In-Person Conference Mobile App Platform: The Key to Successful Events

Aug 16, 2024 Praggya Joshi

Hosting in-person conferences can feel intimidating. However, one that executes smoothly offers a 10X return on the investment. Today, they have become the ultimate way to market your brand and build profitable connections. But the challenges of organizing the event remain.  

It's hard not to feel anxious about whether you'll be able to offer a winning experience to attendees. Thankfully, modern event tech like an in-person conference mobile app platform is there to bust the chaos. It looks simple from the outside but is powerful enough to drive engagement even among thousands of attendees in a large conference. Let's explore its capabilities and how it aligns with attendees' demands in more detail below. 

Popularity of In-Person Conferences: All You Need to Know 
In-person conferences that take the form of seminars, workshops, annual general meetings, and product launches are becoming more common. According to the 13th annual Global Meetings and Events Forecast, 81% of meetings are looking to be in-person in 2024 in countries like US, Canada, UK, and more. 

Offline conferences hold more charm for millennials. According to Nina Herold, the Chief Operating Officer at Navan, conferences are becoming a central point for younger people who desire to combine work with in-person experiences and travel.  

A related reason fueling the rise of face-to-face conferences is networking. People love building their connections from all geographical locations, professional backgrounds, and cultures based on common interests. Consider RenderATL, one of the largest and most popular in-person technology conferences featuring immersive AI, ML, and Design Systems workshops. For its 2025 edition, it has teamed up with Atlanta Tech Week to bring opportunities for attendees to expand their network before, during, and after the event. 

Also, according to the latest G2 study, 59% of events will be in-person compared to 20% hybrid. The dominance of in-person events like conferences began in early 2023, with 54% of events in this format compared to just 19% virtual.  

Source: Statista

The statistics show that the appeal of in-person conferences has returned to the pre-pandemic levels and the time is right for planners to leverage it to boost growth. 

What Do Attendees Want from Conferences? 
In-person conferences are worth the time of attendees only when they offer the following:

1. Effective Networking for Stronger Connections
In-person networking has become more intentional and one of the dominant points of attraction of a conference. Communication with like-minded people creates a foundation for successful collaborations for business owners and industry professionals. Through networking, entrepreneurs can find new business partners and engage the attention of investors. 

Not only that but talking to competitors is also useful as sometimes, people can work together and figure out an optimized version of a service. Thus, networking is a key value driver for attending in-person conferences.

2. Fostering a Thriving Conference Community
Almost everyone today believes in the power of community. When it comes to in-person conferences that majorly educate and promote knowledge sharing, its power cannot be denied. Community enables attendees to stay in touch with the connections they have made and strengthen them further. 

Communities of mentors, leaders, attendees, and partners also enable access to valuable resources, tools, and information. It leads to improvement in skills and knowledge.  

Earlier, community building after an event was limited to an online forum for participants. But with the rise of sophisticated event tech, it's possible to create dedicated event communities for everlasting interactions.

3. Creating Personalized Attendee Experiences
Be it virtual, hybrid, or in-person conferences, attendees want to be dazzled. It means creating unique experiences tailored to the preferences, motivations, and actions of the attendees.  

Proof can be seen in the success of Event Tech Live, the in-person conference and exhibition customized to the needs of event professionals. In 2023, it had an agenda featuring creative live technology demos, immersive educational content, and Q&A sessions with industry experts. There were over 30 panel discussions and plenty of networking opportunities to mingle with industry peers, potential partners, and customers.

4. Accessibility & Inclusivity
One of the best ways to make a strong impression on your community of audience is by making conferences more accessible and inclusive. Participation in conferences should be extended to all. Everyone, including people with disabilities like sensory or neurological differences, wants to participate and socialize. Moreover, making meetings accessible is also the demand of the US government.  

Making conferences disability-inclusive and accessible fosters increased participation and positive recommendations through word-of-mouth. It also shows your commitment to social responsibility and equity, which, consequently, impacts your brand image. 

5. Sustainability in Conference Planning
The challenge of climate change has a universal impact but more people than before are gearing up to tackle it today. According to the latest study, sustainability has become important for 78% of people, while 63% have taken steps to address it. So, keeping conferences aligned with sustainability principles is a sure way of ensuring it meets the needs of attendees.  

Thankfully, you don't need to look further than our comprehensive post on eco-friendly event planning if you're ready to plan a green event. 

The Benefits of In-Person Conference Mobile App Platform

1. Interactive Digital Agendas for Events
With an in-person conference mobile app, creating interactive agendas consisting of interesting activities, venue maps, surveys, and polls is easy. Planners can design an agenda and offer customized experiences for big and small conferences and meetings. Here's how the interactive agenda works in a mobile platform. 

• Custom tracks with different sessions enable attendees to find activities most relevant to them. 
• Attendees can create their personal schedules and access them from the dashboard. 
• Planners can incorporate features to spark engagement, such as polls, Q&A, and surveys. 
• The conference app provides instant updates about changes in sessions 
• Sharing resources with attendees regarding their sessions is also easy. 

2. AI-Powered Attendee Networking
Nothing can deny the power of networking in offline events and an in-person conference mobile app platform helps in it significantly. AI-powered networking and matchmaking in mobile apps create valuable connections. This happens with sophisticated algorithms assessing people based on their professional details and preferences. The targeted networking among people and with sponsors and speakers leads to enhanced experiences.  

Moreover, incorporating icebreaker games within the app ensures that attendees feel confident while starting conversations. Besides text chat, guests can send videos or attach photos while sharing messages with others. 

3. On-Site Engagement with Real-Time Data
Keeping guests engaged throughout the event is a crucial responsibility of organizers which they can fulfill with an in-person conference mobile app platform. The responses of attendees to Q&As and polls give insights into the popularity of sessions and speakers. Also, guests can ask questions and offer feedback. Planners can address issues raised by attendees in real time and ensure that the conference goes seamlessly. 

Through an in-person conference mobile app platform, attendee data can also be used to increase sponsor visibility. Based on attendees' information through registration and individual profiles, organizers can selectively show ads from sponsors to various target groups of audiences. Also, organizers can find quantitative metrics to report to their sponsors and exhibitors.

4. Building Community with Mobile Platforms
We have already mentioned how guests love staying in touch with each other after the event. When using in-person conference mobile app platform, creating communities and nurturing them year-round becomes hassle-free. For instance, with the Community creation feature in Eventcombo's solution, planners can create a community. set access levels, share updates, and boost brand awareness. No matter whether it's a community of 50 or 500,000 members, you won't ever experience a loss in its capabilities. Moreover, members always have control over what they choose to share. 

5. CRM Integration for Rich Data Access

The mobile platform's connection with the CRM gives access to personal data and the unique requirements of the attendees. Many apps even send event metrics into the CRM, preventing organizers from obtaining data manually. The information helps decide the various aspects of the conference, like venue selection, menu, and communication forms for targeted marketing.  

Mobile event data analysis helps in assessing the audience's sentiments and feedback. This, along with the insights gained from attendees' interactions in the Community gives planners an edge to create novel and improved experiences.  

Concluding Words 
In-person events like conferences are back with a bang. They are rapidly turning into epicenters of networking and sources of knowledge sharing and brand building. Beside knowledge, offline conferences provide many experiential opportunities to people, fulfilling the common desire for combining professional growth with personal exploration.  

A robust in-person conference mobile app platform gives planners the tools for fostering the most effective experiences. From valuable data, event metrics, and AI-powered networking to the ability to create tailored experiences, a mobile app eases the journey to building lasting relationships. If you're ready to test its vast potential, schedule a free demo of Eventcombo's event app.