Embracing the Mobile Event App

Transcription

1 Embracing the Mobile Event App A Case Study by

2 CASE STUDY: Increase Engagement By Going Mobile Learn how a leader in emerging technology leveraged the devices attendees were already bringing to their events to increase engagement and drive ROI by offering a simple and intuitive mobile application. ABSTRACT What is it about conferences? Conferences create communities. They bring people together around highly focused themes or topics to educate, collaborate, and/or innovate. Sometimes these communities live on, long after the conference doors have closed through exchanges, social media, and more. DEMO is a great example of this. A prominent event in the tech industry, DEMO brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and industry professionals with a passion for innovation in technology. As the DEMO brand expands to meet demand, they have partnered with other leading companies like VentureBeat and DoubleDutch to create an engaging and impactful experience for event attendees. V watch the app in action This case study will cover how DEMO tackled the problem every event organizer faces engagement by embracing mobile. 2 / DEMO Event App Case Study doubledutch.me

3 OBJECTIVE What are we trying to solve? As the adoption of smartphones across America approaches 50% in 2012 (ComScore), event producers have noticed attendees glued to their devices during sessions and keynotes. It s clear that this techsavvy audience views their mobile device as a critical way to connect with the world. Working with IDG Enterprise to produce the event, the DEMO Conference sought to solve two primary problems: 1. Attendees want new ways to connect and discover new and emerging technology. 2. Demonstrators want more visibility and a seamless way to connect with attendees, press and investors. In assessing these issues, we asked ourselves: 1. Mobile devices are here to stay. How can we better engage attendees and enhance their experience through mobile? 2. How can we elevate demonstrators at primary attendee touchpoints and connect them to the press and investors? The app needed to address 3 key goals of the event: 1. Be a resource for emerging technology and trends. 2. Offer attendees an atmosphere in which they can experience the future of innovation. 3. Create and empower a community around the DEMO brand. The DoubleDutch event app is simple, intuitive and mobile. Making it easy for me to help demonstrators get the word out about their products/services to attendees, press and potential investors... Debra Becker, Marketing Director at IDG Enterprise Events 3 / DEMO Event App Case Study doubledutch.me

4 SOLUTION What was the plan? In an attempt to solve this problem, the team set off to evaluate a series of mobile event applications that could engage attendees and deliver more information to sponsors. Debra comments, We want attendees to pay attention and engage with content and demonstrators. We know that they will use their phone regardless, so why not give them a mobile app that helps them engage with the event? Becker evaluated customizable white label products (like DoubleDutch) and compared them to standard, out of the box solutions. Ultimately her team chose DoubleDutch because it would elevate their brand and give attendees the most pleasant experience. Cross-Platform Ensuring the app worked across all platforms was an important factor to consider. The DoubleDutch team was able to meet this requirement by offering solutions across ios, Android and even HTML5. No matter how attendees needed to access the app and its information, native to the device or web-based, they were able to get information when and where they needed it. Because these platforms all work in sync, no one was left out of any conversations because of their chosen platform. It also meant that for those who downloaded the app native to their device, information was available with, and without, WiFi connectivity. 4 / DEMO Event App Case Study doubledutch.me

5 Replace Paper The app replaced printed event guides by offering a cohesive, easy-to-update agenda that allows attendees to personalize their own event track and create an agenda based on their interests. Gamification Game mechanics, such as badges and leaderboards, encourage check-ins and chatter amongst attendees; getting them to share comments and photos during panels, on the expo floor and more. 5 / DEMO Event App Case Study doubledutch.me

6 Networking To facilitate networking during DEMO events the app utilizes People Matching, where attendees have the opportunity to select interests and connect with like-minded attendees during the event. Social + More Other elements included complete demonstrator info, bios of the entrepreneurs heading them up, and seamless social sharing to Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Customization To elevate the DEMO brand, the app was customized to fit within the look and feel of the DEMO brand from logos to colors and fonts. 6 / DEMO Event App Case Study doubledutch.me

7 IN PRACTICE How did we do it? To encourage DEMO 2012 attendees to download and engage with the application, the app was promoted before, during and after the event. Accompanying official press releases for the event were download links and boiler plates about the application. Social media was largely put into action, using the event hashtag with app download links for both itunes and Android devices before and during the event. Event signage and on-site app support were utilized in the expo halls. The biggest source of app adoption was word-of-mouth, since the app was such an interactive tool. The buzz in the expo hall was I ll connect with you on the app! Word-ofmouth was key to encouraging others to download and use the app. V watch the app in action 7 / DEMO Event App Case Study doubledutch.me

8 RESULTS Did we achieve what we set out to? With nearly 2,000 check-ins over the 2-day conference to sessions, speakers, exhibitors and places the level of engagement seen at DEMO was incredible. Attendees utilized the app as a way to connect with each other, set up meetings and even provide feedback by leaving over 1,500 comments and likes on other people s check-ins. Earning badges became the new street cred as attendees unlocked everything from Newbie badges to Photo Buffs. Overall, it was one engaged conference. DEMO Average Actions Per User Check-ins 4.17 Per User Comments Per User 1.75 Badges 1.54 Per User % of users were Power Users, returning to the app 10+ times Photos Per User ,845 app actions taken during the event Leaderboard Standings 1. James F Daniel T Aaron M Bruce G Thomas K Renato C Petr P Antonio M Karrie H Lance H / DEMO Event App Case Study doubledutch.me

9 TESTIMONIALS At the end of the day, it s about the attendees. Here s what they had to say about the event app. I love the feed Updating it constantly and keeping it entertaining, keeping us engaged. Kevin Davis Co-founder of Rawporter [The app] has a lot of functionality... It s been a nice way to network. I really like the feature that you can look at the speakers and have the speaker s bio... It takes a big headache out of what I normally have to do. Nick Tippman, Founder of Impulse We ve been having incredible feedback and exposure for Tikkera here at DEMO Learning a lot, gathering a lot, and sharing great ideas and information. Daniel Smales, CFO & CMO, Tikkera 9 / DEMO Event App Case Study doubledutch.me

10 CONCLUSION How d things pan out? It was amazing, said Debra Becker. With such an engaging mobile event guide, we ve been able to significantly reduce our dependency on printed materials, ultimately saving us money in the long run, and are giving attendees the best event experience possible. In-app game mechanics played a large part in encouraging attendees to check-in and share their experiences with the community. By capitalizing on people s competitive nature, the DEMO team was able to gain true insights into what panels, keynotes and exhibitors attendees found most interesting or relevant to their experience. Enabling them to capitalize on this data for future event planning. Yet, more importantly was how the app improved the event experience for attendees. Giving people the opportunity to connect with like-minded folks and empowering them to make lifelong connections, the app played a huge part in naturally facilitating networking amongst attendees. In the end, the DEMO team was able to give their attendees a mobile app that empowered them to take their conference experience into their own hands, leveraging the latest in event technology. Increasing attendee satisfaction and establishing the DEMO brand as a leader in emerging tech. Fresh off the success of 2012 and looking forward, the DEMO team has partnered with DoubleDutch to deliver a mobile app for all upcoming events. To see how a mobile app can enhance your next event, contact DoubleDutch today. 10 / DEMO Event App Case Study doubledutch.me

11 CONTACT 2601 Mission Street, #800 San Francisco, CA (415) / DEMO Event App Case Study doubledutch.me