Businesses today understand the significance of investing their time and efforts into creating interesting and engaging events to drive growth and profitability. In this context, mobile apps designed specifically for events have come to play a critical role in enhancing attendee engagement by ensuring personalized experiences.
With the total number of mobile users expected to reach a whopping 7.26 billion in 2020, these apps ensure better outreach in a cost-effective manner among target audiences. With the right content, features, and functionality, an event app can help organizers overcome the challenge of enticing potential participants and enable them to create meaningful interaction before, during, and after the event.
Need For Mobile Event Apps
As mentioned before, events are increasingly being recognized as an effective way to drive business growth. However, as the number of events organized within every business niche is growing at a rapid pace, attracting the attention of potential participants within that niche is becoming increasingly difficult. In this scenario, event apps can help organizers overcome the challenge of capturing audience attention and motivate them to make time for attending the event. This has been made possible largely due to the significant advances in technology and the widespread use of smartphone technology. With a majority of the global population having access to a smartphone, the apps work as a technology tool for bringing people to the event and ensuring that they enjoy a memorable and engaging experience that inspires them to keep coming back for more.
Driving Engagement Through Event Apps
There are various ways in which mobile event apps can prove beneficial in terms of driving attendee engagement. In addition to being a vital source of the latest information related to the event, these apps can also become a means of connecting different attendees and gaining insights about their journey and experiences. Discussed below are some ways in which the use of a conference app can impact attendee engagement quite significantly.
Provides Real-Time Updates For Information Dissemination
Potential participants are often highly inquisitive about an upcoming event and feel disappointed and disengaged if their queries are not resolved in a timely and efficient manner. An event app can help precisely such situations by providing the latest and most accurate information about the various aspects of the occasion in real-time. Prospective attendees can even interact with the organizers in real-time to obtain information that might be specific to a particular aspect of the event. The app can also be used to provide complete details about the event itinerary and the various sessions to help the attendees make informed decisions about their participation schedules. In addition, organizers can easily manage the content and even interact with the participants in a personalized manner to address their concerns and clarify any doubts they might be having.
Ensuring easy navigation for the participants to an event and its different sessions are amongst the key challenges that organizers need to overcome. Including a map of the venue and the directions to the locations of different sessions from a common reference point can ensure easy navigation for the participants. This functionality can also help participants familiarize themselves with the venue even before the event commences and fill them with a sense of confidence. The app can also include functionality to guide the attendees about the different routes and various modes of transportation available to reach the venue in the most convenient and hassle-free manner. In addition, it can also keep the attendees updated about any carpool facility or transportation provided by the organizers available near them. This can go a long way in enhancing the experience for attendees, who are new to the area or are not familiar with that particular neighborhood.
Allows Attendees To Manage Their Agendas Easily
Every attendee participates in an event for a certain reason or to fulfill a specific agenda. These are generally based on personal interests, past experiences, and even the learning needs of the attendees. Hence, providing the attendees with the freedom to search for, browse, or even change their agenda through the app, proves to be an effective way to improve engagement. When attendees are able to manage their agendas on their own, according to their needs and preferences, they feel a deeper sense of involvement and greater control. It also enables them to schedule their event attendance in a manner that causes minimal disruption to their work and other responsibilities and thus ensures a more enjoyable experience for them. This naturally improves their experience as an attendee of the event and offers a great opportunity for event personalization.
Provides Notifications And Alerts
Event apps offer a convenient means to send notifications and alerts related to the various sessions that the attendees might be interested in. In addition, the app can also keep the attendees updated about the various activities that might further enhance their experience of being a part of the occasion. The use of apps also ensures that information about any last-minute location changes, the addition or omission of a keynote speaker, or any other related updates are delivered to the participants in time. The apps can also be used to alert the participants about the commencement of sessions of their interest or even the deadlines for any promotional offers from the organizers and sponsors. Most importantly, it keeps them abreast of all the latest happenings and developments that can impact event success and their own participation in any way.
Interactions With Other Event Participants
The apps can make it easier for participants to connect and interact with other attendees before the commencement of the event and even after its culmination. This can prove extremely beneficial for driving engagement as the participants can discuss the different sessions and agendas. They might also increase their level of attendance based on the suggestions of other attendees and their past experiences. Most importantly such discussions may even lead to the creation of strong friendships and professional networks. In either case, it will give yet another reason for the participants to remember the event and enhance their overall experience. The in-app messaging services and chat rooms functionalities can further improve participant interaction besides improving engagement.
Adding A Fun Element Though Games, Polls And Quizzes
Including fun elements such as games, polls, and quiz in the event app can help in driving attendee engagement in a significant manner. These features appeal to the competitive nature of the participants while providing them with opportunities to enhance their knowledge about the event. They help in keeping the attendees entertained during the run-up to the event and even when it is underway and the attendees have nothing to do between sessions. Organizers may also consider including other features such as a leaderboard as well as offering attractive prizes to winners of games and quiz to further enhance participant engagement. Providing interesting tit-bits of information through a trivia section can also help in keeping the attendees glued to the app 24*7.
A well-conceptualized and professionally-developed mobile event app can boost event engagement and participation quite significantly. At the same time, it will help streamline the success of event participation for attendees, besides facilitating meaningful interactions for them. Integrating various engagement tools into the app can further help convert participant experience into a truly amazing and memorable one that drives business growth.