Unlike some other industries, the event industry isn’t that visible to the naked eye. Events are quite rarely a daily interest of a person as they are often aimed at experts and people invested in a specific niche.
Nevertheless, the event industry is one generating a huge amount of specialized media interest and revenue. In 2018, the global events industry was valued at roughly $1,100 billion and the number is expected to grow to $2,330 billion just by 2026. The most popular categories of events are corporate events and seminars, sports events, and music concerts — but others, like exhibitions and conferences, are also getting traction like never before.
With the growing interest in events, organizers are looking to improve the experience of their clients. One of the crucial elements in this process are event apps. Why are they so popular and why should you hire event app developers and invest in the industry yourself? We provide you with all the info you need in the guide below.
Developing an event app — what are your options?
An event app is a relatively broad term that can be used to describe a number of different software variations. However, it most often refers to an app that is aimed to improve the experience of the event’s visitors by adding a digital layer to such an event. IT companies usually develop event apps and then offer them as a ready-to-use solution to event organizers. These apps provide a structured design and interface (which can be adjusted to include the event’s unique branding) as well as various features useful for event organizers and visitors alike.
Of course, the choice of the features for your event app will depend on the unique niche you are targeting. Some of the most common event app features are:
- Live polls
- Live questions
- Newsfeed
- Event registration
- Gamification designed around the event
- Floor plan
- Schedule
- Location-based notifications
- Messaging
- Newsfeed
Between the real and the virtual events
You should also remember about the growing importance of virtual and hybrid (taking place in both real and digital world) events. The recent pandemic significantly impacted how virtual events are perceived and it seems they are here to stay.
According to a Bizzabo report, 97% of event marketers believe we will see more hybrid events in 2021 and 93% of event marketers plan to keep investing in virtual events. What are the reasons for it? We can look once again into data —around 54% of virtual event registrants become actual virtual attendees and 80.2% of event organizers say that virtual events helped them reach a significantly wider audience.
Taking this consideration, remember to brainstorm with your event app developers to include features in your software that support and enhance the virtual experience, such as live streaming.
The most important technologies for event app developers
When you are developing an event app, you are most likely planning to build a unified web and mobile experience so it can be used by the participants before, during, and after the event. This means that you need to hire event app developers specializing in a few different areas of software engineering. Who exactly will you need?
- Front-end event app developers
A front-end developer is responsible for everything that the user sees on a website — how the design is implemented, how buttons and other interactive elements work, how the website fits any possible screen and device, etc. These experts usually work with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as popular front-end frameworks and libraries, such as React, Angular, or Vue.
- Back-end event app developers
These experts take care of all things on the server-side of a web app, such as performance optimization, data transfer, and cybersecurity. While they also should be proficient with the front-end technologies, they mostly code using back-end languages like Java, Python, PHP, or Ruby. Another popular solution is JavaScript which — although considered mostly as a front-end technology — can also be used on the back-end with the help of Node.js.
When it comes to server-side frameworks, they are mostly built with specific languages in mind. For example, there is Django for Python, Spring for Java, and Laravel for PHP.
- Mobile event app developers
When it comes to mobile event app development, there are three different scenarios that you have to carefully review — and choose the option that fits best your capabilities and budget.
a) Native mobile app — Mobile apps developed with the use of platform-native technologies guarantee the best performance and feel & look of the app that feels familiar to the platform’s users. The native technology for iOS is Swift, and for Android, these are Java and Kotlin.
b) Cross-platform mobile app — This option provides faster results at a lower cost. This is because cross-platform development allows event app developers to build two versions (iOS and Android) of the app simultaneously and share a significant chunk of code between them. Cross-platform mobile development requires knowledge of tools like React Native, Flutter, or Xamarin.
c) PWA (progressive web apps) — The most recent trend in mobile app development. PWAs are not typical mobile software installed from official app stores but rather web-based apps. Despite this, they can still be added to home screens, send push notifications, and utilize some other major features of native mobile apps. PWAs are another great solution for projects with a limited budget as they can be built on top of an existing web app, using the same web technology.
What soft skills are important for event app developers?
The right technical skills guarantee that your event app developer will deliver amazingly performing products; the soft skills help them cooperate better with others thus boosting innovation across your business.
What kind of soft skills are especially important for event app developers?
- Amazing time management
To smoothly transition between different daily tasks.
- Attention to detail
To deliver an experience that won’t disappoint the users.
- Creativity
To propose innovative solutions not yet seen on the market.
The importance of industry experience
When you hire event app developers, don’t look only at their skillset. You also want to make sure that they have relevant experience within the event industry.
If possible, you should actually look for as narrow a match as possible. If you are developing an app for the music event industry, you won’t necessarily need someone with the knowledge of working on conference events or seminars.
Only this kind of experience can guarantee your candidate already understands the type of customer you are aiming for and delivers a product that truly meets their needs.
Leverage the potential of company culture match
Just like in the case of soft skills, you should also not underestimate the value of a company culture match. A group of like minded individuals driven by the same values delivers more innovative solutions and works more efficiently.
How to achieve such a team? Consider the values that drive your business and find experts who also consider them important. What values can these be?
- The style of management at your company
- The work environment in your office (corporate vs startup)
- Focus on local/global
- Attitude towards diverse teams
- And more!
Who else will you need in your event app development team?
The amazing technical performance of your app is surely an important matter, but you will need much more to get your event app to the top. Hire talented web and mobile designers to enrich the user experience, data scientists to carefully review your customer’s needs, or a Product Owner to lead the project with amazing vision.
Whoever your company currently needs, Ideamotive can supply. We connect businesses with IT talents perfectly matching their needs. Whether you need event app developers or other unique specialists — we have them ready to work for you.
Get in touch with us today and change the event industry with an amazing event app development team.
