5 Ways to Make Your Mobile Event App Actually Useful
By Claire at Slayte
Let’s face it - most mobile event apps end up in the “downloaded and forgotten” category. They promise everything, deliver very little, and by day two of the conference, your attendees are back to flipping through PDFs or asking staff where Room B3 is. But when done right, your event app can quietly become the unsung hero of the attendee experience.
Here are five simple ways to make yours actually useful:
1. Make It Findable, and Worth Downloading
Don’t bury the app mention in your pre-event emails. Give it prime placement. Link it in your registration confirmation. Add a QR code to your event signage.
And once attendees open it, greet them with something instantly valuable:
✔ Their personalized agenda
✔ Session check-in
✔ Directions to their next room
No fluff, no friction.
2. Make Schedules Personal, Not Just Searchable
A list of sessions isn’t helpful. A schedule that feels like their schedule is. Let attendees build their agenda ahead of time - and sync it to calendar apps or send reminders. Highlight overlapping sessions so they can plan around conflicts early.
Bonus: behind the scenes, you’ll get insight into what’s most in-demand.
3. Use Push Notifications Thoughtfully
Don’t overdo it. This isn’t a group chat. But well-timed nudges - “Lunch is now open in Hall C,” or “Session with Dr. Nguyen starts in 10 minutes”—can be genuinely helpful.
Pro tip: let users pick notification preferences when they log in.
4. Help People Find Each Other
Networking is half the reason many people attend events. But awkward hallway intros? Not so fun.
Enable attendees to opt into visibility and search each other by name, org, or interest tags. Lightly guided matchmaking beats cold handshakes every time.
5. Make It Useful After the Event, Too
Most apps die the minute the closing keynote ends. But yours doesn’t have to.
Use the app for:
- Session surveys
- CE/CME certificate distribution
- Access to recordings
- Sponsor follow-ups
You’ve already done the hard part—why not get more value out of it?
The Takeaway
A mobile event app shouldn’t be just another thing you’re “supposed” to offer. Done right, it becomes a genuine tool—for attendees, sponsors, and you. And the truth is, you don’t need 100 features. You just need the right ones, designed with intention.
If you're wondering what that looks like, happy to show you.
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