3 Reasons Why Every Conference Should Have a Custom Mobile App
Mobile apps exist for practically every subject known to man. It only makes sense that they should be deployed for conferencing purposes.
Below are three reasons why your next conference should have its own custom app deployed for all the top mobile platforms:
REASON 1: Visibility
A conference cannot be considered a success if nobody shows up to it. While traditional advertising in newspapers, trade magazines and television may still be useful, mobile app stores are becoming more and more effective at promoting oneâ??s brand name. A conference mobile app can serve as a virtual brochure, detailing everything your conference has to offer to prospective attendees. While traditional brochures and advertisements have to be physically discovered in a newspaper, magazine or other physical venue, a mobile app can be found simply by searching Google, Apple iTunes or the Android Play Store from the convenience of oneâ??s computer or mobile device. The price paid per viewer achieved with traditional advertising media cannot even begin to compare with the low cost required per user download!
REASON 2: Convenience
A mobile app can be used to better serve both your conference staff and attendees with features that make it easier to navigate the entire conferencing lifecycle. Instead of fumbling through a printed book, users can easily search for conference topics right from their mobile devices. An automated booking function can allow them to pre-book a seat and check in using QR code technology. Integrated geolocation and map functions can help them not only find the conference venue, but the individual conference rooms they wish to attend as well.
REASON 3: Permanence
Unlike bulky conference directories, catalogs and handbooks, conference apps do not clutter the office; they conveniently reside in oneâ??s mobile app alongside other important apps. This allows an attendee to be constantly reminded of a conference without being pushed aside or, even worse, tossed into the â??circularâ? file. If a conferenceâ??s mobile app is engaging enough, the attendee will continue to make use of it long after the conference is already over. If done correctly, the conference mobile app can be programmed to remind the attendee about various topics, including related websites, whitepapers and even future conferences they may be interested in. This sort of permanence within the userâ??s virtual world is something traditional media cannot compete against.
Visibility, convenience and permanence must be taken into consideration when making the decision to create a mobile conference app. More often than not, deploying a customized conference mobile app for a conference, workshop or other corporate event will more than pay for itself with the added number of attendees it brings in.
Amanda writes about various mobile technologies and apps. She really enjoys writting about conference apps . For more information please visit doubledutch.me
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I’ve never thought of pairing a conference with its own app before. I can see that you could make announcements and submit details without phone calls or mail going out. I would guess that people could maybe book a seat and even get a detailed map of the area to find the conference venue maybe?
In my opinion there might be only 2 reasons for conference organizers to consider a mobile app. Firstly, it has a great ROI, or secondly, other incredible benefits that pay-off in an indirect way (e.g. customer satisfaction). As the typical app user is a conference attendee, what is the added value to his stay provided by the mobile app? Direct push notifications? Probably not. Digital program? Nice to have but neither necessary nor exciting. I’ve recently read an article from a new networking company called airmatch (http://www.airmatch.net) that made a complete different approach based on the needs of the conference visitors. They believe that networking (or meetings) with the right people add the biggest value to the attendees. Meeting the right person at the right place at the right time is very difficult to organize. The guys from airmatch developed a solution for it. Here’s the link to the blog article: http://airmatch.net/blog/the-best-conference-app-for-your-event/
Thanks, Elly