If you’re a conference organizer, you’re probably a pro at corralling even the most elusive speakers, negotiating contracts and checking your BEO’s at buffet time. However, when was the last time you actually attended a conference as a delegate? If it’s been a while, you may be prone to forgetting some of those annoying little things for conference attendees. We’ve pulled together a list, and outlined how the best apps for events can help.
- Having to carry around a bag of paper. Most people love a well-stocked swag bag, but when important information is mixed in with sponsor flyers, coupons and swag, it can be tough to find the pertinent information, such as schedules, agendas, maps and surveys. Choosing well-designed apps for events
means you can fill the bag with swag, and let conference or event attendees find the information they need on their smart phone. - Not knowing whom to contact with questions. This is a big one. Imagine hitting a roadblock with your conference experience, or having an important question where you need a real-time answer. If all you have is a generic “info@” email address, you’re never really sure if someone is going to respond. The best apps for events include online forums, where people can ask their questions of organizers or other attendees.
- Not being able to effectively network. These days, lots of people are comfortable networking in person and over social media. However, it can be frustrating when conference organizers don’t make it easy to find attendees on social media, by either having an easy-to-remember conference or event hash tag or by integrating social media networking into their event app. The best apps for events make it easier for users to find each other and chat over social networking sites and in-app message boards.
- Not being able to find speaker info. You’re trying to decide between two sessions, or you just had an awesome session and want to follow up with the speaker. Now where is that darn piece of paper with the speaker contact information? The best apps for events allow for unlimited speakers with color photographs, full bios, and contact information.
- Not being able to find the basic humans needs stuff. You just sat through back-to-back sessions, and you’re starving. Or even worse, you really need to find a bathroom, but you can’t find that venue map in your swag bag and it is approaching emergency status. The best apps for events include venue details attendees can use to find the bathroom or catering area.
What do you think? Did we miss any annoyances?
