That’s us! Your friendly event app provider, at your service.
At Team Noodle we create awesome apps for events and conferences (as well as some other cool stuff too). In fact, we’ve had nearly 7,000 app downloads already this year. Phew. No wonder our New Year’s resolution to drink more coffee went down the drain.
In this year’s awesome Event App Bible from the ever-brilliant Event Manager’s Blog, there was a list of questions to ask your event app provider before agreeing to the contract. We’re helpful people, so we thought – why wait? Why not answer some of these questions right here, right now?
So we did:
What operating systems and devices does the app work on?
IOS and Android. Webapps are also available for all other devices and tablets.
What lead-time is required?
Our standard lead-time is 1-3 months.
What is the maximum and minimum lead-time you would recommend for the best result?
The shortest turnaround we can manage is 2 weeks. There’s no real maximum lead-time. The longer you give us, the more time we all have to plan.
How long is Apple currently taking to approve your apps on average?
2-3 days. This is the standard approval time for all new apps posted to the Apple platform.
What formats are supported e.g. HTML, video, pictures, downloads, links?
All of the above.
How can the event details be populated?
We have a centralised web platform that can be customised for each client.
What opportunities does your app offer for revenue generation?
Mobile event apps offer great opportunities for sponsorship. Sponsors can promote their product via the app to create extra revenue streams. Many of our clients have used this extra revenue to pay for the app itself. Want to know more? Take a look at our business case for a mobile event app.
Do you have support available for app users and are the support channels the same as for an event planner?
One of the biggest benefits of having such an awesome team of colleagues at Team Noodle is that fact that we’re easy to contact. We offer our clients on-site support teams and can also include an app success manager if the client would like. We’re based in the UK so we’re on hand and ready to assist where needed.
Are there videos, picture tutorials, text instructions, web chat, a helpline number, etc?
We’ve created loads of useful material to help you get your app up and running and we also have a dedicated app support team and a team of developers (our very own Geek Squad) who love nothing more than getting stuck in to some seriously complex lines of code. We think we offer more help and support than any of our competitors. Not boasting or anything. Ok, well maybe we are boasting a little.
Can you provide an on-site event support team?
Yes! We’ll work with you to work out how many people you might need and then send our crack team of tech geeks to take care of everything. They can even make you a nice cup of tea and fetch you biscuits if you’d like.
What download and usage rates should you realistically expect from the app?
There are a lot of variable factors here. It really depends how much the organiser invests in marketing the app. We have loads of useful ideas and incentives to help you and as a general rule we aim for around 90%-95% adoption.
How can you ensure the best chance of success in terms of adoption?
We’ve had loads of experience in helping clients increase app adoption and we have loads of handy tricks and tips to offer. Noodle Live will send a fully branded email to all delegates with a unique link to register for the app (this prevents users having to re-provide the same information such as name and email address). We also send follow up reminders leading up to the event.
How can you encourage engagement before, during and after the event?
We believe it’s our responsibility to offer delegates as many reasons as possible to engage with the app – that’s why our apps are designed to be as rich in features as possible. Before the event, the app provides information about the event, transport and timings etc., during the event the app helps delegates to find information, engage with the organisers, network more effectively and collect session notes and documents. After the event the app will allow you to follow up with connections you’ve made and find notes and information from the event.
What are the ‘cons’ of the app?
We’re not sure we can see any really. Noodle Live event apps are designed to add to the event experience, not take anything away. Wi-Fi worries could be a concern for some event organisers, so we work with them in advance to make sure all reasonable measures are taken to maintain good signal and to maintain service if there are problems.
What features rely on WiFi?
A few of our interactive features rely on Wi-Fi or phone signal, such as messenger, Q&A and live polling.
What happens if the signal drops?
The app will continue to work with the absence of a few of the interactive features.
Can the app operate via phone signal (3G/4G)?
Yes.
What checks can be done to check the bandwidth at the venue?
Funny you should ask – we created a whole Wi-Fi checklist infographic to help our clients calculate how many connections they can support at each key hotspot around the event.
Is it easy to add speakers and exhibitors confirmed late in the day?
Yes it is. We can show you how.
Can exhibitors and sponsors be granted access to add their data directly?
Yes.
What support is available to event planners?
Support is our middle name. Little known fact – Noodle ‘Support’ Live. We’ve got a whole events team to help you in the build up, on the day and after your event. We also offer training for your staff to make sure everyone is on the same page, we provide signage and support materials and we always review progress and uptake after the event to work out how we can improve next time.
How can support be contacted?
Any way you like! We accept phone calls, emails, Tweets, Whatsapp, Skype calls and approaches on Tinder (which is really a separate conversation – we’re just putting it out there).
During what hours are the support team contactable?
24 hours a day. Sometimes we sleep. Not often, but sometimes.
What time zone do you work on?
UK
How quickly should an event planner or attendee expect a response to a support request?
This depends on the level of support you have requested, but we really do pride ourselves on being available to support you almost immediately, particularly if we’re on-site.
Is there an option for the app to be set up on your behalf?
Yes. We love coding, building and programming. I mean we really, really love it. No, seriously. We dream about it sometimes. (Too much information?)
What does this cost?
We would love to give a really definitive answer here, but we’ve done events for 20 delegates and events for 10,000 delegates, so we take it on a case by case basis.
How, and in what formats, can data be exported from the app?
CSV and XLS. You can also search for it from your event dashboard.
Can you put me in contact directly with the event planners of similar events that have used your event app?
Yes! We’ve got a lot of love for our past clients.
Can the app be used for multiple events?
Yes.
Is data held securely and safely?
You bet it is!
What measures are in place to avoid data being hacked?
Loads. We take data protection very seriously and are leading from the front when it comes to security. Just call us Captain Data Protection. Or not. Either way.
Is the app compliant with all relevant data protection legislation?
Absolutely.
Are passwords encrypted?
Is that a trick question? No. Encrypted data can easily be intercepted and the encryption can be reversed. Our passwords are hashed with salt (yes, that is a real thing and it’s bloomin’ secure too).
Is financial and password information kept separate to personal details?
We never store financial data on our apps.
Confused? Don’t be. Give us a call and we can talk all of these questions through in person, whether you need a mobile event app or a faster registration system.
