Mobile Apps for Events: Now it s Personal. Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 1

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1 Mobile Apps for Events: Now it s Personal Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 1

2 MES OBILE KES OVER E WORLD 8:34 Meetings Summit now Registration opens at 9am! slide to view Why you should read (or at least skim) this ebook This ebook will show you why mobile has become so personally intertwined with our daily lives, and why that s important for your meetings, conferences, and events. We ll cover how mobile apps are changing event expectations and experiences, along with what to look for in your own event app. Meetings Summit 8:00 am Today is the day! slide to read Could your event use an app? Sign up for a demo Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 2

3 Chapters Mobile is everywhere and more personal than ever Create personalized experiences for attendees Build your event s image More bang for your buck Make it better each time Protect personal information What you can take away and apply Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 3

4 Mobile is everywhere and more personal than ever There are now more mobile devices than people. Photos Alarm Cisco Banking Reminders Travel Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 4

5 magine you re in line waiting to buy lunch. It s going to be a few minutes, so you look at your smartphone. While checking your , you remember the movie you wanted to see comes out today. You switch from your to the movie app, and scroll through showtimes at the nearby theater. 8:15PM should work. You text your friend the time and wait for confirmation before purchasing tickets through the app. Now you don t have to rush after work or wait in line. Does this story sound familiar? We all have stories like this one. Think about the last time you used your smartphone only for making phone calls. Or used your tablet only for checking . What may have been true five years ago or even two years ago is very different now. And as an event planner, you can t expect to produce bigger and better results if you re still using the same methods from several years ago. If you do what you ve always done, you ll get what you ve always gotten. Tony Robbins Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 5

6 So, what is different now? Mobile technology is growing quickly, allowing for many of the things we do on a daily basis to be faster, simpler, and more convenient. Smartphones and tablets keep us informed, entertained, and connected. And they re becoming even more intuitive. We depend on them throughout the day, which is why we check them so often. They don t typically leave our side even when we re sleeping. If you think about what we just described, it s similar to being in a relationship. So no, mobile isn t just a device. Mobile is personal. And as mobile continues to develop, it will deliver an even more personalized experience for you, the end user. 4 out of 5 smartphone users check their phones within 15 minutes of waking up. IDC Research Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 6

7 Mobile knows what you need. Overall app use in 2013 increased 115% year-over-year. Messaging and social apps lead the way with utilities / productivity right behind. Flurry When we use our smartphones, we re using them to access apps. Native apps have become so mainstream, we don t always think of them as something separate. They live on our devices and we use them to do just about everything. Set our alarm. Check the weather. Schedule our days. Read our s. Listen to music. Deposit checks. Pay our balance. Jot down notes. Take pictures. The list goes on. You use mobile apps every day and so do your attendees. Mobile apps are convenient. They simplify our lives. They re fun to use. The mobile revolution isn t slowing down anytime soon, and neither is our interest in mobile apps. We prefer apps because they can cater to our needs. They have the ability to deliver relevant content and personalized experiences, allowing us to be more engaged and more productive. Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 7

8 Create personalized experiences for your attendees My Agenda for the event Welcome to New York City, Melissa Nice to meet you! Don t forget Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 8

9 nowing mobile trends and facts is a great first step. The second major step is knowing how to use mobile to create a better, more personalized event experience for attendees. If you put out a printed guide, everyone at your event gets the exact same experience. Your mobile app, however, allows your attendees to create their own guides and get more out of your event. Let s break down what this means exactly. Offering your attendees a mobile app empowers them to create a stronger, more personal connection with your event before it even begins. Your event app makes it easier for attendees to start experiencing your event right away. Unlike a printed guide, your app gives attendees a more convenient way to truly interact with your event. Before they pack, get on a plane, or wait in line to check in, they can connect with other attendees, create reminders for sessions, follow speakers on Twitter, join social media conversations, and much more all within the app. E2MA s meeting app helped mobile users create a relationship with the event in advance. Tweet this! Mobile apps can deliver a more personalized event experience for attendees. You can t get that with a printed guide. Jim Wurm, Executive Director Exhibit & Event Marketers Association Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 9

10 Tweet this! Nearly 50% of users say it's faster to find info in an app than on a mobile site. Deliver content that informs, updates, and engages attendees. Your attendees will use the app as their personal event tool to help them accomplish what they individually want to get out of your event. Why can t they just use your website? 48% of mobile users say it s faster to find information in an app than on a mobile site. 55% said it s more convenient. (Compuware). Imagine you have a last-minute (but major) switch. Before mobile event apps, you would have had to do a lot of re-printing or find some other way to notify everyone. With an app, you can quickly change the content and then send a push notification to make sure attendees don t miss it. Since event apps make it easier to keep attendees informed and updated, they ll rely on your app to help them make better decisions about what they want to see and do. Now let s say that your attendees have planned out part of their day, but there s still so much more for them to experience. You can engage them further through an in-app game that makes it more fun for them to visit booths, talk to people, and participate in more activities. Attendees who feel engaged and included will also feel more personally connected to your event. Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 10

11 Keep the engagement at an alltime high now and in the future. The average mobile user has 65 apps installed on their smartphone. Your app will stay on their smartphone as long as it s meeting their expectations. Keep in mind that attendees will use your app for all sorts of reasons, but the main reason they will use your event app is to improve their own experience. Mobile apps increase attendee engagement by 33% Frost & Sullivan When you see attendees looking down at their smartphones, it doesn t mean they are disengaged. They ll be looking at their smart devices no matter what you do, so it only makes sense to engage them through a channel they already use. Since your event app has already helped them in so many ways, your attendees will see your app as the main resource for this event and future events. Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 11

12 And much like other apps they ve come to rely on, they ll keep checking it. That s why having a multi-event app is so important. Once attendees download your multi-event app, it lives on their device. Your event app will act as a two-way relationship; you ll use it to stay connected to your attendees, and they ll use it to stay connected to your event. Tweet this! Your mobile app will act as a two-way relationship between attendees and your event. The new normal will be apps that are useful year round, and not just during the span of a meeting. PCMA Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 12

13 Build your event's image Welcome to Meetings Summit Meet the experts Meetings Summit 2014 M O B I L E A P P Educational Session by IRRIZ B R O U G H T T O Y O U B Y Sponsored Night Out Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 13

14 Tweet this! Your event app should help build your organization s image and identity. good mobile app can do a lot for your brand s image. Here s what you should know when it comes to creating your event app: Your event app should be an extension of your brand. Because we depend on our smartphones so much, we often think of them as an extension of ourselves. We re loyal to certain brands and providers. We pick out phone covers, or get them customized. We set our wallpaper and our ringtones. Why? Because we want our mobile experience to be personalized. We want it to reflect who we are and what we like. Your event app should help build your organization s image and identity. When attendees use it, they ll know what your brand is all about and they ll feel more connected to it. Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 14

15 Apps are known for building brand awareness and loyalty. Your attendees are familiar with mobile apps. In fact, 85% of the time they spend on their smartphones is spent using apps. A good mobile app developer will want to help you build your brand s image not take away from it. If attendees have a good mobile experience, they ll spread the word through social networks. The more people who see this type of positive reinforcement, the greater chance there is that interest in your organization and its events will grow. 69% of people agree that if a brand s mobile app is not useful, helpful, or easy to use, it results in a negative perception about the brand. Harris Interactive Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 15

16 More bang for your buck Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 16

17 very event has its own budget. You know the benefits of planning a greener event, but maybe you re not quite ready to do away with printing. Set personal goals so you can accomplish both. See what your app could replace so that you can print 25% less each year. You might be surprised to find that mobile apps can actually save you a lot of time, money, and resources. Your event app is a new channel that can generate value and bring in more sponsorship revenue. If you re still facing internal objections, our other ebook shows you how to build a strong case for a mobile app. Staff and clients were amazed and participants were thoroughly engaged and ecstatic to have such a fun, interactive and green program option. Michelle Moshinskie, CSMA, Marketing Manager at DESA Inc. Get the ebook Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 17

18 So, how can a mobile app help sponsors increase revenue? Studies have shown that mobile advertising is more than twice as effective as desktop (BBC World News). Give your sponsors more exposure and help them engage attendees through interactive advertising within the event app. Another way to get sponsors more involved is through an in-app survey. Brands who sponsor a survey can ask a custom question and get to know attendees better. Sponsored push notifications can also pique the interest of attendees and encourage them to take action, whether it s following the sponsor on social media or checking out their booth at your event. Similar to how your app empowers attendees, the app also enables sponsors to meet their personal goals and get more from their investment. Get ideas for in-app sponsorship In-app sponsorships can increase brand awareness, brand favorability, and purchase intent 2x more than general mobile advertising. Digitas Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 18

19 Make it better each time Give us feedback on the event Let s connect on LinkedIn! What was your favorite session? Don t forget Early bird discount Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 19

20 hink of all the questions you want to have your app answer. Then think of all the goals you want it to accomplish. Some examples include: Do you want... your organization to be ahead of the curve with technology? to increase networking opportunities for attendees? to help your sponsors be more successful? a better way to get feedback about your event? to plan sustainable events and cut printing costs? Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 20

21 If you re like the majority of the event planners we work with, improving the attendee experience is your top priority. But, don t forget about the other people involved in your event! Your speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors are key to your overall event success. That s why you should always pick a mobile app provider that will give you more insight into what your attendees are doing (and loving) at your event. Which sessions sparked the most interest? Which speakers were the top favorites? Which exhibitors got the most traffic? Knowing these things will help you create better (and more personal) experiences in the future. Or, if you have multiple trade shows on the road, you can try to make adjustments on the fly. If event app data shows something that didn t quite work in one city, try changing it up for the next one. Tweet this! A good app will give you insight into what your attendees are doing and loving. Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 21

22 Each year brings new data and more growth. I m constantly thinking of new ways to build that data and leverage it for future opportunities. Melissa Nielsen, Managing Editor SCCM Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 22

23 A mobile app is inclusive and it gives you results. Getting personal feedback from attendees is just as valuable as seeing what they do (or don t do) at your event. Surveys integrated within the app make it easier now for you to collect event feedback more quickly. It s convenient for attendees, too, because they can do it within the app right after a session. Having this type of fresh feedback will help you to improve the collective experience. Not only should you understand all of the metrics a mobile app provides, you should also be able to access and share these reports anytime you want. This information can be used to improve the individual experiences of everyone who s invested in your event. Helping your stakeholders be successful will only make your event a bigger success. Tweet this! Collect event feedback more quickly with an app that integrates surveys. 88% of stakeholders believe their organizations could do more to maximize insight from meetings and events. IML Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 23

24 Protect personal information Private session Location-aware notifications Security settings You may have certain business information in your event app that you want to keep private, or you might want to be extra safe and put the whole app on lockdown. This ensures you have complete control over who has access to your app. Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 24

25 Here are the top five things to consider when it comes to event app security. What kind of privacy options am I given? Security measures are important not just for your company but for your attendees, too. The person who downloads your event app should never feel like their personal information is at risk. Having a secure app login process ensures their data is safe. Am I the only one who can access the Content Management System? Do I have permission to change admin access? Can I password-protect my app? Is there a secure login process for attendees? Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 25

26 What you can take away and apply Everything we ve discussed in these chapters can be taken into consideration when selecting a mobile app provider for your event. If you want your event app to be personal, you should look for the following capabilities in an event app platform. Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 26

27 Event app platform checklist Personalized schedules that pull from the registration system to the event app Personalized notes that can sync between devices A content management system that gives you control and flexibility with configurable app options The ability to focus on the bigger picture (your brand) and the little details (icon images) Banners that cycle without the page needing to be refreshed giving your sponsors better exposure Resources to help you promote your event app and boost engagement An integrated survey solution so you can gather a lot of feedback at once Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 27

28 Real-time metrics that matter and give you better insight into what worked and what might need to improve Look for a smart feed that serves up personalized information instead of a news feed that s not giving you relevant information Gamification with photos! Creating a more fun, social, and personalized experience is what will make your event more memorable A secure login process with a personal event registration code or confirmation Privacy options that allow you to protect information within your event app Mobile Apps for Events: Now it's Personal 28

29 hat s next? Like we said in the beginning of this ebook, mobile technology is growing quickly. And mobile apps are more functional and capable than previously used methods, like paper guides and websites. While those things still have their purpose, they cannot trigger other forms of engagement. They are not as interactive or intuitive as mobile. A mobile event app encourages and drives the very things an event aims to do: share information, foster networking, drive engagement,increase value, and so much more. So, what s the next thing to pay attention to? It s all about smart content and ibeacons, which have the ability to deliver relevant content that s personalized for each attendee. This means event apps will be smart enough to anticipate what attendees are interested in, and then help them accomplish it. One thing we know for sure mobile technology will continue to evolve and improve your events. Like this ebook? Make your next event a success with a mobile app we can help. Sign up for a demo

30 Share this ebook: Back Chris Fortin Marketing Director, OrangeCorp Bio Notes Speaker Bio N O T E S Bookmark Contact now Chris Fontin is marketing director at OrangeCorp, where he has worked for the last 6 years. He is based in the San Francisco office and is responsible for all marketing in the Western US and Canada. Prior to joining OrangeCorp, Chris BOARDING 8:45AM FLIGHT Boarding Pass TERMINAL held marketing positions at various technology start-ups in the Bay Area and in New York City. Mobile Twitter CLASS ZONE PASSENGER SEAT FLIGHT SEAT PASSENGER Monday, June 18 DCA JFK IK987 20A 3 18F IK987 18F COACH AeroFly Airlines Jackson, Melissa Jackson, Meliss