Greater Avon Chamber of Commerce – Conference App
How one chamber used a “conference app” for an event that is not at all a conference, and saved money doing it
The Hendricks County Rib-Fest & Balloon Glow has quickly grown into a local tradition over the last decade. It features live entertainment, games for kids, and even a fireworks show! One of the biggest draws is the lineup of food vendors and local restaurants who compete for “best ribs” and “best sauce” bragging rights.
With the 2018 event fast approaching, the Greater Avon Chamber of Commerce knew they needed a mobile app solution to improve the attendee experience. As an existing client, they reached out about the MemberClicks Conference App (knowing it would come with the same refreshing service they were used to) and were thrilled to learn that it could be used for all kinds of events, not just conferences!
The Chamber got creative when building out their personalized app by changing pre-existing tiles to meet their needs. For example, they developed a Map & Menu tile where attendees could view a layout of the festival and food vendor prices before arriving, and a #hcribfestFAQ to pre-emptively answer any recurring questions.
Benefits of an Event App
“Parents could figure out where they’d have to park to be closest to the kids activities. People could budget for how many food tickets they would need to purchase ahead of time. Giving attendees the ability to plan ahead was a tremendous benefit!” said Executive Director Tom Downard.
Downard also noted the many financial benefits. The Chamber strategically used the event app to actually offset its cost by:
- Giving free parking to anyone who downloaded the app ahead of time, therefore driving more overall attendance.
- Selling more sponsorships by including logos on the app and allowing sponsors to send push notifications after the event.
- Saving on signage and printed flyer costs.
By using the MemberClicks Conference App, the Greater Avon Chamber of Commerce was able to overcome the event’s biggest challenge: Giving attendees a seamless experience from start to finish.
Now in the planning stages for the 2019 Rib-Fest, they are getting ready to begin building this year’s app.
“It’s essential for our event moving forward. We expect even more app usage – and less questions! – this year.”
