Mobile Event AppsCorporations Embrace Mobile for All Kind of Events

Of the more than 1.8 million meetings that took place annually, approximately 52 percent, or 1.27 million, are corporate events. Large companies may have hundreds, even thousands of events every year. A company typically hosts these gatherings with attendees representing customers, partners and employees. In many cases, each event is treated independently, from budgets and branding, to planning and printing. When planning multiple events within a large organization, a number of challenges can occur, such as inconsistencies in branding, overall security and privacy, flexibility, scalability, redundancies that may cost significant time and money, and addressing a multi-lingual audience.

Event owners are constantly looking for ways to improve their events’ return on investment while boosting value and improved experience for attendees. An active and engaged audience translates into higher quality meetings, better feedback and a stronger connection with the corporate brand. Mobile technology is a fundamental catalyst that is changing the way meetings are planned and managed, and is dramatically improving audience engagement at events around the world.

This white paper will discuss how mobile technology delivers more than just a great experience for attendees. Mobile technology can provide a flexible, scalable and customizable platform that can be used as effectively for an internal employee event as it can for an external customer or partner conference. And it can provide all participants with a growing suite of services that were never before available; creating a new channel that transforms events into dynamic, year-long conversations.

Introduction

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Creating an Enterprise-Wide Mobile Channel More companies are beginning to embrace the “Mobile Event 2.0” world, characterized by a multi-event app development platform and “connected” smartphone applications that facilitate greater overall participation, increase information creation and sharing and foster collaboration at conferences and events. Companies are increasingly realizing the value of a mobile app as an effective channel for streamlined, engaging communications.

A mobile meeting app is a natural next step for organizations as most employees already own their own devices (“BYOD” - Bring Your Own Device) and are very familiar with smartphones, tablets and a multitude of applications. By 2016, Cisco estimates that there will be more mobile devices (8 billion) than people while Apple recently surpassed more than 25 billion app downloads and Android users have installed more than 10 billion Android apps.

Corporate mobile event apps are growing more popular and sophisticated, providing the capability to deliver consistent, branded real-time information. They can also remedy many problems that are associated with organizing a large number of meetings within an enterprise. (See sidebar)

The real potential upside for enterprise-wide meeting apps is to extend the lifespan of the event and the ability for companies to continue to connect and communicate with their employees, customers and partners. Mobile apps are permission-based communications and marketing solutions, designed to speak to employees or customers when they choose to listen. Enterprise-wide apps that consistently deliver relevant, timely and personalized information that build upon previous conference experiences and create anticipation for future events will remain on an attendee’s device, experience higher usage and adoption each year, and become a trusted communications channel.

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Mobile Event Apps: A Remedy to Some Traditional Corporate Headaches

In large organizations, it can be difficult to track the activities going on in different departments, let alone in different buildings, cities and countries. Whether in sales, marketing, support or human resources, there is a constant need to get people together to facilitate innovation, conduct business, build relationships or train and inform employees. As a result, company meetings are often planned independently of one another, which can create a number of challenges for the organization.

Branding Suffers

With each department, branch, division or country planning their own events, branding, particularly corporate messaging and look and feel, can often suffer. Whether it is using an old logo, an unapproved tag line, the wrong colors or old brochures, they can distract from the corporation’s current goals and objectives.

Planning Glitches Proliferate

If the planning process is different for every event, organizers are likely to use different internal and external resources and processes to get things done. The company may have established meeting guidelines or an approved list of vendors that deliver products and services that meet corporate guidelines. If these guidelines are not followed or approved software vendors are not used, the planning process may result in poor work product and inconsistencies and redundancies that could ultimately cost time and money.

Budget Costs Spike Planning meetings in silos means that meeting organizers miss out on the savings of negotiating contracts with vendors and suppliers or having enterprise-wide solutions for multiple events… savings that can reduce event budgets or allow event marketers to allocate more funds to other areas.

Mobile event applications were initially constructed following the pattern of traditional printed conference event guides – every year requires a new printed guide, so each year a new app is created. Many organizations plan hundreds; even thousands of events every year, making printing event guides a time-consuming and costly exercise. Mobile apps provide more flexibility for distributing information to event attendees, allowing meeting organizers to deliver real-time updates while engaging attendees with a variety of mobile tools, from networking and social media features, to surveys and games. Rather than developing a new app from scratch for every event, a single-branded enterprise event app can serve as a foundation for all company events. Below is a comprehensive list of the benefits of using a company-branded multi-event app platform:

Impact on PlanningTraditionally, mobile event apps are designed to allow a company to manage one event through a content management system. Now, imagine how much time can be saved by using a single master app as the foundation for deploying a mobile solution for every meeting or event year round. Whether someone attends one event or 10, attendees will only have to download the app once. With a multi-event app platform that includes content management and an event app framework, the bulk of the development budget is used on the initial development of the master app, including branding, security and custom features. Subsequent company events can be built using the platform with much less time and expense. With an enterprise-wide multi-event app platform, event owners and marketers can focus the bulk of their efforts on driving attendance and engagement and developing content, rather than vendor coordination and printing.

BrandingA multi-event app platform ensures consistent branding across all corporate meetings and events. Once the master app is built, the branding elements are locked in, providing a consistent company look and feel. Mobile Event 2.0 apps embrace the full graphical and rich media capabilities of contemporary mobile devices and the mobile event application is entirely branded to convey the unique visual identity of each event. Depending on the end user or the event, specific brand elements and designs for customers, partners or employees can be deployed.

Better NetworkingOnce authorized access is given, the user can connect with other registered attendees, communicate through private built-in messaging tools, and share information. As users expand their contacts and build their networks on their devices, the app becomes a tool they will use to stay connected 24/7/365. An enterprise-wide multi-event app provides users access to specific customer, partner or employee lists based on who they are and/or the type of event they are attending. Using login credentials, the mobile app can unlock certain networking features and functionality specific to that type of user (marketing, technical, executive etc.) or to the events he or she is registered to attend.

How Can a Multi-Event Mobile App Platform Help?

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Fully SecureUnlike paper-based programs or publicly accessed web-based event materials that can end up in the wrong hands, an enterprise platform and Mobile Event 2.0 multi-event app includes security features that ensure that users only access and receive the information they are authorized to receive based on their credentials for the events they are registered to attend. This means that customers cannot access employee-meeting materials even though the same mobile app platform is used across all company events. The ability to integrate with an enterprise’s internal security policies is also a critical component to an enterprise multi-event app, ensuring the app fully complies with the organization’s standards designed to protect proprietary and sensitive company information. For example, multi-event apps now provide a single sign-on for employees for all events, allowing enterprises to centrally control which information is accessible by each employee.

Enhanced Event EngagementBy aggregating content and integrating features, companies can focus attendees on a convenient unified application reducing a fractured, fragmented experience using multiple apps. Most corporate meeting organizers are looking for ways to engage attendees and help deliver a more memorable event experience. An enterprise-wide mobile meeting app has proven to help attendees immerse themselves into the events, allowing them to become active participants. Attendees have the opportunity to express their opinions and provide feedback about presentations and event activities. They can also leverage integrated networking, social media and gamification tools to create relationships with other attendees. Meeting organizers can also dramatically extend and improve the number of attendee interactions including sales opportunities, peer-to-peer networking, access to content and other event activities well beyond the days of the event, helping to strengthen brand loyalty and build anticipation for future events.

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Improved Content Creation and SharingIn addition to facilitating content sharing among peers, the multi-event app is a tool for event owners, presenters and ALL participants to create and distribute information with other attendees, employees, prospective customers and partners. Event owners can communicate with event participants throughout the year, sending content and statistics from previous meetings, marketing materials for future events, and relevant articles, surveys and blog posts and other information that users may find interesting and useful year-round. The app users can even create content, such as photo galleries, tweets, comments, feedback, surveys, polling, likes, links etc. that can be moderated by the content administrators of apps. Presenters can also use the mobile app to stay connected and share content with attendees, from linking social media accounts, to sharing presentation materials and blog posts leading up to or after an event.

In-App Travel and LogisticsIn the next 2 or 3 years, corporate event apps will include personal travel itineraries and planning capabilities for employees, customers and partners, allowing them to track schedules and stay organized. Users will be able to create and modify travel plans, personalize and coordinate pre and post event activities and coordinate with other attendees, travel suppliers, hotels, airlines and car rental companies from the mobile app. Incorporating travel and logistics tools will shrink the amount of busy work involved in attending corporate conferences and help attendees to be more productive.

A Personalized ExperienceUnlike paper-based program guides, enterprise-wide mobile event apps allow users to personalize their event experience, plan their own event agendas, and create and share content with other attendees. These capabilities increase the value of the enterprise app to the user, further increasing the likelihood that it will remain on the mobile device for extended use.

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Ongoing Message ControlCreating, maintaining and distributing content through the enterprise mobile channel enhances meeting owners’ ability to control relevant, timely messaging while reducing the inherent risk of printing confidential or private materials. With digital mobile content, there is no intermediary. The content that is distributed from the event owners originates and is permanently controlled by them. Event marketers or corporate communication teams control the messaging, and can communicate with one attendee or a group of attendees. They also can employ additional security controls to withdraw information or prevent certain content from being accessed or forwarded to unauthorized users.

Enterprise-wide mobile event apps are changing the way meetings are planned and operated. Once on attendees’ devices, these corporate mobile apps change behavior at meetings. It makes it easy and enticing to explore new ways to interact with their peers, plan their experience prior to the event and build a network that they will communicate with before, during and after the event.

Perhaps the biggest impact that corporate multi-event apps will have in the future is the improvement in communications consistency and employee engagement. Mobile Event 2.0 apps take the meeting experience to another level, creating more personalized interaction among all event participants and providing a social networking channel for connecting and sharing content that in the past only happened face-to-face. Companies can capitalize on the popularity of social and mobile ensuring the app becomes a powerful and permanent fixture on their employees’, customers’ and partners’ devices.

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The Impact of Enterprise-Wide Event Apps on Corporate Events

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Relevant Content On DemandThe main role of enterprise-wide mobile event apps is to facilitate communications, from static content to real-time updates and integrated social media. A corporate mobile app can regularly deliver new and relevant information, build upon past event experience and create anticipation for future events; becoming a trusted resource and communications channel for the user and brand. With a single master app, companies can share corporate information with their employees in new and more effective ways, while engaging partners and customers using more targeted and personalized methods whenever they want. Push messaging services can further enhance the experience by sending reminders or personalized alerts when new or relevant information is available.

Phone: +1 604 875 0403Email: sales@quickmobile.comWebsite: www.quickmobile.com

Mobile apps were originally developed to replace paper event guides, capitalize on the growing dependence on mobile devices and provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional event materials. Today, enterprise-wide multi-event apps are becoming central to the planning, delivery, effectiveness and participation of an event, as well as carrying the company brand and event conversations well beyond the conference. In the hands of customers, partners and employees, a corporate multi-event app platform offers security, flexibility, scalability and personalization that traditional event guides and web-based programs cannot provide. A master mobile event app facilitates networking and content sharing throughout the year and extends and enhances conversations that will strengthen relationships between companies and their most important assets.

Conclusion

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