The Event App Bible is published every year and there is always a bit of excitement at Nodily when it is released. The publication offers an analysis of the industry, the new trends as well as the list of the biggest event apps. It is named the Bible for a reason and we can only encourage you to read it. But as we are going to do it anyway, we might as well give you a little summary.
Event Apps are clearly on the rise as it is more and more complicated for a professional event organizer to justify not to offer one at their events. Participants and sponsors demand is fast growing and innovation in the industry never stops. To prove it, here are the big trends to be expected for 2019 according to the Event App Bible :
1. Engagement and interactivity are more important than ever
60 to 70% of the features most commonly used across the industry are engagement-focused.
2. Efficient, purpose-driven networking replaces chance encounters
Targeted networking features were present in 41% of the apps analysed, matching people and making networking suggestions based on both shared interests and proximity are the new norm.
3. Gamification is on the rise
10% of the apps analyzed featured gamification to help planners drive business imperatives.
4. Apps reflect real-world use
Daily internet habits carry over into events, as close to 60% of event app features mirror other tools people use in their personal lives such as push notifications, messaging, etc.
5. Chatbots heading towards the mainstream
Chatbots are a quick way to keep people engaged and answer common questions without tying up event staff. Once again, event apps seem to follow one of the big trends of the Internet industry.
The report reminds us as well that as much as we want to innovate, users mostly use the app for basic needs as it is reflected in the list of the most commonly used features :
-Agenda
-Networking
-Registration
-Messaging
-Registration
At Nodily, we do agree with this conclusion. It is essential to innovate but never at the expense of the features that made our success and remain the most used and useful for our users.
