Conference apps are like any other technology investment in the sense that it pays to strike a balance between price and functionality. This creates an obvious question: \u201cHow do I know what features I need?\u201d<\/em> Our advice would be to focus on the user and how you can add value to their experience.<\/p>\n If I\u2019m organising a three-day conference with keynotes from industry leaders, I should use the app to provide information on each session and speaker. If networking is a big reason for people to attend my conference, I\u2019ll need something that makes it easier for them to build new connections.<\/p>\n Technology providers will look to sell you in on their vision, but what you really want is something that suits yours<\/em>. Focus on the user, and you won\u2019t go far wrong.<\/p>\n As a disclaimer, there is <\/em>such a thing as a bad conference app. What you have to remember is that most of the \u2018bad\u2019 elements will come from things like reliability, user experience and set-up times, rather than features.<\/p>\n Networking, for example, will be demanded by some organisers and redundant to others. It\u2019s not a bad feature, but it will be unsuitable for certain types of conferences.<\/p>\n The best course of action is to think about the audience and what they\u2019d need from your platform. Some of your possible features include:<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve decided on the features to serve your attendees, you can start to focus more on the type that you – the organiser – might need.<\/p>\n Websites give you a fairly impaired version of what you can expect from your platform, with most of the content focusing on what something can do, rather than what it can\u2019t. Here are 10 questions that will really cut through the noise:<\/p>\n All of these very simple questions will give you a much clearer picture of the type of app you\u2019re investing in, and how good it really is.<\/p>\n So, you\u2019ve selected your features and developed a rough idea of the type of app you\u2019re looking for. The biggest obstacle is likely to be your biggest requirement: a strong price point.<\/strong><\/p>\n Technology providers tend to split their costs in three different ways, which are:<\/p>\n 1. Subscription<\/strong><\/p>\n Paying for your app through a recurring fee may provide value if you\u2019re hosting multiple events throughout the year. However, given this is usually an option for cheaper and less reliable platforms, you should definitely check whether your app can answer the demands of a conference.<\/p>\n 2. Pick and pay<\/strong><\/p>\n Need an app with networking, an agenda and nothing else? Find a provider that enables you to select the features you need on an event-by-event basis. Not only does this keep your costs down, it also reduces the temptation to clutter your user experience with needless tools.<\/p>\n 3. Event-by-event<\/strong><\/p>\n The third option is to pay a fixed price for an app whenever you need one. The nature of this arrangement means you could get value with bigger events, but it might be hard to justify the cost with smaller audiences and tighter budgets.<\/p>\n We hope the above will put you in a better place when it comes to finding your dream app.<\/p>\n Remember, it\u2019s not all about choosing something that gives you the most amount of features at the lowest cost. A strong user experience is worth more than any gimmicks you can pack into your platform. Listen to your audience, as they will lead you to the best option.<\/p>\nThe features worth having<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nThe big questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Pricing for conference apps<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Pricing](\"https:\/\/eventscase.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/1.-conference-apps.jpeg\" "\\"-\\"")
<\/p>\nFinal thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n