Coordinating trade shows and exhibitions come with their fair share of challenges and one of them is how to best engage attendees.

Did you know that messaging apps are used on average nine times a day, compared to 1.9 times a day for all other apps? Text messaging and mobile apps can be used to communicate information to attendees to increase the success of your event.

Text messages that inform attendees about events or remind them to check out an exhibit they expressed an interest in, as well as those that conduct polls, contests and Q&A’s, can all improve attendee satisfaction.

Here are some ways to use mobile messaging to help ensure event success:

1.     Inform attendees of events they’re interested in

Mobile apps for events have a lot of great features such as integrated calendars that allow attendees to mark events and exhibitions they’ve expressed an interested in. If an attendee has signaled that they’re keen on visiting a specific booth, you can send them an automatic reminder during the event to remind them to check it out.

A map that highlights where a booth is located can make it easier for the attendee to find it. By using mobile messaging to help link interested attendees with the exhibitions they want to see, you can increase the overall success of the event and improve attendee satisfaction.

2.     Advertise your event

Mobile messaging can be a great way to get the word out about your event and make sure you have a killer turnout. Here is an example of how a nonprofit organization SAWA Australia used text messaging to inform people about upcoming events, noting that attendance increased after they started using text.

3.     Send updates and event schedule changes

If there’s been a shift in schedule or a featured exhibit has been canceled, you can send attendees a message letting them know about the changes. This cuts down on overwhelming your event staff with attendee questions while helping attendees plan their time at the event.

4.     Take polls to find out how the event is going

The best way to make your next event better is to find out how things are going at your current event. Text has high response rates (45 percent), making it the ideal platform for you to send a poll to attendees during your event. A poll will help you find out if guests are happy with the exhibits, if the venue is suitable, if there’s enough parking, if the layout is intuitive and other key information that can help make your next event run more smoothly.

5.     Q&A

A lot of people who attend trade shows or exhibits don’t always get the opportunity to ask a question and get an answer, but messaging can let everyone ask their question through a Q&A channel. It’s also better for the exhibitors to be able to attend to a wider audience instead of being limited to the ones they speak to one-on-one.

6.     Run a contest

A contest can be a fun way to get attendees more engaged during your event. Giving a prize for the attendee who visits the most booths, for example, can be a great way to spark some healthy competition and increase the booth traffic throughout the entire show.

7.     Allow attendees to message each other

Networking is important for attendees, so allow an in-app networking system that’s specific to that event and helps them keep in touch with the people they want to reach. This way they will know exactly where to look for their contact list when they want to reach out to someone during the event.

Text and mobile apps can go a long way in enhancing engagement at your event. So, go ahead and try using mobile messaging to improve services for attendees, increase attendee networking and up the foot traffic throughout the event.