in a unified manner across all the devices
Event attendees use their app on different devices, be it smartphones, tablets or even the desktop. You don’t have to restrict the app user to a particular device because you can easily create apps that work seamlessly across different devices, and with equal performance and quality.
Myth 8. Creating an app just for the sake of an event is not really worth it
The best thing about an event app is that you can engage your attendees, before, during and after. If you are conducting a conference on a particular business topic, you can have a mix of seasoned alumni and first-time members in your group. The veterans can share tips, and critical information with newcomers. This sharing of knowledge can easily create a network of people. And you can give something valuable to these people. The bonding is there because it turns out to be a kind of social network.
Myth 9. It’s a small event, so an app is a waste
Event applications help you connect with your target segment even after the event, so even if the event is small, there is no need to worry about it. When you add an app to every event, you are leading people to these events. Over time, this will boost your ROI, because people will develop the habit of using your app whenever there is an event. You can improve the engagement of your app, generate awareness about your brand and your events through the app, however big or small the event is.
Myth 10. My team doesn’t have the time or knowledge to develop an app for an event
You don’t have to worry about the development part of the app, and it isn’t as expensive as you think. You can hire experts who can do this for you, and then you can manage the rest. Mobile event apps come equipped with easy content management systems.
Conclusion
The main purpose of mobile event apps is that you can drive engagement when you incorporate it for every event that you conduct. Eventually you can increase engagement, improve ROI and even spend less amount for marketing each event. It can be a huge money saver because you don’t have to go through with all those hidden costs of getting printed previews, newsletters, guides, marketing promos, one-sheets and more.
You can even cut down the litter and contribute to a greener environment. The time and effort you need for creating, printing and mailing those paper marketing forms is quite negligible when you consider the prospect of event apps.
Your exhibitors and sponsors are also going to love the app idea. When you are able to monetize your app, it drives leads for them as well. This helps the vendors connect with the attendees in a personalized manner, and send out SMS based messages and so on.