5 Best Event App Features to Enhance your next Hybrid Event

Events are being reimagined and companion apps are the next step to keep events moving beyond tomorrow.

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As more associations go hybrid, having an event app can create an even more seamless experience for attendees. What are some best features to have? Here are 5 app features that you should consider:

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Registration and Ticketing

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Modern ticketing, registration and contact exchange have all gone digital, and more often than not, via an app. Most event registration is already done online, and streamlining processes for QR-code ticketing technology has gained tremendous traction since the Pandemic.

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Streamlining the ticketing process through an app cuts down time and worry. With everything accessible through an event app, all relevant event information and ticketing can be stored in one place and attendees don’t have to scramble with creating accounts or hunting for emails.

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Gamification

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Gamification is a longstanding tradition in the event world. From booth games to on-site raffles, the idea of engaging attendees with the very human urge to play games and win is not new but event apps are just scratching the surface on how to use digital gamification tools to increase virtual engagement. Some of the most basic gamified elements within apps include live leaderboards, badges that reward highly-engaged users, actual games such as scavenger hunts or Jeopardy, and micro-events like live raffles or competitions to earn prizes.

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Gamification is about creating fun experiences that keep people engaged alongside the event experience. Consider creating some team games or networking events where people can connect and compete with those at home. Your app experience can be the destination for everyone!  

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Hybrid Networking

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Hybrid meetings can break down barriers, increase connection and reach, and ensure that no matter how you are attending, there is always a way to connect with another attendee to knowledge-share and grow your business.

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This can and should be extended to your app experience. Imagine a single destination where one attendee can watch a live feed remotely of an exhibitor booth and network with another in-person attendee at the same booth.

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Your app experience should work together with your digital event platform. The app experience will mostly target those who are in-person, but if that app experience has no way to connect with the virtual platform and viewers at home, it's not creating a smooth hybrid experience.  

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Access to Event Information

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Event information such as floor plan layouts, ticket levels for VIP experiences, directory of attendees and exhibitors, featured speakers, schedules, and anything else that people might need to know about the event should be included.

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Most apps also include a live feed, just like you would see on social media, where people can post and share what they are doing within the event. Live feeds are perfect for exchanging event information between attendees for greater connection.

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Having an Event App, Period

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Your attendees, whether in-person or virtual, are on their phones 24/7. You need to be accessible across all channels to enable intersections of connectivity and learning for your entire audience. The future of successful hybrid events will require a second screen companion app to keep up with consumer behavior.

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If your event doesn’t have a companion app, make it the topic of discussion within your organization for the next iteration of your event. With everything that an attendee could need all in one place, the hybrid event experience will become even more seamless and your attendees will have more resources to gain knowledge or to network for their personal or business growth.

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Planning a hybrid event and need an event app? The JUNO team can customize your personalized companion app to take your hybrid event beyond tomorrow. Learn more here.

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