Event App Comparison

Hi. I’m a management consultant working with a large corporate client with a global presence that requested I perform a comparative review of mobile event apps. A search was conducted with results filtered for vendors with at least 5 years of industry experience and an international presence. A further determination was made about which mobile apps offered key features beneficial and/or critical to meeting and event planners, participants and presenters. In all, 36 features or capabilities were compared across functions such as event setup, content management, interactivity, networking, customization and others.

An internal questionnaire was created and data was collected directly from information publicly available from vendors, and materials available from or through discussions with third-party experts, industry pundits and customer end users. Five vendors were identified who met our criteria and are included in the comparison matrix, along with pricing information. Permission was given, where necessary, to make these findings public.

Event_App_Comparison_MatrixEvent_App_Comparison_Matrix

At my client’s request, I made several assertions based on the results of my research and comparison of features.

1. If you’re unsure of how many events you plan to hold per year, the number of attendees or the complexity involved, steer clear of contracts that lock in the pricing based on guesses about your events, sometimes made a year in advance. If you need to make changes, you could easily run into problems and cost overruns. Look at Evenium ConnexMe and QuickMobile for the best flexibility in pricing –  both offer low costs for single events and Evenium ConnexMe is the only solution offering an unlimited number of events annually at a very low price, and with a full feature set.

2. For large events like tradeshows where you are also promoting sponsors and exhibitors, select a vendor who specializes in these types of events and whose app was designed specifically with this in mind. DoubleDutch, Lanyon/GenieConnect, CrowdCompass or QuickMobile all fit the bill – be sure to factor in what you get for the price. Large events are usually complex, requiring support and the app’s full feature set. Make certain you’re getting what you need and at a cost that is not needlessly excessive.

3. Particularly for corporate meetings and events, successful outcomes hinge on the app’s capabilities that:
– allow participants and presenters to readily engage with one another and the content,
– provide simple and efficient networking to forge new relationships and strengthen existing ones,
– enhance learning and assimilation of the messages or material being presented, and
– allow participants to leverage the intellectual capital of the organization through the sharing of best practices.

The apps with the best design and feature set to achieve the goals above are Evenium ConnexMe and Lanyon/GenieConnect.

Other resources you may find helpful are the individual company websites and reviews like the following:

I hope you find this information useful in your assessment of the app most suited to your unique situation. Questions and comments are always welcome.
Emilie Byrner
(Information noted is subject to change and should always be verified.)

6 thoughts on “Event App Comparison”

  1. Wow thanks for doing this Emilie! I’ve been looking for some sort of place online where I can compare mobile event apps side by side. This is just what I was looking for!! I’m hoping this could become a place where meeting and event planners could go to share their experiences with their peers.

    I’ve used DoubleDutch in the past, and it worked really well for me. The pricing/packages, however, were expensive/frustrating. I’m definitely going to learn more about ConnexMe. Has anyone used them for large sales kickoffs? How did it work out?

    Thanks again Emilie 🙂

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  2. Thanks for your comments Eleanor. I know a meeting planner who used ConnexMe for a large sales kick-off event and was pleased with the results. The products reviewed in the event app comparison matrix each have track records of success with various types of events, some being more appropriate to certain types of events based on functionality and pricing.
    EB

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  3. Wish we’d had your review several months back when we were deciding on which solution to implement. Would have saved us a lot of time! We chose Genie Connect for our large exhibitor event and went with ConnexMe for our corporate meetings. Ended up being great choices for our needs.

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  4. The comparison and comments are all helpful. Thanks. I’m looking at using a mobile event app that would allow our attendees to ask and respond to questions, make comments, etc. in their breakout sessions. A concern is that not everyone would have the app coming into the event. In that case, what are my options to help them and keep things on track?

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    1. Hi Bryan. Heavily promoting and communicating about the mobile app prior to the event is key. People will be more likely to download the app and even explore some of its features if you make a strong effort to describe its benefits and usage during the event. However, you should confirm that the mobile app vendor you choose offers access to a web browser version of the app using a simple url. This option will cover those who arrive without having downloaded the app beforehand.

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      1. Couldn’t agree more about promoting the app. If you’ve got a tech savvy group your job may be easier in terms of interest for the app. In my opinion, no matter the type of your audience or size of your events, use an app whose design/layout is simple for your attendees to understand and comes with features they’ll be eager to use. Promoting those aspects of the app in advance could increase your downloads and ultimate adoption by your participants.

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