26 | Ignitemag.ca | February | March 2018
TAP THE
Know your needs
"Don't think about features; start
with a list of situations," suggests
Schwinger. "Put yourself in the
attendee's shoes: 'How do I use
this technology to make the event
more efficient? When I get on
property, what are the user flows?'
Once you can see how a mobile
app enhances that experience, find
a provider that meets those needs."
Boone first tried out apps as a
user at conferences and then got
demos from three providers before
choosing QuickMobile. She had
assumed apps were either too
complicated or too costly, but
eliminating paper, printing and
shipping charges made the switch
cost-neutral. Having documenta-
tion and support tools for break-
outs in one place also opened up
other opportunities, she says.
"Because everyone's looking
into their phone at the app, I can
now brand my company, send
motivational announcements and
recognize people who have done
a great job," adds Boone, who
recently introduced live polling
during general sessions.
"My users love it, and I get the
added benefit of keeping people
engaged through gamification:
I do company knowledge quizzes
for points, and challenges
to upload a selfie and win a prize.
It's a lot of fun."
Optimize
the benefits
Ryan Peddigrew adopted event
apps in 2010. As account man-
ager for Toronto's Quest Audio
Visual, which services more
than 1,000 corporate events,
product launches and galas
across North America each
year, Peddigrew has used many
event apps, including Event-
base, Attendify, EventMobi,
Whova, CONEXSYS, Hubb and
Eventbrite.
"An effective mobile app
streamlines the user experi-
ence and gives your team
peace of mind that your
attendees are in the know
about everything," says
Peddigrew. "When you take
away the anxiety around
figuring out where to go, us-
ers can focus on why they're
actually there: to meet people,
experience great content and
build a stronger relationship
with your brand."
Peddigrew especially likes
apps that let you personalize
your schedule, and ones that
include attendee profiles so
guests can connect before,
during and after the event.
