Ten Key Considerations in the Selection of an Event

App Vendor

Solutions for:

Are you taking risks with your brand?• Any corporate event will have

considerable impact on the host’s brand

• However, many people select an app vendor without reference to the larger considerations that will determine the event’s success

• Asking yourself these five questions will help to ensure you make the right app vendor choice.

Is the functionality a good fit for your needs?

• Do they offer a ‘match making’ service that will make introductions between contacts likely to be of interest to each other?

• Are you able to enhance engagement through pre-and post-event surveys and live polling?

• Are you able to configure the look and feel of your app to conform to brand guidelines?

Does your vendor provide the capabilities that will enhance your event?

Does it integrate with your Registration Provider?You probably have an existing registration partner – it’s important that your app provider can work with them.

• Are they using open standards like the Open Rest API that make this process seamless?

• And can they point to previous engagements where they have successfully integrated with your registration partner?

Is the vendor resourced to offer the support you need?

• If there is a bump in the road, how will this be addressed?

• A robust Implementation Methodology will minimise problems.

• If anything does go wrong, a dedicated Account Manager will quickly respond to issues.

• Local support is essential for rapid problem resolution.

Are multi-device & multi-platform capabilities built in?

• Attendees will be bringing tablets and smartphones to the event

• These might be running Windows, Apple’s IOS or Android.

• Can you be sure you are able to support all of these platforms and devices?

Can heavy lifting be done on a Desktop?A Web portal enables the bulk of attendees’ event planning to be done in a familiar desktop environment

• Meetings, sessions, stand visits and networking can be all be set up in advance in the office.

• This data can then be transferred to the mobile app for use at the event.

• All contact information, notes and session materials can be uploaded back to desktop for later reuse once attendees return to the office.

Is there a proven ROI methodology?

• Can you use mobile banners, enhanced listings and sponsored messaging to capture the value of the real estate on a web portal /mobile app?

• Can you monitor networking activities and sell meeting and message ‘credits’ if attendees want greater use of these?

• Can heat-mapping capabilities identify the most heavily trafficked areas and allow you to charge premium prices for them?

Event technology shouldn’t be a cost but an investment capable of more than paying for itself if it is implemented properly and deployed in a timely fashion.

Are security measures built into the solution? Much of the content at your event is going to be somewhat confidential so…

• If a device is lost, can you ensure its contents are inaccessible to unauthorized persons in a manner compliant with your information security policies?

• Can you segment access to materials based on e.g. seniority in the organization?

Can you gather the necessary event intelligence?

• Can your vendor provide details on the most highly-attended sessions, the most highly-rated speakers, the topics that generated the most engagement?

• Do you have access to an experienced account manager that can sit down with you to evaluate the event’s success and share best practice?

You’ll want to know what worked – and what didn’t – in order to optimize future events.

Will it deliver a first rate attendee experience?

• Does the app launch instantly by re-using registration data, is the navigation intuitive and the categories fine-tuned for easy search?

• Can the app provide the functionality that creates value for attendees – whether that is on-the-fly networking, messaging or gamification?

You will need a good user interface with the right functionality built into your solution.

Can it cope with a multi-stream agenda?

• Can you use iBeacons or Wi-Fi to push session content to attendees which they can download to their desktop after the event for later re-use.

• Can you provide audience response tools – such as live polling and Q&A management via the attendees own handsets – even push slideware to those handsets in rooms where expensive audio/visual equipment can’t be justified?

Good event technology will help attendees navigate through a complex session structure

GenieConnect Solutions• GenieConnect offers smart technology for professional

and corporate events. Our core promise is ‘Success. Delivered’ which we achieve through: Unrivalled breadth of offering; Robust Content Management System that brings all that

functionality into a single data engine; and Expert delivery encompassing dedicated account and project

management. • Much more than an event app vendor, GenieConnect is

focused on helping clients fulfil the potential of their events. Find out more at Genie-Connect.com

• Download the how to guide on which this presentation is based.

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