Why Your Event Needs an App!

Does your event require an app? A question every event organiser should ask…here at SixPorts we have broken down why you should consider investing in one!

Event apps enable attendees and sponsors to get the most out of your event by utilising technology to better connect, engage and communicate with each other. As the event organiser, you must look for ways to best facilitate these interactions amongst attendees and sponsors to help make your event a success – event apps are a great way to achieve this.

Every successful event/conference app should have three core elements of functionality for attendees and sponsors. Firstly, it should give attendees the ability to organise their agenda by bookmarking sessions to assist when navigating around the event. The app should also provide various advertisement opportunities for sponsors to promote their brand to their audiences, providing additional revenue for the event organiser. Finally, a successful event app should provide a platform for both attendees and sponsors to network and connect with like-minded individuals before, during and after the exhibition.

Here are three reasons why you should consider an app for your next event…

Networking & Community Building

Provide a platform for attendees and sponsors to engage and network with each other within the event app. By leveraging features like appointment booking, group discussions, activity feeds, all encourages and helps increase attendee engagement before, during, and after your event.

Further in-app engagement can be achieved by adding additional features such as in-app chat features or integrations with social media accounts for a more humanised feel. This allows attendees to communicate in real-time, maximising the value of your event and prolonging the life of your app.

Additional Monetisation

A well-developed event or conference app should provide you with the ability to open up additional revenue streams. For exhibitors and sponsors, the event app is an excellent way to gain exposure and interact directly to their specific target audience. The app provides a direct channel for sponsors to communicate with their target audience for an extended period of time since the app can be pre-installed before the event and used even when the event has finished. For the event organiser, this also opens up the opportunity to generate additional revenue from your sponsors.

Everything in the app can be monetised, including sponsored push notifications, sponsor pages, banner and loading screen advertisements and more – all providing further value for your sponsors and revenue for the organiser.

Personal Event Assistant

Your app should become a vital component of your event for your attendees and sponsors. It should become the platform that your attendees use to pre-organise their agenda before the event begins and be utilised to help maximise their experience whilst at the event. Giving attendees the ability to bookmark sessions and highlight exhibition stands they want to visit encourages everyone to get the most from the event.

Attendees also expect an easy to use map to help navigate around the event, specifically to help attendees find where sessions, food stalls, charge stations and sponsors are located – this becomes even more important the bigger your event is. Interactive functionality can also be included to encourage attendees to find out more about individual stands and speakers they are interested in (and help them not get lost!).

Whether you analyse the worth of an event app from an organiser, exhibitor or an attendee’s point of view, a great event app will enhance the value for everyone. The app will amplify the engagement amongst attendees, provide more value to sponsors and generate additional revenue for the event organiser.

Want to speak to someone about an app for your next event? Get in touch with the SixPorts team to find out how we can create a bespoke app for your next event.

Check Out Our Newsletter