64% of Meetings Are Using a Mobile App

With so much new meeting technology being developed it can be hard to know what’s worth investing your time in, and what will simply be a flash in the pan. Our clients rely on us to keep them abreast of trends and technology, so our team works hard to keep our finger on the pulse of the meetings and convention industry.

Earlier this summer, Conference & Logistics Consultants conducted a survey of over 300 meeting planners to gauge our industry’s comfort level with new technologies. A key finding of the 2011 Meeting Technology Trends Survey was that 64 percent of meetings are already using a mobile app, or intend to add one this year. Another 16 percent intend to add one within three years.

If you’re not thinking about a mobile app for your meeting, you’re being left behind. Attendees are clamoring for instant access to information, and ways to personalize their conference experience. Mobile technology is an easy way to provide both. Mobile conference guides run the gamut from inexpensive web-based platforms ($9 – 15K) to high-end custom native apps ($25 – 100+K).

The survey also revealed a lot of other interesting information, which we will put out in a white paper later this fall. Stay tuned to the blog or subscribe to our RSS feed for future updates.

Meeting Trends: Mobile Technologies Are Green in More Ways than One

We are excited about the continued efforts across our industry to reduce the environmental impact of meetings and conventions. Our team often works with clients to incorporate common-sense green initiatives that also save money, such as using local suppliers to reduce shipping cost, custom-building menus to take advantage of local and seasonal ingredients, and managing power usage.

Small changes are important, but their impact is gradual. One big step that organizations can take to reduce their carbon footprint as well as boost the budget is to add technologies that reduce or eliminate the need for printed materials. Online registration virtually eliminates faxes, as well as reduces staff time and stress. E-marketing has become easier and more affordable – as well as more effective! – than expensive postcards and printed advance programs. And e-posters allow content to be captures and shared beyond the boundaries of time and space.

Replacing a printed conference program with a mobile app can easily save an annual meeting thousands of dollars in printing costs alone. In fact, one of our team members saved an association nearly $50,000 in printing and shipping costs by transitioning their meeting to a paperless format. By contrast, mobile apps start at just $5,000!

A comprehensive mobile app reduces or eliminates the need for printed materials of many kinds, including:
* Conference program books
* Exhibit hall maps
* Exhibitor guides
* Speaker biographies and session descriptions
* Onsite errata sheets to alert attendees about changes and last-minute additions

The C&LC team is proud that our meetsmart mobile conference navigation app is being used to support green initiatives. For additional ideas on greening your meeting, visit meetsmartmobile.com.

Meeting Trends: Using Mobile Technologies to Boost the Bottom Line

If you have a smartphone, you’re probably familiar with mobile apps that save you time, simplify mundane tasks, or just entertain you with movies or games. We rely on our phones for much more than just talking or texting.

In the last year, mobile apps have also emerged as an innovative method of both generating revenue and reducing costs for meetings and conventions. In fact, a leading meeting industry publication has dubbed 2011 the Year of the Mobile App. Savvy organizations are realizing that mobile apps return a great deal of value for a relatively small investment.

The question we often hear from our clients is, How can we maximize our investment in meeting technology? Mobile apps are extremely attractive to conference sponsors, who realize that conference delegates spend countless hours on their smartphones – both during conference sessions, as well as in their free time.

Technology sponsorships offer much richer delegate engagement than traditional sponsorship opportunities. A mobile app used throughout the conference draws hundreds of page views, while single-use items like food & beverage or disposable giveaways are quickly forgotten.

Sponsors are willing to invest $10K - $25K or more to get their logo and message in the place that attendees are already looking. A single sponsorship pays for the app several times over – bringing in additional revenue well beyond the initial investment. Additional sponsorships and ads can also be sold to produce even more profit. Small investment, big return!