Event Apps Are The Future, Says Eventify-Maker Hussain Fakhruddin

Over the last few years, adoption of event technology has witnessed a significant spurt worldwide. Mobile event apps, in particular, are going to emerge as the most important component of event tech, feels noted software architect Hussain Fakhruddin.

The growing awareness and popularity of smart event management tools had led Hussain and his team at Teksmobile to launch the Eventify platform in mid-2017. The event app tool got a makeover with several new features earlier this year - and has already been used to create the official mobile applications of several high-profile business and tech events, like Nordic APIs Platform Summit, Nordic Smart Cities and Startcon 2018.

In a brief tête-à-tête, the veteran mobile app expert and CEO expressed his views on the constantly evolving B2B industry. Event management tasks, as he correctly pointed out, have become more challenging than ever - and overall event planning expenses are growing pretty quickly too. To ensure a healthy ROI, the onus is squarely on professional event planners to ensure maximum awareness, interest and participation of the targeted audience. Traditional promotional tools, like hoardings and pamphlets, are no longer enough, opined Hussain. Mobile event apps are the way to go.

The principal reason behind the burgeoning popularity of event apps/conference apps is their dynamic nature. Organisers can push out real-time news, stories and updates to attendees through the app - ensuring no problems in communication. Unlike the more conventional mediums of event marketing, event apps have a much larger reach - and can connect organisers with the potential event visitors more seamlessly. Hussain also added that features like live polling, event gamification, onsite check-ins and live Q&A can make event apps way more engaging than any form of traditional marketing tool can ever be. “Apps facilitate two-pay communication”, stated Hussain, “and that’s something people love”.

Most, if not all, business event goers look for high-quality peer-to-peer networking opportunities. Mobile event apps are great for facilitating this, feels Hussain. On his very own event app builder platform Eventify, there is an innovative tag-based networking feature in place. Users can select their interests at the time of signing up on an event app - and based on these choices, they are connected with like-minded fellow attendees. In addition, Hussain is also in favour of event apps that allow attendees to set up one-on-one appointments with other users. It’s all about taking networking to a more personal level, and the apps that have this feature are the most sought-after.

Letting attendees know, on a real-time basis, about last-minute changes is yet another key advantage of mobile event applications. Through the app, organisers can send push notifications in bulk - either to all users of the app, or to select groups (exhibitors, sponsors, general attendees, etc.). What’s more, emails can also be sent along with the push notifications. With a dynamic event app, an event planner can always keep all interested attendees in the loop, at all times.

During the preliminary research phase of Eventify, Hussain and his team of developers met up with representatives from several leading event companies in Australia and Sweden. From those meetings, the team understood that event planners are busy with all the last-minute preparations of upcoming conferences - and often do not have either the time, or the budget to invest on event apps. This presents a barrier in the growth path of the otherwise excellent event app solutions.

However, through the Eventify platform, Hussain has already demonstrated a viable solution to this problem. On the platform, organisers can build a full-featured mobile event app in less than an hour, and there is no coding involved whatsoever. Features can be added through simple clicks (Eventify has 30+ app features), there should be a systematic flow to such event app builder tools - and most importantly, the pricing should be extremely competitive. A planner might not have several weeks to spend on making an event app, but if it takes an hour or less - then (s)he is more likely to be interested.

While explaining the benefits of event apps, Hussain sounds a note of caution too. According to him, a mobile app cannot be a standalone solution for any business event or conference. Instead, the focus needs to be on creating 360° event management platforms - that offer end-to-end paperless event promotional services. Put in another way, an event app has to double up as an event ticketing portal (i.e., handle event registrations), offer lead retrieval services to exhibitors, have dedicated polling and Q&A sections, maps and other features to deliver a complete, optimised event experience to users. The app also needs to be complemented by a regularly updated event website. 

Before signing off, Hussain revealed that Eventify’s event website builder platform is also in the works - and will be launched by the end of this month. The global events industry is indeed undergoing a digital transformation, and event apps are making life simpler for more and more B2B conference organisers.

To know more about the Eventify app builder platform, visit https://eventify.io/. If you have any queries or want to request a free demo, send a mail to sonali@eventify.io. Event app technology has already been adopted by a large cross-section of event planners globally, and the number is expected to grow further in the foreseeable future.