Whether you’re planning your first event or your one hundredth, a lot goes into pulling off a successful event. For the organizer who is looking to streamline and innovate, using a mobile app should be a must-have in your planning toolbox. Why? Simply put, consumers have gone mobile. Going mobile presents organizers with the opportunity to better reach and engage audiences, and provides those audiences with a platform they’ll actually use. Take a look at  five reasons your next event needs an app:

1. Engage your attendees where they are

We’re a mobile-first society, so to connect and engage your attendees, it’s important to reach them where they are. Using a mobile app at your next event enables increased engagement a few different ways, including:

• Streamlined communication to attendees. Ensure your attendees have the latest information at all times with a mobile app. Instantly update details within the app and deliver important updates to attendees' home screens, even if the app isn’t active with push notifications.
• Encourage attendees to engage one another. An interactive social feed provides a central place for attendees to discover content and engage in lively discussions.
• Improved insights from attendees.Native surveys and polls enable you to create stronger opportunities to receive feedback and insights from attendees.

2. Reduce last-minute stress for you and your guests

There are inevitably last-minute changes at events – speakers could get swapped, sessions may get rescheduled – and whatever the change may be, with an app you’ll avoid the stress of these changes. With instant content updates, communicating changes and updating paper materials is one less thing to worry about. Instead, instantly update content within the app and send a push notification to your guests to alert them of any changes.

3. Go paperless and reduce waste

Paper materials can really add up! Rather than spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on printed materials that’ll likely get lost and end up in the trash, build an app with less hassle and waste. Mobile content is not only green, moving away from paper provides an unmatched convenience for attendees.

4. Increase sponsor revenue

Many events completely offset the cost of their apps by securing valuable sponsorships within the event app itself. With Guidebook, there are multiple ways to monetize your app and social media.

• Sponsor Banners.Highly visible space within the app, ready for your sponsors to sign-on as an app sponsor.
• Sponsor Icons. Offer high level sponsors their own icon right on the main menu of your app to provide increased visibility and tailored content.
• Multi-Sponsor Module.Give recognition to all your sponsors with a module dedicated solely to your benefactors.

To learn more about how Guidebook users monetize their apps, check out 7 Simple Ways to Add Event App Sponsorship Value.

5. Maximize your data

Adding a mobile app means unlocking new levels of event data. With an event app, view real-time analytics including session registration and popular menu items, as well as post-event metrics including top scheduled sessions and sponsor impressions– all within an intuitive metrics dashboard. This event data, and more, enables you to analyze and continue to iterate and improve as you identify your strengths and opportunities for growth. With clear benefits to both users and organizers, event apps have become an industry standard. Ready to build an app for your next event?