Mobile Event Apps, Insights & Guide

July 30, 2023 Jessica Stewart

New York event planners rely on the convenience and added layers of attendee engagement that mobile event apps have to offer. And it seems almost every day, a new version or better mobile app innovation takes the stage. To keep your event planning efforts up to date with the very latest, we’re sharing mobile event apps to explore, as well as insights and guidance in choosing the best-fit solutions for your New York events.

Why Mobile Event Apps Are So Important to Your Business

As an event planner, you’ll want to harness every available innovation out there to streamline your planning process, engage attendees better, and land more event clients. Mobile event apps are just one tool in the arsenal, capable of offering all three advantages. Here are a few other reasons why mobile event apps are so important for your business.

  • Easily accessible communication platform for attendees
  • Share news, event announcements, and itineraries effortlessly
  • Personalized experiences for attendees
  • Better networking opportunities and meeting potential
  • Track and manage event performance data
  • Gather feedback from attendees seamlessly
  • Connect and engage sponsors or exhibitors
  • Boost advertising and marketing

Why Some Event Planners Haven’t Embraced Mobile Apps Yet

Not all New York event planners have adopted mobile event apps just yet. There can be a learning curve to effectively embracing them. And they’re still tricky to get working, especially if your event guests aren’t accustomed to mobile event apps or don’t know they exist. 

There are also some compatibility challenges with mobile event apps. For example, not all your event guests will have iOS devices. Not all mobile apps are entirely user-friendly, either. And if your attendees struggle with strong internet connections, they’ll struggle to use the mobile app, too. Moreover, there are always concerns about security and data privacy, making it tough to determine which mobile apps are the most secure.

Here are tips to overcome some of these mobile event app challenges:

  • Ensure the app you choose is compatible with all operating systems.
  • Choose an app that is well-designed and easy to use.
  • Partner with an event tech partner to boost connectivity.
  • Choose an app with robust compliance and security features.
  • Promote your event’s mobile app across social media channels and via email several weeks in advance.
  • Use event-day kiosks with QR code scanning registrations and event app downloads.
  • Use event-day signage to encourage mobile app participation.

Before Choosing a Mobile App, Consider the Features

When choosing a mobile event app, you’ll want to narrow down the selection to include those that have all the prioritized features you need. Look for these key features, widely available across many of the event apps you’ll consider:

  • Event agendas and scheduling features
  • Networking and communication features
  • Event speaker promotional features
  • Live-streaming capabilities
  • Built-in Q&A features
  • Post-event survey options
  • Guest feedback capabilities
  • Event directions and mapping features
  • Sponsor and exhibitor promotional capabilities
  • Chat and breakout session features

Choosing the Best Mobile App for Your NYC Events

When you’re ready to officially make a decision about which mobile event app to use for your New York event, you’ll want to consider the following four characteristics. Be intentional about making a smart choice, which may mean choosing a different mobile app for different events you curate.

  1. Think about the size of the event and the number of guests. Smaller events may not warrant an event app. But if you’re inviting hundreds of attendees or more, you’ll definitely want to have a mobile event app in place. And for those massive conferences with thousands of potential guests, find an app with high-performance capabilities to support thousands of users.
  2. Consider apps with features your guests will actually care about instead of choosing apps with loads and loads of extras. Too much can be overwhelming for users. Deliver features that matter and improve the experience first.
  3. Talk to other event planning professionals about their experiences with certain mobile event apps. Read reviews on G2 or other sites to get accurate feedback before deciding.
  4. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the app developer directly or the support team with your questions. Inquire about pricing and features or get directions on sampling a demo before deciding.

Start By Exploring These Top Mobile Event Apps

When you’re ready to start exploring and sampling mobile event apps, or you’re just interested in finding other options, check out these top performers.

  • Whova
  • Bizzabo
  • EventMobi
  • MemberClicks
  • Grupio
  • OneCause
  • SpotMe
  • ClearEvent
  • Cvent Event Manager
  • Airmeet
  • Eventpedia
  • Swapcard

Mobile event apps are powerful and innovative resources all New York event planners should be using today. Keep this guide of insights handy as you implement engaging apps into your process. And remember, tickets are available to The Event Planner Expo 2023 right now! It’s the premier conference for event planners, especially those interested in learning more about emerging trends, the latest event tech, and growing their businesses!

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