An event app is a mobile application that simplifies event planning and makes it easy for attendees to stay engaged throughout an event. As an organizer, you can use your event app to manage schedules, share real-time updates, provide interactive maps, facilitate networking and much more.

Event apps are ideal for conferences, trade shows, corporate events, school orientations, music festivals and other gatherings. With an event app, you can centralize communication, reduce reliance on printed materials, and deliver a hassle-free experience for attendees.

Not quite sure if you need one? This quick guide walks you through six benefits of event apps.

An event app picks up where a website and traditional event communications leave off. So, while we can’t say whether you need an event app or not, chances are, if you’re looking to enhance your event, an app would help you achieve your goals.

Not only does an event app give you a ton of opportunities to further engage with your attendees, but it can actually make your job as an event planner easier. From features like push notifications to making updates on the fly, a mobile app isn’t just for your attendees!

As attendee satisfaction is often a key factor in the overall success of your event, an app is one of the easiest and most effective ways of improving the attendee experience – your event app may be one of the highest ROI tools at your disposal.

Yes! We know how hectic using multiple event planning tools can be, so we integrated our app Builder with the tools event planners use most. We currently connect with Eventbrite, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Marketo, Cvent, Stova, and Splash. Need something else? Contact us to learn more about how our Open API works and how it can benefit you.

Integrations make it easy to connect your existing tools - like your CRM, event registration, and marketing software - to your app.

This allows you to manage your event more efficiently. 

At Guidebook we currently integrate with Eventbrite, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Marketo, Cvent, Stova, and Splash.

Need something custom? Our Open API allows you to create tailored solutions that meet your needs. Learn more about our Integrations and API.

At Guidebook we don’t see events as simply transactional. We see events as an opportunity to drive human connection.

This focus on human connection is demonstrated by the unparalleled care and industry-leading response times of our customer support team.

In addition, our pricing is transparent and all-inclusive. Unlike our competitors, we will never bill you unexpectedly for special upgrades. Get more insight on what makes us different by taking a look at why we’re the best Whova alternative and the best WebEx (formerly Socio) alternative.

Upon publishing your app, we'll automatically set you up with a custom landing page to share with your audience. Users can easily download the app by texting it straight to their phones. Our app Builder also gives you tools like email promotion, posters, social media templates (and more) to make promoting and downloading your event app super simple.

For tips on boosting app usage, start with this guide on 11 proven ways to increase event app downloads.

To get started, sign up for a free account and select an option from our gallery of app templates. Begin customizing your app by filling in some details (i.e. the name of your app, the location of your event, etc.). Once you’ve filled in the basics, you’ll have access to all the features you need — building a powerful mobile event app couldn’t be easier! When you’ve finished filling your app with content, simply hit Publish and we’ll take care of the rest.

Yes! In fact, Guidebook’s Builder is the thing that our customers love most about our platform. Not only is it super intuitive and easy, but once you really get building, it's sometimes hard to stop. You’re looking for a custom event app and we empower you to build exactly that. A mock smartphone lives within Builder to give you a live preview of your app as you go, and you always have the option to send a preview to your actual device if you want to get a genuine feel for it. But don't just go by our word – jump into our Builder and get started for free!

Yes, you can. While our Sales team is great and dedicated to ensuring your success, you can actually just jump into Builder now and start building your app from start to finish. Not only that, but we also designed flexible, pay-as-you-go pricing with smaller audiences in mind. You’ll have access to great features and will only pay once per unique device.

You're in luck. With our Pro Services, we'll set you up with a dedicated app builder to build your app from start to finish. Since events are in our blood, you know you'll be getting a beautiful app that your users will love. All you'll need to provide is your content (sessions, speakers, etc.) We'll take care of the rest.

It’s important to first understand what kind of app you’re looking for -- an app that’s neatly housed within a container app, like Guidebook, or a standalone app in the App Store. If it’s the former, your lead time is far less than the latter.

Generally for newbies, you can expect to spend around 8 hours from start to finish on an app that’ll be housed in a container app. It's fun, creative work, and you and your whole team can simultaneously build the app - so that 8 hours will probably fly by.

If you’re looking for a standalone app, however, there are other variables at play. When publishing any app to the Apple App Store, you’ll need to set up a Developer account with them, which can take a week or so. They’ll also need to approve your app once it’s complete, which further slows things down. All in all, you’ll want to be prepared for a lead time of at least a month, to be safe. To clarify, this expected time is the same for any event app platform or custom developer out there.

As long as you’ve encouraged your users to download your app ahead of time (tip: following best practices for event promotion advises you've done this), most of the information in your app will work offline.

In the unfortunate case of poor wifi at your event, all your schedules, maps, and lists will still be accessible. You will, however, not be able to use features like photo albums, social media, and messaging until users have an internet connection again.

Absolutely. If, at any point, you need to make a change, just jump right back into Builder, make your changes, and hit Publish. Within seconds, your updates will be live. And, if you need to send any last-minute notifications to your users, you can do that straight from your phone or tablet with Mobile Admin.

We offer a variety of support offerings, depending on your plan level. Email support is offered across all plans -- we boast response times of less than 30 minutes during business hours and also offer limited weekend hours.

Support live chat (response times under 20 seconds during business hours) and phone support (9am - 8pm EST) are also available for our flat rate plan customers. If you need additional assistance, such as on-site event support or Pro Services (see question above), we’ve got you covered!