Mobile App Event Networking in Action

Networking is a big deal at your events. Your attendees, vendors, sponsors, and presenters want to network and create valuable connections with each other. And it’s your job as an event planner to make networking easier. Thankfully, nothing helps you get the ball rolling like technology and a mobile event app.

MeetingPlay has seen the value the right technology can add to your event. Our custom mobile apps can help you enhance your event’s:

-Engagement
-Networking
-Efficiency
-Enjoyment
-Value

While we could expound on all of the benefits above, let’s focus on networking and helping your attendees and vendors connect.

Here’s how one of our customers used our app to take their event’s networking to the next level.

One Customer’s Drive to Connect

A prominent client contacted us with a mission. They wanted us to help them elevate their event while also facilitating additional networking opportunities. But they didn’t want to focus only on networking among attendees. They wanted to track interactions between attendees and their sponsors, as well.

While it may sound like a tall task, we were up to the challenge. Here’s how we helped this particular client uncover valuable data from their event and add unique value to their attendees and sponsors.

Enhancing Sponsor-to-Attendee Networking

Most people think of networking at events in the context of attendees connecting with other attendees. But there’s another form of networking that you should be aware of – attendee-to-sponsor networking.

Your sponsors invest time, money, and effort to get their products and services in front of your attendees. To make your event a success and attract more sponsors, you want to do everything you can to drive traffic to your sponsors’ booths. You also want to create an atmosphere that fosters real communication and generates genuine leads. These are exactly the goals our client had in mind when they approached us to help with their event.

Here’s how we helped our clients reach their goals while exceeding their expectations:

– iPads for Every Booth: Our client provided each sponsor with an iPad at their booth loaded with our lead tracking app. Vendors were able to use this technology to connect with attendees who visited the booth, manage new connections, view attendee profiles, follow up with leads, and share information with visitors.

– Wearable Beacons for Attendees: Every attendee at our client’s event had a wearable beacon attached to their lanyard. The beacon transmitted a signal that allowed event organizers and vendors to view attendee profiles, as well as track the movements of each attendee. As an attendee neared a booth, the vendor’s iPad picked up their signal and provided valuable data to the event planners and sponsors.

– Reporting and Data: Using mobile tablets, our custom app, and wearable beacons, our client was able to create unique networking opportunities for their vendors and attendees. Attendees were able to quickly provide vendors with contact information using their mobile app and proximity beacon. They could also view each vendor’s products and services on the sponsor’s iPads.

Our innovative technology also allowed our client and their vendors to:

-View foot-traffic patterns

-Evaluate dwell times at booths

-Recapture missed networking opportunities

Vendors could see the contact information for attendees who visited their booth, even if they didn’t have an opportunity to connect with them. This information provided our client’s vendors with an opportunity to reconnect with any attendees who didn’t get to speak to someone face-to-face.

So, what type of overall impact did our technology have on the event? What did the metrics look like compared to their previous event?

The numbers speak for themselves:

–Attendee-to-sponsor engagement was up 131%

-Sponsors received more than 66,000 contacts, a 163% increase over the previous event

-Overall booth connections were up 166%

-Connections-per-sponsor were up 131%

-81% of attendees visited all the event booths

-There were hundreds of exhibitor-to-attendee messages sent

-Attendees favorited 563 booths and scanned                                                                                          3,198 booth QR codes

These statistics represent a massive increase in attendee-to-sponsor engagement and show the power technology has in facilitating valuable connections and leads for vendors. Sponsors had the opportunity to improve their return on investment through quality leads and more opportunities to connect with the people who visited their booth.

Our client could also use the data they collected to improve their event in real time, reduce bottlenecks, and plan for future events.

But the networking benefits didn’t stop there.

Event Networking and Engagement for Attendees

In addition to attendee-to-sponsor networking, our mobile app technology also provided our client’s attendees with enhanced opportunities to network with each other. And their activity showed how valuable this service was.

Here’s how our client knew our event technology was enhancing their attendees’ networking experience:

– Attendees jumped on the networking-related features

-93% of attendees downloaded the app (compared to 81% at the previous event, which exceeded expectations, especially since attendance doubled between the two years)

-75% of attendees set up a custom profile

-68% of attendees set up the networking features

– More attendees were using the app than in the past

-App adoption rate was up 15% from previous years

-Page views were up 130% (this is a good measure of app usage)

– Attendees accessed the networking and attendee list more than any other page

-Networking features and 5-star matches directed attendees to the profile pages

Clearly, networking and meeting other attendees was a priority for most app users. And even better, our mobile app helped them find other attendees and learn more about their new connections.

Event Networking Wrap-Up

Based on this client’s experience, implementing the right mobile event app and other technology at your event can positively impact networking for your attendees and sponsors. The data you collect can also help you improve your event and create a more enjoyable experience for everyone in attendance.

Contact us if you want to put technology to work for your next event. Your attendees and sponsors will love that you did.