The Event App Bible 2017 v5

THE
EVENT APP
BIBLE 2017
R E B O O T
FREE
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1 The Event App Bible 2017: REBOOT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION 4
Are Event Apps Doomed? 6
THE MAJOR TRENDS IN EVENT APPS 8
1. Deep Learning 8
2. Chatbots/Concierge 8
3. Voice Activation 10
4. Vertical vs Holistic Apps 10
5. Social Extension 10
6. Matchmaking and Networking 10
7. Virtual Reality Gateways 11
8. Support 11
THE NEW BENEFITS OF USING A MOBILE APP AT EVENTS 13
Connecting Remote Attendees 14
Divest or Re-allocate Temporary Staff 14
A New Way to Check on Progress 15
Real-time, Actionable Data 15
DO YOU NEED AN EVENT APP? (FLOWCHART) 17
HOW TO EVALUATE IF AN EVENT APP IS WORTHWHILE FOR YOUR EVENT 19
1. Know Your Audience 21
2. Analyze the Event Objectives 22
3. Consider Specific App Objectives 23
4. Segment Your Users 24
5. Research the Options 25
6. Work Out the Total Investment Cost 25
7. Undertake a Cost-Benefit Analysis 25
8. Address Concerns from the Event Team 26
9. Undertake a Risk Analysis 27
10. Investigate Peer Reviews 27
11. Have a Demo 28
12. Test It First Hand 28
13. Set Up a Focus Group 28
14. Do a Competitor Analysis 29
15. Look at real-time Data and Analytics 29
16. Consider Future Returns on the Investment 29
PURCHASING FACTORS 31
Price and Cost 31
App Provider Location 32
Web vs Native 33
Looking at Features 34
Checking App Provider Credentials 35
VITAL THINGS YOUR ORGANIZATION SHOULD CONFIRM BEFORE INVESTING IN AN APP 36
26 Questions to Answer Internally Before Progressing Your Event App (Checklist) 38
TRICKY SUBJECTS TO DISCUSS WITH YOUR MOBILE APP PROVIDER 39
43 Questions to Ask Event App Providers (Checklist) 42
CHATBOT SPECIFIC CHALLENGES 43
16 Questions to Ask Chatbot Providers (Checklist) 45
ISSUING AN EVENT APP REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) 46
Event App RFP Sample Template 47
PROJECT TIMELINE TO PREPARE YOUR EVENT APP 50
WHAT TO DO WHEN TIME IS LIMITED 51
FEATURE TABLES 54
MOBILE APP AND FEATURES GLOSSARY 61
GEOLOCATION TABLES 67
EVENTPROF SURVEY RESULTS 72
ABOUT THE AUTHORS 73
CMP CREDITS 74
CREDITS 75
DISCLAIMER 76

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INTRODUCTION
Julius Solaris
2017 is the year that will be remembered in the event app world. It will
be the year when event apps started to change. That is why we called
this year’s edition The Event App Bible, Reboot.
2017 is the before and after date for event apps. When we started this
report 5 years ago, the event industry was very different. Apps were
the latest cool thing. Things have massively changed. In what we
have referred to as the second wave of event technology after online
registration, event apps have been the most talked about, adopted and
invested in type of technology for the event industry in a while.
2016 has been a very defining year. A combination of technological

advancement and market saturation have impacted on event apps
massively. Here are some of the factors that contributed to the change
in event apps:
Tech. The recent developments in technology, the widespread

adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning are
profoundly changing the current technological landscape.
User Experience. The massive rise of voice activated platforms

is deeply changing the way we interact with smartphones and
intelligent devices.
Market. As we have diligently reported in the past editions, the

growth in apps for event providers has been 20% year on year. With
so much competition, the market has seen a lot of companies going
out of business, downsizing or being acquired.
General App Adoption. While apps may have been the

most exciting tech in 2009, we cannot expect the same buzz 8 years
in. Apps are now a commodity. Numbers for app adoption are
substantially down in the consumer market. Some could argue that
event apps are needed to navigate what’s happening, some others
could reply that most don’t bother downloading them as everything
will be over in a matter of days.

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Are Event Apps Doomed?
You would be massively wrong to think so. The very fact they have
become a commodity makes them essential for most events. Moreover,
the recent changes in technology put them back into the hot spot,
making them once again buzzworthy and exciting for events.
In fact, event apps are one of the most exciting areas of event
technology, once again with the biggest potential to disrupt events.
2017 is the year event apps changed forever. Just like when we
saw responsive design put websites back on the radar of event
professionals, event apps have changed the way we experience events.
Curious to know why? Read on.

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THE MAJOR TRENDS
IN EVENT APPS
Julius Solaris
The 2017 reboot of event apps is defined by major trends in

technology affecting the event applications market. There is a
substantial growth in both what app providers offer and what event
professionals want that is rapidly reshaping the market.
So what are these trends in event apps and what should you look
for when selecting the next app for your event?
1. Deep Learning
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not something new. It’s been around
for a while in many forms and applications. AI defines 2017 in its
different application. Deep learning is one of the most exciting
developments in artificial intelligence that is affecting the way we
interact with technology. The ability of apps to learn from data,
voice, signs is the number one trend for apps in 2017. The shift is
massive and it impacts the very way we use apps. Deep learning
is powering the evolution of event apps by providing immediate
responses and actionable items for event professionals using apps
by analyzing and sometimes predicting responses.
2. Chatbots/Concierge
Chatbots are the most visual application of artificial intelligence.
They are computer powered chat interfaces where the user seems
to interact with a person. The application of chatbots is immediately
relevant for events. I don’t want to tap 5 different screens before
getting an information.
Chatbots or concierge apps, help in getting relevant responses

immediately. We asked if providers were offering chatbot or concierge
features in their apps. We used both terminologies as they are both
adopted. 14% of the providers listed in the report offer this functionality.

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3. Voice Activation
Voice is yet again another facet of artificial intelligence. With the
growth of voice activated platforms and increasing role of assistants
such as Siri, Cortana, and Alexa, the event app of 2017 is definitely
taking advantage of voice recognition. The apps that offer concierge
services often offer voice interaction. Why is voice so revolutionary
for event apps?
Once again it is a matter of convenience. What is more efficient,

tapping away or just ask a question to your smartphone? Nobody
prefers looking through pages of show guides over just asking a
question to a member of staff. Voice recognition is one to watch in
2017.
4. Vertical vs Holistic Apps

A result of the explosion of apps in recent years, the market has
adjusted to reflect either a verticalization of offering or a more
holistic approach. Some apps have focused on very specific
technology that helps in a defined area of the event, some others
are becoming 360-degree tools that deliver a plethora of functions
and options.
While there may be a business case for both approaches,

integration seems to be the core requirement of whether you
decide to adopt one or the other. How well your app provider
integrates with your current technological infrastructure seems
to be paramount, as once again suggested from our research with
event professionals.
5. Social Extension
Social walls are by far one of the fastest growing extension of event
mobile apps. Whether it is by means of integrated, on-screen feed
within the app or via live display application, taking advantage of
social media is key for all apps to retain attendees within the apps.
As we have reported in previous editions, the use of social media
in-app has a positive impact on app usage and attendee retention.
6. Matchmaking and Networking

We have highlighted in previous research how the attendee to
attendee interaction is deeply connected to how we evaluate and

engage with events. Despite networking being one of the original
features why apps were born, just half of the apps surveyed offer
networking capabilities.
That comes as a shocker in an era where apps such as Tinder

are facilitating matchmaking. Event app providers do not seem
to embrace something that the audience of event professionals
demands quite heavily.
7. Virtual Reality Gateways

Virtual reality, mostly by means of 360-degree (live) video is the
biggest opportunity for events in 2017. How can you involve remote
attendees that could not attend? Those event apps that offer
virtual reality or 360-degree live video integration are the ones that
immediately provide another opportunity for event professionals
willing to involve remote audiences.
8. Support
In such a saturated market, what makes the difference when
adopting event mobile apps? Consistently our research shows that
having reliable support, possibly even onsite support at times is
necessary to implement successful event app programs. Those
companies able to guide event professionals and troubleshoot when
things go wrong (because often they will) are to be favored in 2017.
Simple online support may not cut it for a very time sensitive
type of event technology that requires a number of technological
factors to be successful.

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THE NEW BENEFITS OF
USING A MOBILE APP
AT EVENTS
Julius Solaris
We conducted a research with over 300 event professionals sharing

their opinion on the use of event apps. Their insights are extremely
valuable in establishing the role event apps have today in the event
industry.
47% of the surveyed event professionals still don’t use apps but 75% of
them intend to adopt them, signaling a continued interest and growth
opportunity for apps in events. What is driving that interest may be very
different today from 6 or 7 years ago.
Some of the basic drivers behind event app selection remain the same.
Above all, ditching paper guides remains one of the strongest reasons
why event professionals turn to apps. The inherent cost effectiveness
together with the incredible market penetration of smartphones makes
apps a commodity for many events.

The ability to connect in real-time with attendees and push
notifications about the event makes apps very palatable for many
event professionals. The more attendees get to know about what
is happening and understand the unfolding of the event the better
they will connect with the objectives of the event planner.
Live engagement and feedback are cardinal reasons as to why

event planners turn to apps. With many apps embracing audience
response and feedback generation, event apps are effective allies
in getting attendees to interact with the content presented and to
gather feedback.
This is nothing new if you’ve read previous editions of this report.

So what are the new benefits of event apps? What are trends such
as artificial intelligence and virtual reality bringing to the plate?
Connecting Remote Attendees

Events that have stagnated for a while on growth should embrace
the opportunities brought along by the recent developments in
live video. With Facebook, Twitter and Youtube embracing live
streaming as well as 360-degree live video, we finally have the
opportunity to deliver a properly immersive experience to those
willing to follow online.
The anachronistic thought that live would cannibalize attendance

is finally behind us. With phenomena like FOMO (fear of missing
out) being the direct results of audiences experiencing events on
social media, we can expect only positive things by involving online
audiences. Apps are at the epicenter of this action. Whether it is
by means of integration or by their own proprietary software, apps
should be considered to extend the reach of our events.
Divest or Re-allocate Temporary

Staff
The biggest benefit of chatbots and concierge features is to replace
a human interaction on functional information. While no software
will ever be able to calm down an angry customer or to connect
with another individual on a personal level, software can be used
to give trivial information. This is an evolution of what we already
use apps for, but on steroids. Basic information such as where is
something or what session is next is why we use apps as digital
show guides. Artificial Intelligence brings along a whole new level
of speed and user experience to the plate.

Apps should now be evaluated as an extension of your team, to
save on temporary staff costs or to re-allocate temp staff budget
to more sensible tasks such as security, one of the most pressing
issues for event professionals in 2017.
A New Way to Check on Progress

While most of the benefits of event apps seem to involve
attendees first, many event professionals have pointed out in our
research how going through setting up event applications has
helped in streamlining the event planning process.
“We use event apps because they help streamline our work
and cut down costs in certain places/instances.
Event apps have come along way in the past couple of years
and they have changed the whole way we work as event
professionals.”
Sean Mash, Social Media Marketing Manager, Grooveyard Event

Management
Many apps offer very visual project management tools and

progress monitoring tools. For a great part of the event industry,
still relying on complex and fragmented spreadsheets to plan an
event, this is a considerable step up. While this is not the most
immediate benefit of using event apps, it is a very tangible result
the widespread use of apps is having on event planners.
Real-time, Actionable Data

The deep learning, artificial intelligence component of new
event mobile apps is bringing along the ability to deliver fast and
actionable data about an event. If voice, data and face recognition
are combined, event professionals could access a new whole
array of tools to quickly exploit marketing opportunities or act on
security issues.

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DO YOU NEED AN EVENT APP?

Becki Cross
Have you used an event app before?
YES NO
What did you learn?
What would you change?
If you didn’t take time to analyse and understand the data last time, consider
Was your adoption if you will have more time to invest in the app this time.
(download) rate good?
YES NO NOT SURE

YES
Was data and If the app didn’t give you this reporting
reporting available to you? NO and data, look to research and
work with another provider next time.
How can you improve this for next time? Think about what will encourage attendees to download the app.
How will you change your strategy? What are the benefits to them? How will you effectively communicate and
Can the app provider offer market the app to your attendees?? How will you support those
guidance, tips and tricks? who are unsure how to download and use the app?
Will there be support for those that need it?
Was your engagement

(usage) rate good?
Was data and reporting

YES NO NOT SURE available to you?
How can you improve this for next time?

YES NO
How will you change your strategy?
Can the app provider offer guidance, tips and tricks?
It is important to analyse and understand

the data provided. How can you ensure
Think about what will encourage attendees you will have more time to invest
to engage with the app? What are the benefits to them. in the app next time? Can you start the process
What are the unique content and cool features available? earlier? Can you allocate extra resources?
How will you support those who are unsure how to use the app?
Is the WiFi robust at the venue or does the app work offline?
Were you happy with the provider? If the app didn’t give you this
Would you work with them again? reporting and data,
look to research and rethink
your options.
What would you change?
What is your main reason for having an event app?
To increase engagement Not sure

To meet CSR objectives Seems like a cool thing to do
To deliver rich event analytics The app will solve all of our problems
To improve and simplify information distribution Our competitor used an event app
To provide a revenue stream
To increase exposure for sponsors and exhibitors Investing in an event app might not
To offer better problem solving and matching to attendees be right for you at this time. Think about
more solid objectives and motivations.
To improve customer service

YES
Have you clarified your other key
objectives for wanting an event app? Read and answer Do you have buy-in from
Vital Things Your Organization Should your boss or board
NO Confirm Before Investing in an App or client?
YES
Do you know what budget Read
How to Evaluate if an Event App
NO YES
is available
NO to invest in the event app? is Worthwhile for Your Event?
Confirm your allocated maximum budget. Also consider the bigger

picture such as staff time and extras such as WiFi costs at the venue.
Mobile App and Features Glossary

NO may be useful
Do you know which features
you are particularly interested in?
YES Have you got enough staff
time and resources to allocate to the app?
Although it isn’t a possibility for this event why not

start planning ahead for next year/your next event? NO YES
Are you looking for a native or web-enabled app?
NATIVE NOT SURE WEB-ENABLED
Are you aware that it may take up to 2 weeks

NO You could consider a chatbot or a web-based app instead of
for native apps to gain approval from Apple? a native app to save time waiting for approval if lead times are
Do you have plenty of time? really short. Read other tips in What to Do When Time is Limited
YES
Have you got enough time and resources to create

the app content, get it published, apply updates and then
market the app to your participants?
Could a chatbot be the solution for you?

YES NOT SURE NO Read Chatbot Specific Challenges
At least you know now before investing

YES money into an app you cannot do justice to.
Have you researched which The Project Timeline for an Event App
Although it isn’t a possibility for
app(s) may be most suitable? will be useful.
NO this event why not start planning ahead
for next year/your next event?
The Features Tables and Online Tables
YES NO will be helpful in narrowing down your search. Read Issuing an Event App Request
For Proposal (RFP)
Read Tricky Subjects to Discuss Have you issued an RFP

with Your Mobile App Provider to the best fit companies? YES NO Here is an
Event App RFP Sample Template
Are the shortlisted apps compatible with your other systems, e.g. CRM, registration?
Does this matter? NO YES Is data easy to upload? Have you identified the winning app?
YES NO NO YES NO YES
Back to the drawing board to Time to look at the reasons why, CONGRATULATIONS! The Project Timeline for an Event App
choose an app which fits your refine, reassess and start the will be useful to your own bespoke schedule. Read
organization better. process again. Chatbot Specific Challenges if you are interested in concierge features.

HOW TO EVALUATE
IF AN EVENT APP IS
WORTHWHILE FOR
YOUR EVENT
Becki Cross
Many event planners responding to our survey flagged up uncertainty

whether an event app could add enough value to justify the expenditure.
An event app can be a big commitment to make in terms of the event
budget and also the time and resources which need to be invested. It
seems that many eventprofs are still far from convinced. Chatbots are
still a relatively new innovation for the event industry too so the benefits
of having bot functionality may not be widely understood. Before
pressing ahead it is vital to look at the bigger picture to be assured that
you are making the right decision for your event.
Opinions from the survey were divided, as some of these quotes

highlight:
“Event apps done right save time and money. They simplify
communication to and from attendees.

“Event apps are one of the best inventions for networking and
productivity in the event planning space.
“Attendees loved the mobile app at our 2016 conference.

“We’ve eliminated paper programs and rely strictly on an event
app now. The change has saved us a ton of money, we can make
instant changes if the schedule changes and attendees seem to
love it.
“It makes an event more interactive, alive, real and interesting

for attendees, they are IN the process, not separated from what
is happening. Our experience is successful in this field.
“Survey results show our attendees would not use one.

“They are not used, no traffic.
“We have tried event apps three times, 2014, 2015 and 2016
Conferences. The use was dismal. The App was pushed quite
hard both years, but just not utilized. The cost could not be
justified for 2017.
“Except for current clients, we will no longer offer event app

development.
“Tried apps - the cost vs the return was too low.

“It is difficult to get executive buy-n.
Event planners probably know their event and the audience
better than anyone. Often you will have a “gut feeling” whether
an approach, such as implementing an event app, is the right
fit, or not. Although more often than not your intuition may be
correct, this is not sufficient to get others, who may be much
more skeptical, on your side.
Even if you are certain that investing in an event app is right for
your event there could still be resistance and reluctance from
your boss, your client, the board or the rest of your team before
you can implement an event app strategy. For the best chance
of success, you need to take the time to research and present
all the evidence. A rational, critical and professional approach,
backed up by data, facts and figures has the potential to win the
approval and investment of the wider event working group.
This section gives a framework for how to make your case and
confidently address some of the most common concerns raised.
Going through this evaluation process should mean that you can

have all the answers ready and can come to an informed decision
everyone is happy with.
1. Know Your Audience

If you have used an event app previously at your event you should
have access to really useful data including who downloaded the
app, what devices the app was accessed on, how well the app was
used and what the most visited content was.
If not, you will need to be a lot more creative in trying to get a clearer
picture about your audience, particularly if this is a brand new event,
rather than a repeated, established event. To gauge how tech-savvy
your delegates are, some of the things to think about might be:
G When you send out email campaigns what percentage are

accessed from mobile versus desktop? Is this higher or lower
than other events/markets you work with?
G What is the seniority level of those attending in the past
and registering to attend for this year? Are they high-level
executives? Operations personnel?
G What do you know about the audience demographics? Do you
have an idea of the age range of those attending?
G At past events was interaction on social media high?
G Is there an active social media interest, following and response?
G At previous events did you notice people checking their phones?
Did people seem to be using more than one device? Was there a
high demand for charging points?
G What has the response been to online and electronic
information issued? Are they receptive to online surveys for
example? Do you receive many calls for support with people
having difficulty with your online registration system or other
such warning signs?
G Can you ask your audience if they would be interested in an
event app via a quick poll on social media or a survey? Can you
pick up the phone and ask a few attendees if they have a few
minutes to give their honest feedback?
These are of course only indicators, but hopefully, it could start to

give a clearer picture of how receptive or not your audience may be.
For some industry sectors, security and confidentiality are taken

extremely seriously and it may be very complex or impossible
to try to introduce an event app. These markets may include
pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking, the military and government.
2. Analyze the Event Objectives
Look at your overall event objectives; what do you want to achieve
and could an event app help to deliver? Here are some examples
of wider event objectives and how an app may contribute:
G Event objective
To grow your customer base and increase customer loyalty.
An event app is one of the ways potential attendees can evaluate
your event and whether they should attend, before even booking
a place. It is also a way to cement your brand and company
personality. This could be particularly true if you use a chatbot as
it emulates a human relationship and communications.
G Event objective
To be seen as the top innovator and thought leader in your
industry.
Using a groundbreaking app or chatbot could help to differentiate
your event from competitors, but most importantly it could also
offer greater feedback and insights from those attending through
polling, Q&A, surveys, reporting, content curation, data analytics,
etc. If you use a chatbot you should have access to the chat log
history to see the specific questions attendees are asking your bot.
By having your finger on the pulse and access to this privileged and
insightful information you can gain a better understanding of your
audience and use this data to your advantage, for example when
programming content for next year’s event or deciding what to
invest in.
If you go down the route of a chatbot this can be seen as a bold

and innovative move as, depending on the industries you work in,
you may be an early adopter and it is probably something your
competitors haven’t implemented yet. A certain kudos could come
from being the first to offer the technology to your event attendees,
in the same way, event apps were a big talking point for the thought
leaders that first introduced them to their events many years ago.
G Event objective:
To create a green event in line with CSR objectives.
An app can help to vastly reduce the amount of printing required
by removing the need for a printed event brochure and abstract
guide. Many organizations are committing to going paperless and
reducing their carbon footprint so an event app supports these
ideals but ensure that the attendee has all the information they
need in one place. It can go further than just the event printing

too. If attendees can connect and share contact details via the
app, this reduces the reliance on paper business cards and
sharing hard copies of their research.
G Event objective:
To create more business opportunities for attendees,
sponsors and exhibitors.
The app may be able to offer intelligent matchmaking, 1-to-1
appointment setting, lead retrieval, and to offer more robust
statistics which can help recruit new revenues (e.g. exhibitors
and sponsors) in the future. For example, you may be able to
analyze footfall and movement across the venue, the number
of leads generated by each exhibitor, the number of downloads
of content, the number of clicks on sponsor banners and so
forth. If your app has chatbot capabilities the bot may be able to
specifically highlight people you should meet at the event and
could even set up a meeting for you.
G Event objective
To make a profit.
Although there is likely to be a cost for the app, does it also
offer significant potential savings and opportunities to generate
revenue? For example, by automating processing does it cut
down staff time spent on manual tasks such as matchmaking
and appointment setting and considerably cut costs? Apps often
give precedence to your sponsors and detailed analytics, which
could encourage them to come on board and support the event
in the first place. See 7. Undertake a Cost-Benefit Analysis for
more information about this
3. Consider Specific App Objectives

It is useful to formulate specific objectives for the event app too.
What would prove that the event app was a success? What will
give a positive ROI and satisfy your boss and the event board
members?
Think about the opportunities an event app will give you to

measure data more scientifically. Particularly look ahead to the
future and gather data that will help you to sell your event to
sponsors, partners and attendees next year. Some of the stats
which could be useful include:
G The adoption and engagement rate with the app

G The amount of activity before, during and after the event
G Click-through rate to sponsors and exhibitors
G Downloads and favorites
G Most popular sessions
G Exhibitor lead retrieval
G The number of positive matches identified by the app
G Connection requests and private messages sent
G Appointments scheduled via the app
G In-app searches
G Poll results, questions submitted, session ratings, surveys and
feedback
G Chatbot query log
G The amount of user-generated content such as photos, videos,
social media updates
G The content that attendees engaged with most
4. Segment Your Users

Think about the different groups that will use and benefit from the
app, such as the attendees, speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, press,
VIPs and the event management team. Each of these will have very
different and specific requirements from an app.
G Segment the main user groups and look at an event app from
each perspective:
G What would be their motivation to use your event app?
G Think about what their pain points are and how an app can
address these.
G How will the event app make their lives easier or better?
G Why should they bother to download and use the app?
Some apps allow you to create different profiles which give

different permissions and functions to different users, so this is
something to think about now in terms of how to satisfy different
target users. For example, within a single app: exhibitors may be
able to use it for lead retrieval, the press could have access to press
releases and downloads, event managers could moderate live
questions submitted, and VIPs could use it to access special areas
on the event floor.

5. Research the Options
Whatever your specific event requirements, there is likely to be
an app out there which can meet all (or most) of your essential
demands. If you can determine your anticipated needs you will
then be able to get an idea of which app providers offer a good fit.
Vitally this can also start to give an indication of the likely costs
involved so you know if it is within reach.
It is much easier to pitch your case for an event app to your boss
based on precise, tangible products on the market, rather than
your wish list or what you think is available. By undertaking
detailed research into products it can also open your eye to other
useful functionality which would be useful but you didn’t even
know was possible.
6. Work Out the Total Investment Cost

The cost of an app can vary from free to over $100,000 if you
require a bespoke build. Keep in mind too that the off-the-shelf
starting price advertised for an app may differ substantially from
the end price if modifications, a custom build, support and extras
are required. Ensure that the cost you are sharing with your boss
is as close as possible to the complete anticipated end price,
otherwise, you may get agreement for an app that can’t actually
be delivered within your agreed projected budget.
Don’t forget that your boss will want to know the bigger picture
too. The cost of the app itself does not give the full true cost of
the investment - for example, the staff hours required to set up
the app within the team, costs such as upgrading the WiFi at
the venue and providing extra support staff on site to answer
questions attendees may have about the app.
7. Undertake a Cost-Benefit Analysis

A cost-benefit analysis is a useful exercise to undertake and to
present the hard financial facts to your boss. Although there is
an outlay in terms of the investment in the app and the time and
resources required, there may also be cost-savings to be made,
for example:
G Reducing printing costs by removing the need for items such

as the event brochure, daily updates/press, abstract catalog,
delegate list, sponsor inserts, evaluation forms.

G Potentially removing the need for event badges if check in is via
the app or only printing badges on demand to ensure there is
no waste.
G Eliminating the need for conference folders or bags.
G Reducing staff time dedicated to tasks which can be
automated via the app such as matchmaking and appointment
scheduling.
G Removing the requirement for staff to “stuff” delegate folders/
bags.
G Cutting out the delivery and shipping costs for the items listed
above.
It is interesting to start considering these other potential knock-

on savings to the event budget. The larger the event the more
cost effective an event app is likely to become. Large conventions
sometimes find that an event app saves them money when the
hefty design and printing costs are removed. Some event app
providers offer a cost saving calculator via their website which will
do this cost analysis for you.
8. Address Concerns from the Event Team

Particularly in the lead up to the live event, event planners can
work ridiculously long hours. It is understandable therefore for
resistance from management if they believe it will increase their
wage bill and/or possibly reduce staff morale by placing extra
demands on staff. Likewise, if team members are worried about
an event app adding to their workload and causing extra pressure,
they are less likely to embrace it enthusiastically.
Look for app solutions which are easy to set up and avoid extra
work or duplication. Some apps may integrate or easily pull
data from your event registration site or allow easy importing
of data from a CSV or Excel file. Others will need data to be re-
entered manually or supplied in different formats to allow it
to be imported. As an event planner you probably have all the
information required at your fingertips, but making this process
as pain-free as possible is good.
There may be other worries too, so take time to listen and

address these specifically. Other real concerns might be
around operational issues. For instance, if there is slide sharing
functionality, how quick and easy is it for slides to be imported
and how will this affect the deadlines for speakers submitting
their presentations? What happens if there are last-minute

changes to the presentation on the day of the event?
Consider that having an event app may change people’s

behavior too. As people are aware that an app can often be
updated in real-time and is more flexible to update than a
printed event guide they may be less respectful of deadlines and
submit data late. Even if your team or event partners can add
and update information directly themselves it may still need a lot
of chasing to ensure that it is done promptly. No one wants an
unpopulated or out of date event app.
9. Undertake a Risk Analysis

Appreciate that there are potential risks in taking the decision
to use an event app or any event technology, and be prepared
to answer tricky questions from your boss. It may help to
undertake a written risk analysis addressing some common
concerns, large and small, and determining what the backup
plan is. For example:
G What if there is a mistake in the content on the app?

G What would we do in case of WiFi fail?
G What if no one downloads and uses the app?
G What happens if the app fails completely?
G What if the app goes over budget?
G What if there is a data security breach?
G What if we find it is incompatible with specific phones/
operating systems?
G What if the bot can’t answer the attendees’ queries?
By looking at the worse case scenarios you will be better placed

to deal with any problems effectively in the moment. You want
to ensure that the decision to use an event app was made and
agreed for all the right reasons. Undertaking an honest and
comprehensive review of the potential opportunities for things to
go wrong is a very important exercise.
10. Investigate Peer Reviews

Ask app providers for case studies and evidence from events
similar to your own. Can they provide testimonials, proven data

and reviews? This body of evidence can be revealing and useful.
You don’t just want to take their word for it though. Ideally, the
app company may be able to put you in contact with previous
clients who have used the app and are willing to have a short,
private conversation with you and your boss so you can find out
the low down and discuss any specific concerns.
Don’t forget to check how the app is rated in the app stores too.
11. Have a Demo

Every app provider should be able to invite you to have a
demonstration of their product. This is the best way to
understand the capabilities and potential that an event app can
offer and navigate around the back system. If possible encourage
your boss and wider team to join you for the demo of the product
too. This can hopefully show how easy it is to set up the app,
to make quick updates and also demonstrate the features
and capability that a delegate, or your different users, would
experience.The provider can also answer specific concerns and
questions and focus on the unique selling points of the product
over their competitors.
12. Test It First Hand

All providers should be able to recommend a live event app for a
similar event project using their platform for event planners to
download and test out. This is useful in terms of appreciating the
navigation and customization, however, this won’t necessarily give
an insight to any live event capability such as polling and live Q&A.
If you attend an event yourself and are impressed with the event
app they are using, find out the provider and enquire for further
information. This is particularly useful if you are able to test first-
hand functions such as slide sharing, Q&A, polling, lead retrieval
and location based notifications in a live event environment.
When creating your own app some providers also offer a test
version or a 14-day free trial so you can see exactly what your
app could look like, before committing to any payment.
13. Set Up a Focus Group

It is important to find out what your key stakeholders think, be
they exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, attendees or event staff.
Consider having a small focus group to gauge the reaction

towards a few test apps and learn what they like and don’t like
and what they would want to see in your event app. The results
may give the confidence to progress with an event app or may
reveal that it isn’t the right time for your audience. It may show
that the expectations from an event app and the reality of what
is available and what can be afforded do not match. Or you may
realize that actually a simple app focused on a few key features
is what is really needed.
14. Do a Competitor Analysis

It isn’t always easy to know what your competitors are
planning and having an event app just to keep up with them is
a poor reason to implement an event app. Copying others is a
dangerous practice and recipe for disaster. Nevertheless, it is
interesting to know what are they doing, if they have used an
event app or chatbot, or if they are they planning to? It may be
that this impacts your decision and perhaps you will actually
decide not to have an event app or bot if a close competitor is
just introducing one for their event.
Innovate. Don’t imitate.
15. Look at real-time Data and Analytics

One of the strongest arguments for having an event app is the
possibility for strong data, the opportunity to understand your
audience better and use reporting to gain more revenue and
make better decisions in the future.
Look at your event and app objectives identified earlier in this

process and correlate and compare the real-time data and
analytics available from all event apps you are considering. The
data that can be measured and the reporting and exporting
which is available via the apps you are interested in may identify
a clear winner. Hopefully, there will be good synergy between
the app and your requirements and any app which is weak in this
area is not likely to be a good investment.
16. Consider Future Returns on the

Investment
This is difficult to quantify and not scientific, but you should also
think about ways in which the investment in the app now may
lead to increased potential revenue in the future, such as:

G More connections and better attendee networking, helping
to fulfill the main objective of attending the event for many
participants.
G Targeted messages to change attendee behaviors e.g. to
encourage greater footfall to exhibitors or deal with a room
change more efficiently.
G Greater satisfaction of exhibitors and hopefully more business
done as a result of better matchmaking, appointment
scheduling and lead retrieval.
G Valuable event pictures, video and other content shared via
the app.
G A greater insight into the pain points/interests/requirements
of the attendees via audience response or chatbot capability,
which may help with future programming decisions.
G Better feedback to make improvements to the event -
hopefully resulting in increased demand/greater ticket sales
in future years.
G Information available to attendees via the app or chatbot 24
hours a day, 7 days a week.
G Opportunities to personalize and improve the service you can
offer attendees through machine learning.
G More robust analytics to assist with future exhibitor sales and
sponsorship negotiations.
G An opportunity to expand the life cycle of the event by keeping
the community engaged via the event app and more inclined
to purchase tickets.
These considerations may appeal to a forward-thinking boss,

looking ahead to the future.
Investing in any #eventtech needs to be a well thought out

decision rather than a nice to have, a gut feeling or keeping up
with your competitors. By undertaking this evaluation process
you can be certain that it is the right move for your event,
attendees and stakeholders. You might have only one chance
to sell an event app to your boss, client or board so by going
through this detailed analysis you will be well prepared to give
all the answers.
Good luck!

PURCHASING FACTORS
Julius Solaris
Once you have established the need for an event app and have defined
a clear mobile event app strategy it is time to make an actual decision
on which app to choose. This is usually where confusion kicks in. In
fact, the offerings are so numerous and diverse that it is almost too
much to take in.
After learning about hundreds of event professionals’ experiences

with selecting apps we came to the conclusion that five factors usually
influence the decision.
Evaluating the following selection criteria will help to simplify your

decision-making process.
Price and Cost

For event professionals using an event app for the first time price is a
major factor influencing the decision. In fact, a good model is to start
with a small investment in year one and then build into larger app
programs. We cannot emphasize enough the difference between the
app price and actual cost to your organization. The latter includes the
price of the app plus the time needed to roll the app out.

While price usually drives overall costs, it’s also good practice
to look at the time needed to set up the app and what support is
available from the app provider.
The online tables include pricing (at least of those apps that
disclose such information) yet it is still difficult to offer an
objective overview of the actual cost to your company. That cost
usually depends on the structure, size and skills of your team.
Looking at the app price is an excellent start but we encourage
you to look at the full picture before making a decision, that
includes delving into the features, trying the product and carefully
evaluating the support you will receive.
Low-cost or free apps are usually a good place to investigate

initially. ‘Freemium’ models, where you can get started for free
and then upgrade later, provide a low-risk way to get started and
a pathway to keep investing if your app program is successful.
Also, consider that some of the apps listed as pricing Not

Disclosed in our online tables are in fact free or low-cost apps
offered by a registration provider. The deal is that if you use their
registration platform the event app is offered at little or no cost
and is fully integrated with the back-end data provided. This could
be an appealing option to many eventprofs.
App Provider Location

The second factor influencing app program decision-making is
geographic location and the support network of the app provider.
The availability of the app provider in the country where your
event is held may be key for a successful app program.
If this is the first time you are going to use an app for your event you
will want the app provider to be readily available in your timezone to
contact for troubleshooting should anything go wrong.
The same is true if you run a very complex app. The risks associated
with organic app architectures are usually high. Having the provider
at hand may help to ensure that everything goes to plan.
While the country of origin of the app is a good indication of the

time zone where the provider operates, sometimes large app
providers feature wider support programs, custom setup, and
dedicated event teams. Therefore, we strongly suggest you give
consideration to geographic location and to refer to individual app
providers to find out more about their support network.

Web vs Native
The decision to use a web-based or native app is not
straightforward. There are many factors involved and each
alternative has different pros and cons for event planners.
A Native App, which is developed specifically for each operating

system (e.g. iOS, Android) offers many benefits in terms of
functionality, user experience, reliability and responsiveness. Apps
must be approved by the app stores before being available for
download. With Apple, this could take 1 or 2 weeks for approval.
Native apps can offer more sophisticated features on the whole
than web applications. Users must agree to the permissions of
the application to download a native app but this can enable the
app to integrate with the smartphone’s hardware and data such as
camera, address book, microphone and accelerometer (automatic
screen rotation).
Native apps allow the use of push notifications, alerting users

when their attention is required or when new content is available.
This gives an opportunity to regularly engage and bring your
audience back to the app.
The downsides of a native app are that space is required on the

device to download, which not all attendees may be willing to do
for a one off event and possible concern about what data the app
is extracting from the device about the user. The user must also
download it from the specific store, typically consisting of them
searching for the app within the store and downloading it to their
device of choice.
Another thing to consider when choosing a mobile app, is that all

content should be dynamic. This ensures a seamless transition
for the user in the case of information changes, additions or
deletions.. However, consider that if a structural issue exists,
an app update is required, which of course varies per mobile
ecosystem. For example on Apple, an app update is required to
be sent off to Apple to re-test and ensure the app follows their
guidelines of app development (this takes as long as it takes for
Apple to get around to reviewing your application, there is no set
timeframe). A web app, on the other hand, consists of the user
navigating to a specific web address on their mobile device, which
of course can be updated in real-time without any need for user
intervention or agreement. However, it proves more difficult when
wanting to include some form of persistence to the application,
typically this is where you want to store the user’s login, or

information such as favoriting content to be viewed when no data
connection is available.
Web-based apps operate across multiple platforms, operating

systems and devices rather than being developed natively.
Users do not need to download the app, although some web-
based apps may offer a shortcut which looks like an app icon.
This potentially removes the issue of users being unwilling to
download due to limited storage space on their phone.
The benefits of web apps are fast and easy updates from the
event planner and for the end user, quick availability (particularly
important if lead times for your event are short) and perhaps also
cost.
Web apps can however only access a limited amount of native

features. It can be more difficult to build a loyal user base from
web apps as you cannot send push notifications. Also as web
apps don’t appear on the app store you may be missing an
opportunity for marketing your event and app.
Web apps are however less of a privacy and security risk as they
do not require permissions on download like a native app but can
ask for permissions as required without requiring an update or
re-installation.
There are also benefits of the desktop and mobile experience

being streamlined.
Some web apps also allow content to be stored and accessed

even when offline.
A Hybrid App (web and native) can potentially offer an almost

native experience but with benefits of speed of development and
cost. Offering a seamless experience to attendees whether they
are using their desktop, smartphone or tablet will be appealing to
many Event Planners, however, a truly native app will always be
the most responsive and intuitive option.
Looking at Features
Features usually are the strongest decision-making factor in
the app selection process. By matching features to pricing most
consumers usually have a clear idea of what they are getting.
It is also important to carefully assess the features offered. In

fact, there are often different levels of complexity found for the
same feature. Saying that you should check which features are
offered is sterile. Looking at how these features are implemented
is a better course of action.
While the feature tables in this guide and the online tables will
help you to quickly assess whether or not an app has a feature you
are looking for, we suggest to further investigate how this feature
is implemented before making your final decision.
We cannot stress enough how more is not necessarily better.
Checking App Provider Credentials

Some event and meeting professionals give substantial weight to
the credentials of the app provider. Usually, this is one of the most
detailed sections of the app Request For Proposal (RFP).
We believe that checking app provider’s credentials is extremely

important. We invite you to use this report as a starting point to
visit app websites, ask for client references and search social
networks for opinions. This is especially true if you are looking for
a highly supported app.
With such a large and competitive market, there is a lot of hype by

providers to emphasize their own credibility. We believe that the
technology of the app should be carefully reviewed in conjunction
with the reputation of the company.
In those cases where you are comparing companies and the

technology provided is exactly the same, huge price discrepancies
are not justified by reputation alone.
The final decision is a mixture of the above five factors, your team’s
skills, time available, the size of your event, your budget, your
mobile program objectives and last, but by no means least, your
gut feeling.

VITAL THINGS YOUR
ORGANIZATION SHOULD
CONFIRM BEFORE
INVESTING IN AN APP
Becki Cross
There are several vital pieces of information which should be

confirmed internally within your organization or event team before
progressing your event app. If the evaluation process has confirmed
that implementing an event app is the right thing to do it will also have
opened dialogue and helped to start defining your requirements more
clearly, which may differ entirely from what you originally thought your
needs would be. At this stage, if you can determine answers to these
vital questions before approaching (or re-opening) discussions with
event app providers and issuing a Request For Proposal (RFP), you
will be in a much stronger position to communicate your event app
strategy and achieve what you want.
Priorities
From the evaluation process, your priorities for having an event app
should be much clearer to everyone. If you can list the importance or
weighting of your main objectives for having an app this will make it
easier to shortlist the potential app solutions that fit your criteria and
to ensure everyone is in agreement and support of the final decision.
Users
If you have identified users with different needs, certain app users
may take priority. For example, the needs of your paying partners -
such as sponsors and exhibitors - may need to be given preference
over the things your attendees would ideally like to see in the app.
You may be happy with one app to meet everyone’s needs or you may
prefer to segment how different groups use and access the app, so
this needs to be given some thought.

Chatbots and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
You may have identified that you are most interested in a chatbot
or in an event app which offers chatbot capabilities. If so you need
to give some thought to how this will be most useful. For example,
voice control may not be required but you may be looking for
features powered by AI to enable better problem solving and
greater personalization.
Roles and Responsibilities

The staff that have been identified to manage and input into the
event app should be confirmed at this stage. To ensure that they
are fully up to speed before a final decision is taken, it makes
sense to involve them in the reviewing process. Even if the app
allows exhibitors to upload data directly themselves it is still likely
to need some chasing to prompt people to submit. It will also
help to identify early on who will be responsible for updates and
queries on site at the live event.
Budget
Now is the time to identify the true budget you have available to
spend on the event app, any contingency that is available and to be
realistic about the other resources which may be required, such
as investment in boosting the WiFi strength.
Success and Failure

Consider what you expect for the event app to be recognized as
a success, and what would be seen as a failure. By visualizing
different outcomes you will be able to ask more probing questions
to the event app providers.
Communication
Start to think about communicating the app to your attendees and
the reasons that will encourage them to download and use the
app.
Timescales
Map out the key milestones for the event, including when you will
have data to populate the app, when you would like to announce
the app to attendees and the different opportunities to remind
people to download.

CHECKLIST
26 QUESTIONS TO ANSWER INTERNALLY

BEFORE PROGRESSING YOUR EVENT APP
© What are your top 3 priorities for implementing an event app in
order of importance?
© Who are the different user groups?
© Do you need an app to offer different access to different users? Or
can it be the same for all users?
© Is it important to satisfy specific user’s needs as a priority?
© What features are most important to different users?
© Do you know what devices your attendees are using?
© Are you looking for an event app or chatbot?
© Do you want chatbot functions to be available within your app?
© Is voice control required?
© Is AI important to you?
© Who will take the lead on the app?
© Which team members will support on the app?
© Who will make updates on the day of the event?
© Who will be responsible for chasing up exhibitors, sponsors, etc for
information?
© Should stakeholders be able to add information directly
themselves?
© What is the total budget available?
© Is any contingency available?
© What other resources will be made available to make the app a
reality?
© Define what success will look like in terms of your event app?
© Define what failure will look like in terms of your event app?
© How will you communicate to attendees about the app? What is
the communications plan?
© What will encourage your attendees to download and use the app?
© What is the lead time?
© What are the key deadlines you are working towards?
© How will the data and stats from the app be used?
© Is password protection required?

TRICKY SUBJECTS TO
DISCUSS WITH YOUR
MOBILE APP PROVIDER
Becki Cross
You will already have lots of questions to ask the event app providers
you are considering working with, however, this section highlights
some difficult questions you may also want to discuss before making
a final decision.
Lead Time
The event app providers you are talking to will be in the best position
to let you know how much lead time is required, or recommended, to
get the most from the investment. They will know from experience how
long it generally takes an event planner from signing the contract to
populating the app. They will also be submitting apps to Apple every day
and so will have a fairly accurate idea of the current wait times (all iOS
apps need to get approval from Apple, which varies but can take over a
week). Often the more time that is available the better the response in
terms of encouraging downloads and usage prior to the event.

Set Up
If the app integrates with your registration platform you may be
able to pull the data that way to populate the app or to import the
data via CSV or Excel files. The app may need you to manipulate
the data you have into a specific format, which can be time-
consuming in itself. It is important to know the options and how
complex this is likely to be, otherwise, you might be typing in all
the event details manually.
Support
It is vital to know what support is available to event planners and
attendees. Even if it is a self-service product you are looking for
the peace of mind that someone is available to help when you
need it. This is also why location can still be an important factor
when deciding on an event app provider as operating in the same
time zone will give you the best chance of being able to reach the
support team when you need help.
Adoption and Engagement

Probe the event app providers in terms of the download and usage
rates you should realistically expect from the app and ask for tips
on how to ensure the best chance of success. Ask for their help and
advice for how to increase usage before, during and after the event.
Revenue Generation and Cost Savings

The best apps offer opportunities for increased revenue to be
generated by offering extra exposure and features which are of
interest to your sponsors and exhibitors. Most importantly it also
enables engagement to be tracked and analyzed for accurate
reporting to your stakeholders. At the same time, the app should
enable you to save money too in terms of reduced staff input,
conference bag and printing costs.
Pitfalls
Don’t be afraid to ask event app providers what the downsides of
the app are. It should be easy to see the benefits but you also want
to be aware of anything that lets it down too, for example, things
that it doesn’t do, any negative feedback received and areas they
are working on improving. They might be surprised to be asked
this question but hopefully, they will give an honest answer so that
you are prepared.
WiFi
We all know that WiFi is still notoriously slow, unreliable and
unstable in many venues when under pressure from numerous

event attendees, despite what they tell you on the site visits. It is
important to find out exactly what functions are reliant on WiFi
and what happens it the signal drops out completely.
Reviews from Other Planners

Talking to planners of similar event projects who have used the app
is the best way of getting the honest lowdown on the product and
learning from their experience. It is also the sign of a genuine app
provider if they are happy to connect people, as it means that they
are confident in the product they are offering.
User Data and Privacy Policy

If you are accessing user data ensure that this is clearly defined in
your Privacy Policy. Apps must request permission to access data
from the user but this can be offputting to some of your audience
who will prefer not to download the event app if they are not happy
with the level of access being requested.
Security, Legislation and Compliance

Whether you are looking for an event app or Chatbot it is likely that you
will be handling personal data and so you must ensure that you are
working within the law. Over 100 countries worldwide have adopted
comprehensive data protection and privacy laws to protect personal
data held by private bodies. The laws apply to personal information
held in both electronic and physical form and to all or nearly all subject
areas. More information can be found here: National Comprehensive
Data Protection/Privacy Laws and Bills 2016.
The legislation will vary depending on the country you operate

and the type of data you are handling but you may need to ensure
compliance with the following, as relevant:
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) - Worldwide
Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) - UK
EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - Europe
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) - US
Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX) - US
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) - US
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
(PIPEDA) - Canada
The Privacy Act 1988 - Australia
Reporting and Analytics

Accessing and exporting real-time data is one of the big benefits of
using an event app. Check exactly what reporting and statistics are
available, particularly the valuable information that will be helpful to
feedback to event stakeholders, sponsors and exhibitors.

CHECKLIST
43 QUESTIONS TO ASK EVENT APP

PROVIDERS
© What operating systems and devices does © Do you have support available for app users
the app work on? and are the support channels the same as for
an event planner?
© What lead time is required?
© Are there videos, picture tutorials, text
© What is maximum and minimum lead time
instructions, web chat, a helpline number, etc?
you would recommend for the best results?
© Can you provide an on-site event support
© How long is Apple currently taking to approve
team?
your apps on average?
© What download and usage rates you should
© Does the app integrate with a registration
realistically expect from the app?
provider? Can it extract the data that way?
© How can you ensure the best chance of
© Are there other integrations and APIs
success in terms of adoption?
available?
© How can you encourage engagement before,
© What other resources are needed, e.g.
during and after the event?
barcode scanners, tablets, robust WiFi,
charging points? © What are the ‘cons’ of the app?
© What content can be added? © What features rely on WiFi?
© What formats are supported e.g. HTML, © What happens if the signal drops?
video, pictures, downloads, links?
© Can the app operate via phone signal (3G/4G)?
© How can the event details be populated?
© What checks can be done to check the
© What opportunities does your app offer for bandwidth at the venue?
revenue generation?
© Can the app use location features such as
© Do you have a cost-benefit calculator beacons?
available on your website?
© Is it compatible with wearable devices?
© Is it easy to add speakers and exhibitors
© How, and in what formats, can data be
confirmed late in the day?
exported from the app?
© Can exhibitors and sponsors be granted
© Can you put me in contact directly with event
access to add their data directly?
planners of similar events that have used your
© What support is available to event planners? app?
© How can support be contacted? © Can the app be used for multiple events?
© During what hours are the support team © Is data held securely and safely?
contactable?
© What measures are in place to avoid data being
© What timezone do you work on? hacked?
© How quickly should an event planner or © Is the app compliant with all relevant data
attendee expect a response to a support protection legislation?
request?
© Can you provide a sample Privacy Policy?
© Is there an option for the app to be set up on
© Are passwords encrypted?
your behalf?
© Is financial and password information kept
© What does this cost?
separate to personal details?

CHATBOT SPECIFIC
CHALLENGES
Becki Cross
Set Up
Ask the provider how information should be provided to get the
chatbot operating. Set up times are generally much quicker than
a traditional event app and some allow you to name and brand
the event app to fit your event. It may operate within an event
app and/or through Facebook Messenger, your standard mobile
texting app, WhatsApp, webchat, or other popular messaging
providers so check how it operates.
Machine Learning
The more queries asked to a chatbot the more accurate the
responses can become as you can add new solutions and
information to the library as they are flagged up. The provider will
be able to advise how much time and input is required to ensure
you have a helpful bot.
Brand Voice
Ensure that your bot speaks the same language. For example, a
cool event brand aimed at the younger generation may encourage
‘text speak’ and emojis in a way that would not be suitable in a bot
aimed at high-level executives.

Artificial Intelligence
AI can be used to offer more intelligent matchmaking, problem
solving and logic. Discuss with the app provider the ways AI is
used within the app to make better decisions or offer better
solutions to users.
Personalization
A big bonus of chatbots is that it can be used to personalize
the experience for the attendee through personal
recommendations and learning the user’s likes and dislikes.
Ask the provider how this works in practice and what this
means for the future.
Chatbot User Data and Privacy

If your chatbot works through other apps and channels such
as Facebook Messenger, text, or WhatsApp the user is likely
to already have this app installed on their device and they will
not, therefore, be asked for permission to access data (as they
would when installing a native event app for the first time). It
is vital therefore that if your event chatbot operates through
third-party applications that you make clear to users any data
that you will access and what you will do with this data. It is vital
to be transparent, trustworthy and have a robust privacy policy
in place.
Chatbot Security and Data Protection

Your bot builds up a library of data and history so it is important
to ensure that the data is handled securely and in line with
legislation and regulations (see Security, Legislation and
Compliance).

CHECKLIST
16 QUESTIONS TO ASK
CHATBOT PROVIDERS
© What data should be added initially?

© What format should this data be provided?
© How long does it take to get up and running?
© Which platforms does the chatbot work on?
© Can the app be named and branded?
© If the bot cannot answer a question how is this flagged?
© How can you train the bot to speak in a way that fits your event
and brand?
© How can you guarantee that the bot will stay true to your brand
voice?
© Can the bot use emojis?
© How is AI used to improve the experience?
© Does the chatbot personalize recommendations?
© How is data exported? E.g. survey data, chat log.
© Is security and storage of your chatbot data fully compliant in
line with regulations?
© How does the chatbot access user data?
© What privacy policy needs to be put in place outlining any user
data the chatbot will access?
© How should you make it clear to users how their data will be
used and handled?

ISSUING AN EVENT
APP REQUEST FOR
PROPOSAL (RFP)
Becki Cross
Once you have a shortlist of potential app providers you are interested
in you are likely to need a more formal quotation detailing the exact
costs and what precisely is included in each package. At this stage, it
is usual to issue a Request For Proposal (RFP) as this can be the most
comprehensive way to get detailed information back, in a format that
allows you to easily compare responses.
We have prepared a handy RFP template which you can complete and
issue to the providers you are most interested in.

PRINT ME
EVENT APP RFP SAMPLE TEMPLATE

Request For Proposal
From: (Organisation name) __________________________________________________________

To: (Event App Provider Name) _______________________________________________________
Date of RFP issue: _________________________________________________________________
Required Response Date: ___________________________________________________________
EVENT DETAILS
Event Name: ______________________________________________________________________

Event Website: ____________________________________________________________________
Date: ____________________________________________________________________________
Format (e.g. Plenary Sessions, Breakout Sessions, 5 tracks running concurrently): _____________
Venue Full Address: ________________________________________________________________
Number of Attendees: ______________________________________________________________
Number of Exhibitors: ______________________________________________________________
Level and Number of Sponsors: ______________________________________________________
Event Brief Overview: ______________________________________________________________
Target Audience and Overview: _______________________________________________________

Audience Devices/Technology: _______________________________________________________
Details of Event Apps Used in the Past (providers, uptake, most popular features, etc): __________
Primary Objectives of the Event:

1. ______________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________________________
EVENT APP
Primary Objectives of the Event App

1. _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________
3. _____________________________________
4. _____________________________________
5. _____________________________________
Must Have Features

1. _______________________________________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________________________
4. _______________________________________________________________________________
5. _______________________________________________________________________________
6. _______________________________________________________________________________
7. _______________________________________________________________________________
8. _______________________________________________________________________________
9. _______________________________________________________________________________
10. ______________________________________________________________________________

Budget (if this can be disclosed): ______________________________________________________
Information Requested from the App Provider

Lead Contact Name: _______________________________________________________________
Email: ___________________________________________________________________________
Phone: __________________________________________________________________________
Website: _________________________________________________________________________
Overview of the App

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
What operating systems and devices does the app work on?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Features and Functionality Offered

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Key Menu Options and Content

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
How is content added?

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
How quickly do changes and updates show up?

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
How can the app be used for communication with attendees?

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
What opportunities are available for revenue generation?

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

How does your app enable event planners to save money?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
What integrations do you offer?

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Which features rely on WiFi to operate?

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Please provide examples of apps provided for similar event projects?

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Please include sample reports of statistics, data and analytics and how the data can be accessed
and exported.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Please give details of encryption, security and data protection compliance.

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
What differentiates your app from competitor apps? What are your USPs?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Please disclose the price of your app.

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
What are the payment terms for your app?

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
When a Decision will be Made

Shortlisting: ______________________________________________________________________
Final Decision: ____________________________________________________________________
How you will be notified: ____________________________________________________________
Person to Contact in Case of Any Questions

Name: ___________________________________________________________________________
Email: ___________________________________________________________________________
Phone: __________________________________________________________________________

PROJECT TIMELINE TO
PREPARE YOUR EVENT APP
Becki Cross
It isn’t easy to create a specific timeline for implementing an event app.

Lead times, your event requirements, demands and timescales are
different for native, web-enabled, hybrid apps and chatbots. Every event
is different and every app has unique features and nuances. We have
however tried to look past this and create a basic project timeline as a
useful starting point.
The plan is an outline for your events when you do have the time and
resources to invest fully in your mobile app program. We have based
this on a 12-month lead time as you may have for an annual event or
large event project. This chart can of course still act as a starting point
for when you are working under much tighter time constraints and for
when time needs to be saved, corners cut and quick decisions made for
it to happen. The template is downloadable in Excel format so you can
adapt to your unique circumstances.
Download the Sample Project Management Template for an Event App
REGISTER* ON OUR PORTAL

TO ACCESS AN EDITABLE
PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEMPLATE
OPEN NOW
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WHAT TO DO WHEN
TIME IS LIMITED
Becki Cross
Event planners don’t always have the luxury of time, in fact, lead times
seem to be forever getting shorter. If timescales are challenging but
you are committed to implementing an event mobile app we would
recommend one or more of these things will help you make the most of
the time available and turn your event app into reality.
G Cut Out the RFP. It takes time to issue and analyze responses
from a formal RFP process. When time is of the essence consider
requesting information and talking directly with a small number of
suppliers to enable a decision to be made in a shorter timeframe.
Our online tables will help you to make a fast assessment before
deciding who to talk to.
G Speak to the App Providers. The app providers are experts in app
development, current approval times on the app stores and their
specific product, so talk to them and ask their honest advice and
whether it is feasible. To bypass the sales talk also try to speak
directly to another event planner that has first-hand experience of
using the app and find out how long it really took and how easy it
really was to set up.

G Choose a Chatbot. A chatbot can be set up much faster than a
traditional event app. If time is tight it may be worth considering
using a bot which can operate through messaging services your
attendees are already using.
G Revise Your Vision. If time is short perhaps choose a free or low-

cost event app, over a high-end event app. This could be a useful
experiment and learning curve before investing further in an app
in future years. You still need to be confident though that you have
the resources to support it, rather than a half-hearted effort.
G Focus on a Specific Feature. Instead of implementing a

comprehensive event app why not choose a simpler app with
fewer features, or specialized in one particular area such as
audience response or slide sharing.
G Pay for Full Support. Some providers can provide a full set up
service for you which could save you time, although you, or a
member of your team, will need to provide the information to
them in the first place.
G Choose an Integrated App. Some apps integrate directly with

registration systems or website to pull the data from there.
This can be a great time saver as much of the data required will
already be available.
G Easy Import/Set Up. When time is short this is even more

reason to prioritize the apps with easy import and set up that
work with your data.
G Favor Web-Enabled or Hybrid Apps. To avoid delays with the

app gaining approval from Apple consider going for a web-
enabled app over a native app. Some providers also offer hybrid
apps which don’t require new approvals each time. For instance,
you download the provider master app and attendees put in a
unique password which then pulls the data for your specific
event.
G Loan Devices with the App Pre-installed. You may want to

consider hiring tablet devices with the app pre-installed to bypass
publishing and approval on the app stores. This is particularly
feasible if the app is for a quiz or some form of gamification,
particularly if it is a team based event.

G Get Started. When time is of the essence get the app ready and
submitted to the app stores as soon as possible, knowing that
it can take 1-2 weeks for iOS approval. Of course, sometimes it
only takes a few days - there are no guarantees.
G Boost WiFi. Realize that the nearer to the live event date the
app is published the less time there is for communicating
and encouraging your attendees to download the app. This
increases the likelihood that more people will only download
the app when they get to the event. With this in mind think
about whether the WiFi bandwidth will cope with multiple
simultaneous downloads and consider investing more money to
avoid failure.
G Consider Shelving the Idea until Next Time. If time is really

short, quality is going to be compromised and downloads and
usage are likely to be much lower as a result. Ask yourself if it
is essential to have an app at such short notice or whether it
is best to take proper time and care implementing an app for
future events and bypassing this event.

FEATURE TABLES
145 providers advised us on the functionality of their event apps and
chatbots. We investigated 136 features across 8 key areas (last year we
enquired about 96 features). 48 features were uncommon - offered by
less than 60% of providers across any price point.
We have listed some of the most interesting features within the

following tables. The complete listings with details of all 136 features
surveyed are available in our online tables. The dynamic tables allow
you to search and filter the apps that meet your specific requirements
and budget and other detailed company information.
COMPARE
145 PROVIDERS IN A SNAP
Register* on our portal to access a full version
of the comparison tables and filter the apps
that meet your requirements
OPEN NOW
*You need to register to access the online portal

LIVE STREAMING
VIRTUAL REALITY
AUGMENTED REALITY
MACHINE LEARNING
INSTAGRAM
INTEGRATION
SMS/WHATSAPP
LIVE STREAMING
VIRTUAL REALITY
AUGMENTED REALITY
MACHINE LEARNING
INSTAGRAM
INTEGRATION
SMS/WHATSAPP
NEW EMERGING FEATURES feature available
feature not available
Providers are cliccable
10times evenzu
Actigage Live Engagement Platform FestApp
ActivTouch Festfeed
AgendaPop Gather Digital
AIDAIO Hub GEVME
Akkroo Glisser
All In The Loop Goomeo
Attendease Grenadine Event Guide
Attendee Schedule Builder Grip
Attendica Guidebook
Attendify HelloCrowd
Azavista Event App Hobnob
Beekast HOO Events
Blispa Events and Festivals Howdy
BOABEE IdeasEvent
Boomset Lead Retrieval App iEvent App
Built.io Conference App ITM Mobile
BusyConf JUBLIA
ChirpE Premium JUJAMA Networking Platform
Clientry Concierge KAYO
ConBop Krónos
Concierge EventBot LeaDS
Confer Live Engagement App
Conference Compass Livecube
Conferience LOQUIZ
Confrenz Lumi Show
ConnexMe Meet
Conversation Starter MeetApp
Core-apps Meetee
CrowdComms MeetingPlay
CrowdCompass by Cvent MeetingSift
Crowdlink MeetMatch
Crystal Event App Meetoo
Crystal Mobile mEvent
Dazzmobile Mobapplogic
Delegate Select Web App mobLee
Delegia Mobile Moozup
Digivents MyEventApps
DoubleDutch Networkapp
EasyTag NetworkTables.com
Engage Noodle Live
Equilar Engage NVOLV
ERMobile Panelsensor
Evenbase Free Pathable
event app by etouches PheedLoop
Event Apptitude Pitch and Match
Event Buddy PowerVote Event App
Event Mobile Apps by Poken Presdo Match
event2mobile QuickMobile
EventApp360 QuickTapSurvey
Eventbase Enterprise registraid.com
Eventbase Premium Results at Hand Event App
Eventbuizz Sharypic
eventcloud ShowGizmo
Eventdex Slido
Eventdrive by myQaa SpotMe
EventEdge Superevent
EventEye Swapcard
Eventfuel.io Symposia
EventMobi Tailgate
EventOPlanner TapFuse
Eventory Time2
Eventpedia Topi
EventPilot Conference App TripBuilder EventMobile
eventpowwow twoppy
EventsCase uSummit
eventScribe Velocevent
Eventsential by Results Direct Virtual Event Bags
Eventtus Whova
eventuosity Wooclap
evenTwo Yapp
EventXP Zuant
EventZebra
PERSONALIZED
SCHEDULE
MULTI-EVENT
PUSH NOTIFICATIONS
REAL TIME ANALYTICS

& REPORTS
PERSONALIZED
SCHEDULE
MULTI-EVENT
PUSH NOTIFICATIONS
REAL TIME ANALYTICS

& REPORTS
EVENT MANAGEMENT FEATURES feature available
10times evenzu
ActivTouch Festfeed
AIDAIO Hub GEVME
Akkroo Glisser
Attendica Guidebook
Beekast HOO Events
BOABEE IdeasEvent
BusyConf JUBLIA
ConBop Krónos
Conferience LOQUIZ
Confrenz Lumi Show
ConnexMe Meet
Core-apps Meetee
Crowdlink MeetMatch
Engage Noodle Live
Eventbuizz Sharypic
Eventdex Slido
EventEye Swapcard
EventMobi Tailgate
Eventory Time2
Eventpedia Topi
eventpowwow twoppy
EventsCase uSummit
Eventtus Whova
eventuosity Wooclap
evenTwo Yapp
EventXP Zuant
EventZebra
ATTENDEE
MATCHMAKING
APPOINTMENT
SCHEDULING
SOCIAL MEDIA SIGN IN
LEAD RETRIEVAL FOR

EXHIBITORS
ATTENDEE
MATCHMAKING
APPOINTMENT
SCHEDULING
SOCIAL MEDIA SIGN IN
LEAD RETRIEVAL FOR

EXHIBITORS
NETWORKING FEATURES feature available
10times evenzu
ActivTouch Festfeed
AIDAIO Hub GEVME
Akkroo Glisser
Attendica Guidebook
Beekast HOO Events
BOABEE IdeasEvent
BusyConf JUBLIA
ConBop Krónos
Conferience LOQUIZ
Confrenz Lumi Show
ConnexMe Meet
Core-apps Meetee
Crowdlink MeetMatch
Engage Noodle Live
Eventbuizz Sharypic
Eventdex Slido
EventEye Swapcard
EventMobi Tailgate
Eventory Time2
Eventpedia Topi
eventpowwow twoppy
EventsCase uSummit
Eventtus Whova
eventuosity Wooclap
evenTwo Yapp
EventXP Zuant
EventZebra
GAMIFICATION
MULTI SESSION LIVE

INTERACTION
SUPPORTS LIVE DISPLAY
SLIDE-SHARING
ABSTRACTS
GAMIFICATION
MULTI SESSION LIVE

INTERACTION
SUPPORTS LIVE DISPLAY
SLIDE-SHARING
ABSTRACTS
ENGAGEMENT FEATURES +
CONTENT FEATURES
feature available
10times evenzu
ActivTouch Festfeed
AIDAIO Hub GEVME
Akkroo Glisser
Attendica Guidebook
Beekast HOO Events
BOABEE IdeasEvent
BusyConf JUBLIA
ConBop Krónos
Conferience LOQUIZ
Confrenz Lumi Show
ConnexMe Meet
Core-apps Meetee
Crowdlink MeetMatch
Engage Noodle Live
Eventbuizz Sharypic
Eventdex Slido
EventEye Swapcard
EventMobi Tailgate
Eventory Time2
Eventpedia Topi
eventpowwow twoppy
EventsCase uSummit
Eventtus Whova
eventuosity Wooclap
evenTwo Yapp
EventXP Zuant
EventZebra
24/7 SUPPORT
WORKS OFFLINE
CRM INTEGRATION
ONSITE REGISTRATION &

CHECK-IN VIA APP
24/7 SUPPORT
WORKS OFFLINE
CRM INTEGRATION
ONSITE REGISTRATION &

CHECK-IN VIA APP
APP TECH SPECS AND SUPPORT FEATURES +
INTEGRATION FEATURES
feature available
10times evenzu
ActivTouch Festfeed
AIDAIO Hub GEVME
Akkroo Glisser
Attendica Guidebook
Beekast HOO Events
BOABEE IdeasEvent
BusyConf JUBLIA
ConBop Krónos
Conferience LOQUIZ
Confrenz Lumi Show
ConnexMe Meet
Core-apps Meetee
Crowdlink MeetMatch
Engage Noodle Live
Eventbuizz Sharypic
Eventdex Slido
EventEye Swapcard
EventMobi Tailgate
Eventory Time2
Eventpedia Topi
eventpowwow twoppy
EventsCase uSummit
Eventtus Whova
eventuosity Wooclap
evenTwo Yapp
EventXP Zuant
EventZebra
INDOOR NAVIGATION
ABILITY TO NAME &

BRAND THE BOT
GATHERS HISTORY FOR

PERSONALIZATION
INDOOR NAVIGATION
ABILITY TO NAME &

BRAND THE BOT
GATHERS HISTORY FOR

PERSONALIZATION
INTEGRATION FEATURES +
VOICE CONTROL AND CONCIERGE FEATURES
feature available
10times evenzu
ActivTouch Festfeed
AIDAIO Hub GEVME
Akkroo Glisser
Attendica Guidebook
Beekast HOO Events
BOABEE IdeasEvent
BusyConf JUBLIA
ConBop Krónos
Conferience LOQUIZ
Confrenz Lumi Show
ConnexMe Meet
Core-apps Meetee
Crowdlink MeetMatch
Engage Noodle Live
Eventbuizz Sharypic
Eventdex Slido
EventEye Swapcard
EventMobi Tailgate
Eventory Time2
Eventpedia Topi
eventpowwow twoppy
EventsCase uSummit
Eventtus Whova
eventuosity Wooclap
evenTwo Yapp
EventXP Zuant
EventZebra
MOBILE APP AND FEATURES GLOSSARY
24/7 SUPPORT AUDIENCE RESPONSE

Round-the-clock support is available for the app from Used during live events, the audience can interact via the
the vendor. app to provide feedback in real time. This feature may
be used for attendees to place votes, respond to polls,
3D MAPS answer questions, etc. Results can be shown live.
Maps which appear 3-dimensional, rather than ‘flat’.
AUDIO BEACONS
ABSTRACTS Audio beacons use your microphone to access your
A summary of academic research often shared within device and send ultra-high frequency sounds that you
academic and scientific conferences. cannot hear to your smartphone. With audio beacons,
content is delivered over a wider area, dissimilar to
AI beacons, where content can be different based on an
See artificial intelligence. attendees location within a venue.
ALERTS AUGMENTED REALITY

Some apps can send alerts to the event planner at Computer generated content such as video, sound or
specific times, for instance when a VIP checks in. imagery superimposed on our real-world surroundings
to give a sense of illusion or virtual reality. Via an app
ANDROID and our smartphone, we can access this hidden content
Mobile operating system developed by Google. Apps are through a marker.
available via the Google Play store.
BADGES
ANONYMOUS VOTING Apps can provide a badge for attendees or check-in via
Attendees vote anonymously; it is not possible to track the app can trigger badge printing.
the individual.
BEACON INTEGRATION
APPLE PAY Beacons allow you to send push notifications to an
A method of making electronic payments via an iOS attendee based on their location. The beacon is a
device. transmitter that works through low energy bluetooth
technology via proximity sensing. Every iPhone and iPad
APPOINTMENT SCHEDULING can be turned into a beacon, and beacon signals can be
The app enables appointment scheduling with received by both iOS and Android devices.
exhibitors or other attendees.
BOT
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE See chatbot.
Intelligent behaviour by machines, such as logic and
problem solving. BRAINSTORMING/COLLABORATIVE DOCUMENT
CREATION
ATTENDEE NETWORKING Participants can contribute to a shared document, with
Attendees can use the app to find other people with shared input from multiple people.
interests and contact them directly via the app.
BRANDING/CUSTOMIZATION
ATTENDEE PROFILES The app can be branded with the event logo, graphics,
Attendees can create customized profiles and consult and colors. Different themes, icons, tabs and layouts
the profiles of other attendees to maximize networking may also be available.
time and opportunities.

BUSINESS CARD SCANNING DATA PROTECTION
Some apps enable business cards to be scanned and The safe protection of user data, covered by legislation.
shared, sharing details between devices.
DOCUMENT SHARING
CALENDAR SYNC Documents can be accessed and/or downloaded via
The ability to sync the app data with your electronic the app. This could be supporting research, sponsor
calendar. information or any other relevant event content.
CHAT BOX ON WEBSITE EVENT AGENDA/SCHEDULE

A text help box via a website, with responses often via a Enables attendees to check the event schedule and the
chatbot. sessions currently taking place or about to start.
CHAT HISTORY EVENT BUDGET

The full chat history is useful to be accessed by the event Some apps incorporate event management tools for the
planner. planner, such as the event budget.
CHAT LOG FOR ATTENDEE EVENT WEBSITE

The participant can see the communications and Some apps create an event website in parallel with the
queries and the responses from a chatbot. creation of the event app.
CHATBOT EXHIBITOR CATEGORIES/TAGS

A computer program which conducts a conversation via Descriptions to help it easier to search and find relevant
voice or text and emulates how a human would respond information which is of interest to attendees.
to specific queries.
EXHIBITOR PROFILES AND DIRECTORY
CONCIERGE Trade show exhibitor profiles are featured to help
Another description for chatbots, offering a concierge participants determine in advance which booths to visit.
service. Siri and Alexa are well known concierge
applications. EXPORT INFORMATION
Information which can be exported from the app, for
CONTENT CAPTURE/SHARE instance, notes, documents and slides exported to an
Attendees can take pictures or video at the event and easily attendee and reports exported to the event planner.
share with other attendees and/or their social networks via
the app. Content sharing can boost app usage. FEEDBACK
Attendee feedback can be collected via the app.
CMS
CMS stands for Content Management System. This FLOOR PLAN
allows for data and changes to the app content to be Attendees can access a floor plan of the event venue,
made directly by the event team without relying on input spaces and rooms. This may also include a detailed
from the provider. layout of the exhibitor booths too.
CRM GAMIFICATION
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. An interactive game component, such as trivia,
CRM is used to record interactions and engagement scavenger hunts, quizzes, leaderboards, to encourage
with customers. Some apps integrate with popular CRM specific behaviour and with rewards to encourage
software. participation and competition.
CUSTOM SOLUTIONS GOOGLE ANALYTICS

These are fully customized applications, completely Analysis of traffic.
redesigned graphically and/or functionally for a specific
use case or client (e.g. for a venue or multiple events). GOOGLE WALLET
The Android version of Apple Pay.
CUSTOM SOLUTIONS FOR VENUES
Some apps offer solutions specifically for venues, such GPS BASED SELF CHECK-IN
as local information and advertising. GPS stands for Global Positioning System and some
events use geolocation technology to check-in attendees. iOS
The mobile operating system for Apple devices such as the
HTML iPhone and iPad.
HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is the standard
code for creating web pages and web applications. LEADERBOARD
A competitive scoreboard showing the positions of
HTML5 those taking part. The most successful participant will
The language of content on the internet which traditionally appear at the top of the list.
allows you to create responsive web applications and
support mobiles, tablets and desktop access across
multiple platforms and browsers. The user can switch LEAD RETRIEVAL
seamlessly between desktop, mobile and tablet without Contact data collected from an individual via the app. For
having to install a different app on each. example exhibitors can collect the details of those that
HTML5 can allow content to be stored and accessed would like to receive further information following the
even when offline. Updates are much quicker and event.
easier than for a native app, which is particularly
important if the user is updating via their 3/4G rather LIBRARY
than WiFi. Chatbots develop a library of queries, which develops over
Unlike a native app, a HTML5 app can ask for time.
permissions as required to access data or hardware,
without requiring an update or reinstallation. LIVE DISPLAY
The ability to link and show content on the big screen.
HYBRID APPS (Native and Web)
Hybrid apps fall between native and web apps and are LIVE Q&A
built using cross compatible web technologies such as Questions submitted by attendees in real time.
HTML5, CSS or JavaScript, which offer a better, almost
native experience, whilst potentially offering a faster LIVE STREAMING
development time and lower cost. For a better user For large events or in cases where you have app users
experience and to enable the app to access the wider who can’t be at the live event, live streaming allows you to
functionality of the device some native code is used. share live video of the presentations or performances.
However, a hybrid app will be a little slower than a truly
native app. LOCATION SPECIFIC NOTIFICATIONS
The participant receives alerts according to their specific
IN-APP SOCIAL MEDIA location.
The user can interact with social media from within the
app, e.g. send a tweet, without having to switch to the MACHINE LEARNING
specific social media app. Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that
means computers have the ability to learn when exposed
INDOOR NAVIGATION to new data, without being explicitly programmed. By
Indoor navigation relies on an indoor positioning system recognizing patterns it enables predictions to be made on
(IPS) to locate objects or people inside a building using data.
radio waves, magnetic fields, acoustic signals, or other
sensory information collected by mobile devices and MAPS
direct the user. Attendees can access maps of the local area and points of
interest.
INSTAGRAM
A popular image sharing social media network. MATCHMAKING
Attendees can use the app to find other people with
INTEGRATION WITH OTHER APPS shared interests and contact them directly via the app.
Compatibility and integration with other apps, for Some apps use algorithms or AI to intelligently match
example, social media, weather, Google Maps, etc. people.
INTERACTIVE MAPS MODERATION (MANUAL/AUTOMATIC)

Maps and plans with greater functionality for the user. The ability to manipulate what is shown either using
automatic pre-set rules and filters or with human input.
This is commonly used to approve questions submitted, the event. The attendee may have an electronic version of
comments and social media. their ticket within the app, use QR codes, or location based
check-in.
MULTI-EVENT
The management process for the app is designed in OS
such a way as to make it easy for organizers to create Stand for Operating System, such as Android and iOS.
content for multiple events, without duplication of effort.
PASSWORD PROTECTION
MULTI-LANGUAGE Additional security, such as password protection, may be
The app is available in more than one language. required for event apps in high-security sectors.
MULTI-SESSION LIVE INTERACTION PERSONALIZATION

The ability to use live interaction across multiple The ability to offer bespoke content based on a user’s
simultaneous sessions, such as polls, live Q&A, etc. preferences or actions.
MULTI-TRACK AGENDAS PERSONALIZED SCHEDULING/REMINDERS

Specific content tracks can be segmented and Attendees can create a personalized schedule by saving
highlighted within a wider conference agenda. sessions and appointments for quick reference during
the event. The app may also send them reminders of the
NATIVE activities that they have selected.
An app developed for use on a particular platform e.g.
iOS or Android, or device e.g. tablet or smartphone. The PHOTO GALLERY
user downloads the app to their device via the relevant A collection of images.
app store.
More functionality can be built into native apps, for POLLS
example, the app can have permission to integrate with A survey or people’s thoughts and feelings.
the user’s address book, microphone, camera and so
forth and can often operate without a WiFi connection. PRIVATE APP
Native apps generally run faster than web-based An app which is not publically available via the app stores.
applications as they are designed specifically for that
operating platform. PRIVATE MESSAGING/IN-APP CHAT
Attendees are able to connect directly with other
NFC INTEGRATION attendees, speakers and exhibitors and have one-to-one
Near Field Communication (NFC) is a form of wireless text-based conversations via private message.
communication. NFC works on a very short range, of
about 4 to 20 cm. A NFC tag inserted into a name-tag PRIVATE SOCIAL NETWORK/CHAT ROOM
or wristband can be used by attendees to collect key Some apps create a private area to exchange content with
information. For example, an attendee could use their other app users, without it being seen publicly as it could
tag to collect contact information, exhibitor brochures or be on a public social media network.
record their session attendance. When integrated with
an event app, this information can then be collated and PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR THE EVENT
organized within the app. Some apps offer specific functionality for the event
planner, such as project management tools.
NOTE TAKING
The ability to take notes within the app which can be PUBLIC APP
accessed by the user. An app that is available in the public domain, e.g. through
the app stores.
OFFLINE MODE
The ability to work offline, without the need for an PUSH NOTIFICATIONS
internet connection. Some features rely on WiFi and Organizers can send or ‘push’ customized alerts,
so will not function without it, otherwise will operate messages and reminders directly to the app on the user’s
without issues if the connection fails. smartphone.
ON SITE REGISTRATION AND CHECK-IN QR CODE

Via the app users can register or check-in on site at A Quick Response, 2-dimensional barcode, which stores data.
REAL TIME ANALYTICS AND REPORTS to sign-in to the app, and pull data, rather than creating
Statistics and insights for the organizer in relation to the new profile information. Once the app is linked to their
event. This may include app downloads, usage, survey social media account(s) attendees may be able to view
feedback, session attendance, ratings and poll results.
who else from their network is coming to the event. They
can also use the social sign-in to share event news via the
REGISTRATION WITHIN APP
Attendees are able to register for the event via the app relevant network directly from the app.
itself.
SOCIAL WALL/STREAM
RFID INTEGRATION A feed from social media, pulling data from one or more
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a form of social networks using a hashtag, keywords or account
wireless communication. A RFID tag inserted into a handle. Comments and content posted from within the
name-tag or wristband can be used by attendees to app private network may also be able to sync and feed in.
collect key information. For example, an attendee could
use their tag to collect contact information, exhibitor SMARTPHONE
brochures or record their session attendance. When
A mobile phone with an advanced operating system, such
integrated with an event app, this information can then
as Android or iOS, and access to the world wide web and
be collated and organized within the app.
apps.
SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS
Functionality to schedule appointments via the app. SPEAKER PROFILES
The attendees are able to view detailed information,
SEATING ALLOCATION/VIEW such as biographies and photographs, of the speakers or
Seating information via the app. performers who are participating in the event.
SECURITY COMPLIANCE SPLASH SCREEN

App providers offer different levels of security The full-screen bespoke graphic that shows for a few
compliance. If you operate in a protected sector use
seconds as an app is accessed.
of an event app may be discouraged or high-level
encryption and compliance may be obligatory.
SPONSOR BANNERS
Areas within the app specifically designed to feature and
SESSION CHECK IN
Use the app to check-in to a specific session. This may profile sponsors.
trigger relevant content to be accessed, such as session
feedback, supporting information, etc. STICKERS/FILTERS
Stickers and filters were first made popular by Snapchat
SESSION RATINGS and are now common across other social media.
Attendees are able to rate sessions and speakers in the
app, providing valuable feedback to the organizer. TASK MANAGEMENT
Event planners can schedule tasks via apps if they offer event
SLIDE-SHARING management features as well as the attendee facing content.
Attendees can access the slides on the app and follow
along with the presentation in real-time. TEXT MESSAGE
A common way to type and send messages between
SMS
mobile phones.
A Short Message Service which enables text messages
to be sent via mobile phones.
TRACKING RESPONSES BACK TO THE INDIVIDUAL
SNAPCHAT Some apps enable data such as feedback and polling to
A popular social media network where content is time be tracked back to the specific user. This can be useful to
sensitive and disappears within 24 hours. analyze data more deeply.
SOCIAL MEDIA SIGN-IN TRAVEL INFORMATION

Attendees are able to use their social media account(s) Details about travel for the attendee.

TRAVEL/FLIGHT STATUS UPDATES WEB APPS
Alerts and updates to travel information. Web apps run via a browser to operate across multiple
platforms, operating systems and devices rather than
VIDEO FILES EMBEDDED being developed natively. Web-based apps need a WiFi
The option to add and access video content. connection to work fully, although some content can be
downloaded and stored locally.
VIRTUAL KEY
Web apps are less of a privacy and security risk as they do
Grants or denies access to sessions or special areas
not require permissions like a native app and updates are
within an event.
faster. Web apps remove the problem of a user’s device
VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) being too full to download an app.
An immersive and realistic environment created Web apps are written in HTML5, Javascript, CSS or other
artificially by computer technology. languages.
VOICE ACTIVATED WHATSAPP

A POPULAR SMS APPLICATION.
Responds to voice commands.
WHITE LABEL
VOTE UP QUESTIONS An app produced by one company but packaged and
Attendees can ‘vote’ for the questions they would most offered under the branding of another company.
like to be answered by a speaker to prioritize the order
that they are tackled. WINDOWS
The Operating System from Microsoft.
WEARABLE DEVICES
Some apps are compatible with wearable devices such
as smart watches.

GEOLOCATION TABLES
ASIA & OCEANIA
10times Noida, India - - - -
Actigage Live Engagement Platform Singapore, Singapore - - - -
AIDAIO Hub Bangalore, India - - - -
Attendica Mumbai, India - - - -
Blispa Events and Festivals Istanbul, Turkey - - - -
Built.io Conference App Mumbai, India - - - -
CrowdComms Sydney, Australia - - - -
CrowdCompass by Cvent Sydney, Australia - - - -
Delegia Mobile Thailand, Bangkok - - - -
EasyTag Hyderabad, India - - - -
event app by etouches Singapore, Singapore North Sydney, Australia - - -
Event Buddy Kochi, India Gurgaon, India - - -
event2mobile Singapore, Singapore - - - -
Eventdex Hyderabad, India - - - -
EventEdge Ahmedabad, India - - - -
Eventfuel.io Singapore, Singapore Melbourne, Australia - - -
EventMobi Sydney, Australia Singapore, Singapore - - -
Gather Digital Kinmen, Taiwan - - - -
GEVME Singapore, Singapore Yangon, Myanmar Hyderabad, India - -
Guidebook Seoul, South Korea - - - -
Hobnob Mumbai, India - - - -
Howdy Singapore, Singapore - - - -
ITM Mobile Bangkok, Thailand - - - -
JUBLIA Singapore, Singapore - - - -
JUJAMA Networking Platform Hyderabad, India - - - -
Live Engagement App Sydney, Australia Singapore - - -
Lumi Show Sydney, Australia Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Singapore, Singapore - -
Meetoo Hong Kong, Hong Kong - - - -
mEvent Sydney, Australia Melbourne, Australia Bangalore, India Hyderabad, India Singapore
Moozup Hyderabad, India - - - -
PowerVote Event App Singapore, Singapore - - - -
ShowGizmo Sydney, Australia Melbourne, Australia Wellington, New Zealand - -
Slido Singapore, Singapore Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Melbourne, Australia Sydney, Australia Taipei, Taiwan
SpotMe Singapore, Singapore - - - -
Virtual Event Bags Sydney, Australia - - - -
Whova Beijing, China - - - -

AMERICAS
Actigage Live Engagement P. Seattle, WA, USA - - - - - -
ActivTouch Montréal, QC, Canada - - - - - -
AgendaPop McLean, VA, USA - - - - - -
All In The Loop New Port Richey, FL, USA - - - - - -
Attendease Vancouver, Canada - - - - - -
Attendee Schedule Builder Vancouver, WA, USA - - - - - -
Attendify Palo Alto, CA, USA Phoenix, AZ, USA - - - - -
Azavista Event App New York, NY, USA - - - - - -
Blispa Events and Festivals South Carolina, SC, USA - - - - - -
Boomset Lead Retrieval App New York, NY, USA - - - - - -
Built.io Conference App San Francisco, CA, USA - - - - - -
BusyConf Lafayette, CO, USA - - - - - -
ChirpE Premium Columbia, MD, USA - - - - - -
Clientry Concierge Dallas, TX, USA - - - - - -
ConBop Costa Mesa, CA, USA - - - - - -
Concierge EventBot Salt Lake City, UT, USA Chicago, IL, USA Seattle, WA, USA - - - -
ConnexMe San Francisco, CA, USA - - - - - -
Core-apps Arnold, MD, USA - - - - - -
CrowdCompass by Cvent Tysons Corner, VA, USA Portland, OR, USA Santa Barbara, CA, USA Austin, TX, USA Dallas, TX, USA Atlanta, GA, USA Fredericton, NB, Canada
Crowdlink Ann Arbor, MI, USA - - - - - -
Dazzmobile Hopkinton, MA, USA - - - - - -
Delegia Mobile Los Angeles, CA, USA - - - - - -
Digivents New York, NY, USA Buenos Aires, Argentina - - - - -
DoubleDutch San Francisco, CA, USA Phoenix, AZ, USA Portland, OR, USA - - - -
Engage Frederick, MD, USA Lincolnshire, IL, USA Chicago, IL, USA Arlington, VA, USA Twinsburg, OH, USA Fenton, MO, USA -
Equilar Engage Redwood City, CA, USA - - - - - -
ERMobile Baltimore, MD, USA - - - - - -
Evenbase Free Vancouver, Canada - - - - - -
event app by etouches Norwalk, CT, USA Orlando, FL, USA - - - - -
Event Apptitude Golden, CO, USA - - - - - -
Event Mobile Apps by Poken New York, NY, USA Bogota, Colombia Ottawa, ON, Canada - - - -
event2mobile New York, NY, USA - - - - - -
Eventbase Enterprise Vancouver, Canada - - - - - -
Eventbase Premium Vancouver, Canada - - - - - -
Eventdex Morganville, NJ, USA - - - - - -
EventEdge Austin, TX, USA - - - - - -
EventMobi Toronto, ON, Canada - - - - - -
Eventory San Francisco, CA, USA - - - - - -
Eventpedia McLean, VA, USA Charleston, SC, USA Dallas, TX, USA Los Angeles, CA, USA - - -
EventsCase Austin, TX, USA - - - - - -
eventScribe Forest Hill, MD, USA Rockville, MD, USA Chicago, IL, USA - - - -
Eventsential by Results Direct Alexandria, VA, USA - - - - - -
eventuosity Pennsylvania, PA, USA - - - - - -

Lomas del Campestre,
evenTwo Mexico Aurora, IL, USA Las Condes, Chile - - - -
FestApp Nashville, TN, USA - - - - - -
Festfeed Vancouver, Canada - - - - - -
Gather Digital Chapel Hill, NC, USA Chicago, IL, USA Tampa, FL, USA - - - -
GEVME Seattle, WA, USA - - - - - -
Glisser New York, NY, USA Seattle, WA, USA - - - - -
Goomeo Montréal, QC, Canada - - - - - -
Grenadine Event Guide Montréal, QC, Canada - - - - - -
Guidebook San Francisco, CA, USA Raleigh, NC, USA - - - - -
HelloCrowd San Diego, CA, USA - - - - - -
HOO Events Toronto, ON, Canada - - - - - -
IdeasEvent Mississauga, ON, Canada - - - - - -
iEvent App Pleasanton, CA, USA - - - - - -
ITM Mobile Apple Valley, CA, USA - - - - - -
JUJAMA Networking Platform Scranton, PA, USA - - - - - -
Krónos Buenos Aires, Argentina - - - - - -
Live Engagement App San Francisco, CA, USA - - - - - -
Livecube New York, NY, USA - - - - - -
Lumi Show Minneapolis, MN, USA - - - - - -
MeetApp Chicago, IL, USA - - - - - -
MeetingPlay Frederick, MD, USA Tysons Corner, VA, USA - - - - -
MeetingSift San Francisco, CA, USA - - - - - -
Meetoo Boston, MA, USA - - - - - -
mEvent Dallas, TX, USA Fremont, CA, USA Bridge Water, NJ, USA Redmond, WA, USA Atlanta, GA, USA Chicago, IL, USA -
mobLee Florianópolis, Brazil Buenos Aires, Argentina - - - - -
MyEventApps Ottawa, ON, Canada - - - - - -
NVOLV San Mateo, CA, USA Milpitas, CA, USA - - - - -
Pathable Seattle, WA, USA Los Angeles, CA, USA Atlanta, GA, USA Fort Worth, TX, USA - - -
PheedLoop Toronto, ON, Canada Vancouver, BC, Canada San Francisco, SF, USA - - - -
PowerVote Event App Mexico, Mexico - - - - - -
Presdo Match Mountain View, CA, USA - - - - - -
QuickMobile Vancouver, Canada - - - - - -
QuickTapSurvey Toronto, ON, Canada - - - - - -
Results at Hand Event App Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA - - - - - -
ShowGizmo Denver, CO, USA - - - - - -
Slido New York City, NY, USA San Francisco, CA, USA Mexico City, Mexico - - - -
SpotMe Chicago, IL, USA - - - - - -
Swapcard Montréal, QC, Canada San Francisco, CA, USA - - - - -
Tailgate Silver Spring, MD, USA - - - - - -
Time2 Montréal, QC, Canada - - - - - -
Topi New York, NY, USA - - - - - -
TripBuilder EventMobile Westport, CT, USA - - - - - -
uSummit Chester, NJ, USA - - - - - -
Velocevent Marina Del Rey, CA, USA - - - - - -
Virtual Event Bags Dallas, TX, USA - - - - - -
Whova San Diego, CA, USA San Francisco, CA, USA Champaign, IL, USA - - - -
Wooclap Montréal, QC, Canada - - - - - -
Yapp New York, NY, USA - - - - - -
Zuant Los Angeles, CA, USA New York, NY, USA - - - - -

EUROPA, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA
Akkroo London, UK - - - - -
All In The Loop Chesire, UK - - - - -
Azavista Event App Amsterdam, The Netherlands - - - - -
Beekast Paris, France - - - - -
Blispa Events and Festivals Bath, UK - - - - -
BOABEE Lokeren, Belgium - - - - -
Boomset Lead Retrieval App Istanbul, Turkey - - - - -
Built.io Conference App Paris, France - - - - -
Confer Oxford, UK - - - - -
Conference Compass Delft, The Netherlands - - - - -
Conferience Leicester,UK Chalandri, Greece - - - -
Confrenz PoznaÐ, Poland - - - - -
ConnexMe Paris, France - - - - -
Conversation Starter Antwerp, Belgium - - - - -
CrowdComms Dorset, UK - - - - -
CrowdCompass by Cvent London, UK Maidenhead, UK Gurgaon, India - - -
Crystal Event App London, UK Liphook, UK - - - -
Crystal Mobile London, UK Liphook, UK - - - -
Delegate Select Web App London, UK - - - - -
Delegia Mobile Sweden, Stockholm Sweden, Gothemburg - - - -
Digivents Milan, Italy Avellino, Italy Seville, Spain - - -
DoubleDutch Amsterdam, The Netherlands London, UK - - - -
Evenbase Free London, UK - - - - -
event app by etouches Reading, UK Gent, Belgium - - - -
Event Mobile Apps by Poken Lausanne, Switzerland London, UK Dubai, UAE Centurion, South Africa - -
event2mobile London, UK Birmingham, UK - - - -
EventApp360 Heidelberg, Germany - - - - -
Eventbase Enterprise London, UK - - - - -
Eventbase Premium London, UK - - - - -
Eventbuizz Copenhagen, Denmark Berlin, Germany - - - -
eventcloud Dubai, UAE Cape Town, South Africa London, UK Frankfurt, Germany Vienna, Austria -
Eventdrive by myQaa Paris, France - - - - -
EventEye Oslo, Norway - - - - -
Eventfuel.io Lisbon, Portugal - - - - -
EventMobi Berlin, Germany London, UK Madrid, Spain Paris, France Dubai, UAE Durban, South Africa
Capelle aan den IJssel,
EventOPlanner Netherlands - - - - -
Eventory Kraków, Poland - - - - -
eventpowwow London, UK - - - - -
EventsCase London, UK Valencia, Spain - - - -
eventScribe London, UK - - - - -
Eventtus Dubai, UAE Cairo, Egypt - - - -
evenTwo Madrid, Spain Düsseldorf, Germany - - - -

EventXP Rome, Italy Milan, Italy - - - -
EventZebra Cologne, Germany - - - - -
evenzu Copenhagen, Denmark - - - - -
Gather Digital Cardiff, UK - - - - -
GEVME Kiev, Ukraine - - - - -
Glisser London, UK - - - - -
Goomeo Paris, France Limoges, France London, UK - - -
Grip London, UK - - - - -
Guidebook London, UK - - - - -
Johannesburg, South
HelloCrowd Glasgow, UK Africa Dublin, Ireland - - -
Howdy London, UK - - - - -
ITM Mobile Stockholm, Sweden London, UK Accra, Ghana Istanbul, Turkey - -
KAYO Rouen, France - - - - -
LeaDS London, UK - - - - -
LOQUIZ Tallinn, Estonia - - - - -

Issy les Moulineaux, Nuremberg, Gauteng, South
Lumi Show Breendonk, Belgium France Germany Breukelen, Netherlands Africa Liphook, UK
Meet Bucharest, Romania - - - - -
MeetApp Stockholm, Sweden Hannover, Germany - - - -
Meetee Tel Aviv, Israel - - - - -
MeetMatch Zwijndrecht, Belgium - - - - -
Meetoo Liphook, UK London, UK Vasa, Finland - - -

Amsterdam,
mEvent Brentford, UK Frankfurt, Germany Netherlands Paris, France Dubai, UAE Doha, Qatar
Mobapplogic London, UK - - - - -
Networkapp Utrecht, The Netherlands - - - - -
NetworkTables.com Amsterdam, The Netherlands - - - - -
Noodle Live London, UK - - - - -
Panelsensor West Sussex, UK Kallithea, Greece - - - -
Pitch and Match Utrecht, The Netherlands Madrid, Spain - - - -
PowerVote Event App London, UK Dusseldorf, Germany Madrid, Spain Milan, Italy Paris, France -
registraid.com Heemstede, The Netherlands - - - - -
Sharypic Paris, France - - - - -
Slido London, UK Bratislava, Slovakia Paris, France Copenhagen, Denmark - -
SpotMe Lausanne, Switzerland - - - - -

Amsterdam, The
Superevent Vienna, Austria Netherlands - - - -
Swapcard Paris, France Abidjan, Ivory Coast - - - -
Symposia Bournemouth, UK London, UK - - - -
TapFuse London, UK - - - - -
Time2 Brussels, Belgium - - - - -
twoppy Amsterdam, The Netherlands - - - - -
Virtual Event Bags London, UK - - - - -
Wooclap Brussels, Belgium - - - - -
Zuant London, UK - - - - -

EVENTPROF
SURVEY RESULTS
Are you providing an event app for your attendees for any of
your current event projects?
YES NO
53% 47%
Do you intend to provide an event app in the near future for

your attendees (within the next 12 months)?
YES
76%
NO
24%

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Julius Solaris
Julius Solaris is the editor of Event Manager Blog.
Started in 2007, Event Manager Blog is the number
one website worldwide for event professionals,
covering topics such as event planning, social
media for events, event technology, event trends,
event inspiration but also destination management
marketing, meeting planning.
He has been named one of 25 most influential

individuals in the Meeting Industry in 2015 and 2016.
Becki Cross
Becki Cross set up UK based event management
company and SME, Events Northern Ltd, in 2004.
Becki has organized events ranging from conferences
to exhibitions, festivals to awards ceremonies, fashion
shows to golf tournaments and everything in between.
Organizing conferences and corporate events is

Becki’s passion and she believes that conferences
should never be boring!
She enjoys incorporating event technologies and social
media into the mix and working closely with a diverse
range of clients to achieve their event objectives. Becki
is also interested in innovation and how entrepreneurial
thinking and skills can be encouraged.
Becki is the Deputy Editor and Contributor to EventMB,

which she describes as her dream job alongside event
planning! Follow Becki on Twitter @beckitrain.

CMP CREDITS
EventMB is the leading online resource for event planners worldwide.

EventMB is a CMP Preferred Provider accredited by the Convention Industry
Council and provides Continuing Education credits for learning activities.
This report is worth 2 CE Credits.
To acquire CE credits through this or other reports, webinars and reading

material from EventMB, please refer to www.eventmanagerblog.com/cmp.
For more information about the CMP credential or Preferred Provider

Program, please visit www.conventionindustry.org.

CREDITS
This guide would not have been possible without the help of an
incredible team of people.
I would like to thank:
Carmen Boscolo - for making the project a reality.

Becki Cross, MD of Events Northern Ltd and Deputy Editor of EventMB
- for co-authoring the book and coordinating the book production.
Camille Wagner - for research support.
Beatrice Tagliaferri - for cover and ebook design.
Lee Stacey - for proofreading and validation of the content.
All the event professionals who participated in our questionnaire.
All of the providers that shared details of their products with us and
answered all of our questions.
Our sponsors - for making the book happen.

DISCLAIMER
This report is based on a research carried out in February and March

2017.
While this report has been sponsored by event technology providers the
analysis is completely unbiased.
If you wish to sponsor our future publications or receive sponsorship

opportunity notifications, get in touch with carmen at eventmanager-
blog dot com.
Publication release date: 21 March 2017.


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THE

1 The Event App Bible 2017: REBOOT

2 The Event App Bible 2017: REBOOT

2016 has been a very defining year. A combination of technological

Tech. The recent developments in technology, the widespread

User Experience. The massive rise of voice activated platforms

Market. As we have diligently reported in the past editions, the

General App Adoption. While apps may have been the

4 The Event App Bible 2017: REBOOT

ConnexMe helped us bring a collaborative element

ConnexMe brings a new dimension to our

ConnexMe greatly facilitates the interaction

Engage Your Corporate Event Attendees

Curious to know why? Read on.

6 The Event App Bible 2017: REBOOT

The 2017 reboot of event apps is defined by major trends in

Chatbots or concierge apps, help in getting relevant responses

8 The Event App Bible 2017: REBOOT

Once again it is a matter of convenience. What is more efficient,

4. Vertical vs Holistic Apps

While there may be a business case for both approaches,

6. Matchmaking and Networking

10 The Event App Bible 2017: REBOOT

That comes as a shocker in an era where apps such as Tinder

7. Virtual Reality Gateways

11 The Event App Bible 2017: REBOOT

We conducted a research with over 300 event professionals sharing

13 The Event App Bible 2017: REBOOT

Live engagement and feedback are cardinal reasons as to why

This is nothing new if you’ve read previous editions of this report.

Connecting Remote Attendees

The anachronistic thought that live would cannibalize attendance

Divest or Re-allocate Temporary

14 The Event App Bible 2017: REBOOT

A New Way to Check on Progress

Sean Mash, Social Media Marketing Manager, Grooveyard Event

Many apps offer very visual project management tools and

Real-time, Actionable Data

15 The Event App Bible 2017: REBOOT

Your Next Event

Mobile Event Apps

Personalized Schedule | Activity Feed | Live Q & A | Polling

See the app in action.

DO YOU NEED AN EVENT APP?

YES NO NOT SURE

Was your engagement

Was data and reporting

How can you improve this for next time?

It is important to analyse and understand

What is your main reason for having an event app?

To increase engagement Not sure

17 The Event App Bible 2017: REBOOT

Confirm your allocated maximum budget. Also consider the bigger

Mobile App and Features Glossary

Although it isn’t a possibility for this event why not

Are you looking for a native or web-enabled app?

NATIVE NOT SURE WEB-ENABLED

Are you aware that it may take up to 2 weeks

Have you got enough time and resources to create

Could a chatbot be the solution for you?

At least you know now before investing

Read Tricky Subjects to Discuss Have you issued an RFP

YES NO NO YES NO YES