As an event organizer, you know how important it is to have a mobile app at your disposal. Mobile apps are often the go-to tool for providing attendee information on the go. But there’s one key challenge that many organizers face: integrating their mobile app with their events platform. Fortunately, integrating a mobile app with an events platform doesn’t need to be the daunting task it once was.
From the dawn of the mobile era, event technology has seen an overhaul. As a result, event organizers found themselves needing to enter data into multiple disparate systems. From the event website to the event management system, to the conference app, data entry became a burdensome task and one susceptible to errors.
So, what benefits does integrating your event platform with your mobile event have? Let’s take a closer look.
Benefits of Integrating the Event App with the Event Management Platform
Registrants, exhibitors, and even staff all have an expectation of connected systems. They’re growing in popularity in the home with the rise of IoT, and are beginning to move in prevalence into the workplace. Now is the time that event planners and organizers should be evaluating their tech stack to determine how they can support upcoming events with integrations.
Integrating a mobile app with an event management platform can offer many benefits to event organizers. It eliminates the need for duplicate data entry and ensures that all of your data is consistent across multiple systems. An integrated mobile event app fosters an improved user experience by providing them with one place for all their information. Lastly, event organizers can more easily track and monitor analytics in real time. Integrating a mobile app with an event platform creates a streamlined process for both organizers and attendees that is sure to make any event run smoothly and efficiently.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these benefits and how they can improve your next event.
Automating Data Exchange
In order to help event organizers streamline the data entry process, many mobile app and event platform providers have developed ways to automate the exchange of data. This means less time spent manually entering information into multiple systems, which in turn leads to more accurate results.
Providing High-Quality Analytics
Integrating a mobile app with an event platform allows organizers to get more detailed and accurate analytics. Integrating systems means that data can be collected in real-time, allowing organizers to quickly adjust their strategies on the fly. This helps ensure accuracy and provides access to up-to-date information that will help organizers make decisions faster and better.
Enhancing User Experiences
Integrating a mobile app with an event platform creates a seamless, tailored experience for attendees. All of their event information is accessible from one place and the user can easily update their profile and access important data. Integrating systems also allow organizers to provide more personalized experiences by collecting data over time and delivering content that is specific to the attendee’s needs. And, perhaps equally as important, you’re providing a great experience for your sponsors and exhibitors, as well!
Benefits of Integrating the Event App with the Event Management Platform
Now that we see the benefits of integrating mobile event apps and event management platforms, the next question is how do you get started? There are two approaches. The best option is to work with an event management platform that already supports integrations with mobile event apps.
The second option is to use an API to connect two different systems. However, if no integration functionality comes out of the box, this can result in additional development work that can be costly and sometimes unreliable.
Let’s take a look at both options in more detail.
Selecting an Event Management Platform that Supports Mobile Event App Integration
This is the gold standard of integration. Selecting a platform that already has existing integrations worked out is the most surefire way to go through this process. Basically, the event platform and event app company have already worked through the development and kinks themselves, tested the integrations, and unveiled it as a product suite for event organizers.
The value in that is off the charts. Instead of worrying about what might break if you’ve done custom development work, you can be assured the integration has been tested and has the backing both of the platform and the event app solution.
EVA partnered with the premiere event app provider, Guidebook, to ensure EVA can seamlessly provide these benefits to its customers. EVA and Guidebook offer access to their support teams, as well, giving peace of mind that event organizers are in good hands.
Manually Connecting Mobile Event Apps and Event Management Systems
If you’re not using a tool that has out-of-the-box integrations, the most common way for two platforms to exchange information is through an Application Programming Interface (API). An API acts as a bridge between two systems, allowing them to communicate and exchange data in real time.
This type of connection often involves a developer from one or both ends to facilitate. And, by nature of it being a custom setup, some of the assurances an event platform with out-of-the-box integration can give are not there.
This doesn’t mean manual connections can’t or shouldn’t be done, but it does mean that your event app should be thoroughly tested before rollout.
Closing Thoughts About Integrating Your Platforms
The benefits of connecting these systems are profound. As we move into an age where there are greater expectations of connectivity, organizers need a mobile event app platform that meets the needs of all stakeholders. Whether an organization is doing in-person events, hybrid events, or virtual events, these integrations are vital. Not only do connected event apps spur attendee engagement, but they make it so much easier for professionals utilizing event management software.
We believe connected platforms are the future of event planning, and integrating event apps with the event management solution is just the beginning.
Interested in seeing how an out-of-the-box event app integration can benefit your organization? Book a demo to see how Guidebook and EVA are changing the game when it comes to the event experience.
