What event applications software may be needed for? The answer is simple: for organizing and holding events — from meetings to concerts. Previously, this required tons of paper, tables, lists, contacts, information to be memorized or written down. Now all these functions can be organized in the application which will always be at hand — in your smartphone or tablet. Event applications can be used both by event organizers and participants, which greatly facilitates communication, while organically built-in systems like payments, social networks, and other features easily integrate the application into the modern world.
Event planning app features
Organization
Such apps for event planners help to optimize the work with to-do lists, lists of participants and guests, scheduled events, reminders. Also, the built-in messaging system will help in communication, and some analog of the file manager will ensure the storage of documentation (for example, financial reports) in one place that can even be synchronized with other participants of the organization committee.
Information
From the side of the event visitors, event app is also particularly useful. They allow users to search for events nearby (using geolocation), register for participation (using a special form or even by means of social networks), purchase tickets. In addition, if you decide to build an event planning app, you can also provide information support: a news feed dedicated to a certain type of events or a certain special event, reminders, and notifications.
Communication
As we have already mentioned, an important feature of the event application or a party planning app is the convenient channels for communication. This can be both a built-in messaging system and external services such as sending email from an application, embedded social network features, or messenger chat windows.
Advertising
Any event application can be a way of promoting events, as well as their partners and sponsors. In fact, this is an electronic advertisement to the event itself, which has the same functions as the banners at a concert, for example.
Analytics
Mobile event planning app is a great tool for collecting information about their users. The obtained data will allow you to make more effective changes to the organization of the event, relying on the statics and users’ feedback.
Event app development stages
There are three stages of event app development: planning, development, and updating the application. Let us consider them in more detail.
Planning
This is the main point if you want to make an app for events. At this stage, you need to decide which functions you want to see in your application and create a list of requirements to app developers. Already existing apps like Eventbrite can be an example to follow.
The main features you may need:
- Offline access: many places where events are held do not have a stable WiFi connection, and mobile networks can be congested. Therefore, it would be a wise choice to ensure the availability of information in any situation in advance.
- Compatibility with different types of devices: it doesn’t only include both Android and iOS platforms, as well as support for tablets and smartwatches, but also versions for desktop devices / website.
- Notifications: this feature is great for event organizers as useful reminders. For attendees, it is a way to find out news or important announcements.
- Reminders and calendars: this function is useful to both organizers and participants of events since it will allow using 100% of the possibilities of modern devices to facilitate life.
- Geolocation: for applications intended to collect general information about events, geolocation is very useful: you can not only show users nearby events but also sort events at the venue.
- Profiles: the ability to sing up in the application, and then use this data to register for events, pay for tickets can be just what users are looking for. However, you should remember to solve issues with the storage and protection of your users’ data, as well as possible legislative limitations of such actions in some countries. This includes the account levels for the organizers: for example, your application can be used by administrators, hosts, and managers.
- Social networks: integration with social networks for registration or authorization, or simply the ability to share information is needed for applications that event participants will use. If you make an event app solely to solve organizational issues, this feature is hardly needed.
- Built-in messages: messaging within the application is not an obligatory function, but it can socialize your users, connect users and event stuff, and there is also a way of communication on organizational issues.
- News feed: it is also not mandatory and depends on what the application will be used for and how big your even is going to be. This would be a great feature for music festivals or huge exhibitions like CeBIT.
- Live streams: if your users will be able to broadcast or watch streams, there may be a good socializing solution, but its implementation may require significant efforts.
- Socialization: here you can include additional functions like gamification (i.e. built-in achievements), polls, surveys, and so on.
- Payments: the key feature to purchase tickets from the application designed for visitors and participants of various events.
- Analytics: the statistics system is needed not only to analyze the users’ activity and see which functions they use but also for the organizers. For example, to summarize or to determine the productivity of managers, and so on.
Of course, the more features you include, the more expensive the development becomes, and here you have to decide what exactly is your priority at the moment.
Development
The standard first question that arises during the transition to the development stage is: independent development or outsourcing? In the first case, you know what your team is capable of, what specialists are at your disposal. In the second case, you can choose a developer team for specific needs, an approximate list of which is given in the section above. At the development stage, you should determine the design of the application (UI and UX designers will do this), back end development, clients for different operating systems, testing, localization, and further support. The project timeframe and budget will depend on the planned features.
The team you will need and the approximate estimation:
- two designers (60 hours of work),
- two iOS and Android developers (150 hours for one platform),
- three back end developers (100 hours),
- two QA engineers (100 hours for all kinds of testing),
- a project manager.
The total cost starts from $20,000 on average, depending on your plans.
Updating
It is almost impossible to create the perfect top application at the first onset. The first active use of your new event app will reveal what functions are missing, and which ones, on the contrary, were unclaimed. At this stage, it’s important not to leave everything as it is, but to continue to cooperate with the development team and optimize your application.
Conclusion
As you can see, your event application largely depends on your goals, ideas, and opportunities. The main functions and cost of their implementation are described in the article. In conclusion, we would like to give some tips which will help approach the development of the ideal application: do not make too battery-draining application, do not add as many features to your application as possible, and monitor the data. These simple steps are the key to the success of any event app!
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