Every conference, and the organization behind it, is unique. You might have decades of technology and best practices built on top of each other to help make your event a success.
While such a system might get you through another year, your event app or all-in-one event management software (EMS) should work to enhance your event as a whole, not just help you scrape by again. Take a few minutes to review this checklist and consider if your current event tech stack has kept pace with your event’s requirements:
Take an inventory of all the technology and tools you use for your event
Start at the beginning: Several months before you open registration, you might be making choices that will impact you (and your stress level) on event day. Those beginning steps might be setting up a call for proposal system (or spreadsheet) or a sponsorship package sent to your contacts. Then think through each system you employ: registration, badge printing, exhibitor lead retrieval, check-in and beyond. Which ones are working for you? Which could be better? Are there any new features you’re looking for in order to keep up with competitors?Consider an all-in-one event management software that includes an event app.
With your inventory of event technology, you might see some aging pieces of tech or systems that let you down at your last event. Now is a time to consider an all-in-one system. There can be many benefits to having all your event systems under one roof, like instant updating across systems and lower costs through bundling.
Consider whether gamification features are desired or required
On top of the basics of running an event like registration and schedule information, there are a lot more ways than an event app can enhance your attendees’ experience. Gamification is a feature that event apps offer that can and should incentivize attendees to take desired actions at your event such as meeting with exhibitors and sponsors. If you have a large event where engagement can occasionally be low, gamification could be a way to perk up your attendees and help them have some fun while making new connections.
Examine your attendee check-in and badge printing processes
A feature-rich event app doesn’t just enhance the experience of your attendees, it can make the life of an event organizer much easier. For instance, your event app can help make attendee check-in and badge printing faster and more nimble. If you’re using an all-in-one event software, then your attendee registration information is readily available. With a confirmation email, barcode or name, check-in can be done by a staff member using any Android or iOS device with a camera, and a wireless printer can spit out a badge in seconds. If your check-in system is any more complex than that, you should look for these features in an event app.
Check out recent features for session tracking and continuing education credits
If you’re paying yet another third party to execute lead generation, or tracking session attendance with a pen and paper, you should re-think what’s possible in your event app. If you’re using the event app with the right feature, any Android or iOS device can be employed for lead generation. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an automatically generated database of all your session attendance? It can happen with the right event app!
So think about what features you need and what you already have. If you haven’t looked at the wide world of event apps in a few years, you will find that major advances have been made. The right app can fill in the gaps in your event technology stack - and then some!
