Event App Utilization for 2018: Analyzing the Data
Kat Dacusin
April 30, 2019
Thinking of using event applications for your next event? Event apps bring a hoard of benefits for organizers and attendees alike. In going digital, make an informed decision by considering the factors in choosing an event app such as the features to look for, types of data that can be gathered, and the benefits of these.
Event App Features to Look for
It would be handy to have an event app that is most suitable for your needs as organizers. Some of the features to look for are:
- Comprehensive Event Details
Printed materials can get lost. Go paperless and help the environment. Use an event app that reminds attendees of the event details such as venue, time, and session details. Choose an app that has push notifications to remind attendees before the start of each session. - Ease of Information Transfer
Information transfer becomes quick and easy for attendees through QR codes, which can be used for registration, networking, and collecting presentation materials. Information gathered is organized and easily accessed for both organizers and attendees. - Real-time Feedback
Feel the pulse of the crowd just as the event happens. Access real-time feedback from attendees about the speakers, sessions, and other aspects of the event to enable last minute changes. Collated demographic data (age, gender, profession, etc.) collected from the app profiles of the attendees can also be used to adjust aspects of the event accordingly. - Engagement Tools
Don’t let attendees’ boredom get in the way of holding a successful event. Keep the attendees interested with the sessions by incorporating engagement tools such as Q&A, polls, and raffles, which can be facilitated through the event app. Besides raising the engagement level for attendees, organizers can also collect more data from these tools. - Customizability
Event apps are not one-size-fits-all. Each event has different needs. The success of an event app can depend on having the right combination of features for the right events. Sometimes it’s about going all out by using all possible features; sometimes, less is more. Choose only the features your particular event needs, to minimize confusion and maximize app usability for the attendees.
Digitized Events Statistics
One of the most helpful features an event app has is real-time data analytics. Data Analytics in general is useful in retail, public sector, airlines and transportation, supply chain and logistics, banking and finance, healthcare, and is even valuable in other industries such as events management. This is because data analytics affords valuable insights.
What types of data can be gathered during an event, and what types of insights can be derived? For a view of this, let’s take a look at some of the data gathered from Pointwest’s event application EESY for 2018:
Events and Attendees
- Number of events
EESY digitized a total of 31 events in 2018. - Number of companies that attended
Overall, events empowered by EESY were attended by participants from 1887 companies. - Number of business roles
Attendees can be grouped into 76 business roles from various position levels. - Percentage of app users according to age
Almost half of the attendees come from the 25-34 age group. The next bracket with the most attendees would be the 35-44 age group, followed by 18-24 age group, 45-54 age group, 55-64 age group, then finally, the 65+ age group. In terms of gender, more than half of the attendees are male. - Percentage of app users according to gender
More than half of the attendees are male across all age groups.
Audience Engagement
- Number of application downloads
EESY had a total of 8,375 application downloads. The event which garnered the most downloads was SoftCon 2018 with 1,114 downloads. - Percentage of users according to platform (Android/ iOS)
57% are Android users, while 43% are iOS users. - Percentage of responsiveness rate
Responsiveness rate corresponds to any input by the user on the app (e.g. questions and ratings). The event with most response participants is Transcend 2018 with 81% downloads.
Mobile Event App Usage
- Most number of clicks
In the app, the modules which had the most number of clicks are View Schedule with 141,600 clicks. Next is View Session Detail with 111,631 clicks. - Most number of users
The modules with the most number of unique visitors are View Schedule with 5,681 users. Second is View Profile with 4,413 clicks.
How Can these Numbers Help Your Business?
Gathered data can be interpreted into actionable insights, which can translate into benefits for your business. The opportunities include the ones below:
- Know Your Audience for Targeted Marketing
Data such as age, gender, professions, and companies can also be gathered and accessed real-time through EESY. Due to these demographic data, targeted marketing can also be done by organizers and sponsors. Targeted marketing involves profiling the customer to get a clear prediction of their likes and dislikes. This insight, in turn, is valuable in strategizing which products to create and how to market them to a particular group for a specific event. - Harness Networking Opportunities
Networking is important for both business and personal brand development. Knowing the profession and companies of the attendees through EESY paints a picture of networking possibilities both for the attendees themselves, the organizers, and the sponsors. Some of the benefits networking affords are increasing your contacts, gather possible leads and referrals, and increasing visibility for your business. - Keep the Audience Engaged
Attendees can encounter several issues during an event, and lack of engagement is one of them. You wouldn’t want your event to be called “dull” or “boring”, would you? Keeping the attendees engaged leaves a good impression for the organizing company and the sponsors. Knowing the responsiveness level and manner of audience engagement affords last minute adjustments according to the event goals. - Understand Attendees’ Preference
EESY can gather speaker ratings, session ratings, and written feedback, all in real-time. Feedback can show which aspects of the events the attendees loved or hated. For organizers, this means they can make changes to improve the event as it happens. They can also collect insights for future events. As an example, for upcoming events, they can select speakers and sessions with good feedback. For sponsors, the feedback helps identify the preference of the audience as a whole or as segregated based on demographics or professional/industry information.
With the benefits of event apps for all stakeholders, it’s high time to seriously consider digitizing your events this 2019.
About Pointwest
Founded in 2003 by pioneers of the Philippine Global Sourcing industry, Pointwest creates value for its list of satisfied clients — including top Fortune 100 and local companies — with world-class digital innovation and IT modernization services backed by international-standard methodologies, and innovative practices.
