It’s only the start of the year and already our calendars are filling up with events, conferences, and an assortment of other get-togethers. Social interactions are definitely back and people are taking every opportunity to get the most out of them. While many are in-person events, the hybrid, and remote events haven’t gone away, and it’s important that organisers are accommodating audiences across a myriad of platforms.
Must-have Features for Conference Apps
Conference apps are now an essential tool to provide delegates with everything they need right on their mobile phones. There’s no more need for printed maps and booklets, endless messages and emails – it’s all available in one convenient location. But no two apps are exactly the same, you need to get the right app features to fit your event. Here are some of the must-have features to consider.
1. Map integration
Your delegates need to be able to easily navigate themselves around the venue directly from the conference app. To make this possible, you must ensure you have an interactive map feature, which guides delegates throughout the venue. This is also useful if there are any changes to the schedule, as delegates can navigate the changes through the map. In addition, you must ensure you have map integration as a feature on the conference app which allows delegates to view the event location and surrounding areas. This is helpful when trying to find nearby hotels, restaurants, and areas of interest.
2. Chat and live feeds
Your conference app needs to facilitate engagement between the organisers and delegates, as well as networking for the attendees. With this in mind, you need to consider chat features on your app that support one-on-one engagement, group chats, and video conferencing software. You can also look at having activity feeds on your conference app that gives your delegates insight into what’s happening in real-time. In addition to assisting with digital networking, these feeds give updates on speakers, sessions, and other conferencing activities.
3. Active speaker view
For bigger conferences, you might want to consider an active speaker view feature that lets attendees see who is speaking at any given time. This is usually indicated by a green dot over their profile, shifting throughout the day as the speakers change.
4. Social media integration
Social media is an important communication tool for conference-goers, as well as a great way for event organisers to maximise their reach and create further brand exposure. To accommodate this, your conference app needs to have social media integration with platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. This is a great way to create exposure about the event ahead of time, saving costs on marketing.
5. Sponsor branding
Securing sponsorships for conferences can be an uphill challenge, particularly in this tough economic climate. That’s why it’s important you’re providing them with significant brand exposure when they do commit to the event. To achieve this, you should consider features that allow for banner adverts and sponsor branding. The logo and colour scheme will need to be integrated into the app interface, remaining sleek yet eye-catching.
6. List of exhibitors
Enhance the conference experience for delegates while also maximising the exposure of your exhibitors with app lists. This feature makes finding out more about exhibitors quick and easy, as well as making navigation that much simpler for delegates.
7. Document sharing
Make networking that much easier by opting for a document-sharing feature on your conference app. Because it can be performed in real-time, there’s less chance of attendees forgetting to do it later when they’re on their laptops, and increases the user experience overall.
8. Constant support
Choose to work with a conference app team that offers you constant support throughout the event and beyond. This means that any queries delegates have, or glitches that come up are dealt with immediately.
Find out how you can get the best mobile conference app with all the latest features by contacting HelloCrowd today.
