Does your event really need a mobile app?

You own a smartphone, yet if you’ve been to a conference lately there’s a good chance you didn’t get a functional, well designed app to personalize and streamline your event experience. Why is that?

Mobile event apps have a lot going for them. In a recent article, I touched upon some of the most compelling reasons for adopting the technology and moving towards connected conferences. Attendees no longer have to lug around heavy bags filled with sponsor information, flip through thick programs, and navigate with a printed map (or ask for directions). Using a mobile event app they can complete the conference registration, connect with other conference goers, and use the scheduler to organize their sessions, among numerous other features. Connected conferences make an attendee’s experience more personal and streamlined.

And yet the technology is not as pervasive as you would expect. Julius Solaris, author of The Event App Bible, conducted a survey of 527 event management professionals and found that 63% don’t currently use a mobile app for their events. Respondents cited the financial investment, the time commitment, and a lack of a clear return on investment as the major deterrents to adoption. In response to these concerns, some developers have begun to create less costly solutions and look for alternatives. One alternative platform, the mobile web, is able to provide some of the event management software functionality that was previously only available in native apps.

Mobile web applications are essentially websites, accessed through a mobile device, that in many ways look and feel like an app. It is important to acknowledge from the outset that mobile web apps do not have access to all the services and hardware available to native apps. This includes access to cameras, the accelerometer, data storage, and the ability to run offline. So while there is no substitute for a custom native app, mobile web technologies have arisen as a compelling alternative. Mobile web applications can take full advantage of recent advances in web technology, including HTML5, CSS3, and numerous JavaScript APIs which allow deep integration with mobile devices.

Our team at Attendease builds native event apps and recognized that some of the most important features can be brought to conference attendees without needing to develop a native app. By creating a fully responsive web application that works seamlessly on desktop or mobile, the Attendease platform delivers the most sought after functionality to the mobile web. No download required, no need for a stand-alone mobile app. This means conference organizers can offer their attendees personalized scheduling and get many of the management tools found in a native app without an additional financial investment.

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So the next time you begin planning an event, consider using a platform that can deliver both desktop and mobile functionality in one package. Give your attendees the impactful mobile experience they have come to expect and make their conference experience personal and streamlined.

Marketing Coordinator