The Anatomy of a Perfect Event App

1. Volume 2 THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 03 Features Checklist: Must haves in an Event App 04 15 Event App Trends for 2017 20 Chatbot: Turning Point for Event Apps 31 8 Event Apps you Should Be Taking Inspiration From 37 20 Questions to Ask Before Investing in an Event App 48 Flowchart: How to Choose the Perfect Event App? 2 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

3. INTRODUCTION Since you have downloaded this e-book, we assume that you understand or if nothing else , have an idea about an event app. You have previously experienced an event app and need to improve or you are coming up with an event and you are intrigued to use a mobile event app, whatever it might be, you have come to the right place. But finding the right app for your event is a tough job unless you learn how ! So what are you waiting for? Dive in! Read further to find out the secret to choosing the best app for your event ! 3 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

4. 1 FEATURES CHECKLIST : MUST HAVES IN AN EVENT APP Every event app provider is going to be different. From creating social stream, including games and more to monitoring it all, it is a difficult Process. Use this checklist to make sure you have all the essential features you need to make your event experience personalized and extraordinary. This checklist is divided into 5 primary categories to ensure we cover smallest of the smallest features. 1. Technology 2. Content management 3. Audience engagement 4. Event App Analytics 5. Revenue generation 4 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

5. Features Checklist : Must haves in an Event App 1. Technology : Is the technology you’re being provided innovative enough and will it be meeting your event demands? Mobile Platform : Native (iOS & Android); Web (HTML). Customization : Branding options with logos and banner, colors, screens, etc. Registration Platform : Easy method to preload attendee information or register through the app. Offline mode : Access to event app without data network connection. Multiple Event Access : Access to multiple events from a single app. Admin panel : Ability to update event data in real-time through CMS. Closed Network : Open or closed registration options and ability to retain attendee privacy. 5 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

6. Features Checklist : Must haves in an Event App Last-minute activation : Ability to keep certain features/content hidden until showtime. Security : Ability to ensure third-party security services. Location-based messages : Send push notifications to attendees present in nearby areas of iBeacons. QR Code Scanning : Built-in QR code scanner for games, exhibitor booth check-ins, etc. 2. Content management : Can event app be updated in real-time and easily managed ? Ability to personalize schedule, check-in, filter sessions and track time and date. Agenda/Schedule : Ability to search other attendees and sort according to their name, interest, etc. and personal messaging. Attendees Profile : 6 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

7. Features Checklist : Must haves in an Event App Speaker profile, bio and other relevant information, access to their content, rate & bookmark their sessions. Speakers Profile : Exhibitors/Sponsors list : Company profiles with relevant information, access to their content, bookmark and easy to navigate map layout to their booth. Venue Map : Interactive map with point-to-point directions. Documents : Uploading content and downloading it via email. Video : In-built video player. Photos : Ability to upload photos in the activity stream. Promotion : Easy to add images or sponsored content in the activity stream at a specified time and its scheduling. Push messages : Push notifications with custom messages for a specified group of attendees. 7 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

8. Features Checklist : Must haves in an Event App 3. Audience engagement : How helpful will it be for attendee engagement? My Agenda : Personalize your agenda. Activity stream : Personalization of activity stream with favourited speakers, attendees, exhibitors, etc. Bookmarking : Bookmarking speakers, exhibitors, sessions, sponsors, sessions, etc. Live Polling : Conduct real-time polls and discussion forums. Surveys : Ask multiple choice or subjective questions. Rate & Review : Rate speakers, sessions and many other things based on a 5 - start review system and include a text review as well. Show all the status updates & images, promoted messages, upcoming sessions reminders, etc. Activity Feed : 8 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

9. Features Checklist : Must haves in an Event App Social Media Integration : Allow status updates to be shared simultaneously on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn. Include basic attendee information with social media accounts, topics of interest, designation and company name, etc. Attendee Profile : Status updates : Publish status updates with text/images/videos. Comment/Like : Like or comment on other people’s status. An indication of popular topics or influential people on activity feed. Ability to tag people with @mention and use @mentions/#hashTags : of #EventHashtag. Attendee match-making : Ability to suggest people to network based on their interest, designation, etc. Following : Ability to follow attendee and their activity. Private message : Allow attendees to send in-app private messages to other attendees. 9 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

10. Features Checklist : Must haves in an Event App Session check-in : Allow attendees to check-in at the sessions to track their attendance. 4. Event App Analytics : How easily can you access analytics in real-time and generate actionable data? Post Event App engagement : Report of event data including number of active users and total in-app actions. View total number of bookmarks, status updates, comments, likes, check-ins, surveys, photos and ratings. View breakdown of device, speaker, exhibitor, sponsors , etc. Event Performance : Real-time event app analytics to depict important engagement going on at the event. View event app adoption score and engagement score. Recommendations : View recommendation for improvements on event performance. App adoption funnel : View email invites sent, open rate, click-through rate, app logins and overall conversion rate. 10 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

11. Features Checklist : Must haves in an Event App Attendee Experience : View overall attendee engagement score. Usage stats : View total number of users, actions taken, status updates, likes, comments, bookmarks, check-ins, surveys, polls, impressions, engagement rate, etc. Downloadable Reports : Generate data reports on overall attendee engagement with respect to each actions takes. 5. Revenue Generation : Can you generate revenue from the app ? Scan badges containing QR Codes, Add notes to scanned leads and update instantly. Grant or remove booth staff permissions to scan leads. Booth admins can export leads anytime. Lead Generation : Sponsorship Opportunities : Promotes status updates in the activity feed. Sponsored content- surveys, polls, badges, push notifications, documents, iBeacon. etc. Highlighted booth in the Interactive maps. Understand these features better with some examples from the real world! Go ahead ! 11 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

12. 2 EVENT APP TRENDS FOR 2017 There is an app for that ! It was only a few years prior that Apple had launched the App Store and now there is an app for everything. Since then the mode of utilizing our mobile phones has been revamped. Today, there are around 2 million apps in Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. As indicated by an economic specialist, App Annie reports that by 2020, the app economy can develop to end up noticeably twofold in size to $101 billion. Now, it would be wrong to say that the event industry is immune to this massive growth. There has been a noteworthy growth in the expectations of event professionals and that is rapidly reshaping the event market. So, let’s have a look at the 6 big trends that can shape the future of event apps in the event industry. 1. Social wall 2. Networking & Matchmaking 3. AI + Gamification 4. Chatbots 5. Virtual Reality 6. App Support 12 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

13. Event App Trends For 2017 1. Social Wall : Social walls or activity feed as we know it are one of the most sought after features in event app among event goers. Whether it is by means of integration within the app, on-screen feed or via live display application. The perks of having a private social networking platform engagement beyond polls, discussions and Q&A. Social media indeed helps in retaining the attendees within the app. are proactive 2. Networking & Matchmaking : According to a research conducted by Event Manager Blog, the attendee interaction is profoundly associated with how we evaluate and engage with events. Despite networking being one of the original features why apps were conceived, just half of the apps surveyed offer networking capabilities. Now, this is quite surprising where we have external apps like Tinder to offer matchmaking. Event App providers do not seem to embrace something that the audience of event professionals demands quite vigorously. 13 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

14. Event App Trends For 2017 3. AI + Gamification : Artificial Intelligence is not something we are not aware of. It has been around the block a while in many forms and applications, for example, Gamification. Gamification is quite a trend because who wouldn’t like to play games? Secondly, who wouldn’t want proactive audience engagement? Presentations, discussions and polls may get boring and exhausting some of the time but video games could never! 4. ChatBots : Chatbots are the most visual application of artificial intelligence. They are computer powered chat interfaces where the user seems to interact with a person. And thus chatbots are quickly appropriate for events because they help in getting the relevant information immediately. A great example of an event app with a chatbot integration would be the mobile app for the event: Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit 2017. 14 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

15. Event App Trends For 2017 5. Virtual Reality : I am sure you must have heard of Oculus Rift, HTC Vive or Google Glass. With virtual reality going big in the realm of event technology, it is important to understand this and implement in your events. But do not confuse virtual reality with 360-degree photos and videos. The overwhelming success of Pokemon Go shows that VR is here to stay for a while. With more than 9 million app downloads, it is to comprehend that general public is willing to commit to VR Technology and event industry should make the most out of it. 6. App Support : Let us assume that you got 100% adoption for your event app but that’s it? It is not the end. Because getting people to download the app is just the 50% of work while retaining them is other 50%. But how do you ensure that happens ? Well, having a dependable support, possibly even onsite support at times is necessary to implement successful event app programs. 15 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

16. Event App Trends For 2017 Those companies who will be able to guide event professionals and troubleshoot when things go wrong (because often they will) are to be favoured in 2017. Therefore, simple online support will not suffice because we are dealing with a sensitive type of event technology that requires a number of technological factors to be successful. One of the most revolutionary of these trends is The Chatbot ! Let’s explore how Chatbots are a major turning point for event apps. 16 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

17. 3 CHATBOT - TURNING POINT FOR EVENT APPS “ We will move from a mobile first to an AI first world ” - Sundar Pichai Technology is a dynamic entity. It is a process, ever evolving. The results of this process, often mind-boggling. One such awe-inspiring result of this process is the concept of Artificial Intelligence. Man has progressed up to a point where he can create a machine that can display intelligence of its own. The AI market is expected to grow to $4.05 billion by 2020, according to research firm Markets and Markets. It is very much a rising trend. AI can be present in very many forms; robots, autonomous cars, etc One similar product of AI are chatbots. These are simpler forms of AI that have paved their way into our lives and are quite en vogue. 17 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

18. Chatbot - Turning Point for Event Apps By definition, Chatbots are : “ A computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the Internet. ” Eliza, the first chatbot ever was meant to simply mimic the human voice. Since then, chatbots have come a long way with the recent trend being chatbots for messaging apps. According to an article on the future of meeting and event communication & networking by Skift, Products such as Siri, Amazon Echo, and Google Home are fulfilling our desires for immediate answers, resolutions, and general information, and that has led to the surging popularity of chatbots. Messaging apps, including apps, including Messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Slack, all incorporate some text-based AI to help us connect. 18 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

19. Chatbot - Turning Point for Event Apps The advent of social media coinciding with the increasing use of smartphones had led to the rise of messaging app. There are a lot of chat bots on popular messengers like Facebook Messenger, Slack, Telegram and Text Messages. FB to CNN, major corporations are integrating chatbots in their apps. Even the White House uses it. Event industry is definitely abreast with this trend. Chatbots have entered the event tech industry with organizers integrating this AI tech with their event apps. The Evolution of Event Apps Let’s take a recap back to Chapter 2 where we discussed the overall evolution of event apps to the time when developers integrated in-app messaging with the event app. Attendees could interact with each other through direct messaging via their event app. But that wasn’t enough. It was essential to make networking more efficient and much smarter. This is where the organizers recognized the scope of integrating chatbots in the form of virtual assistants. These virtual assistants are the attendees’ go to feature to answer any sorts of queries that they have related to the event. The attendees simply need to drop in a text to the bot and voila! Within seconds, the bot would gather information that it has received previously, process the query and provide answers. 19 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

20. Chatbot - Turning Point for Event Apps A great example of an event app with a chatbot integration would be the mobile app for the event: Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit 2017. The event, Vibrant Gujarat Investors’ Summit is one of India’s biggest business summits. The 2017 edition of the summit had an event app with a chatbot integration. The app chatbot could carry out a lot of varied tasks with its extensive range of features: Schedule and Agenda Direct connection to organizer app Venue Networking Transportation and Accommodation Travel Guide and much more 20 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

21. Chatbot - Turning Point for Event Apps The app had more than 20,000 downloads with the virtual assistant playing a major role in facilitating an overall memorable attendee experience and maximizing engagement. For an event with more than 55,000 attendees, the app was the organizer’s helping hand. For the attendees, it was a trusted assistant contained in the palm of their hands that was with them throughout their event experience. Just think of the benefits that such an addition to event app can provide. 1. Attendee Convenience : Perhaps the most important benefit of having an in-app chatbot is attendee convenience. Happy attendees make loyal attendees. A chatbot can really simplify navigating through the event for the attendees. Considering the Vibrant Gujarat app, the attendees could inquire about various modes of transportation to and from the event venue. The bot was able to provide information regarding the public transport system at the venue as well as a list of private cab providers if the attendee wishes to hire private transport. Attendees could also text their queries about the availability and contact information of hotels and other options for accommodations around the venue i.e. Mahatma Mandir. 21 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

22. Chatbot - Turning Point for Event Apps The nearest cities around the venue were Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. Attendees could ask for information on hotels and transport in any of these cities. All of this with just a text. 2. Individual voice : Every element of your event reflects your brand including your event app and the bot that you integrate with it. An eventbot is a great opportunity for event branding. Your app r reflects your brand personality. Your bot can be fun, sarcastic or serious. One way to do represent your brand personality is by giving your bot a creative name. The event app creators for the VG summit wanted their bot to be fun and helpful. Hence, they got creative and named their bot ‘Botman.’ In case of any query or confusion, Botman was always at the attendees’ service! Thus your chatbot can be a great way to establish your identity among your attendees and further build up on that. Happy attendees are your biggest promoters. Make sure to leave a good impression. 22 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

23. Chatbot - Turning Point for Event Apps 3. Personalization : It is their ‘own’ virtual assistant. Right from the message the message that pops up as soon as the bot introduces itself to every query that’s answered; every reply is addressed directly to the attendee. Every individual attendee gets to maintain their own profile and a database with their in-app virtual assistant. The bot takes care of the attendee’s 1. Travel plans 2. Meetings set up 3. Reminder 4. Profile 5. Queries based on every aspect of the event 6. Schedule and agenda This makes up for a highly personalized event experience for the attendees. Personalization is key to creating a memorable event and ensure event success. Attendee ROI = Event ROI. 23 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

24. Chatbot - Turning Point for Event Apps 4. Event App Adoption : Having a chatbot can be really effective in order to maximize your event adoption rate and seeing to it that the attendees engage with your app. They can navigate through the event with their helpful assistant in place. Make this fact known to your attendees and I’m pretty sure your app download rates are bound to rise. Wonder why the Vibrant Gujarat App had more than 20k downloads ? As chatbots are a rising trend, it is a relatively new experience for the attendees as well. Be creative with your bot, give it a voice and make your bot as efficient as possible to ensure engagement. Be sure to promote your bot and keep emphasizing on the efficiency and necessity of it. 24 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

25. Chatbot - Turning Point for Event Apps 5. Smarter networking : In case of the Vibrant Gujarat event app, every attendee had their own user profile where information such as their interests, current profession, the industry that they work in, their company/organization etc. was listed. The bot was able to scan through attendee profiles and enable smarter networking. It matched attendee profiles and guided them in terms of whom them in terms of whom to meet, which booth they could visit, etc. Apart from this, the bot also helps attendees keep track of their meetings as well as their overall schedule and agenda. Chatbots can thus really help attendees network effectively, thus maximizing attendee ROI. The prospect of this increased ROI also becomes an additional reason for the attendees to download and engage with your app. 25 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

26. Chatbot - Turning Point for Event Apps 6. Features Not Limited to Event Premises : The utility of your app’s bot should not be limited to the event premises. As mentioned earlier, the organizers must make sure that their app is as efficient as possible so that it becomes more of a necessity than a novelty for the attendees. Making sure that the app is useful to the attendees for all sorts of purposes throughout the duration for the main event is a part of this. Again, taking into consideration the Vibrant Gujarat app, the bot took care of the overall experience during the entirety of the main event. It was a personal guide for the attendees in terms of their transportation to na navigation throughout the event as well as outside the event premises. attendee the venue, Here’s an example: For the attendees willing to explore various destinations in and around the main event venue, i.e. Gandhinagar, the bot helped them create and manage their travel plans, suggested popular tourist spots they could visit and also keep track of their overall itinerary. It was not just their virtual assistant but also their personal travel guide. 26 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

27. Chatbot - Turning Point for Event Apps 7. Direct Connect with Event Organizers : The chatbot is a great way to build a direct connection between the attendees and the organizers. Again, using the VG start-up summit event app as an example, the organizers were provided with their own event organizer app that was directly connected to the event attendee app with the chatbot integration. The queries that the chatbot was unable to solve on its own were conveyed to the event organizer through this organizer app. The organizers received a direct message from the bot regarding the attendee query. They were then able to get in touch with the attendees directly and sort out their doubts. This just adds on to the attendee experience They are sure to remember the efficiency of the organizers in making sure that they have a great event experience. With its many- fold benefits and the application of latest technology, chatbot is an innovation meant to entirely revamp mobile apps for events. It is not just an addition, it is a revolution for event apps. Let’s see how further can this technology develop and impact the event app industry. The only way to go now is further. Keeping up these trends can be a bit overwhelming, let’s simplify it a little with this features guide for event apps. 27 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

28. 4 8 EVENT APPS YOU SHOULD BE TAKING INSPIRATION FROM With the boom in technology, it is necessary for the event industry to stay abreast with the changes that it has brought about. Event-tech is the need of the hour. Event-planners have multiple event tech tools at hand now to optimize their events and to simplify certain processes. Event app is one of those essential tools for better and simpler event- management. It will help you digitize your entire event and simultaneously save up a lot on resources. You know the benefits of an event app and what constitutes a good event app. Many events in the past have opted for an event app and have leveraged these event apps in order to make their event a success. Here are a few examples of good event apps that have been launched in recent years. Go ahead, take note. 28 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

29. 8 Event Apps you should be taking Inspiration from 1. Cannes Film Festival : Developed in partnership with Orange, the Festival De Cannes 2017 app has a lot of interesting features including live video streaming, hour by hour updates of the event, and permanent access to the festival’s TV channel as well as a access to its radio and podcasts along with the geolocation feature. The app also gives personalized features to its users in terms of inculcating a diary and a wish list into the app. The app has gained major popularity with more than 10,000 downloads on the Android Playstore alone.It has a 4 star rating on both Apple and Android platforms. 2. 20th eGov Conference : The 20th eGovernance Conference that was held in Andhra Pradesh created its official event application in partnership with Hubilo and was available on both Android and Apple platforms. The application received a 4-star review on the Playstore and had more than a thousand downloads. The application contained an effective networking feature and social media integration (Twitter). 29 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

30. 8 Event Apps you should be taking Inspiration from The best feature of the application however was the integration of a one of its kind bot i.e. a Virtual Assistant that guided the attendees throughout based on their profiles in terms of the attendees that they could meet, the sessions they could attend, etc. The virtual assistant really simplified it for the attendees, helping them navigate through the entire event smoothly. This way, they could make the most out of their event experience. 3. Intel ISEF 2017 : The application for the The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) is available on both Android and Apple platforms and has a 4-star review. The application made various necessary facilities accessible to the attendees through the app itself, including transportation and accommodation details along with information of various emergency services like medical facilities. Apart from social media integration, the app also provides real-time updates, changes, information on finalists and presentations. 30 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

31. 8 Event Apps you should be taking Inspiration from 4. The YMCA Flowertown Festival : The Summerville Flowertown Festival by YMCA had an official event app available for download on the Android Playstore. The application is convenient in terms of the inclusion of a digital ‘flower passes’ for checking in. Various activities, kids’ festival, community details along vendor details have been included in the app. Apart from this, details related to vendors, food and beverage stalls, etc. have also been mentioned. It also includes a comprehensive and interactive venue map as well. Flower Festival’s app was pretty simple yet effective. 5. National Women’s Parliament : Created by Hubilo, the National Women’s Parliament app received more than thousand downloads on the Android and Playstore. The application can definitely be studied in terms of networking platform. The attendees can interact with each other as well set up meetings with meetings with various fellow attendees, investors and mentors. The app also facilitates personalized scheduling. Any last minute updates or changes in the schedule are sent through the app, immediately notifying the attendee for their convenience. 31 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

32. 8 Event Apps you should be taking Inspiration from 6. MPI Toronto Education Conference : The official event app for the MPI Toronto Education Conference can be downloaded from the Android app store and is named TEC 2017. It is quite interactive and personalized with essential features like the speaker info, venue map and sponsor details. Along with it, the app also facilitates the attendees to network through the messaging app. They can create their own schedule based on the overall event schedule, take notes along with storing and reviewing their documents. All in all it is quite an interactive app. 7. Festival of Marketing : This event app for the Festival of Marketing held is available on both Android and Apple platforms. The application has received more than a thousand downloads and has a 4-star review on the Android Pl Playstore. It includes multiple features such as agenda setting, speaker and attendee information, networking platform. It also contains venue and transportation details, making it even more convenient for the attendees. 32 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

33. 8 Event Apps you should be taking Inspiration from 8. IPE 2016 : The application for the conference ‘Inter- professional Care for the 21st Century: Redefining Education and Practice,’ contains multiple features including personal schedule and agenda setting along with the messaging feature. Apart from basic information and speaker details, the application also facilitates live polling and taking notes during the session & save it for later. This makes real-time feedback really easy. Live updates and information on last-minute changes or additions are also provided through the event feed in terms of push notifications. This is a really convenient app. An event-application can be a boon for planners when done right. Technology is your friend, your trusted helper. Be sure to make the most of it. Considering getting a kick-ass mobile app for your next event? In this next section,check out 20 questions that you should ask before investing in an event app. 33 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

34. 5 20 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE INVESTING IN AN EVENT APP Finding the right event app for your next live experience can come off as a big problem, even for the most seasoned event organizers. There are numerous solutions from which you’ll have to choose the perfect ones which suit your event and evaluating them is a daunting task, if you ask me ! Although the searching for it can seem overwhelming, let’s focus on how you can avoid all those unnecessary wandering through options. So that, you can focus more on creating an unforgettable experience for your event participants. But first, you need to determine what your needs are and will the event app suffice them or not? Hence, ask yourself these questions to get a clear picture of what services you are subscribing for ! 34 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

35. 20 Questions to ask before Investing in an Event App 1. How far is the E-Day ? Different providers have different delivery times. If you’re searching for something to help you with your event that’s coming up in a few days, you’ll need to find a DIY Event Management Software and make it as quickly as possible. Otherwise, if you have considerable time for your event and if you’re looking for a long term investment which you can use for multiple events, it will be your best interest to search out for more customized and dynamic solutions for your event. 2. How flexible is your budget ? Event budgets are expected to grow by 10% in 2017, but due to their higher perceived costs, these budgets are often trimmed. Hence, it is very important to consider whether investing in an event app would be a wise decision or not! A clear devised plan on how using an event app will prove that your return on your investment is critical. Decide your Key Performance Indexes to measure your event success and prove your overall event ROI to your leadership or whoever is controlling your event budget. 35 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

36. 20 Questions to ask before Investing in an Event App 3. Is this investment for single or multiple events ? Too often, event app is purchased for just a single event. Unfortunately, this doesn’t allow one to holistically look at the entire strategy over the year and report back on the insights, analytics and ROI to prove the value of dollars spent on your event. Deciding whether to go for subscription model or one-time purchase when it comes to event app is where most of the event organizers are confused. If you organize more than 3 events a year, a subscription model is better. If not, you might be okay with a much less robust and less expensive system. 4. How would you be defining ROI ? Defining the event app ROI has long been a dire pain point for many event marketers. Fortunately, it is much easier, thanks to the advances in event technology solutions like event management software. Before you decide on settling for the event app, think about the questions you’ll need to answer first. Think about what you already know, as well what you need to know, to come up with the kind of metrics that will be important for you to define your event ROI. 36 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

37. 20 Questions to ask before Investing in an Event App 5. What problems am I trying to solve with event app ? The job of the event app is to make your event planning processes easier rather than more complex, at all. But you need to think first about what specific problems you’d like to address with the event app. As a result, you should be able to solve a specific set of problems with the event app you craft for your event. Identifying the perfect pain points of your event will help you in choosing the perfect event app which provides best solutions to your problems. 6. What features are essential for your event ? Once you decide which is the primary reason for you to invest in an event app, it’s time to shortlist the essential features you’ll need in your event app for the overall success of your event. For example, if one of your issues is facilitating a seamless networking experience, your solution should feature a state-of-the-art networking platform to make sure that your attendees not only network but plant lasting relations. 37 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

38. 20 Questions to ask before Investing in an Event App 7. Would you be needing any additional features ? After you’ve decided what are the essential features you’ll be needing in your event app it’s time to determine what additional features you can opt for. Think about how these extra features would add an extra benefit to enhance your event experience. Or may help in making your event management process seamless or optimize your guests’ ability to interact and engage with your brand. 8. Who will be the managing admin ? All thanks to the automation of event technology, you won’t be requiring an entire team to manage the back-end processes as everything is automated But that doesn’t mean you don’t assign this task to anybody at all. It is very critical to grant the access to who all will be managing the chosen app, which may include yourself, your teammates, sponsors, exhibitors and may be more. Consider their needs and how they’ll interact with your event app before arriving at your final decision. 38 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

39. 20 Questions to ask before Investing in an Event App 9. How skilled is your team when it comes to embracing a new technology ? Different event apps require different kind of technical skill to operate. If learning a new technology tends to stress you out, you might want to opt for an app which is easy to use and manage in the long run. You should also consider how long it takes you to learn a new technology and implement it when determining your time frame, as I mentioned in the first point. 10. Does the app after training/support matches you and your team’s technical literacy ? In addition to considering how easy it is for you to embrace a new technology, think about how well your team would be able to inculcate this new technology in their workflow. What kind of training or documentation will it require in order to be successful ? Make sure your provider offers you the best training/ documents which would enable you to use event app effectively. 39 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

40. 20 Questions to ask before Investing in an Event App 11. Who will be providing the technical support ? Will your internal team handle this, or you’ll be relying on the event app’s support department? If it’s the latter, make sure that you choose the best possible plan or service package that best correlates to you and your event needs. In either case, it will be very helpful to have a designated and pre-decided point of contact to have a smooth channel of communication to help you with whatever the issues that may arise. 12. With which other platforms or system will the app need to communicate ? One of the more compelling reasons to have a robust event app is that you can integrate it with other apps as well for a more holistic view of your events strategy and how that fits into your overall event experience. For example, you might want to connect your event app with taxi and hotel booking platforms, social media platforms, and more so as to make it convenient for attendees and manage everything seamlessly from a single app only. 40 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

41. 20 Questions to ask before Investing in an Event App 13. What about data security/privacy expectations ? If data security and attendee privacy is a critical issue for your organization, make sure you choose the app provider trusted by other companies as well. A representative from the app provider should be able to able to fill you in on the different security measures that they have taken to make sure that your attendees’ info and data you collect about them stay safe and secure. 14. How about your event branding requirements ? The best event app will let your event’s assets truly represent all aspects of your brand’s look and feel. You need to check on the event app’s ability to be customized, and ask whether white labelling is important to your company or not. Lastly, think about the branding options in the framework of the event app and whether or not you can rely on them for graphics and other elements, or if you’ll need to turn to more standardized templates to complete your design assets like event website 41 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

42. 20 Questions to ask before Investing in an Event App 15. What devices/platforms your event app supports ? Now it is time to think about what type of devices your audience will be using. Consider about the OS of your attendee’s devices (e.g. Apple or Android), and if the app allows the flexibility to use both phones and tablets. This fact will solely depend on the devices that your audience will be using and what event app providers can offer, their familiarity with different platforms types, and how quickly they can learn. 16. What are the device pre-requisites for the event app ? Will your attendees be needing cellular data or WiFi in order to run the event app? Will they be able to access the content without internet? Many apps require constant internet access in order to successfully check people in, sell tickets or add additional people to the guest list. Also, if you’re not sure if your event venue will be able to provide power or constant WiFi, make sure that your event app also has an “offline mode” feature that you’re not left stranded in case something unexpected happens. 42 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

43. 20 Questions to ask before Investing in an Event App 17. What is the backup plan if the event app stops functioning ? As much as we’re increasingly reliant on technology, the solutions that it offers are not 100% fool-proof. And that is the reason why having a contingency plan in case your event app freezes up is a good option. It’d be recommended to have a physical print out of your guest-list and other necessary information that you simply can’t live without once your event incepts. 18. What data do I want to capture from my attendees ? In addition to collecting essential information, asking different questions will make it easy for you to gather additional data about your attendees without having to do much of extra work or taking too much of additional time. For instance, asking attendees about their personal interests and buying interests are great for helping you find ways to further engage your attendees and offer them a splendid experience. 43 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

44. 20 Questions to ask before Investing in an Event App 19. How about post-event data reports ? For those of you who are Excel Wizards, you must be great at analyzing data. A simple CSV file that you can work on in Excel may be sufficient for you in terms of report generation options. However, if spreadsheet hacking isn’t one of your strongest skills, look for the event app providers that offers different types of reporting like customizable dashboards, intuitive analytics report, to help you make sense of the new data that you’ve acquired from your attendees. 20. Does this event app seem like a reliable solution that you can trust ? Before signing a contract, do your due research and ensure that this is a trustworthy company. Review their previous event apps on the playstore to see what others in your shoes have to say about their experience. You can also ask for a case study and testimonials, as well as for a reference or two to put your mind at ease. Keep these questions in mind to find the perfect event app. May be these questions are too much for you? Let us sum it up in a flowchart and help you find the perfect solution that’s best for you without breaking a sweat ! 44 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

45. 6 HOW TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT EVENT APP FOR YOUR EVENT In order to create a spectacular app that is perfect for your event, you must first decide upon the features that you wish to include in your app. Here are the six main types of features that you can integrate with your event app: 1. Update features 2. Engagement features 3. Promotional features 4. Personalized features 5. Networking features 6. Organizer features 45 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

46. How to choose the perfect Event App for your Event 1. Update Features : These are the basic features to keep the attendees updated on the entire event proceedings. These features include event information, event agenda, speakers info and schedule, venue map, major highlights, event gallery and push notifications. For events such as conferences, seminar etc. it is also possible to list down awards, upload e-papers, etc. 2. Engagement Features : Engaging attendees with your event is of prime importance to boost downloads. An event app can have multiple features for engagement such as live polling, discussion forum, agenda questions, gamification, activity stream, social media wall etc. 3. Promotional Features : Engaging attendees with your event is of prime importance to boost downloads. An event app can have multiple features for engagement such as live polling, discussion forum, agenda questions, gamification, activity stream, social media wall etc. 46 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

47. How to choose the perfect Event App for your Event 4. Networking Features : It is possible to integrate an event networking platform within the event app. Attendees can set up their profile.Attendee profile listing can enable the attendees to sort out relevant people to network with. Other features include setting B2B meetings, document sharing and in-app messaging. 5. Personalized Features : Organizers can personalize their event app for the attendees too. They can set up their own personal agenda for the event, get apersonal QR code for check-ins, create and manage their schedule and maintain their meetings calendar. It is also possible to integrate a virtual assistant with the app that acts their own personal guide. 6. Organizer Features : These features make event management easier for the organizers. The features include registrations and ticketing, check-ins both manual and digital (QR code scanning), badge-printing, help and info section with all the FAQs, travel and accommodation facilities, terms & conditions, etc. listed down. 47 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

48. How to choose the perfect Event App for your Event Do I need an app for my Event ? Y E S Single Event App Multi Event App UPDATE FEATURES Conference App Organization App Festival App Exhibition App ENGAGEMENT FEATURES Summit App PROMOTIONAL FEATURES Incentive Travel App NETWORKING FEATURES PERSONALIZED FEATURES ORGANIZER FEATURES 48 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

49. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jay Sitapara is an engineer having an inclination towards innovation in technology. Currently, associated with Hubilo, an event-tech startup which aims to change the way how events are organised and people network at events. Jay is particularly passionate about crafting stimulating, resourceful and in-depth guides for Event Planners to keep them updated and acknowledged about latest event industry trends. He is specifically interested in effective use of event technology and social media for greater ROI through innovative thinking and skills. Jay is also a Digital Marketer, Editor, Community Manager and a regular contributor to Hubilo Blog. His philic nature is prone to dogs, poetry, coffee, friends and coffee with friends. If you're on Twitter, say Hello to him @jsitapara and follow his articles on blog.hubilo.com. And Jay says, do not forget to share this Ebook! 49 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP

50. About the author Hemani Sheth is a Mass Communication major and an event enthusiast. She is currently associated with Hubilo, a cloud based event management platform that aims to help event professionals create exceptional events. Hemani strives to create resourceful guides that pave way for insightful discussion built around various facets of the event industry. She has a keen interest in event technology and how multiple innovations in the field can help transform the way events are created, marketed and executed. Hemani is also a content marketer and a key contributor to Hubilo Blog. Go check out more of her handy articles on blog.hubilo.com. An avid reader, traveller and a movie buff, she is open to conversations on any topic under the sun! Go ahead, say hello to her on twitter @HimaniSheth . 50 HUBILO THE ANATOMY OF A PERFECT EVENT APP