Finding the Right Event App

Posted by Bill Barrett in Planning, Tips, Trends

The App Store is saturated with free and paid apps that are designed to help you keep your event organized. Most apps are now equipped with the basics – schedule, exhibitor list, event details, social media and a networking tool. But how can you find the right app for you?

Traci Browne offers insight to help you find the perfect trade show app in her article, “The Value of an App Is in the Data.”  The ideal app should be able to collect valuable personal data that can be used to analyze attendees. Traci suggests downloading the app BusyEvent. This desktop and mobile app provides exhibitors with the option to purchase the data that is collected. Exhibitors can review the data collected throughout multi-day trade shows, and then decide if they want to purchase it. The quality of data is based on the volume of visitors your trade show booth receives throughout the event. Exhibitors can purchase the data and download a CSV document that includes attendee data.

Read more about BusyEvent in an excerpt from the article.

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The actions that DataKeys report on are not only actions taken during the two or three days of the show. Because their app is made for both desktop and mobile devices, attendees are taking action and interacting with exhibitors as they plan their time in the weeks leading up to the show from their desktop. They are also accessing exhibitor profiles and information provided long after the event.

BusyEvent’s other co-founder, David J. Schenberg says, “the value is in the data.”

So how do exhibitors get access to all that data? First it’s important to point out that BusyEvent has set this up to be an option for exhibitors. If they don’t want to buy the data, they don’t have to.

To help make that purchase decision, exhibitors can see just how many attendees have been interacting with their profile and registering on those 25 data points. If they decide it’s worth getting all the details on those interactions they can simply click on the “Make Money” button and purchase the data. The show organizer sets the value.

Keith Johnson, managing partner at PlannerWire and i3 Events who has used BusyEvent for his clients’ events, advises event organizers to price that data accordingly. “You’ll have some exhibitors that get a lot of traffic to their booth and some that don’t. You need to set expectations.”

It’s important to note, the buying decision can be made at any time over the course of the year as attendees continue to interact with the app.
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Read the full article.