The Future of Events: Are Event Apps Worth Your Budget?

Live events are about connecting people, from speakers and their audiences, to business networking and recruiting onboarding sessions. Every event planner may have their own style and way of doing things, but there’s one thing that we all agree on: It’s a HUGE job coordinating everything.

Think 22-hour days squeezing meetings into already jam-packed schedules, managing multiple teams of both onsite and offsite staff (or volunteers), scouting out the venue, arranging for food, material printing and even occasionally dabbling in emergency overnight arts-and-crafts projects (welcome gifts, anyone?).

With so much going on, event planners are dying to get their hands on something that can help save time. That’s why we’re here to answer the question: Is an event app worth it?

What Are Event Apps?

An event app is your go-to mobile tool for making any event run smoother and more efficiently. Available on your Apple or Android device, this app serves as a one-stop shop for everything related to your event.

Picture having all the important details, such as schedules, speaker information, venue maps, and even interactive content, right at your fingertips. That’s exactly what an event app delivers. And the best part? It’s tailored specifically to your event, complete with your branding, logos, and even fun features like polls or games to keep everyone engaged.

What makes an event app truly stand out is how it brings everyone, including organisers, attendees, and speakers, together. With just a few taps, you can easily navigate the venue, stay updated on the latest changes, participate in event activities, or connect with other attendees.

The real magic of an event app is in how it enhances your experience as an attendee, making everything more engaging and seamless. And for event organisers, that means happier attendees and more successful events.

Is An Event App Advantageous for Event Planners?

We know that events are all about connecting people. From speakers and their audiences, to business networking, to new recruit onboarding sessions. Every event planner may have their own style and way of doing things, but there’s one thing that we all agree on:

It’s a huge job coordinating everything.

Think 22-hour days squeezing meetings into already jam-packed schedules, managing multiple teams of both onsite and offsite staff (or volunteers), scouting out the venue, arranging for food, material printing and even occasionally dabbling in emergency overnight arts-and-crafts projects (welcome gifts, anyone?).

With so much going on, event planners are dying to get their hands on something that can help save time. That’s why we’re here to answer the question: Is an event app worth it?

After extensive research, we’ve managed to narrow the benefits down to 3 main points (don’t worry, they’re definitely worthy).

1. Managing Your Data

A large part of organising an event is getting top management to approve it first. With the advent of big data and data analytics, it’s both easier and harder to justify your event to your boss. On one hand, newer, quantifiable event ROI metrics are now available for the numbers-oriented bosses – attendance rates, engagement scores, Net Promoter Score and more. On the other hand, you need to find the time to collect and collate this terrifying amount of data into something easily consumable.

Did we mention 22-hour days? Perhaps you’re planning to tackle that post-event when things are less busy, but that would depend heavily on your current workload. For event agencies and other event-heavy corporations, it’s very likely that you won’t be getting any spare time (or sleep).

With an event app, you can record the number of registrations and check-ins. You can also go further and rate each guest’s level of engagement according to how many posts they create or react to, the number of polls answered, quizzes submitted, photos taken and so on.

You can even collect surveys through the app itself! (At a 10x response rate!)

The best part? You won’t need to trawl through a mountain of papers and bad handwriting to collect those numbers.

2. Reducing Costs and Overheads

Speaking of papers, one of the earliest and most well-known benefits of an event app is its ability to cut down printing costs…or do away with it entirely.

That’s right – depending on the needs of the event, you may actually not need to print a single sheet! With online schedules, information pages, email and push notifications and in-app note-taking, you might have just found a way to save a huge portion of your budget.

Of course, you need to compare that to the cost of the app itself but here are some quick numbers:

• Guidebook did a comparison and found that the average cost of an event app is less than $5 per attendee and only 1.2% of your per-person budget.
• QuickMobile (now owned by Cvent) similarly found that event app users saved $8,000 on print costs, $1,900 on hardware and $12,000 on auxiliary support tech

3. Increasing Engagement

An event app is a powerful tool to actively engage your attendees. (Credit: Freepik)

Arguably the new best selling point of event apps, engagement is an old problem with a new name. Event participation rates have always been a concern for event planners, however with the onset of technology and social media, things like impressions, reactions, posts and shares were added to the mix.

But before we discuss the worthiness of event apps, let’s look at some interesting event statistics:

• 79% of smartphone owners keep their phones with them for all but 2 hours of their waking time.
• 63% of them keep their phones with them for all but 1 hour of their waking time.
• 25% of them cannot recall the last time their phone was not within earshot.

Psst, did you know: A whopping ⅔ of mobile users report distress on being separated from their phones. (Left at home, battery died, etc). Speaking of stats, here’s a graph:

What do these numbers mean for you?

As seen from the graph above, 76% of adults in advanced economies and 45% of emerging economies own a smartphone. What this means is that a growing majority of the world’s population has access to the internet on the go. Whether it’s to play games, check their email, or watch cat videos – they’re all doing it on mobile!

The most efficient way to connect people is through a medium that they are not only familiar with, but that they use frequently. Studies have shown that smartphone users use an average of 10 apps a day, 30 monthly.

The gist? People are now more willing to download and ‘try’ apps than ever. Are event apps worth it? Yes! We definitely believe that event apps are a worthy investment.

However, be sure to weigh the costs. Event apps are not cheap (pre-built template apps cost somewhere between $1,000 to $10,000 while enterprise apps can go to upwards of $50,000!), so remember that the more events you have, the greater the ROI.

4. Ditch the Printing Press

Using an event app eliminates the need for printed materials, saving costs and reducing your event’s environmental impact. (Credit: Freepik)

One of the biggest hassles with event planning is having a set number of printed program outlines for all attendees. This is very important since you don’t want any of the attendees feeling left out – or constantly having to borrow the program sheet from others at the same event.

At some point, you might end up printing more or less of these itineraries than needed. No matter which it is, it is usually a less than ideal situation.

Since there is no cap on app downloads, event apps will handle the numbers’ problem. Now, all every participant and attendee has to do is download a version of the app – and they get what’s happening for the day at their fingertips.

5. Program Flexibility

So, one of the keynote speakers won’t arrive on time? You would like to move a program up before the other? There’s a new order of events which is to be introduced mid-program?

You don’t have to fret about all that anymore.

Pushing notifications to the apps will inform every attendant of any important update you might have for them in real-time. This saves you the stress of taking the stage to make the simplest of announcements – while also ensuring the event keeps going as seamlessly as possible.

6. Improve Interaction

About 32% of event marketers have reported being frustrated by not being able to accurately measure their Return on Objectives. This is almost because, at the end of the event, there is no way to gather a convincing percentage of the attendees for their thoughts to be estimated.

Thankfully you can always track metrics of usage, interaction and other KPIs as the app is being used by the different attendees. Even without a dedicated form for getting user feedback – which can still be ingrained into the app – you can always have actionable data on the rest of your defined objectives.

Likewise, event apps make interacting with the event much easier for attendees.

Right from within the app, they can set schedules for events they want to attend, enable reminders for exhibitions to not miss, and more. Furthermore, the app can be used to aggregate all user questions to be shared with the keynote speakers/ presenters at the end of their session.

7. Return on Investment

One of the most important metrics to an event planner is the ROI they get on their various events. It is, thus, little wonder why 91% of event planners have gone for event apps – and have recorded positive returns on investment by doing so.

This is made possible by all of the easier follow-ups on the attendees much after the event is done, better optimisation of product placements, and much more. Likewise, the in-app experience enables promoters to showcase their products – and that of the sponsors – in a single location while the event is ongoing.

Even if you have been recording positive event ROI calculation on your events to date too, you can get even higher figures when you incorporate event apps. Likewise, this is the best time to start so that you don’t fall back too much in the industry.

8. Real-Time Analytics

Remember the ability to track event metrics directly from the app? You don’t have to wait until the event is over to harness that power. While the event is still in progress, you can access real-time data to gauge engagement levels. This enables you to make immediate adjustments, ensuring that attendees have a great experience at every moment.

9. Reduced Overall Cost

Instead of creating an app for every event that comes your way, your brand could have a single event app for all other brands you are working with. All you have to do is create a different section for the new event under your app – and you are good to go. This helps consolidate all the important data and analytics in the same place.

With such a data treasure chest at your disposal, adequate planning for coming events becomes easier. Furthermore, delivering targeted, concise and relevant information becomes better streamlined too.

Introducing Micepad: The Event App You Need

When it comes to hosting an event, you want to give your attendees the experience they truly deserve. That’s where Micepad comes in. Micepad’s mobile app is designed to elevate your event, transforming it into an unforgettable experience that keeps your attendees engaged and connected every step of the way. Interested to dig in more? Keep on reading to know some of our features.

Photo Gallery

Capture every moment with Micepad’s Photo Gallery feature. Attendees can browse through event photos, reliving their favorite moments and even sharing them on social media. This feature not only enhances the event experience but also helps to create a lasting impression that goes beyond the event itself.

Event Schedule

Keeping track of your event’s agenda has never been easier. Micepad’s Event Schedule feature provides a clear, organised view of all sessions, activities, and breaks. Attendees can effortlessly navigate their day, ensuring they don’t miss out on any important sessions or networking opportunities.

Speaker Profiles

Micepad’s Speaker Profiles bring your event’s speakers to life. Attendees can learn more about the experts presenting at your event, including their bios, social media links, and previous work. This feature helps attendees connect with speakers on a deeper level, making their sessions even more impactful.

Bookmark of Saved Schedule

With Micepad, attendees can bookmark sessions and create a personalised schedule that suits their interests. This ensures they’re always on track and can easily refer back to their saved schedule throughout the event. It’s a simple yet powerful tool that enhances their overall experience.

Gamification

Quizzes, Polls, and Word Cloud Engage your attendees with interactive features like quizzes, polls, and word clouds. These gamification elements keep the energy high and encourage participation throughout the event. Whether it’s testing their knowledge, gathering opinions, or visualising shared thoughts, these tools make the event more dynamic and memorable.

So,

When it comes to delivering an exceptional event experience, we believe that Micepad is worth every bit of your investment. As our event app focuses on creating a seamless, engaging, and memorable experience for your attendees, you can focus on other important aspects of your event. Micepad promises to offer you a suite of features designed to elevate your event to new heights, making it an essential tool for any event planner who values both efficiency and attendee satisfaction.

Request for a demo today.