What to Look For In A Mobile Event App

We live in a mobile-first world. Smartphones and tablets are often the first tools people reach for when they need information. For event organizers, this means there are a lot of benefits to using a mobile event app for their trade shows and conferences. 

But there are so many event apps to choose from. How do you know which one is best for you? Here, we will explain what a mobile event app is and what features you should look for when you choose one.

What Is a Mobile Event App?

While it may be obvious that a mobile event app is an application you download onto a mobile device, what's not obvious is what the app does. A mobile event app provides attendees with a range of features they can use to navigate an event like a conference or a trade show, engage with other attendees, and access event-related content.

Mobile event apps can provide event schedules, maps, speaker bios, live polling, and other features. The specific trade show or event related features can vary from app to app. But certain features are absolute necessities. Here are four mobile event app features you can't live without:

1. Interactive Tools
2. Customization
3. Easy Setup
4. Customer Support

Interactive Tools

We recognize this is a broad category. But generally speaking, a mobile event app needs to have a lot more functionality than just a URL to a website or a PDF document. Here are some key functions you should look for:

1. Event Schedule: The app should have a complete schedule of the event, including details of each session or activity, so that attendees can easily plan their day.
2. Personalized Agenda: Attendees should be able to create a personalized agenda by selecting the sessions or activities that they want to attend.
3. Push Notifications: A vital function for the app to have is the ability to send push notifications to attendees to remind them of upcoming sessions, changes to the schedule, or other important updates.
4. Event Maps: The app should provide maps of the event venue, including the location of each session or activity.
5. Sponsors and Exhibitors: This is especially necessary for trade shows. It should provide information about event sponsors and exhibitors, including their booth locations and contact details.
6. Attendee Feedback and Surveys: Attendees should have the option to provide feedback on sessions, speakers, and other aspects of the event, as well as to complete surveys.
7. Live Polling and Q&A: Another must-have feature for a mobile app is live polling and Q&A, which allows attendees to participate in sessions in real-time.

Customization

The ability to customize a mobile event app is crucial for success. As an event organizer, the last thing you need in a mobile event app is a generic look and interface for every event you create. You need to be able to tailor the app to fit your specific needs, as well as the preferences of the attendees and exhibitors. Since every event is different, you should be able to give the mobile event app a new look and feel to fit each event you create. Customizing the app with event branding, colors, and logo can increase brand recognition and create a cohesive branding experience for attendees.

Easy Setup

It's doubtful there's a single event organizer out there who wants to hire a professional app developer every time they need to set their mobile event app up for the next trade show or conference. An app that's easy to set up and customize is worth its weight in gold. 

Most event apps give event organizers the power to edit templates so that they properly reflect the trade show itself and the organization's overall brand. It's even better if the app allows you to target specific menu options for attendees and exhibitors to create an event experience that's highly personalized.

Customer Support

Having a mobile event app that's loaded with features is nice. But having an app that's stable is a must. One of the worst things to happen to an event organizer is an event app that stops functioning in the middle of an event. Trade shows and conferences can take place anywhere on the globe, from New South Wales, Australia, to Colorado, U.S.A., and everywhere in between. If an app you’re depending on suddenly stops working, you need customer support ready and available to get it working again as soon as possible. Mobile event apps like the one provided by Perenso have dedicated customer support teams standing by to ensure prompt service during all hours of your event.

The purpose of a mobile event app is to leverage technology to create a richer trade show experience for your attendees. Using the right app can be the difference between a good trade show and a great one.

Learn more about Perenso's mobile event app for trade shows.