“Ok, so we love the event app. How much does the conference app cost?”
A conversation like this has arisen on pretty much every deal since time began.
The digital age has made pricing even more complex. There are a mind-boggling array of options and opportunities available to the digital consumer.
With software, services and now the SaaS age, so many products are online only. This is a great thing in many ways. If a product can be delivered with only a minimal about of human intervention, then of course it should be cheaper. The end user pays less and gets what they need to get the job done.
If a product needs extensive support and expertise from a supplier then, in theory, it’s going to be more expensive than an online only solution.
Customers will often use the online only price example to negotiate the cost of an event app (that needs support and expertise courtesy of actual people).
The argument being, “why should I buy from you when I can buy a cheaper online solution?” This is fair enough, but the buyer in many cases is not comparing apples for apples.
Paying for someone who knows what they are doing and has years’ of experience tends to be worth its weight in gold. It also saves valuable time as in many cases the expert will navigate the buyer through potential hurdles and hiccups.
From the event app supplier’s point of view, it’s a conundrum when providing a tailored product that requires human support.
The trap is to reduce the price of the product to match the online solution. Invariably this is a mistake as a tailored product that requires people support has larger overheads and the product will end up running at a loss.
In the case of conference apps and event apps, the choice is dizzying because of the amount of suppliers out there. Working out the conference app cost is confusing. There are price points between ‘free of charge’ and ‘tens of thousands of dollars’.
With free solutions I always urge buyers to consider with caution. In many cases, the users or delegates/attendees actually become the product.
Think about Facebook’s free user payment model and their revenue stream coming from paid ads. This might be ok depending on the event, but for most conferences it’s not appropriate to have third party ads appearing in front the audience.
With regards to conference app cost, my view is this:
1.if you don’t have the budget
2.if you do have the spare time
3.if you don’t have very complex requirement (perhaps you have a small, simple event)
Then a low-cost online solution may work for you.
However, if you are running a large complex event with a significant digital risk profile, when it comes to event apps the low-cost options may not provide you with any support back-up or technical assistance should something go wrong.
Here, I would recommend dealing with a company with people on the ground and someone who can give you advice through the process.
Pete Hair – CrowdComms, Co-Founder
In 2011, Pete co-founded CrowdComms from his garage in Sydney. With over two decades experience in event tech in the UK and Australia, Pete’s been involved with 1000’s of events, large and small. He gets a buzz improving events using the latest technology, and exciting customers with innovative solutions and great technical support.
