With #AUC2016 only two weeks away, we are thrilled to share with you all a series of guest blog posts courtesy of some of those who are sponsoring this year’s Aptify Users Conference in Miami! A big thank you to all of our sponsors!
This is a guest blog post by Kelsea Williams of Eventpedia. Thank you for sponsoring, and we look forward to seeing you in Miami!
‘So you’re interested in acquiring an event app, but first and foremost you must get approval from the big boss. You understand the benefits and see the trend in mobile usage at conferences, but naturally you have to fight for what you believe to be the best marketing tactic for your events. Knowing this isn’t always an easy task, we’ve brainstormed the top reasons why your boss may say “no” to going mobile and, we even provide you with the perfect rebuttals to change their opinion about doing so. Once everyone is on board, we guarantee your attendees will be satisfied with your decision!
Check out the following objections you may encounter, and how to best respond to them:
1. It’s not in the budget. 
Surprise, surprise! It’s safe to say that cost is the biggest cause of rejection when pushing for using an event mobile app. The key to any “it’s not in the budget” argument is to help your peers understand the value of an event app. While it may seem like an unnecessary expense to someone who has done little research, it’s now your job to show how apps can actually improve ROI. How so?
- Event mobile apps provide you with valuable analytics to help your organization understand how your event is perceived. The app collects powerful data—such as total number of downloads, survey results, session and speaker ratings, and much more. By crunching these hard numbers you are able to determine where there’s room for improvement next go-round and where you succeeded—valuable information you can convert into ROI.
- Utilize the multiple sponsorship advertisement spaces within the app to generate revenue. If you set the costs right and market the advertisement spaces properly, you could potentially earn back the money spent on the app (or even surpass it) to improve your ROI.
- By going mobile you will be sure to increase attendee satisfaction, an intangible but very rewarding ROI. You may even convert attendees into members or customers if you use event app best practices.
2. We don’t have the time or resources. 
Transitioning to an event mobile app may seem like an overwhelmingly daunting task to those who aren’t informed. For any new project the timeline and resources need to be taken into consideration, so it’s likely that your boss will be quick to use this objection. Hit him/her with the following facts:
- Most event mobile app providers suggest a two month window to complete your project. The more time and effort you’d like to spend marketing the app, the earlier you’d like to get working. Looking to go mobile on a tight timeline? Check out Eventpedia Go!, our on demand event app.
- Getting data into the backend of the mobile app will be the most time-consuming part of your project. To combat the workload, our user-friendly backend portal uses a very simple data sheet upload. For an even speedier process, we integrate with multiple Association Management System providers to transfer data from your membership software to our backend in the click of a button.
- Look for a mobile app provider that offers implementation training and support. By providing you with your own mobile project manager, we make the implementation process as smooth and speedy as possible.
3. There’s a lack of privacy.
Attendee privacy and data security is often a concern for association professionals when seeking out new event technology. Since the app can be downloaded by anybody through the App Store or Google Play, this is a valid concern, and exposing private information can surely tarnish your brand. While we can’t guarantee security mechanisms for just any app, we can tell you that Eventpedia mobile apps offer the following security functionalities:
- Choose from multiple login mechanisms to prevent non-attendees from using the app (even if they downloaded). Whether you’d prefer attendees have individual usernames and passwords or share one common login passcode, the login will protect any sensitive information.
- The logins can also apply to specific modules or documents, meaning your app can be public but viewing sensitive information (ex: attendee list) can be secured!
Think you’re ready to sell your boss on an event app? With the proper communication and facts to support your research, you should be well on your way to going mobile. Remember to focus on the end goal – boosting ROI, increasing engagement, and improving the productivity of your show prep.
