The South African Investment Conference, which this year achieved R363-billion pledged investment funding from more than 70 entities, relied on Flock for the second consecutive year to keep its delegates informed and engaged.
The conference, which took place in Johannesburg last week (5– 7 November), attracted 1 500 delegates from across the globe. Thanks to Flock, they experienced first-hand the power of local technology at work even before they left their homes to come together and explore ways to reignite growth in the country.
The technology – a mobile phone app that integrates with a seamless event management platform – provided them with the information they needed to plan their visit to the city as well as details of the conference.
In addition to event information including the programme, speaker biographies, delegate and sponsor lists and partners and exhibitor lists, the app included details of investment case studies, media releases, hotels and shuttles, information about Johannesburg should the delegate want to explore the city further. There were also live feeds of conference and exhibition activities, and photographs.
According to founder Mike Lysko, the app played a major role in bringing the 1 500 delegates together, allowing them to enjoy a seamless event experience and focus on creating the meaningful connections that would ensure its successful conclusion – that of identifying opportunities for investment and securing the funds to make those a reality.
“Assisting the South Africa Investment Conference for the second consecutive year is a significant feather in Flock’s cap,” he said. “As a home-grown company, we are exceptionally proud to work with the organisers, and thrilled to prove – once again – that our technology is both robust and flexible, the ideal choice for event organisers regardless of size.
“In particular, the live Q&A functionality was particularly popular and no doubt contributed to the high user engagement levels and over 41 000 views on various devices that were experienced over the two days,” he said.
More about Flock functionality:
The app is one of two distinct but inseparable elements of the Flock event management platform, which give event organisers all the tools they need to manage communication, attendee registration and accurate reporting all online.
Firstly, the event website which provides a simple and easy-to-use interface allowing the event manager to build his or her own custom-branded event website. Second, a custom-branded mobile app allows attendees access to a wide range of features before, during and after the event.
During the pre-event cycle, the easy-to-use interface enables the organiser to build his or her custom-branded event website. This displays all the event information (date, time, venue, costs involved in exhibiting if applicable, cost involved in attending if necessary, and so on) as well as the programme of events, speaker schedule and speaker biographies, videos and photographs related to the event, and the ability to compile a set of frequently asked questions.
Also included is an RSVP function, enabling organisers to keep tabs on the number of attendees and gain all the metrics they need for reporting purposes. This function synchronises with all during-event cycle to facilitate registration and attendee networking, as well as allows for communication with attendees before, during and after the event.
To enhance the during-event experience for attendees and other stakeholders, the platform also provides organisers with an online dashboard to easily create a mobile app, which attendees are encouraged to download once they have registered for the event. Its objective is to give attendees access to a wide range of features and content before, during and after the event, and act as a social media feed.
The kind of information made available via the customised app includes agenda, maps and floor plans, speaker and exhibitor lists and profiles, sponsor details, an activity feed, a feedback or Q&A section, all relevant documents and videos, live streaming from information sessions and speaker presentations, real-time updates and notifications of key events or changes.
This can all be accessed in an offline mode and provides sponsors the opportunity for custom branding and the organiser with the ability to review a schedule of analytics, allowing for on-the-spot, real-time decision-making.
When it comes to boosting engagement during the event, the app allows attendees to view who else is visiting the event and contact them to schedule a meeting or attend a networking session. There’s a facility for organisers to conduct interactive surveys and run live polling.
Post-event, the platform’s powerful analytics software produces numerous reports enabling organisers to provide meaningful feedback to sponsors or event owners, and to improve on the experience for repeat events.
