Added value instead of app fatigue: how event apps really work

How do event apps manage to offer real added value while maintaining a balance between the digital experience and offline time?

At a time when digital exhaustion is increasingly becoming a challenge, event apps are facing a balancing act. While more and more organizers are turning to digital solutions to make their events more attractive and interactive, many users are hesitant to accept such offers. But how can you design an event app that is actually used and offers visitors long-term added value?

Between added value and digital detox

Event apps have enormous potential: they offer space for marketing, enable more intensive engagement and create a direct connection between visitors and organizers. Nevertheless, "app fatigue" is becoming increasingly common. Many people who already rely heavily on digital tools in their day-to-day work long for digital breaks in their free time. According to a study, around 15% of Germans regularly take a "digital detox" to escape the constant accessibility and sensory overload.

This raises the question for event organizers: How can the added value of an event app be designed in such a way that it is actually used without ignoring the digital needs of the target group?

Tips for a successful event app

A user-centered approach is essential to avoid app fatigue and really pick up users. Here are four concrete tips on how event organizers can successfully design their event apps:

1. Offer added value instead of flooding:
   An event app should not serve as a repository for random information, but should create real added value. The content should improve and support the visitor's experience at the event. Instead of unstructured information, successful apps rely on features that make the event more interactive and user-friendly, such as the UpVisit app, which was used at the wine village in Stuttgart. In addition to information on the participating winegrowers, the app enabled interactive wine tasting. With taste profiles, explanatory videos and detailed descriptions, it helped visitors to find their way around the offerings and personalize the experience. Such functions not only increase satisfaction, but also promote long-term use.
2. Platform instead of individual solution:
   A "one-app-per-event" solution often leads to frustration - many users do not want to download a new app for every event. Instead, innovative event organizers rely on platform approaches that bundle several events and create a comprehensive user ecosystem.UpVisit offers exactly that: a platform that integrates various events and offers users a central app for various leisure activities. This model not only leads to higher download and usage figures, but also increases visibility for event organizers through a broader audience. The platform approach saves costs, reduces the digital burden and creates sustainable added value for everyone involved.
3. Customer first - think user-centric:
   An event app should be tailored to the needs of the user. User-friendly navigation, intuitive user guidance and relevant content at the right time are crucial. This requires the customer journey to be well thought out and adapted to the needs of visitors, for example: At what point do visitors need what information? What should they know before the event and what information is most important on site? The entire user experience should be designed in such a way that the app is not just downloaded, but actively and happily used.
4. Make the app visible:
   Even the best event app is of little use if it is not visible at the event. Promoting the app starts before the event, for example via newsletters or on social media, to increase anticipation and prepare visitors.

The benefits of the app should be clearly communicated during the event. Elements such as competitions that are only available in the app or interactive functions such as surveys or quizzes that generate FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) motivate participants to use the app. A successful event app is always present wherever the visitors are.

Conclusion: Event apps as a balance between benefits and digital overload
In the age of digital exhaustion, event apps are a balancing act. They must offer real added value and respect the needs of users instead of becoming an additional burden. Organizers who focus on user-centric design not only create a successful tool for their events, but also achieve their marketing goals in the long term and retain their visitors in the long term.

A well-designed event app is more than just a technical solution - it is the key to a successful event experience.

‍