Event days can be overwhelming: your attendees need to figure out how to best spend their time, where they need to be when, and how to access constantly-shifting event information. Fortunately, 85% of Americans own a smartphone (a 50% rise since 2011), and by giving your attendees the option to download a conference app, you can reduce overwhelm and increase their overall event satisfaction.
Conference apps enable organizations like associations, chambers of commerce, and other membership groups to streamline their attendees’ conference day experiences. With the best mobile event apps, attendees can build custom itineraries, have access to venue maps, and receive push notifications to their phone when those inevitable last-minute changes pop up.
If you’re ready to elevate your organization’s next event by incorporating a conference app, keep reading to learn about the core benefits they’ll offer. You can then explore the 17 apps we’ve reviewed that will help you plan, implement, and evaluate your next conference with ease.
What are the benefits of a conference app?
A conference app offers a range of benefits that can support both your organization, as well as your event participants.
Save time and streamline planning
As a busy event planner or leader of your association, a conference app can save you time and streamline your planning through features such as being able to:
- Sync the app to your membership database so registrants are automatically added to the event roster
- Build your agenda and sessions directly in the app
- Easily see the flow of your day’s events and avoid any scheduling conflicts
- Avoid costs and time that would otherwise go into printing hardcopy programs for attendees
Keep attendees updated
Conferences don’t always go according to plan, but when you’re using a conference app, you don’t have to sweat these changes as much. You can easily update attendees about last-minute changes by using push notifications through the app.
Be able to quickly update participants on things like:
- Changes to where a breakout session will be held
- Notification that the lunch catering is running a half hour behind schedule
- A last-minute bio for one of your keynote speakers that you want to share
Gather feedback easily
With an option to build surveys into your conference app, you can:
- Save time not needing to manually sort through piles of paper surveys following your event
- Gain value feedback from participants after keynote speakers, individual sessions, or the event overall
- Quickly and easily know what worked and what needs improvement next time
Customize the attendee experience
Through a conference app, your attendees can create their own personal itineraries based on the events and schedules that most interest them.
This customization can improve the attendee experience and leave participants feeling more engaged and invested in your material. Engaged and invested conference attendees are more likely to translate to engaged and invested members of your organization!
Promote event sponsors
Conference apps allow for easy promotion of your event sponsors. You can incorporate your sponsors’ logos or other information directly into the app for greater visibility.
This can drive post-event interactions with your sponsors, which has the added benefit of them being more interested in participating again in the future!
17 Top Conference Apps to Consider For Your Next Event
But which conference app is best for your organization?
Below, we cover 17 conference app options for you to consider, including an overview of their key features and pricing details. Based on your organization’s unique needs, you’ll be able to pick what would serve your event and members best!
1. MemberClicks Conference App
MemberClicks offers a personalized conference app designed specifically to engage attendees and make for a glitch-free, memorable conference experience.
The app allows conference organizers to:
- Update attendees about last-minute changes using push notifications
- Survey participants quickly and easily after keynote speakers, breakout sessions, or the entire event
- Make conference materials available only to registered attendees rather than anyone who downloads the app
- Poll attendees at the event or during breakout sessions through the app’s Sli.do integration
- Connect participants to exhibitors through a scavenger hunt feature
This comprehensive conference app is a great option for organizations that want to elevate the attendee experience by making meaningful engagement easy, information readily accessible, and the day’s events customizable.
To learn more about pricing, organizations can reach out to conferenceapp@memberclicks.com.
2. Wild Apricot
The Wild Apricot mobile event app helps associations, nonprofits, and member-based organizations create easy registration experiences and collect useful participant data.
The app allows users to:
- Check in event attendees quickly, including through the use of a unique QR code
- View, add, or edit registrations at the door if things change or new attendees arrive
- Sync event data to your membership database
Wild Apricot offers various pricing levels based on features that range from a free option to $600 per month.
3. A2Z Events
A2Z Events offers a conference app that can be used for in-person, virtual, or hybrid events.
The platform offers features such as:
- Floor plan and exhibitor management
- Secure payments and digital contracts
- Event reporting features
- Multi-event management
- Multiple administrator access
- Online participant engagement
You can request a price quote and read more about the app’s features on its website.
4. Pathable
Pathable has a conference app focused on attendee engagement. The app features a searchable attendee directory, speaker profiles, private messaging, and public discussion forums. It’s all about giving participants opportunities to connect.
The app is good for organizations wanting options for:
- Scheduling private meetings through the app
- Interactive event space maps
- Personalized agendas
- Additional features focused on one-on-one engagement
Pricing for the app is dependent on event size and can range from $15,000 for a small event with fewer than 500 attendees to $25,000 for a large event with 3,000+ attendees.
5. Trello
Trello is software used for team collaboration, project management, and boosting productivity. With its multi-user, real-time collaboration options, organizations can choose to use it for events.
Trello allows users to create different “boards.” Each board can then hold “cards” that relate to that board’s topic, while offering additional information. For example, say it’s event day. You could create a shared board for morning breakout sessions and each card on that board could feature information event participants need for a particular session.
Trello also integrates with a variety of other tools, such as Google, Zoom, and Slack, so organizations can expand on its functionality for a conference based on specific needs.
Trello offers a free version that can have up to 10 boards. Its Business Class version is $10 per user per month billed annually and allows for unlimited boards. For public board management and organizations that need to connect across multiple teams, you can contact Trello for specific pricing options.
6. Whova
Whova is marketed as an all-in-one event management software for in-person, hybrid, and virtual events.
The conference app allows for:
- Updated event information
- Personalized agendas
- Live polls
- Attendee messaging
And also offers multiple options for how organizations can showcase sponsors and exhibitors.
Organizations can get a pricing quote from the Whova website after filling in a short form about their event size and needs.
7. Zoom
Zoom is a videoconferencing platform that offers a variety of features for digital events. It’s a great option for organizations that rely heavily on online conferences.
Organizers can create Zoom rooms for different breakout sessions, as well as have an option within sessions to do small group work. There are chat features, call-in only options, and the ability to record events.
Since 2020, familiarity with Zoom is on the rise, which means there’s a lower barrier to entry for people attending your event.
Pricing for Zoom ranges from a free plan to $240 per year per license depending on an organization’s needs for cloud storage, number of participants, and other features.
8. Attendify
Attendify is a mobile and online event platform for hybrid and virtual events. They’re all about connection: bringing attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, and speakers together for more meaningful digital events.
Some of Attendify’s app features include:
- Ability for attendees to engage within the app using intent signals, such as “liking” a post
- Organizer ability to track attendee engagement, including which sessions they’re bookmarking
- One-on-one meeting options
Attendify is a good option for virtual events where your organization wants to facilitate a sense of networking among participants.
Pricing for Attendify varies depending on features and needs of each organization, as well as whether you buy a package deal or specific elements. All the pricing is on the company’s website, but a virtual event app can start at $1,999 per event.
9. CrowdCompass
CrowdCompass can be used for both in-person and virtual events. The conference app facilitates face-to-face and virtual connections and allows organizers to easily share their content with participants.
The app lets you measure attendee engagement in real time and keep attendees informed of any changes that come up.
CrowdCompass is a good option for setting up simple, quick event apps. If you’re interested, you can set up a demo to talk about pricing via the company’s website.
10. InitLive
InitLive is a conference app built for managing event staff and volunteers.
Organizations can use it to:
- Manage multiple events in one place
- Have access to real-time schedules and needs of different events
- Build events in six different languages
- Promote shifts you need staff to cover at the event
Allow for easy volunteer sign-up and communications
Good team collaboration will ultimately lead to a better attendee experience, as it facilitates improved content development and more seamless scheduling.
Pricing varies by number of users, but can range from $48 per event for up to 100 staff and volunteers to over $239 per event for over 1,000 staff and volunteers.
11. Bizzabo
Bizzabo is a conference app that allows for virtual, in-person, and hybrid events.
Using the app, organizers can:
- Plan and promote an event all in one place
- Facilitate peer-to-peer networking and collaboration during the event
- Collect data organizers can review later to see the conference’s overall impact
If you’re interested, you can set up a demo to talk about pricing via the company’s website.
12. Socio
Socio offers end-to-end event management, including live streaming, attendee engagement, sponsorship recognitions, one-on-one networking, and reporting features.
The conference app allows for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events with features like:
- Session chats
- Polling
- Moderated Q&As
It’s useful for organizations that want attendees to find everything in one place in a platform that features custom branding.
You can request a price quote and read more about the app’s features on its website.
13. Grupio
Grupio is a customizable virtual event app. Their content management system allows for real-time updates whenever you need them! You can also list sponsors and exhibitors with their logos, descriptions, and links to websites, as well as advertising opportunities.
Customized branding options allow you to make your event app recognizable to your audience. The app is user-friendly on a variety of smartphone types.
Pricing for Grupio depends on your organization’s needs, but starts at around $500.
14. EventMobi
EventMobi offers end-to-end event management for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events. Its conference app is multi-functional and customizable.
The app features:
- Private and public messaging options to encourage attendee interactions
- Ability to make last-minute updates to event information
- Pre- and post-event content for attendees
- Digital “infobooth” where you can list FAQs and other important information for participants
- Live polls and surveys
Gamification options to make the event experience more fun for participants.
Pricing for EventMobi depends on the features you want, package deals, and the level of customer support you need, but range from $2,000 per event to $14,900 per year.
15. Eventee
Eventee offers mobile event options for both in-person and virtual conferences.
Organizers can use the app to:
- Share the event agenda through a beautifully designed mobile app
- Send push notifications
- Promote sponsors
- Encourage networking
- Offer offline access to the event agenda
Integrate with other tools, such as YouTube, Skype, Twitch, and Zoom.
Pricing for Eventee depends on the number of attendees and events an organization needs, ranging from a free version for one event per year with up to 100 attendees to $3,999 per year for unlimited events with unlimited attendees.
16. Eventbrite
Eventbrite combined with Entegy to create an end-to-end event management system. The platform is intended to create a streamlined onsite experience for attendees and offer ways for organizations to maximize their revenue from events.
The conference app allows for customizable branding and showcasing of sponsors, as well as overall content layout. It also offers push notifications, networking and gamification features, and live audience interactions through polls, discussion feeds, quizzes, and facilitator-led panels.
Organizations can get a pricing quote from Eventbrite’s website after filling in a short form about their event needs.
17. SpotMe
SpotMe is a B2B event marketing platform where organizations can create virtual events, live shows, learning programs, or customer communities.
SpotMe’s app offers:
- Live events with features such as Q&A, applause, live polling, video breakout rooms, or one-on-one meetings
- Customizable design features to match your organization’s brand
- Real-time data insights on how the event is performing and who is attending
Pricing for SpotMe depends on your organization’s needs. The lowest tier option is for up to five campaigns with unlimited users and starts at $24,000 per year.
Wrapping Up
The right conference app engages participants right on their phones, simplifies planning, and lets you pivot from live to virtual in a snap.
There are a ton of great options out there. With MemberClicks, we’d love to show you how our all-in-one platform can help you organize staff and rally attendees—while creating another great advertising opportunity for your sponsors. Book a demo, and we’ll be in touch to help you get set to plan your smoothest conference yet.
Get an inside look at how MemberClicks helped the Florida Festivals and Events Association run their most recent conference—and left their audience of event planners asking what app they were using! Their positive experience with the app is worth a read.
