We are Event Strategy Group.

 

ESG Serves PRIDE a Tasty Conference Management App

  • conference management app
  • conference management

PRIDE Centric Resources is a member-owned organization of food service equipment companies who network with peers and suppliers to further business and commerce goals. The group expanded its annual conference format by adding extra educational sessions, facilitating face-to-face meetings between dealers and vendors, and hosting networking dinners each evening.

The Challenges

  • PRIDE invited personnel from its 111 members, as well as those from another 100 exhibiting foodservice equipment and manufacturing suppliers. They wanted to make the event as seamless as possible by using a mobile app to connect conference attendees.
  • Off-the-shelf apps are not customizable, nor did those apps meet the needs of PRIDE anyway—presenting the need for a completely customized mobile app.
  • Because attendees were of all ages and professional levels, some were not fluent in technology management, while others did not own a smartphone at all. Organizers realized that these guests would require an additional level of tech education as well as conference information.
  • As always, unavoidable challenges on the day-of called for thinking on our feet and quickly solving problems.

Our Solution

PRIDE enlisted the help of ESG to ensure that attendees could easily register for their preferred seminars and conference participants could access any relevant data they needed.

We listened carefully to what PRIDE organizers wanted, then developed an app from scratch that provided conference guests with an informed and entertaining conference access tool that also offered organizers the options and data they needed to attain their goals.

  • The finished product combined a clean interface with easy-to-use functions that pleased attendees, presenters, and organizers, with every touch point completely customized to PRIDE’s unique brand.
  • The app utilized Cvent’s existing appointment tool to sync data with its new features, and facilitated secure messaging and notifications, allowing attendees and guests to connect privately with the vendors and service providers with whom they scheduled appointments.
  • Attendees could access a digital map of the venue and a comprehensive master schedule that listed all activities and seminars.
  • Guests scheduled their agendas to match preferences and received notices if events changed.
  • Exclusive “in-app” information shared the conference “scoop” with all app users, giving them an insider’s perspective of the extravaganza.
  • Keeping community in mind, the app also incorporated information about key conference organizers, the presenting businesses and vendors, and a list of neighboring restaurants for event goers to visit if they wanted a respite from the conference.
  • Finally, the app included a survey feature, allowing guests the opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions with event organizers.

The Results

  • All conference functions improved due to the ESG app’s ease of use.
  • The number of registrations hit 444, which exceeded the goal of 400 by over 10 percent.
  • The wholly customized app seamlessly integrated with the Cvent tools and coordinated data from event guests, vendors, support staff, and organizers.
  • By all accounts, the 2017 PRIDE conference was its biggest success to date. Data gleaned from the event will inform and improve all such PRIDE events to come.