Mobile Signals Positive Change in the Meeting & Events Industry
As more and more event technology providers make the move into the mobile realm, it is a good step forward for event technology, and a positive sign that the event industry is moving forward.
During Active Network’s mobile release in May, we talked about the gap that exists between mobile adoption worldwide and mobile usage at events. In 2013, more web views will take place on a mobile device than a PC, yet only a small percentage of events deploy mobile applications as part of the experience.
That needs to change. Here are three positive take-aways from the movement of the event industry into the world of mobile:
- Mobile is not a cool toy. It’s a critical extension of the event experience: Until now, mobile has been something that progressive event organizers do to impress their attendees. But, as attendees rely more on mobile devices to manage their lives, those same people are demanding access to every stage of the event experience through their mobile devices – from deciding which events to attend, to registration, to finding and connecting with people and content. Mobile is proving to be more than a technology; it is now a natural extension of all aspects of your live experiences and a required technology for nearly every event, conference or meeting.
- Events can be measured like the web: For years, planners have struggled to measure activity at their events. On the web, marketers have been empowered to track every movement, every action and every interaction, but events remained a black hole. Now, as mobile becomes a persistent platform for engagement throughout the event lifecycle, planners can measure and evaluate the actions of those attendees to finally measure engagement and demonstrate value to their organizations.
- Integration is the new black: There are two reasons planners cite when justifying their decision not to adopt mobile – Price and lack of value for both users and planners. Until now, most mobile apps were custom-built, and developed by organizations that relied on revenue from those applications to drive success. Not anymore. With the integration of applications into core event management processes and technologies, planners will now have better access to mobile event data that is tied to every major element of their event. In turn, planners will be rewarded with a better user experience while attendees will no longer have to re-enter information or re-learn technologies when jumping from the web to their mobile devices.
The future for meetings and events is looking bright – and it’s now being served up on iPhones, iPads, Androids and Blackberry devices.
For more on mobile event technology check out the following links:
The Future of Events is Mobile White Paper
Infographic – Mobile is on the Rise: Meeting and Event Professionals Take Notice
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