Fork In The Road Blog

Events: Technology. Design. Strategy.

Buyer’s Guide to Mobile Apps Released

The MeetingTechOnline Buyer’s Guide to Mobile Apps for professional event organizers and corporate meeting planners has just been released and will be available (in print) at the MTO Summit in November. I wanted to give you a preview of the guide which I had the pleasure of writing and pass along some of the insight I received in the process. This and other guides to follow are designed to give buyers all of the information they need to make an informed purchase. Plus, it lists all the providers that helped me with the guide and others that are leading the field of mobile app development.

The Table of Contents of the 35-page Buyer’s Guide includes:

  • Introduction
  • Why mobile?
  • Developing a mobile app strategy
  • Mobile possibilities—what can you do with a mobile solution?
  • Native apps or mobile Web sites—pros and cons
  • Pricing models
  • Revenue opportunities
  • Time frame
  • Best practices
  • Choosing a provider
  • What to include in a Request For Proposal (RFP)
  • Case Studies
  • About the author
  • Acknowledgements
  • Provider Directory
The guide is a neutral, non-commercial (except for the advertising) overview of third party mobile apps for events. When I was putting together the publication, I learned a couple of things:

  1. Most event organizers do NOT approach vendor selection from an informed perspective and very few actually put together an RFP when entering into the selection process. One reason is that there is so much information to sift through. Another reason is that there are so many apps to choose from (and many more on the way). What do you put in an RFP if you don’t know what you don’t know?
  2. The two camps (native apps vs. Web sites) are equally vibrant and can argue either way for their solution. Some providers offer both options and that is definitely an alternative that buyers should consider (depending on their audience and the connectivity of the venue).
  3. Selecting an app is only half the battle.  Adoption is the other half. Event organizers have to do a better job of promoting the app and training users. Although one of the goals of developers is ease-of-use, organizers can play a substantial role in reducing the learning curve that still exists.

The Takeaway: Read the guide. Get in the game.

Thought Leaders Explore How to Change the Status Quo at MTO Summit – Part II

March’s MTO Summit in Chicago still has me thinking about some of the interesting perspectives that were shared during the conference. Here are some of the ideas that made me sit up a little straighter in my chair.

Mobile Apps

  • Event organizers aren’t necessarily interested in the new sponsorship opportunities (too many already) available with mobile apps.
  • Organizers prefer to work with trusted advisors (their registration contractor or general contractor) even if those advisors know little about the application they are selling.
  • Organizers want technology providers to partner with each other to come up with a combined solution (instead of the one-off apps and devices that do separate things).

Attendee acquisition

Taking a cue from affiliate marketers, organizers can leverage existing exhibitors and attendees using badges or contextual links (with promo codes) embedded in emails specially-designed for them to send to their clients and colleagues. When the codes are used, the exhibitor or attendee (affiliate) gets credit/cash/incentives.

In a wrap-up session on attendee acquisition, R.D. Whitney of Tarsus Online Media summarized our breakout group’s findings (from an unusual camera angle because I was trapped by other group members). Check out the video where he discusses the use of complex search streams, Webinars, affiliate programs, guest passes, requiring speakers to participate in community discussions, public relations SEM, contests with flip video, Twitter, and virtual events as attendee acquisition tools.

Data mining

Mark Ragan sparked a lively (somewhat controversial discussion) about mining the Internet for prospects. Using software from Broadlook, event organizers can “scrape” (not my metaphor) the Internet for contacts and email addresses and then feed prospects with daily e-newsletters (which they can opt out of). Such a practice creates brand awareness and a level of familiarity with the prospect that opens the door for future “offers.”

The data mining controversy stemmed from the idea of “pushing” information (one man’s info is another man’s spam) out rather than the social media principal of attracting interest with cool content and then creating a two-way conversation based on mutual interests.

Distributed Events

With discussion about large events shrinking to bring a more personalized experience to the trade show and conference floor, the idea of a distributed event was intriguing. Social Media Week debuted in New York in February 2009. It is a global platform for connectivity, collaboration and learning about emerging trends and interesting social media topics, says Toby Daniels, the conference founder. Venues were spread all over the city (and later, all over the globe), with each host creating a different “experience” for attendees. Daniels explains how it worked in this clip.

The next MTO Summit is scheduled for November 9-10, 2010 in Washington, DC. Now that MTO Summit has merged with TSNN, I am hoping the content and the brainpower will be as good or better than ever.

Thought Leaders Explore How to Change the Status Quo at MTO Summit – Part I

If there was any common thread running through MTO Summit in Chicago last week, it wasn’t the technology innovations or even the focus on execution. The room was full of people talking about new ideas and how to do something different without damaging what (if anything) is still working in the event world. In fact, there was so much great information that I‘m breaking this post up into two parts. Here is part one.

Chris Brogan, social media consultant, author, speaker (I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he was also a gourmet cook, Broadway star and base jumper), kicked off the conference with his take on changing things up. Here is some of the paraphrased wisdom he dispensed:

CB on the importance of focusing on marketing strategy: “It’s not about the tools. It’s about what we do with them and how we connect. Have a marketing strategy that integrates social media sometimes. Let’s do marketing, sales and prospecting and use these new tools.”

CB on the importance of acting human and treating customers humanely: “It used to be a little easier because we all used to be willing to accept being a number. We were OK with being on a conveyor belt as a customer. It’s about putting the ‘human’ back in your business. No letter from my Mom starts with ‘having trouble viewing this.’ We’re using blogs and Twitter to be seen and heard. You don’t get a lot of complaints on a survey.”

CB on social media: “Social media tools allow us to do what we want to do really well. No one wants to join a social media group for Diet Coke. After the first post, ‘I like Diet Coke’ or ‘really? So do I.’ What’s left to talk about? The number one opportunity is that social tools allow us to share what we like. Social media is like Hamburger Helper. It augments what you’re already doing. “

CB on marketing for events: “Be brief. What are your marketers doing writing 2,000 word missives to get you to come to the show? We are a world that lives on a 140 characters now (actually 120 so we can retweet). We process in the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) factor. The audience does too. I implore you to look at your marketing language. Make it stick by holding up a mirror to yourselves. “

CB on Using Twitter for Sales: “Ask—how do we share? How do we extend? How do we search? Search for the data (search.twitter.com) on Twitter and then execute on it. Sniff on Twitter for new press releases. Find out about the prospect before you call. Twitter is a sales channel and a prospecting tool. Use it to make fast decisions and small decisions.”

CB on who should handle social media in your organization: “The job of social media isn’t just for the guy in the t-shirt and a goatee. It’s everybody’s job.”

CB on social media metrics: “One of the things about social media metrics is that there are lots of numbers that don’t mean anything. The only metrics should be did I or didn’t I increase revenue or reduce spend? Keep looking at how to get the dollar number bigger.”

CB on webcasting and free content: “Webcasting your event is just another way to get your audience to wish they were there. Think like entertainment people. Friends don’t let friends launch bad Webinars.”

CB on mobile apps: “We as a culture are connected to our phones but we’re not taking advantage of the mobile web. We live on our cell phones but design for our laptops. Flow content between shows. Don’t only design for the iPhone.”

CB on what he does for large companies: “I Look at channel development, lead generation, and conversion. My advice is tool agnostic. Start with an objective. Look for a revenue number you can move. Use a simple execution that will move that revenue number quickly.”

CB on how to distribute your time on social media channels: “Break social media down into three things: listening (1/2 hour a day), connecting (1 hour a day) and publishing (1/2 hour a day).”

CB on cats and soap: “Cats bad. Nubby soap weird.”

The takeaway: Obviously it’s time to try something new. What are you doing differently in your organization? How are you using social media to augment your existing processes? Are you still rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic or leaping off the bow?

Mobile Ning on Steroids? The Latest on Mobile Apps and Social Networking Platforms for Events

This Thursday, March 25 at 9:30 a.m. CDT, I will be moderating a panel at the MTO Summit in Chicago on mobile apps for events. I was initially thinking that the discussion might center primarily around applications that bring the traditional attendee “needs” to life on a Smartphone but recent product releases pairing social networking and other capabilities with mobile phone access might bust this discussion wide open.

The first wave of mobile apps for events focused on bringing the event directory, agenda and floor plan onto the mobile screen and answering the primary questions of the attendee such as: Where am I going? Which exhibitors should I visit? What time is lunch?

In the current round of mobile innovation, social networking platform providers have introduced mobile iterations of their community-building tools. These extensions allow mobile phone users to access private networking platforms and perform other tasks such as agenda-setting, wireless information exchange, schedule sharing, etc.

Today, Zerista rolled out what they call the “World’s First Mobile Community Platform” at the Demo 2010 Conference in Palm Springs. Zerista’s new platform is mobile Ning on steroids as event organizers and other groups can create their own instant communities (like Ning) and incorporate features like Twitter, Foursquare and Eventbrite into one tool. It allows you to:

  • Build your own communities optimized for mobile use with any desktop computer or Smartphone
  • Utilize social networking features and communications through a private community channel, as well as external channels like Twitter
  • Allow users to “check in” from wherever they are, providing instant access to community-specific locations
  • Manage event invitations and issue tickets

Although Zerista is still in beta testing with this product, I can see the advantages for small or informal groups as well as large organizations hoping to appeal to the needs of their various customer segments (with customized communities for each group). Plus, since no one wants to carry his/her laptop around to use the platform, mobile phone access is a huge positive for keeping everyone on the same page especially during an event.

The Takeaway: Mobile accessibility and functionality is the newest and perhaps most exciting extension of social media platforms for events. As event organizers map their event objectives to the apps that are available, they need to look beyond satisfying the attendee’s basic needs and put community management on the list of goals. With the latest round of innovation, event organizers have a wide range of options to consider. How are these new mobile apps meeting your event objectives?

Mobile Apps: Cool Tools or Money Makers? My MTO Summit Mission

mobile appsRemember the days when you attended a trade show with a hard copy of the show program and a highlighter? Drawing a pink line over the exhibitors you wanted to visit or the sessions you wanted to attend was almost a ritual—a cathartic process to help you feel productive. Then, everything went online and so much more information became available. The only problem was that you had to lug your computer around in order to use the tools until the iPhone came along and EVERYTHING changed.

Now, Smartphones including the iPhone, Blackberry, Android and others are the device du jour on the trade show floor. Mobile application developers have made great strides in developing applications that speak to the needs of event organizers, exhibitors, attendees, sponsors and even the surrounding business community. Event organizers have done their part by introducing these tools to the trade show and conference community and helping their stakeholders adopt them.

In recent months I have written about or learned of several of the breakthrough mobile apps for events. Here is a small sampling (I know there are others):

A2Z’s ChirpE allows users to access online show content and synchronizes event details and personal itineraries with Facebook.

Bartizan’s iLeads offers exhibitors such features such as voice and written notes, surveys and qualifiers, and the ability to integrate with Salesforce.com to track the number of leads gathered throughout the show.

Core-App’s Follow Me and Event Host is a native Smartphone app that offers networking, information sharing and marketing features for attendees, exhibitors (and now event planners and venues) including personalized schedules, interactive show floor maps, access to social media tools such as Twitter, coupons from local merchants, exhibitor advertising, and digital brochure storage.

The Social Collective is a social networking and community platform that has partnered with mobile application developer DubMeNow to offer customized branding, sponsorship revenue opportunities, scheduling, mapping, functionality across multiple Smartphone platforms (including iPhone, Blackberry, Symbian and Android), one touch mobile-to-mobile exchange of e-business card information, social web contact info sharing, links to marketing material, video and notes, and messaging synched with the customized event social networking platform and Twitter.

Zerista is a full-featured white label social networking platform that is also Smartphone-enabled to offer personalized feed for real-time event updates and check-ins from personal contacts at the event, event organizer feed for real-time updates on schedule changes and other event-wide announcements, personalized messaging and networking tools, advanced attendee and exhibitor search functions, personalized schedule builder with public events and personal meetings, integration with an aggregation of popular social tools like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

These apps offer event organizers more of everything:

  • More productivity
  • More money
  • More attendees
  • More savings
  • More “green”

HOWEVER, in order to really take advantage of the interest in and demand for more of the same, event organizers must step forward to enter the discussion and let us know who is using these platforms, how they have benefitted, what new revenue they have earned and how much money they have saved, and whether these new apps are everything they have dreamed of or just cool tools to feel happy about (and get more press coverage for).

Hence, my mission for the MTO Summit in Chicago–to get to the bottom of this issue. As the moderator of the panel titled “Are Mobile Applications of Value to Events?” Chris Brown (NAB), Megan Tanel (AEM) and Rick Calvert (Blog World and New Media Expo) will be prepared to answer these burning questions and I will “help” them do it.

Hey, inquiring minds (like mine) want to know.

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