Reviewing The Event Mobile App; Features, Benefits, and Top Recommendations

In the modern era of event management, a well-designed event mobile app has become an essential tool for enhancing the experience of attendees, speakers, and exhibitors alike. These apps serve as a hub for information, communication, and engagement, simplifying event logistics and creating opportunities for meaningful interactions. Whether you’re hosting a small conference or a large-scale expo, the right mobile app can elevate your event to new heights.

In this guide, we’ll explore the critical features and benefits of an event mobile app, discuss the must-have vs. nice-to-have features, and recommend five top event mobile apps with detailed reviews.

Why an Event Mobile App is Essential

A well-crafted event mobile app streamlines the attendee journey while delivering value to organizers, speakers, and exhibitors. Here’s how:

For Attendees:

• Convenience: Access event information, agendas, exhibitors, and floor maps at their fingertips.
• Engagement: Participate in polls, surveys, and networking opportunities with direct and group messaging.
• Personalization: Create custom schedules, bookmark sessions, and receive notifications tailored to their interests.

For Speakers:

• Visibility: Share bios, presentation materials, and schedules.
• Interaction: Engage with attendees through live Q&A, polls, and feedback.
• Feedback: Collect session-specific ratings and comments to refine their presentations.

For Exhibitors:

• Lead Generation: Use lead-scanning tools to capture attendee information.
• Exposure: Showcase their offerings through exhibitor directories and branded content.
• Networking: Connect with potential clients, partners, and stakeholders.

An event app is not just a tool—it’s a platform for connection, learning, and value creation.

Critical Features of an Event Mobile App

1. Branding and Customization

Your event mobile app should reflect your event’s brand identity. Customizable themes, logos, and colors ensure a cohesive look and feel that resonates with your audience.

2. Agenda Selection and Personalization

Allow attendees to browse event schedules, filter sessions by topic or track, and create personalized agendas. Notifications and reminders for selected sessions are a must-have.

3. Feedback, Polls, and Surveys

Real-time polling and surveys enhance engagement and provide valuable insights. Feedback tools help organizers improve future events by understanding attendee preferences.

4. Exhibitor Directory

An interactive exhibitor directory helps attendees discover and connect with exhibitors. Include booth locations, product descriptions, and contact information to maximize exhibitor visibility.

5. Networking Tools

Facilitate networking with features like attendee matchmaking, in-app messaging, and social media integration. A “Who’s Attending” list with filters for roles or industries can encourage meaningful connections.

6. Lead Scanning for Exhibitors

Lead-scanning tools let exhibitors capture and store attendee details by scanning QR codes or NFC badges. This simplifies post-event follow-ups and boosts ROI for exhibitors.

7. Event and Session Check-In

Digital check-in capabilities streamline entry for attendees and provide real-time data to organizers. Session check-ins ensure capacity management and attendance tracking.

8. Event FAQs and Information Articles

Provide a knowledge base within the app, covering FAQs, venue maps, parking details, and more. Easy access to this information reduces attendee stress and staff queries.

Nice-to-Have Features

Some mobile app features are nice-to-have but not essential to your event or attendee experience. More often than not, these added features are not heavily used. In this case, you’re spending money on features that have statistically been proven to yield poor return on investment.

Gamification

Incorporate games, leaderboards, and challenges to increase attendee participation and engagement. These work well if they’re backed up with something of value to win e.g. free ticket to next year’s event or an Xbox, or some other artefact of tangible value.

Augmented Reality (AR) Experiences

AR features like interactive maps or virtual exhibitor booths can enhance the attendee experience. This is emerging technology with virtual 3D walk-throughs offering attendee’s a more immersive experience. These work well if your event is virtual or hybrid for remote attendees. If your event is in-person only, then these features rarely provide more value than an exhibitor directory, 2D floorplan, and physically visiting the stand or area.

Offline Access

Ensure attendees can access key information even without an internet connection. In the past venue internet connectivity has been poor with attendee’s suffering frequent outages due to outdated infrastructure unable to cope with demand.

However, today, venue infrastructure and high bandwidth fiber optic internet has meant connectivity at events is less of an issue. However, it is important to have mitigations for possible outages. Therefore choosing an app like Just Attend that has local app caching capability means attendees can still follow their agenda and your event unaffected.

Social Media Integration

Allow users to share their experiences directly from the app to promote your event organically. This is quite powerful feature, and we would say essential. However, it depends on when the mobile app is going to be used.

If your event platform is app based where everything is driven from the app from the point of registration, then having social sharing capabilities on the lead up to your event is critical. Nothing promotes your event better than organic social proof / word of mouth.

But if you have an event platform and the mobile app is a companion app to be used at your event only, then social sharing capabilities within the app are less effective.

While these features can add value, focus on must-have functionalities first to ensure a solid foundation.

Top Event Mobile Apps: Reviews and Recommendations

1. Just Attend

Overview: Just Attend is a mobile app designed to enhance the event experience for attendees, exhibitors, and organizers. It offers a streamlined platform for agenda management, networking, and engagement, making it a popular choice for conferences, expos, and corporate events.

Key Features

• Customizable Agendas: Attendees can view event schedules, select sessions, and create personalized agendas.
• Exhibitor Directory: Exhibitors are showcased with detailed profiles, including booth locations, contact information, and product offerings.
• Networking Tools: Facilitates attendee-to-attendee and exhibitor connections through in-app messaging and matchmaking.
• Lead Scanning for Exhibitors: QR code scanning allows exhibitors to collect attendee details efficiently.
• Push Notifications: Keeps attendees informed with real-time updates, reminders, and announcements.
• Event FAQs and Resources: Includes maps, FAQs, and other resources to assist attendees throughout the event.
• Feedback and Polls: Offers live polling and session feedback options for enhanced attendee engagement and post-event insights.

Pro‘s

• User-Friendly Interface: The app is intuitive and easy to navigate, making it accessible for attendees of all tech proficiency levels.
• Real-Time Updates: Push notifications ensure attendees stay informed about schedule changes or announcements.
• Efficient Lead Collection: The QR code scanning feature is a significant value-add for exhibitors looking to maximize ROI.
• Networking Support: The app provides solid tools for connecting attendees and exhibitors, fostering engagement.
• Event Branding: Organizers can customize the app with event logos, colors, and themes to enhance the event’s identity.
• Affordable Pricing: Just Attend is competitively priced compared to similar event mobile apps, making it attractive for mid-sized events.

Con’s

• Limited Advanced Features: Compared to more robust mobile apps like Whova or EventMobi, Just Attend has less advanced functionalities like gamification or AR integration.
• Basic Analytics: While it provides attendee insights, the analytics dashboard is less comprehensive than some competitors.
• Customization Constraints: Although branding is supported, deeper customization options (e.g., layout changes) are limited.

Verdict: The Just Attend mobile app is a reliable and user-friendly solution for small to mid-sized events. It excels in providing essential features like personalized agendas, lead scanning, and networking tools, ensuring a smooth experience for attendees and exhibitors alike.

2. Whova

Overview: Whova is a versatile event management app that caters to conferences, expos, and corporate events. It offers a comprehensive suite of features that benefit attendees, organizers, and exhibitors alike.

Key Features:

• Customizable agendas and session notifications.
• Networking tools, including attendee matchmaking and in-app messaging.
• Live polls, surveys, and Q&A sessions.
• Exhibitor directory with lead-scanning capabilities.

Pros:

• User-Friendly Interface: Both attendees and organizers find the app easy to navigate.
• Robust Engagement Tools: Networking and interactive features encourage participation.
• Comprehensive Reporting: Post-event analytics provide valuable insights.

Cons:

• Pricing: Whova’s pricing may be a hurdle for smaller events.
• Offline Limitations: Some features require a stable internet connection.

Verdict: Ideal for medium to large events, Whova excels in attendee engagement and analytics but may be overkill for smaller gatherings.

3. EventMobi

Overview: EventMobi offers an all-in-one platform for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events. Known for its high degree of customization, it’s a favorite among event organizers looking for scalability.

Key Features:

• Fully customizable branding and design.
• Interactive agendas with personalized schedules.
• Gamification features to boost engagement.
• Robust analytics and reporting.

Pros:

• Customizability: Tailor the app to fit your event’s branding seamlessly.
• Scalability: Suitable for events of all sizes.
• Customer Support: Responsive support team.

Cons:

• Complex Setup: The app’s versatility can make initial setup challenging.
• Pricing Tiers: Advanced features are locked behind higher pricing tiers.

Verdict: A flexible solution for diverse event types, EventMobi’s customization options and engagement tools make it a strong contender.

4. CrowdCompass by Cvent

Overview: CrowdCompass, part of the Cvent ecosystem, is designed for large-scale events and conferences. Its deep integration with Cvent’s event management suite makes it a popular choice for enterprise clients.

Key Features:

• Advanced networking and attendee engagement tools.
• Session check-ins and live polling.
• Integration with Cvent’s event management platform.
• Interactive maps and exhibitor directories.

Pros:

• Enterprise-Grade Features: Ideal for large and complex events.
• Seamless Integration: Works well with other Cvent tools.
• Engagement Options: Offers robust tools for attendee interaction.

Cons:

• Expensive: Pricing is geared towards enterprise-level events.
• Steep Learning Curve: Requires training for optimal use.

Verdict: Best suited for large conferences, CrowdCompass offers powerful features but may be too complex and costly for smaller events.

5. Hopin / RingCentral Events

Overview: Hopin is a popular virtual and hybrid event platform designed to provide an immersive experience for attendees, organizers, and exhibitors. With a suite of features to host small gatherings, webinars, or large-scale conferences, Hopin aims to replicate the interactive and networking aspects of in-person events in a digital format.

Key Features:

• Event Stages: Stream keynote sessions, presentations, and panels to a large audience with live or pre-recorded content.
• Networking Tools: Randomized one-on-one networking and attendee chat functions to mimic serendipitous in-person encounters.
• Exhibition Booths: Virtual booths for exhibitors to showcase products, engage with attendees, and collect leads.
• Breakout Sessions: Host workshops, roundtable discussions, or Q&A sessions in smaller, interactive spaces.
• Analytics Dashboard: Access detailed event performance metrics, including attendance, engagement, and lead generation.
• Custom Branding: Personalize the event environment with logos, colors, and banners to align with your event’s identity.
• Integration: Seamlessly connect with platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, and Zapier for enhanced event management.

Pros:

• Scalability: Suitable for events of all sizes, from intimate networking sessions to conferences with thousands of attendees.
• Interactive Networking: The randomized networking feature offers a unique way to connect attendees and exhibitors.
• User-Friendly Interface: Straightforward for both organizers and participants, reducing the learning curve.
• Comprehensive Features: Offers an all-in-one platform for streaming, networking, and exhibiting, eliminating the need for multiple tools.
• Custom Branding: Enhances the attendee experience by reflecting the event’s identity across the platform.
• Robust Analytics: Provides actionable insights for measuring event success and ROI.

Cons:

• Cost: Pricing can be prohibitive for smaller organizations or events with limited budgets, as Hopin’s advanced features often come at a premium.
• Networking Limitations: While the randomized networking feature is innovative, it lacks customization options for more targeted matchmaking.
• Bandwidth Dependency: The platform’s performance heavily relies on stable internet connections, which can be a challenge for attendees in areas with poor connectivity.
• Learning Curve for Advanced Features: While the basics are intuitive, exploring and utilizing advanced capabilities may require additional training or support.
• Occasional Technical Glitches: Some users have reported issues with audio or video during live sessions, which can disrupt the attendee experience.

Verdict: Hopin is a powerful and versatile event platform with an impressive array of features tailored to virtual and hybrid experiences. Its scalability, branding options, and robust analytics make it an excellent choice for mid to large-scale events. However, the cost and occasional technical hurdles might make it less appealing to smaller organizations or those new to virtual events.

Choosing the Right Event Mobile App

When selecting an event mobile app, consider the following:

1. Event Size and Type: Large expos may require more advanced features like lead scanning, while smaller conferences might prioritize ease of use.
2. Budget: Evaluate pricing plans and ensure the app’s features align with your budget.
3. Integration Needs: Ensure compatibility with your existing registration and CRM systems.
4. User Experience: Test the app from both attendee and organizer perspectives to ensure it meets your needs.

Conclusion

An event mobile app is a game-changer for modern event management, offering features that enhance convenience, engagement, and efficiency. From branding and personalized agendas to networking and lead scanning, the right app can cater to the diverse needs of attendees, speakers, and exhibitors. While Just Attend, Whova, EventMobi, CrowdCompass, and Hopin each bring unique strengths, the best choice depends on your event’s specific requirements.

By prioritizing critical features and incorporating nice-to-haves as your budget allows, you can deliver a seamless and memorable experience for all stakeholders. Embrace the power of technology, and let your event mobile app be the key to your next event’s success!

Let’s talk!