Best Mobile Event Apps to Boost Engagement, Networking and Lead Gen

No more business cards. No more "blind date" networking with people whom you know nothing about. No more scrambling to try to prove ROI after exhibiting or sponsoring a show. Mobile event apps remove all the obstacles and inefficiencies of traditional trade show networking and make it possible for you to meet the right contacts in half the time. In addition, mobile event apps are essential for event organizers because they enable them to:

• Build excitement and momentum through pre-event networking and social marketing
• Post up-to-the-minute schedule updates and announcements
• Poll audiences for live feedback and adjust conference discussions accordingly
• Track engagement and "buzz" throughout the event
• Deliver a more valuable experience for attendees, exhibitors and sponsors

Here's a list of our favorite mobile event apps and why we like them.

Whova

Whova makes it easy to see exactly who you're meeting. No more "blind date" networking.

As a top-rated conference app on both the App Store and Google Play, Whova sets the bar high with an impressive list of features. Exhibitors and sponsors can capitalize on the opportunity to run banner ads, coupons and giveaway promotions right within the app to drive additional booth traffic. Attendees get a personalized event agenda and interactive maps plus great networking tools like SmartProfiles, business card scanning, one-click business card exchange, one-to-one chat, and a community board for posting lost-and-found items, ride share opportunities, coffee runs, and more. Show organizers will benefit from the mobile brochures, live polling, surveys, push notifications, Twitter integration, and gamification tools.

Why We Like It: Their dedicated customer service team is available 24/7, including holidays, and garners consistent high praise from users. Response time is generally within 30 minutes.

Attendify

Attendify creates a private social network just for your event that allows attendees to create their own profiles. The app offers both public and private messaging, quick polls, photo uploads, and social networking notifications regarding likes, comments and mentions similar to LinkedIn. In addition, using the Lead Retrieval add-on product, members of your sales team can scan badges using their own mobile devices no external hardware needed as well as track the number of leads acquired by individual salespeople working the booth.

Why We Like It: Integrates with Salesforce, Marketo, Mailchimp, Facebooks ads, and more for easy, intelligent lead follow-up after the event.

Shapr

Shapr is a professional networking app that works well in a tradeshow or conference environment. Show organizers simply create a unique event hashtag, and attendees add the hashtag to their interests. The Shapr system uses a smart algorithm to match attendees with others having similar interests. Similar to the Tinder dating app interface, users simply swipe to add suggested attendees to their list of people they'd like to meet. Once two users have both added each other to their lists, they are free to message each other to schedule a time to connect in person at the event.

Why We Like It: The system prevents unsolicited and random requests to connect, which saves everyone a ton of time.

Pathable

Pathable continues to blaze new trails in mobile event app development. Not only does this award-winning app work on all devices and platforms including desktop computers and laptops. Even better, the Pathable app is integrated with Salesforce to facilitate lead follow-up, and it neatly embeds directly into your conference website for a seamless user experience. Attendee networking features include: private messaging, public discussion forums, searchable attendee directories and speaker profiles, personalized agendas, private meeting scheduling and interactive venue maps. In addition, the app works offline, no wi-fi necessary.

Why We Like It: Exhibitors and sponsors can take advantage of branded landing pages with embedded video, lead retrieval tools, an interactive floorplan, a sponsored suite reservation tool, and the ability to host marketing collateral for download right within the app.

CrowdCompass

The CrowdCompass event app is fully integrated with the Cvent event management platform, making for a seamless mobile-based experience for both event organizers and attendees. Attendees have the ability to customize their own schedule for the event, post to social media from the show floor, connect with other attendees, and view the event venue floorplan right within the app. However, the app also boasts rich features for exhibitors and sponsors as well, including exhibitor and sponsor profiles and banner ads to boost exposure and improve ROI.

Why We Like It: Gamification tools help motivate attendees to engage with speakers, exhibitors and other attendees.

Addmi

Addmi is an all-in-one event management solution offering online ticket sales (embedded directly into your website or through the mobile app), e-tickets with QR codes for faster event check-in, and lightning-fast on-demand name badge printing via wireless printers right at your check-in stand. In addition, it offers a business card scanner, a private events add-on, social networking and downloadable contact lists.

Why We Like It: We deployed the Addmi app for our most recent B2B Expo event here in Albuquerque. In addition to the super-speedy attendee check-in, we also really appreciate the total transparency in pricing of this app. No annual or monthly fees and no contracts, ever.

SpotMe

The SpotMe event app is a combination CMS and event engagement tool. Its built-in content management system allows organizers to add, edit or modify content such as program updates or downloadable assets at a moment's notice and push notifications out to attendees immediately. It also offers live polling during presentations with the option of having the poll results presented in easy-to-understand word cloud format, plus speaker and presentation profiles, and surveys and evaluations. Event attendees enjoy an activity feed, participant profiles, instant messaging, digital business card exchanges, an appointment maker tool, lead retrieval and social media integration.

Why We Like It: The live, guided audience panel discussion polling feature helps presenters and breakout discussion moderators to hone in on trending topics that truly resonate with attendees for maximum audience participation and engagement.