63% of meeting planners now use event apps

Research conducted by event app provider DoubleDutch in partnership with Meeting Professionals International (MPI), has found that 63% of meeting planners already use mobile apps for their events. Among those who aren't using them, 60% plan to in the near future.

The research also found that association planners are 15% more likely to use event apps than corporate planners, although the corporate planners are twice as likely to get budget approval because of a perceived ability to improve future events with app data.

The study on event app usage and adoption comes from a survey of 1,752 meeting and event planners and spans multiple sectors. The data provides a current insight into the role of mobile apps in modern conferences and events and the results show that event applications are now considered a crucial part of a well-orchestrated event. According to DoubleDutch, the findings are proof that event apps have reached "critical mass" in terms of use and popularity.

Live polling is the most sought after feature, according to the survey, with planners getting budget approval because of these event apps’ ability to engage attendees and generate data.

When planners don’t use an app, it’s primarily due to budget constraints, the survey reveals, and DoubleDutch says this speaks to a lack of education around app monetisation options.
 
DoubleDutch’s CEO Lawrence Coburn commented: "This research underscores how greatly adopted mobile event technology has become in the past few years, and why event apps are such integral parts of well-executed events. Getting feedback directly from meeting professionals and planners is incredibly valuable for DoubleDutch and other technology vendors, as we continually evolve to meet the needs of event professionals across the world."

Christian Savelli, senior director of business intelligence and research for MPI, added: "We have been increasingly hearing feedback from our membership about the significance of mobile apps for the meetings and events they plan, so we determined it was appropriate to study usage and practices further."

The full report will be available to download on 8th September and DoubleDutch promise that it will provide an overview of the event app landscape, drilling down on why people are using them, common misconceptions, and how to maximise ROI.

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