I am pleased to present Thorben Grosser as our second guest blogger here at The Gems.  Thorben and I met earlier this year at PCMA’s Convening Leaders event in San Diego, where I was very impressed with our conversations.  I am grateful that Thorben accepted my invitation to do a guest post here. – GR

Almost three years ago, the UK version of Wired magazine was running a title story on the app economy and how Jamie Oliver had it all sorted out. At the same time, I just bought my first BlackBerry, because I believed apps are nice, but a keyboard is nicer. Now, according to a more recent Mashable article, today, there’s roughly half a million people doing nothing but apps, and even more apps available across the big platforms.

So five years after the release of the iPhone, along with its competing phones on different operating systems, you can’t miss the ubiquity of smartphones and tablets. Not even as an event professional. And I don’t mean that in a patronizing way – attending PCMA Convening Leaders for example feels like going to an Apple store. But you also quickly realize that meeting planners are among the most loyal folk out there, reluctant to change suppliers and willing to be advised by their suppliers. One example of where this can go was the Convening Leaders 2012 app, which was a terrible piece of software, being almost useless for most attendees.

Interested in doing better, and enhancing your experience by offering an app with your meeting, conference, expo or special event?

Know your event and your audience

As for anything you want to achieve inside your event, it is of highest importance that you understand your event, understand what people will attend and understand their needs.

The first question is: Do I need an app? And more often than not, the answer will be “yes”. Actually, apps start making sense quite often starting with events of only 25 people. In fact, every event you would decide to print a programme leaflet may benefit an app.

Make sure your event has free Wifi access. Seriously, I mean it. Unless you might decide to actively ban social media (Julius Solaris had a post on that, unfortunately it’s gone) and internet connectivity, make sure that you give your attendees the possibility to access the web. For free, as part of your event.

Know (at least some of) the technology

If it comes to the technology, there are two basic concepts you need to understand: native apps and web based apps. A native app is an app that is specifically designed for a specific operating system (commonly Apple iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7 or Blackberry). The advantage is that you can fully use the device’s functionalities in every regard and it is easier to make them run without internet connectivity (stay away from native apps that require internet connectivity for running in any case). On the downside, they are more expensive to develop, mess around with app store restrictions and you need to develop a specific app for each platform. This means, if you are on budget, you need to decide which attendees are worth the money, and which are not. That’s a quite unfortunate situation.

A web based app runs in every browser. This has a lot of advantages. No more app store drama, no platform segregation, one app serves all. It also saves you a lot of money and integrating a new feature becomes much easier since you only need to update one platform. One of the repeated arguments against browser based apps is that they require a constant internet connection. That would be problematic, but also is no longer true. Modern browser apps know how to work the browser cache, and thus manage to work even with little or no connectivity, once they have been opened while the phone was connected – which is the same for native apps. There is no longer a need to be scared of well-made web apps. They might sometimes not be able to use all the phone’s features, though, but that gap is being minimized. Also, not everyone owns a fully-fledged smart phone – but even most phones offer browsers that can access these apps.

Choose

The choice of apps depends largely on your budget. If you want to build a native app for two or three platforms, you are easily looking at somewhere between $10,000-$20,000 per event. It might well be worth the money, but that’s a lot. If you are looking at web based apps, you are somewhere between $200 – $5,000.

The second decision then looks at the up- and downsides of the different kinds of apps. Many native app companies offer mobile versions of your app as an additional perk, at an additional price tag. That way, you circumvent the platform issue.

In a third decision, you should then look at suppliers. Look at a dedicated conference app provider, not necessarily your standard technology provider. The issue is that apps are not simply your programme or digital signage ported to a mobile phone – it is a whole different story. Apps follow their own paradigms and conference apps even more. Also, look at the functionality you would like to integrate in your apps. My research has shown that not all suppliers are the same – in fact, each of them has a very different personality, with different features. As an example, my interview with ATIV projected them as a conservative (conservative does not mean not innovative, but rather aware of the users’ wants), yet reliable app; EventMobi were the innovative web based app makers with beautiful interfaces; CrowdCompass felt like the hip and young company and industry leader; QuickMobile were the giants that provide top-notch apps at a high price.

And then go with your feeling – after you have spoken to some suppliers, you might just feel that they are right to work with you. After all this is a new field, and we still know very little about what works and what does not.

Implement

We have not spoken about what apps can do for your event. But there’s hardly a limit to the possibilities. The most basic elements will be speaker profiles, attendee profiles and of course the schedule. But almost every app goes further than that, interactive maps, speaker profiles, instant messaging, social media integration, live voting, sponsorship and branding opportunities and so on are just a few of the features. Once you have decided for an app, you should look at all the features you can have, make a list in order of priority for each feature, and see where you draw the line.

Also, you should offer incentives to your users to use the app instead of a printed programme. Not only will that save you money, it will also reduce the amount of resource use and ultimately the ecological footprint of your event. How about a special badge “I have gone green, did you?” to induct a sense of pride, or a special networking reception open to app users to provide real value?

Also, don’t forget your sponsorship opportunities: Cleverly done, an app can not only save you money from printing less or no programmes, but generate money as often sponsors are more willing to pay more money for mobile advertising because they also receive more value: more statistics on usage, more possibilities for interaction, better targeted audiences.

Take care

Firstly, market your app properly. A pop-up at the entrance with a QR code is a good start, but is this the best you can do? Use all your channels to make your message known, use incentives, use your keynotes and maybe even dedicate a session on it. We all are in a learning process, and we should not be afraid to learn from everyone, attendees, programmers, friends and our kids.

Different to printed guides, mobile apps can change during the event. And you should reflect that in your usage. You can change programme details on-the-go, you can push emergency messages, and some apps allow a ticket-based help system where you can support attendees directly through their apps.

Make your apps come alive by not simply putting them out there, but by using them and using their features to make your event even more special.

What are your experiences with apps? What are your worries? Please share your comments and thoughts here! I look forward to the conversations.

Thorben Grosser is about to graduate with an honours degree in event and marketing management from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, Scotland. Having organised events for more than ten years, his current research interest lies in the link between software and events. He worked as a research assistant on writing the book Event Marketing: How to Successfully Promote Events, Festivals, Conventions, and Expositions by Chris Preston and blogs at his own website, http://thorbengrosser.eu

During the next several days, attendees of this year’s Professional Convention Management Association’s Convening Leaders event in San Diego may see many of their fellow attendees playing FourSquare on their smart phones.  Hopefully, this little article can offer a few pointers to those of you who may wish to play along.

FourSquare is a location based application that you will need to download to your mobile device.  Points are earned when you “check-in” that you are at a venue.  Whoever checks in the most at a venue (only one check-in per day counts) becomes the Mayor of that venue.  The mayor is only awarded after someone has checked in at a venue for a second time.

Some venues, such as restaurants and bars, offer specials to whoever becomes the Mayor.  Plus, there are bragging rights when you are the mayor.  In addition, you can connect with friends to keep track of where they are located and offer tips about what to try or not to try at a particular venue.  My favorite part of Foursquare is that badges that can be earned by checking in at different categories.

When you check-in at a venue, you can share comments about your check-in on Twitter and Facebook.  This is a very nice thing to do if attending an event and you wish to create some buzz about what is going on.

I had my introduction to FourSquare at the Convening Leaders in Dallas in 2010.  Jeff Hurt arranged a dinner for Mike McAllen, MikeMcCurry and myself who had only met on Twitter via the #EventProfs community.  After dinner, we returned to the hotel lobby for a few beverages.  Everywhere we went, Jeff was checking in on FourSquare and letting folks on Twitter follow our adventures.  People started coming by to say hello, have a drink or two.  Someone jokingly commented that we were holding court and nicknamed us the Godfathers of #Eventprofs.

So where should you check-in during Convening Leaders?  For starters, there are the following PCMA specific locations available:

• PCMA Convening Leaders
• PCMA Learning Lounge
• PCMA Party with a Purpose
• PCMA Student Union
• PCMA Fun Run
• PCMA General Sessions
• PCMA Luncheons
• PCMA Hospitality Helping Hands

Check-in at your hotel, the San Diego Convention Center, any venues, restaurants or shops that you visit during your stay.  So let’s see what badges we can earn while you are at Convening Leaders!

After your very first check-in, you earn the NEWBIE badge.  After your 10^th, 25^th and 50th different check-ins, you earn the ADVENTURER, EXPLORER and SUPERSTAR badges respectively.

If we can get 50 or more folks to check in at one venue at the same time, we can earn the SWARM badge.  It would be awesome if we could do this at the Learning Lounge or General Sessions!

Check in 3 times at the same place in one week and earn the LOCAL badge!

Find your friends on FourSquare and connect with them.  If you check-in to a venue where 3 of your friends of the opposite sex are currently checked in, you get yourself the PLAYER PLEASE badge.

Are you planning to attend Party with a Purpose?  Before checking into the PCMA specific venue for the party, check-in to the USS Midway to earn the I’M ON A BOAT badge.

If you get carried away and check in 10+ times on FourSquare in a 12 hour period, you earn the OVERSHARE badge.

Hang out 4 nights in a row and earn the BENDER badge!  Check-in 4 or more times in a single night (it’s easier than it sounds!) and earn the CRUNKED badge.  Check-in after 3:00 am on a Sunday thru Thursday and earn the SCHOOL NIGHT badge.  For help earning these three badges, hang out with ****** and ****** during Convening Leaders (names edited to protect the innocent…).

These are just a small sampling of the over 100 different badges that can be earned on FourSquare.  Join in the fun during Convening Leaders and I hope to see you there!

I have a small pile of items here on my desk that I’ve been saving up to include in a future post.  Well, that day is here!

• In the last month or so of tweeting, I’ve started to do a daily tweet of a fellow #eventprofs that I feel is worthy of following.  I created the hashtag of #youhavetofollow for these messages, and it seems to have received favorable comments to date.  Some will argue that this is just a takeoff of #followfriday or #ff, and frankly, yes it is!  My biggest argument against #followfriday is that most folks will list a plethora of tweeps to follow, but gives no reason why I should follow them.  My goal with #youhavetofollow is to shine the light on a noteworthy #eventprofs and give some rationale for why they should be followed.  I hope many of you will start to follow this format and use it as well.
• One of my favorite blogs is Bill Geist’s ZeitGeist, which is geared towards Destination Marketing Organizations and Convention and Visitor Bureaus.  I’ve followed Bill for a few years and had the pleasure of finally meeting him last year at #SoMeT10, the Social Media in Tourism Conference.  Bill is able to tackle some major items in destination marketing in his blog, with posts with very few words and generally a humorous spin.  Please take a few minutes to check out his site, as I truly believe he is one of the leading advocates for change in how destinations market themselves to the public and government bureaucracy’s cluelessness about the economic impact of tourism.
• In September of 1814, the citizens of Baltimore turned away a British invasion force and basically saved our nation.  During the bombardment of Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key wrote The Star Spangled Banner, which would eventually become our national anthem.  The other night I had the television on and game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals was on for the National Hockey League, and the Canadian national anthem – O Canada – was being sung.  It is amazing to me how the Canadian’s sing along to the song, basically allowing the anthem singer to take a break.  I would love to see the same for our national anthem at a sporting event here in the States.
• I’m amazed at the number of Certified Meeting Professionals who were unable to attend the recent CMP Conclave in Cancun due to the reasoning of the “high costs” of not being held in the States.  For me, airfare to Cancun was cheaper than my last two trips to Las Vegas and the hotel rooms were much more affordable than recent/upcoming events for IAEE, PCMA or MPI.  How are we ever going to be able to argue the value of having meetings in locales deemed as “destinations” if we don’t support these venues as an industry?
• Thanks to Jon Trask for having me as guest on the Meetings Podcast regarding my thoughts on the CMP Conclave.  I look forward to possibly doing a few more with you and Mike McAllen during MPI’s WEC in Orlando this July.
• Last month, a small group got together in Washington, DC to discuss the formation of a Chesapeake regional chapter of the Green Meetings Industry Council.  The response was positive and things are progressing, so hopefully there will be a GMIC Chesapeake Chapter by the end of the year.  Email me if you are interested in joining us as we go forward.
• Crain’s Chicago Business recently published an article about show contractors and organizers squeezing exhibitors with fairly high prices for services on the trade show floor.  This case is not unique, and there is only one industry organization that represents the exhibitor – the Trade Show Exhibitors Association.  TSEA will be holding its annual Red Diamond Congress in Orlando this summer at the Hotel Peabody Orlando from July 31 thru August 3rd, with exhibitor advocacy as one of its central themes.  (In full disclosure, TSEA and the Red Diamond Congress are clients of mine.)  Having the opportunity to be involved in the planning, I am very impressed with TSEA for thinking outside the box and creating a conference that will stand apart from most industry conferences.  I hope you will consider attending – this event would be on my calendar even if it were not a client!

• 

  Kristian Hammerstady – NY Times

  Next week, Keith Olbermann returns to television with his Countdown show on the Current network.  Disregarding politics, I have been a huge fan of his dating from his days on ESPN’s SportsCenter.  Several months ago, Keith was lecturing to a crowd of college students and recounting how a general manager of a radio station would not hire him and told Keith that he had no future in broadcasting.  Keith went on to offer the following advice: “Just remember, it’s possible the person who won’t hire you is not smart enough to hire you.” I’ve always liked this quote and am reminded of a few old bosses I have had!  And if Keith happens to read this, good luck with the new show!

• Last month, at the annual meeting of the Greater Baltimore Committee, plans were unveiled for a new arena and convention center complex for my hometown.  I’ll offer up my thoughts next week in a seperate posting.  In the meantime, let’s just say I am in favor of this development.
• Thanks to PCMA for reprinting my last blog post here on their website.  Words cannot express how excited I am to have to have PCMA and AIBTM co-located in my hometown next week and I am looking forward to meeting many of you in person during these two conferences.  I am confident that after your visit to Baltimore that you will agree with me that Baltimore is the greatest city in the United States.

The "Godfathers" of #Eventprofs, aka Jeff Hurt, Michael McCurry, Greg Ruby and Mike McAllen

The above picture of Jeff Hurt, Michael McCurry, myself and Mike McAllen was taken in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency – Dallas on Saturday, January 9th just on the eve of this year’s Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) convention.  For those of you on Twitter, you will more likely recognize these names by their “handles” of @JeffHurt, @MichaelMcCurry, @GregRuby and @MMcAllen.

Immediately after the picture was taken, Jeff posted it to Twitter and labeled the four of us as the “Godfathers of #EventProfs.”  Again, those of you on Twitter are familiar with the #eventprofs hour-long chats on Tuesday nights and Thursday afternoon.

Well, if you are going to be a Godfather, you have to have a good nickname to go along with it.  So from now on, these gentlemen will be known as Jeff “The Professor” Hurt, Michael “Guitar Man” McCurry, “Baltimore Greg” Ruby and Mike “The Podcaster” McAllen.

Now, onto the real reason for this entry.  Until this Saturday, most of us had never met one another.  Only Mike McCurry and myself had met previously a few months ago on one of his trips to the Baltimore-Washington area.  This is a great example of one of the best values of social media – being able to create relationships online and then following up with a face to face meeting.

PCMA did a nice job of creating an online community for its annual meeting using Crowdvine.  Folks had the opportunity to go online to review who had registered to attend and make connections to meet during the event.  I know I used this resource and had made arrangements to meet a few folks at PCMA before my travel plans were changed and I had to leave Dallas early.

If a possible attendee is wavering to go to an event, these online communities can be a great tool to convince them to attend.  By reviewing the attendee list, I can come across a handful of people that I want to meet and be more likely to attend, rather than attending an event and just hoping to see people.

Another example of the power of Social Media is that shortly after Jeff posted the above picture, we were tweeted by several other folks and then joined in the hotel lobby by Jessica Levin, Christine Melendes, Liz Giannini and a few others.   Imagine that you are exhibiting at a trade show, send out a tweet to promote an item at your booth and have folks come by almost immediately.

I’ve had the good fortune to meet with several folks at events I attended, that I had only known online previously.  I hope that someday I will have the opportunity to meet you in person.