Hybrid events
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As the country and world begin to slowly reopen in 2021, event planners will want to confirm that their current virtual event platforms and tools will be able to adapt to some form of in-person events.
Hybrid events will become the norm moving forward, as many companies and attendees got used to the virtual experience, and will expect the convenience and benefits of online components to remain once they start attending traditional conferences and events again.
As more users favor cell phones and tablets over other devices, hybrid mobile event apps are a must for organizations wanting to connect with participants, both on the floor and online.
Hybrid conference and event apps must be able to offer multiple features that include chat and messaging, digital agendas, attendee and speaker profiles, and integrations to connect both audiences — those who visit in-person and virtually.
What are Event Apps?
Mobile event apps provide attendees, both in-person and online, access to the event’s important content, such as keynote speeches, breakout sessions, and user profiles that allow them to participate in the event itself.
For hybrid events, the mobile app can act as a supplemental tool to help on-site attendees network with other visitors, including sending messages and posting online, as well as viewing agendas, looking up floor plans, receiving notifications and updates, and viewing on-demand content.
For those attending a hybrid event online only, the event app is the venue space itself. In some cases, the app is where the entire event takes place when viewed on a mobile device, tablet, or computer.
The point of event apps is to engage and bridge the gap between your audience that is in-person and online. With this form of mobile event management, both attendee types have access to the event’s important information and can network and interact with everybody effectively.
How to Determine When a Mobile Event App Can Enhance Your Event
Just about any event, either in-person, virtual, or hybrid, can benefit from having a mobile event app.
Because of current COVID-19 restrictions, physical venues can only operate at drastically reduced volumes. In this instance, choosing a mobile event app is the perfect solution to increase attendee size so that thousands of people can still attend the event online, even if a small number of people are allowed in the physical space.
In-person concerts, seminars, trade shows, and summits can also benefit from having a mobile app. Oftentimes at these events, there are scheduling conflicts due to multiple speakers or artists performing at the same time, leaving attendees to pick and choose their agenda wisely.
Imagine the frustration of a conference-goer who walked across the convention center, only to find out the session they planned on attending was rescheduled.
This could have been prevented by using an event app capable of sending out automatic updates, allowing attendees a chance to update their agendas and keep up with real-time changes as they occur.
In any event where connection, communication, and networking are considered priorities, an event app can only enhance the experience and provide attendees more opportunities for interaction.
Still exploring how you can benefit from hosting hybrid events? Check out our Hybrid Events Guide to learn why they are essential to your 2021 plan.
Features That the Best Mobile Event Apps Must Have for Hybrid and In-Person Events
Whether your event will be fully virtual, or have an in-person component to make it hybrid, your event app should contain these important components to make setting up and managing your event a breeze.
Custom Branding For Hybrid Event Apps That Puts Your Business At The Center Of Attention
Your brand may have an instantly identifiable logo and color palette, but it’s much more than just a design scheme. Your brand is your business.
You benefit when your hybrid event app gets the same careful design attention you put into all other aspects of your on-site display.
The last thing your brand needs is an unattractive conference event app that doesn’t match your in-person branding. You don’t want people wondering if they have the right app.
With custom branding for hybrid event apps, you can turn your app into a comprehensive tool that makes branding a crucial part of your overall event strategy, both in-person and online.
Quick Assembly That Doesn’t Require A Professional App Developer
Templates can be a great starting point when it comes to creating hybrid event apps.
Use preset customizable templates provided for items such as agendas and forms to achieve the ultimate quick assembly. Or take advantage of fully customizable configurations to add, remove, or rearrange modules. You can also add colors and other visual assets to create the perfect representation of your brand.
Social Media Style Layout And Interface
A social media-style feed can make attendees feel welcomed and comfortable, as the layout and interface will feel familiar to other home feeds.
Those attending at home will already have an intuitive understanding of how to participate in your event on their mobile device. And those in-person will already be in the habit of regularly checking their phones.
The feed serves as a dynamic, interactive stream of both organizer and user-generated posts that attendees can like, comment, and reply to, just like Facebook or LinkedIn. This boosts engagement and participant collaboration.
Convenient Calendar Functionality
Calendars offer value-added convenience to help attendees use the app, rather than continually switching between programs for scheduling and to view an agenda.
This is especially important for hybrid events that span several days. If people plan to attend some sessions in-person and others virtually, keeping track of everything in one place is crucial.
A Chat Function That Feels As Fluid As Texting or Instant Messaging
Chat features, whether for private one-to-one or group chats with other users are ideal for encouraging meaningful engagement and they support attendee networking.
Because both audiences types will regularly be checking the event app through their mobile device or tablet, communication can happen freely and naturally to facilitate networking for all of your attendees, regardless of their locations. With a robust event app, you can even take advantage of matchmaking features to host stronger networking and knowledge sharing opportunities.
Unparalleled User Experience (UX) Layouts For Different Event Types
User experience is so much more than whether a conference app is easy to operate or not. It’s the emotions and attitudes users experience when using a particular product or, in this case, an app.
The best hybrid conference and event apps worth using will offer optimized UX no matter what event type you are organizing and building.
Looking for additional event app functions? Check out more Event App Features Your Audience is Hungry For
Top 13 Mobile Conference Event Apps For 2021
#1) SpotMe
SpotMe is an intuitive virtual and hybrid event app that supports attendee engagement and networking. Our intuitive interface is modeled after popular social media platforms, which makes attending a hybrid event as easy as browsing your favorite social media sites!
Key SpotMe event app features include:
- Customizable branding
- Agendas
- Q&As
- Surveys
- Private and group chats
- Social media-style interface
- Video streaming
- Breakout rooms
- Networking options
SpotMe combines calendar and agenda features for maximum organization, and attendees can view sessions per day or event.
Our app is also quick to assemble, allowing you to create an event app in less than five minutes. Once created, you can integrate the app with your registration system and send event invitations, reminders, and follow-ups.
#2) CrowdCompass
CrowdCompass, by Cvent, uses a variety of features to give attendees a great event experience, whether they’re attending in-person or online.
Key CrowdCompass features include:
- Personalized bookmarks and notifications
- Interactive maps (for those attending in-person)
- Quick photo sharing
- Surveys
- Posts
- Networking
- Q&As
Attendees, no matter how they’re attending, can access all event options using a single app.
Interactive polling, push notifications, social sharing, and customized branding help event organizers increase attendee engagement to maximize ROI.
#3) Whova
Whova’s hybrid event app centers around helping attendees customize their experience around personal preferences. Event attendees can log into their app before their event so that they can get a headstart on networking, one of the most important aspects of attending an event.
Whova’s app features plenty of interactivity options, so those sitting in the crowd at the venue can participate with their speakers, just like those who are attending at home.
The app also lets users select and participate in panels or sessions of their choosing.
Key Whova features include:
- Attendee bios with social profile links
- Effortless setup and branding
- Mobile agendas
- Interactive maps
- Document sharing
- Push notifications
Whova’s hybrid event app also lets users take notes, access agendas, and share documents, and is also available in an offline mode, if reception in the building is spotty.
Watch our in-depth review of Whova’s virtual event app here:
#4) Attendify
Attendify’s mobile event app promises to connect its event and community, no matter where the attendees are.
Its simple and attractive interface includes:
- Calendar picker for scheduling events
- Event registration
- Smart event data
- Attendee data
- Single dashboard regardless of how many events you’re running
Attendify’s event management includes a dedicated social media timeline for your event that allows for photo sharing, messaging, likes, comments, and personal profiles.
- G2 Score: 4.7(171 reviews)
- Capterra Score: 4.7 (131 reviews)
#5) Bizzabo
Bizzabo’s platform offers a single event platform for in-person, virtual, and hybrid events.
Bizzabo’s app is known for its ease of use and feature options. It is widely used for trade shows and larger meetings. The app offers extensive customizable branding options, too.
Key Bizzabo features include:
- Event creation
- User registration process
- Payment processing
- Mobile check-in
- Agendas and schedules
Bizzabo’s app integrates with LinkedIn to help enrich attendee’s user profiles and make networking with other attendees simpler and easier than ever before.
#6) PheedLoop
PheedLoop is a full-featured hybrid event app that becomes live as soon as the hosts start their event, allowing attendees to begin networking right away.
Key PheedLoop features include:
- Live streaming
- Sales optimized registration/ticketing
- Surveys
- Gamification
- Monetization systems
For those visiting in-person, the app features a scanner to allow conference-goers to scan each other’s badges, check-in and out of sessions, and engage in scavenger hunts.
#7) Pathable
Pathable’s hybrid event application helps event organizers engage attendees before the event’s date, during, and after the event, all while offering real-time data metrics.
Key Pathable features include:
- Private chat and community forums
- Personalized agendas
- Attendee profiles
- Live and post-event polls and surveys
Pathable offers both an “export to my calendar” option, as well as a conference calendar, in addition to agenda options.
Attendees can use the intuitive interface to build personal schedules and network through live chats and video conversations, either in-person or at home.
#8) EventBase
EventBase offers an award-winning UX and customizable options with its digital and hybrid event app.
Key EventBase features include:
- Attendee engagement
- Revenue generation tools
- Full-screen commercials
- Branded placements
EventBase also allows attendees to export events to personal calendars to support attendance.
The highly scalable app offers advanced customization branding options such as fonts and themes. Engagement tools include gamification, live polls, chat, and Q&As.
#9) Guidebook
Guidebook uses a highly intuitive, drag-and-drop interface to allow users to create event apps without prior coding or design skills. Their website also includes a helpful toolkit to assist planners in creating a hybrid event that can truly satisfy both audiences.
Key features include:
- Social media promotion
- Attendee and speaker management
- Ticketing
- Gamification
- Surveys and feedback
- Reporting analytics
- Event calendar
Guidebook is suitable for events of all sizes, mobile-friendly, and works on Android and iOS.
#10) Evenium ConnexMe
The Evenium ConnexMe is an in-person, online, and hybrid event app that helps organizers encourage networking and engage attendees through various tools.
Key Evenium ConnexMe features include:
- Customizable agendas
- Polls and surveys
- Interactive maps
- Push notifications
- Branding options
- Attendee profiles (including social media sync)
Evenium ConnexMe is ideal for event organizers looking to build meaningful relationships regardless of audience size.
#11) Eventee
Eventee is a mobile and desktop hybrid conference and event app.
Unlike other examples on this list, Eventee allows event planners a chance to create a free event in under 10 minutes. This free event is limited to one event per year under 100 attendees. For those looking for more features, Eventee offers several paid tiers.
For event planners looking to try out a new platform without any commitment, Eventee offers them a commitment free trial.
Event planners get access to:
- Live streaming, by integrating with Vimeo or YouTube
- Pre-recorded on-demand content, linking to Vimeo or YouTube videos
- Integrations with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meets
- Custom branding
While Eventee doesn’t have as many built-in features like others on this list, it offers plenty of integrations to connect with existing platforms.
#12) Hopin
Hopin’s mobile event app promises to make your event about the people, not the physical place. The app features a unique ticketing system that creates different pricing tiers, depending on whether your attendees visit in-person or online.
For event planners, Hopin offers:
- Real-time analytics and reports
- Team communication channels
- Audience questions
- Attendee profiles
Just like the desktop version of Hopin, the mobile app will automatically match attendees who you can connect with through their phone, allowing those in-person to network with those at home.
#13) Swapcard
Swapcard’s event app is boasted as the world’s first end-to-end community, hybrid and virtual event app that’s powered by AI.
Its app features all the built-in features you’d expect from a robust hybrid event platform:
- Registration
- Advanced live streaming
- Virtual roundtables
- Polls
- Surveys
- Chat
- Matchmaking
Swapcard’s use of artificial intelligence and machine learning strives to improve event planners ROI and create deeper user satisfaction within the app.
- G2 Score: 4.3 (9 reviews)
- Capterra score: No rating available
Turn Your Event Into an Experience with the Right Event App
With SpotMe, you can build an end-to-end hybrid event app that boosts your brand throughout the entire event experience, connecting your in-person and online audience together.
No matter if your display is in-person or online, your branding should remain consistent. Select your colors, add banners, swap menu icons, and customize features to create your hybrid event in a matter of minutes.
No one else offers the same level of hyper-customization, but branding is only the beginning of audience engagement.
With SpotMe, go beyond branding and build a genuinely engaged audience, bringing your events to life with SpotMe’s intuitive, interactive features that connect both sets of audiences — those who are attending in-person or watching online.
Request a demo today and see for yourself just how easy it is to launch a custom event with SpotMe.
Looking for a hybrid event platform to pair with your event app? Check out the 7 Best Hybrid Event Platforms for 2021.
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