Guests from culture, politics, and business got together in June at the Summer Marketing Event to find out more on the topic of “brand and diversity”.

The focus of the event was the search for new talent and the call for diversity.

As part of the Marketing Club Dresden Team, Nicole Schiertz co-organized this colorful event and she will tell us in this interview what the marketing club is about, what role it plays and how they spontaneously decided to use an event app.

We hope you enjoy reading this customer story.



LineUpr: Hello Nicole. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Could you please briefly introduce yourself and explain what the Marketing Club Dresden is and what JuMPs stands for?

Nicole: Hello. I am Nicole. Thank you for the opportunity to do this interview. The Marketing-Club Dresden brings together a wide variety of professional groups from a wide range of sectors: university teachers, entrepreneurs, product managers, marketing and sales managers, key account managers and service providers from advertising and consulting. The Marketing Club Dresden is one of the 65 regional clubs of the German Marketing Association, which form a nationwide marketing network throughout Germany. As a local meeting place, they are an integral part of the economic life of their region for more than 10,000 marketing managers and companies. One of the special benefits of club membership is that it entitles you to participate in the regular events of all German marketing clubs for free. Of course, every club member can also use the extensive offers of the German Marketing Association.

I myself am a member of the JuMPs (which is the Junior Marketing Professionals)

We are all members of the German Marketing Association under 35 years.

We network local and national personal and professional development set new standards in the scene and provide fresh energy to the city.

LineUpr: How much time and work do you spend on the planning of the event on average?

Nicole: We try to meet at regular intervals, to exchange ideas and to plan our fixed events in the year. As a rule, the meetings, which take place approximately once a month, take about 3 to 4 hours to complete. Of course, if an event is just around the corner, we will invest more time in the preparation. The number of members can vary. For example, volunteers and new members

LineUpr: What makes the event special? Which target group do you want to address and what added value do you offer the participants?

Nicole: We appeal to people who are very interested in marketing-related topics. Both professional and private. We want to offer a network, to provide food for thought, to build up professional knowledge and to ensure professional and personal development. We try to constantly develop our solid know-how, to come up with new ideas, to address current topics and to find exciting speakers and visionaries to exchange ideas. For this we organize, for example, our Fireplace Evening, networking events such as the National JuMP Conferences and Camp as well as our Summer Marketing.

LineUpr: You’ve used LineUpr for the first time. How did you learn about LineUpr and what was the decisive argument for you to use an event app?

Nicole: I was very fortunate to learn about LineUpr through an employee. The opportunity to make our event accessible and useful to the participants through this channel was an exciting and new experience.

LineUpr: How did your visitors react to the app?

Nicole: There was consistently positive feedback. However, many participants asked us what exactly they should do with the app. Due to the short-term nature, we were unable to use the full scope of the tools. Next year, the participants should be able to use the app more actively.
Of course, this must then be communicated more directly to the participants.

The post App Rounds off Successful Summer Marketing Event – An Interview with Nicole Schiertz from the Marketing Club Dresden first appeared on LineUpr Blog.

Time for another interview about a MUN event. Today we have Tijana Istochka from the AUCMUN as a guest. The AUCMUN is the Model United Nations Conference of the Amsterdam University Collage. Although this conference is still quite young, it has shown remarkable growth in recent years.

Tijana explains to us how an event app has helped AUCMUN to optimize event processes and what benefits MUN events can generally expect from an event app.

LineUpr: Hello Tijana. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and AUCMUN.

Tijana: Hello. Thank you so much for taking the time to interview me. My name is Tijana and I am a third year Social Sciences student at Amsterdam University College. I’ve participated in MUN conferences before, which is why I decided to bridge my interest in finance with that for International Relations by working as a part of the Finance Team of AUCMUN. AUCMUN is Amsterdam University College’s own Model United Nations conference, that is actually relatively new but is expanding quite fast. The sessions are held at the academic building of the university, and the conference is entirely organized by students of our university. Each year we work on growing and improving the conference, as well as providing a better professional, networking and social experience for the delegates that are joining the conference in Amsterdam from around the world.

LineUpr: How much time and work do you spend, on average, on the planning of an event?

Tijana: The planning of the event begins at the end of each school year, meaning that it extends over a period of 6 months. This year’s organizing team was composed of 19 students, divided into four teams – Finance, PR, Logistics and Secretariat – and all of the teams met and worked every week to plan and discuss tasks. Weekly hours usually vary depending on the nature of each team’s tasks, but we do try to work at a consistent pace for the duration of those 6 months.

LineUpr: What makes your event special? For example, we already had organizers of HAMMUN and EuroMUN as guests on the blog. What differentiates the AUCMUN from them?

Tijana: From last year when I got the position of Finance Manager for AUCMUN, to this year when I had the opportunity to be the Head of Finance, I have helped and watched the conference be established as a separate committee of the student association, extended to a longer conference and expanded to twice its capacity – all in one year’s time. What makes AUCMUN special then, I believe, is the enthusiasm, teamwork and constant efforts for improvement that go into organizing everything – from the smallest details to the running of the entire conference. Each member of the AUCMUN team is dedicated to making the experience as successful and enjoyable as possible for its participants, and at an individual level. I myself guided a group of delegates on a tour through Amsterdam, welcomed delegates at the opening of the conference and went room to room to observe and offer help to all the committees. We believe that personal connections are important in providing a satisfying and fulfilling experience.

LineUpr: Do you use printed products to distribute information locally? If so, which and why?

Tijana: We had discussed using printed products for the purpose of distributing information or promoting the event in general, but we decided that it’s more environmentally and cost-friendly to opt for digital solutions. A small number of flyers was printed out for the purpose of spreading the word around our university, such as offering the flyers to students who might be interested in joining the conference but had not seen the details online, but we didn’t use them outside of the academic building.

LineUpr: Have you already used event apps? If so, what are your experiences and If not, why?

Tijana: This was the first time an event app was used for the conference. I think that it was the first time the board had heard of event apps, how they’re used and why they are useful. The suggestion to use such an app came from within the team, and it was LineUpr specifically that we looked at and immediately liked.

LineUpr: How did you use the app before, during and after the event?

Tijana: Before the event we made sure that the schedule (including locations and times) was accessible, added information about our guest speakers and provided information about our sponsors. Also, we informed all participants about the app when we gave them the rest of the informational materials. We had explained to them how to find the agenda and details of the conference on the app, and that we encourage them to use it as it is even accessible without access to internet. After the event we brainstormed on how to maximize the use of the features provided by LineUpr for next year’s conference.

LineUpr: How did your guests respond to the app?

Tijana: We did ask participants for feedback on specific elements of the conference, including the app. We received positive feedback not only then, but also even before asking about the app specifically. The general opinion was that the app was very useful and most delegates said they were satisfied with how easy and straightforward the process of following the agenda was made for them. Almost all delegates were informed about all activities throughout the conference, which helped the conference run smoothly. I was receiving questions about the agenda from delegates who did not get a chance to download or understand how the app works, but when I tried to approach delegates myself to make sure that everything was clear, I almost always got the response that they had figured it out from the app. This was a clear indication to me that the app is helping in keeping the participants informed and the organizational team focused on overseeing everything else.

LineUpr: Why is the usage of an event app for MUN Events a great idea? How will the MUN event organizers and attendees benefit from the app?

Tijana: I think that as a participant of any conference, you don’t want to have to ask a lot of questions about the agenda or procedure throughout the conference, and as an organizer you like to know that you don’t have to answer a lot of them. This is because participants in a successfully organized conference usually have all technical information available to them and benefit from this by being able to focus on the non-technical parts. At the same time, this helps the organizers benefit by providing them with positive feedback and allowing them to also focus on delegating other tasks, and the conference in general. In that sense, an event app helps the conference run smoothly and successfully.

LineUpr: Thank you Tijana for the great interview. It is always a pleasure to talk with organizers of MUN events.

We are already looking forward to your next events and how we can support them with LineUpr.

The post Event Apps for MUN Conferences – The AUCMUN first appeared on LineUpr Blog.

Today, everything revolves around creativity. And who could do better than Tobias Theel? As the head of Innoversität, he supports companies every day to improve employees’ creativity and to make the decision-making processes more agile.

Digital processes and systems play a critical role here. Of course, an event app fits in perfectly. Tobias will now tell us why he chose LineUpr and how the participants responded.

LineUpr: Hello Tobias. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and Innoversität. What are your goals and what role do events play?

Tobias: Innoversität helps people and organizations to become more creative, creative and agile. Consequently, they are able to better develop new ideas and put them into practice quickly and successfully.

On the one hand, we like to support our customers online, for example with courses and coaching on innovation methods like Design Thinking or Lean Startup. This allows us to respond flexibly to the needs of individual employees. However, our customers also know that the best results can only be achieved with tangible experiences. And for these experiences, we design and develop events together with our customers: innovation kick-offs, innovation marathons with up to 12 months duration or design sprints ranging from a few hours to a few days – also with large groups of up to 300 people.

Of course, for such big events, we need proper planning and a direct line to the participants so that they always know exactly what to expect at a specific time during and shortly before the event.

LineUpr: How much time and work do you spend on planning such events on average?

Tobias: It all depends on the size of the event or the expectations of our customers. Some customers know pretty well what they want. Then setting up an agenda and defining and distributing the tasks for the preparation and carrying out of the event happen in no time. Some customers, on the other hand, aren‘t familiar with the subject of innovation yet, so we need to help them a little bit more with preparation and implementation.

That’s fine because who wants to be innovative, also has to live with the side effects. These effects can only be seen after you’ve taken the first steps. Then sometimes our customers are a bit confused and insecure. But we know exactly how to handle this. We support our customers with the right measures and tips when they need us.

An example: within four weeks we organized an event for 120 participants together with a transport company and got it on its feet. In between, we still had to convince their board of directors and the top management team. The event organization team consisted of 5 people from both our company and from the customer’s side – and one day before the event, we even took over the role of the internal presenter, because she got sick. We can organize one-day workshops almost one day after commissioning if a room and work materials are available in the company.

LineUpr: Who is the typical target audience of your events and how do you reach them? What channels and tools do you use for marketing and presentation?

Tobias: Our events are often specifically commissioned by companies for their employees. They choose large events for all employees, who should then contribute their ideas to the company and also implement them. Smaller events are more like workshops or seminars for project groups or executives and board members. Managers also want to understand how innovation, creativity and agility work, and what framework conditions they need to set for their organization to successfully create new ideas. Many companies find us on LinkedIn or through a Google search that takes them to our homepage.

LineUpr: Do you also use printed products at the events? If so, which and why?

Tobias: Creativity unfolds best through interaction with other people, i. e., in groups. People have to exchange ideas and let their ideas grow. Also being able to move around is essential.

That’s why we build experiences through our events directly on-site, as well as through the marketing of our offers. With the Innovation Box, we have developed a kit that allows each person to create and work out their idea alone or even better as a team. Our box contains all the necessary materials and methods that make creativity and innovation child’s play – whether for your business idea or a new idea in the company of your employer.

LineUpr: You have now used LineUpr for the culture4growth event. How did you become aware of LineUpr and what was the decisive argument for you to use an event app?

Tobias: Our customers wanted to have the corporate culture actively and specifically designed and further developed by the employees. For this purpose, together with the Human Resources Department, we designed and conducted an event for 120 participants. It was important for us that the participants had a contemporary digital experience for the event – both before and during the performance. We wanted to mostly refrain from e-mails and event folders because after all, every participant has a smartphone.

After comparing several providers for event apps, LineUpr seemed to convince us the most – and we were delighted with it. The participants had all the information at hand at all times before the event, and they were also able to use the app to orientate themselves during the event according to the programme and also on-site. In addition, the event app kept us flexible: our changes were quickly incorporated shortly before the event and we were able to inform the participants directly via push messages. The flexibility and the direct line to the users of the app were unbeatable plus points.

LineUpr: Great that you are satisfied. Have you ever used event apps in the past? If so, what are your experiences?

Tobias: Previously, we did not use event apps during the entire event. However, for individual purposes, for example, surveys, we already had apps in use. Some solutions did not seem appropriate for our purposes because some features were simply missing or too complicated – until we found LineUpr. Everything was just right for us. The adaptation of the design to the corporate identity of our customer is an especially great feature. We have been able to create a harmonious experience for the participants from start to finish.

LineUpr: How did you use the app before, during and after the event?

Tobias: The participants of our event received an e-mail with the link to the app a few days before the event. So they could inform themselves about the agenda and the speakers in advance. During the event, we also published the location plans on site. During the event, we divided the participants into groups and sent them to individual rooms. So that we could continue to communicate with them, we were connected to them through microphone and speakers because they could no longer see our moderators all the time. We sent the work instructions directly to the participants as push messages via the app. That worked great. So they could stay with their group in their rooms and we did not always have to send them back and forth.

LineUpr: How did your participants react to the app?

Tobias: The app inspired the participants of our event. Their employer had invited them to the event because the company wanted to become more innovative. An app was the right sign that the board was serious about their announcement. I had the impression that the motivation of the participants was a bit higher because of this.

The participants also liked the fact that we had published the names of all the participants who attended the event in the app. So they could network better. Ultimately, the app has once again imparted a more professional look and feel to our event – and that brought many praises and very positive feedback for our event.

LineUpr: Thank you, Tobias, for the fascinating interview. I think we all got terrific insights into your work and the promotion of creativity. Of course, you can find out more about Tobias and Innoversität on their website, on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.

We look forward to your next events where we can support you with LineUpr.

The post How Innoversität Thrilled Attendees of Corporate Events with an Event App first appeared on LineUpr Blog.

Once a year the GeNeMe takes place in Dresden. The Conference “Communities in New Media“ (GeNeMe). An exciting forum in which the scientific, administrative and economic sectors exchange ideas about the themes knowledge-management and e-learning.

Of course, event apps fit perfectly into the scheme. Nicole Filz, one of the organizers of the GeNeMe, explains to us how they used the app and how the participants benefited from it.

You can find more exciting success stories from our customers on our blog.

LineUpr: Hello Nicole. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and the GeNeMe. Why should one necessarily attend this event?

Nicole: Hello, I’m part of the organizing team of the New Media Communities (GeNeMe for short). The conference takes place annually in Dresden and offers a broad community a platform for the exchange of technological and economic aspects on the use of new media. Current topics are addressed and discussed. The community unites young academics, research groups, and scientists as well as representatives from business and administration.

LineUpr: How much time and work do you spend on average in the planning of GeNeMe?

Nicole: Most of the event planning is done seamlessly after the event ends. True to the motto: “After the GeNeMe is before the GeNeMe.”

LineUpr: Who is the usual target audience of your events and how do you reach these people? Do you use particular processes or channels for marketing?

Nicole: The conference is aimed primarily at a scientific audience. But we are also very interested in the link between business and administration. Therefore, to reach the target audience many distributors of different specialized groups are used as well as the postal distribution of printed flyers.

LineUpr: So, you also use print products? Besides the flyers, any others?

Nicole: Yes, we use flyers for the promotion and to appeal for entry submissions, as well as posters and leaflets to promote the event in each format. Until 2016, we also summarised the entries as printed conference publications and distributed them to the participants.

LineUpr: Let’s get back to the digital solutions. How did you use the app before, during and after the event?

Nicole: Before: As an information channel for the speakers to already communicate details about the presentation process and the venue.

During: As a programme and information channel for content points, times and venues.

After: It is planned to use it as a reference for the past event as well as a way to address new partners.

LineUpr: How do you find and convince speakers for the GeNeMe?

Nicole: The conferences and meetings aim to provide a platform for the exchange, presentation, and discussion of current entries. The tracks of the conference form the basis for which topics will be presented at the respective conferences. The result is a community for the individual focal points. The exchange of ideas with experts and feedback on the respective topic is the motivation for participation.

LineUpr: Digitalisation also plays a significant role for university events. How will this development change GeNeMe in the future?

Nicole: We are getting away from printed media more and more. The conference publications have only been digitally distributed and published since 2016. Likewise, the conference documents are increasingly being reduced as printouts. The approach and communication with the participants and speakers is almost exclusively via digital media. Even meetings in the team are usually carried out in virtual rooms.

LineUpr: Final Question: What tips would you give to someone organizing their first event?

Nicole: Schedule buffers, make a rough time-plan and agenda, and stay calm.

LineUpr: Thank you, Nicole, for the great interview. We look forward to your next events and how we can support them with LineUpr.

The post Scientific Conferences and Event Apps – A Perfect Fit for GeNeMe (TU Dresden) first appeared on LineUpr Blog.

Today we welcome Torsten Fiedler from City Drainage Dresden to our blog. As a co-organiser of the Dresdner Sewage Conference, one of the leading German-speaking sewage conferences, he knows precisely which difficulties organizers have to face. He explains how an event app is superior to a responsive website and how surveys can increase participants‘ attention.

LineUpr: Hello Torsten. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and the City Drainage Dresden. What are your goals and what role do events play in achieving them?

Torsten: I’m Torsten Fiedler, press spokesman for the City Drainage Dresden GmbH. Our company is responsible for the sewage disposal in Dresden. Around 400 employees clean 60 billion liters of sewage per year, look after 1,800 kilometers of sewage network, and maintain, renovate and build new sewage plants.

We also want to be opinion architects to positively shape the political, technical and economic conditions of our industry. Our Dresden Sewage Conference (DSC) is an annual forum for sewage treatment plant and network operators, municipalities, engineering firms and planners. The Congress with its accompanying industrial exhibition has become one of the five most important German meetings in the sewage sector in recent years.

LineUpr: Have you used event apps in the past? If so, what are your experiences? If not, what was against the use of an event app?

Torsten: No, at the DSC in 2018 we tested an event app for the first time – LineUpr. We learned about the app during an informative event of the Dresden Marketing Society for Organisers.

LineUpr: You have now used LineUpr for your conference for the first time. What was the decisive argument for you to use an event app?

Torsten: Today’s conference participants expect more from a conference than just head-on presentations, they want to be involved. The interaction is probably just as crucial at such conferences as the technical program. We already offer a very well received supporting programme. By means of an event app, the 650 guests can find their way around several locations. We were particularly tempted to start surveys directly from the stage.

LineUpr: You’re right. This insight is also slowly getting around to other organizers.

How did you use the app before, during and after the event?

Torsten: In our first test we didn‘t exploit the full potential, I think. The Dresden Sewage Conference has had its website for many years, so we have all the content that we need there, like the programme, accommodation recommendations, list of exhibitors, locations, etc. Also, we published the speakers with a photo and used the survey tool. I only worked with the app during the event. Although the website is also responsive, the event app is definitely much more practical on the smartphone.

We informed the participants via the website, the Dresden Sewage Conference Facebook page, e-mail and also in the accompanying booklet directly on-site. At the beginning of the conference, our moderator also once more invited all participants to open up the event app.

LineUpr: A responsive website is fantastic, but an app is something else if you‘re out and about with a lousy internet connection.

How did your visitors respond to the app?

Torsten: There was no direct feedback. This new opportunity has not yet been established. After all, around 60 conference participants answered the five questions.

LineUpr: But you used the survey feature. Can you tell us a bit more about why and what you wanted to achieve with the surveys?

Torsten: We consider the live interaction at the conference to be an essential element to involve the conference participants and to keep their attention. In the end, a convention can indeed be fun, right? Surveys like this make the whole thing more relaxed.

LineUpr: How did you accomplish this at the event? How did you get your guests to participate?

Torsten: Well, we are fortunate with our moderator – he has a very motivating effect. However, he made a small mistake and did not present the survey results live immediately. Next time, we’ll do it better.

LineUpr: This can happen. Everything rarely runs perfectly the first time.

Is there an exciting story from the last event that you would like to share with us?

Torsten: It was interesting that we got the highest marks for keeping to the schedule for the first time – in the background, however, two speakers were left hanging. But it will work with time.

LineUpr: So, of course, you can also save time. But as long as the participants did not notice, then you have done a great job as an organizer.

What top three tips for other promoters do you have as an event app rookie using LineUpr?

Torsten: Do it! The app is intuitive – great tool. If you do not yet have a website for your event, you can even forgo it thanks to this app. In any case, the QR code should be sent in advance by e-mail to all concerned.

LineUpr: Thank you Torsten for the very detailed interview. You can also find out more about the Dresden Sewage Conference on the website  and on Facebook.

We look forward to your next events and to how we can support them with LineUpr.

The post More Than Just Head-On Presentations – Event Participants Want To Be Integrated first appeared on LineUpr Blog.

Today will again be cultural in our blog. With Kirsten Mascher, we host the project manager of German Multimedia Award and organizer of the media festival. With an average of 3,500 visitors and more than 45 interactive stations, the media festival is one of the most interesting events in Germany. Kirsten, herself, will tell us precisely what happens at the media festival and why an event app fits perfectly into this concept.

You can find more exciting success stories from our customers here.

LineUpr: Hello Kirsten. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and the Media Culture Festival.

Kirsten: Hello, my name is Kirsten Mascher and I am the project manager of the German Multimedia Award mb21 and associated media festivals. The competition will be 20 years old this year and since 1998 has become a forum for digital media culture. It is aimed at children and youths up to 25 years old. It offers young media makers a platform and a networking opportunity and looks for digital, net-based, interactive and cross-media projects and productions. Our nationwide event partner is the German Children and Youth Film Centre (KJF)

Every year in November, the media festival takes place in the Technical Collections Dresden in Dresden – with participatory actions, media art projects, the presentation of partners and the awarding of the German Multimedia Award. The Media Culture Center annually curates over 45 interactive festival stations (interactive stations, media art installations, indie game forums, retro game exhibitions, award winners of past years, etc.) for the visitors of the media festival. The festival has an average of 3,500 visitors annually and is experiencing increasing regional, national and international attention. It is known for interactivity, exchange and family flair.

LineUpr: How much time and work do you spend, on average, on the planning of the event?

Kirsten: Preparations and follow-up work are done all year round for the German Multimedia Award mb21 and the media festivals.

The planning and conceptual orientation of the media festival begins in the first quarter of the year. The competition runs from April to August, with jury meetings in September. At the same time, financial security is sought, the festival programme is curated, communication with new and old partners is done, public relations planned and implemented, catering organized, helpers coordinated, etc. and the festival takes place in mid-November.

Both projects are intensively supervised by 2-3 employees of the Media Culture Center. In addition to interns, voluntary social year culture, and volunteer helpers, the number of helpers for the festival has increased to around 60 people.

LineUpr: What makes your event special? What added value do you offer the participants?

Kirsten: The festival is a platform for creative people and offers large networking opportunities for award winners, interested parties, game developers, trade visitors and network partners. It provides a wide range of creative media works done by children and youths, sample projects, impulses and inspiration for everyday school life. Families especially appreciate the variety of offers to play together and the encouragement to share through media.

LineUpr: Have you used event apps in the past? If so, what are your experiences? If not, what was against the use of an event app?

Kirsten: No, we did not use any other event app before LineUpr. We became learned about you through Fanny Peter and were very excited about your concept. Thank you again at this point, for your support in recent years. It is indeed very pleasant to work with you. The app has high user-friendliness in the back-end, is intuitive and fun to use!

LineUpr: How did you use LineUpr before, during and after the media culture festival?

Kirsten: We distributed the app to the public through all possible channels before the media festival. On websites, on social media, through posters and flyers, to our partners, supporters and sponsors and of course in the invitations to our guests.

At the event, the app was mentioned in the foyer at the cash register. We were able to record a year-to-year increase in usage. We offered visitors the festival programme via the app, information about the people involved and their projects (the lineup) and information about promoters and sponsors.

LineUpr: How did your visitors react to the app?

Kirsten: Those we talked to loved the app. We didn‘t do a large scale survey among the visitors, but we should plan that for this year.

LineUpr: Keyword Challenges. How do you deal with the trend of digitalization? How will this development change your event in the future? Will you try to take a look at other events?

Kirsten: We would like to switch to a digital festival programme, but we have not done so as yet. On the one hand, this is due to the complicated visitor guidance in the house and our wish that the festival stations will be noticed and recognized in addition to the usual range of technical collections. On the other hand, we have assessed our audience according to the broad age structure and an in-hand flyer for orientation in the house is necessary. Pertaining to our partner festivals in Austria, Switzerland, and Hungary, we are the pioneers with a festival app and so it can be challenging to take a look at others there. ? We will continue to keep our eyes and ears open and above all, work on our concept.

LineUpr: Is there a crazy story about the last media culture festival that you would like to share with us?

Kirsten: Every year, the preparation and running of the media festival is a crazy story itself. ? Every year we are pleased with the small and big visitors, who are enthusiastic about the offers and would like to come back the next day. Every year, my particular highlights are getting to know the mb21 winners, working together in the team and with the Technical Collections Dresden and our legendary, annually newly created elevator music! ?

LineUpr: Thank you, Kirsten, for the lovely interview. If you would like to know more about the Media Culture Center or the Media Festival, you can surely find it on their website, their Twitter or Facebook profile.

We look forward to this year’s edition with you.

The competition “German Multimedia Award mb21” is sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, the state capital Dresden and other partners. Organizers are the Media Culture Centre Dresden and the German Children and Youth Film Centre (KJF).

The post Digital Programme for the Dresden Media Festival – Event-App Experiences first appeared on LineUpr Blog.

Today we have another treat from the music scene as a guest on our blog. Dirk Weiler will tell us more about how he found LineUpr and why he uses our mobile presentation app for the Leapin Lindy Festival. Lindy Hop is a special dance style, but Dirk will tell you more about it.

You can find more exciting success stories from our customers here.

LineUpr: Hello Dirk. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and the Leapin Lindy.

Dirk: My name is Dirk and I am part of the team that helps to organize the Leapin Lindy. It’s a 4-day event with dance parties every night and workshops on Saturday and Sunday. It takes place every year in February in Bern.

At the Leapin Lindy, Lindy Hop is danced. It is a dance style from the 1930s from the USA.

LineUpr: How much time and work do you spend, on average, on the planning of the event?

Dirk: We are a core team of 6 people, each with different responsibilities. Also, after the Leapin Lindy is before the Leapin Lindy. After the event and the analysis of the feedback, we start with the vision and planning for the next edition. During the 4 days of the event, we are also supported by over 60 volunteers.

LineUpr: That sounds like something big. What makes your event special? What added value do you offer the participants?

Dirk: We have the excellent teachers and bands of the international scene as guests. We are a non-profit association and our motivation is simply the passion for dance. The core team and over 60 helpers all work on a voluntary basis.

LineUpr: Who is the usual target audience of your event and how do you reach them? Which channels and tools do you use for marketing and presentation?

Dirk: Our target groups are lindy hop and jazz dancers – from beginners to advanced dancers. Leapin Lindy has a well over 10-year tradition and is known among most Lindy Hop dancers. We maintain the homepage and operate through Facebook marketing. In addition, I explained the app and how it works in a video and published it on the website and Facebook.

LineUpr: Perfect transition! You have just used LineUpr for the first time. How did you become aware of LineUpr and what was the decisive argument for you to use an event app?

Dirk: I wanted a modern mobile solution for the extensive schedule. Who, what, when and where. I didn’t know that such a thing existed at all and started googling, trying different things and I finally ended up at Lineupr and got stuck ?

LineUpr: That was definitely the right decision. How did you use the app before, during and after the event?

Dirk: I created the complete workshop plan in the app and then linked it with all the necessary information about the party and workshop times, the dance teachers, and the venues.

LineUpr: How did your visitors react to the app?

Dirk: We had excelent feedback. What was especially important was the offline availability because we had a lot of guests from abroad.

LineUpr: How have your events changed by using an event app?

Dirk: The event itself has changed little. We just go with the times and use new ways of communicating the information. The app is modern, easy to use and understand.

LineUpr: Thank you, Dirk, for the great interview. It is something special to be able to portray such very individual events with our app.

If you want to know more about Leapin Lindy, you can find information on the homepage or their Facebook profile.

We look forward to the next edition in 2019.

The post Digital Schedule and Mobile Communications – Experiences of the Leapin Lindy Festival first appeared on LineUpr Blog.

Today we talk to Anton Caceres, an organizer of several German PyCons. The PyConWeb is the leading web-specific PyCon event in Germany for all people who are interested in Web Development and Python. Anton tells us more about how he used LineUpr and how it feels to organize such an awesome event.

You will find further exciting success stories of our customers here.

LineUpr: Hello, Anton. Please introduce yourself and the PyCon in your own words.

Anton: Hey there! I’m an IT guy, running an agency (TECH 5) and doing various community events in Munich.

When I moved here in 2015 I noticed a strange thing – despite a strong Python community, the main German Python conference, PyCon.de, was missing for several years. The Community was there, speakers were there, but the organizer spot was vacant, so I just took it. Crazy ideas always find support, so in 5 months with a cool and friendly team, the conference was booming.

Now the PyCon.de is back to life, and this year takes place in Karlsruhe. Meanwhile, our Munich team is working on a new PyCon idea, focusing on Web Development and targeting internationally.

LineUpr: That sounds great. You have used LineUpr the second time for the PyCon. Tell us more about this event.

Anton: PyConWeb is an annual community event, aiming to unite developers of different backgrounds around topics of Web Development and Python. There are already excellent conferences like DjangoCon or Plone Conf, built around a particular framework. We extend this idea by facilitating exchange between multiple frameworks of the same area and supporting smaller projects that don’t have a community yet.

Since the beginning, we saw our conference modern and fully digital. An event that is discussing cutting-edge tech stack should be using it as well. LineUpr provides us an elegant solution to deliver content directly to our attendees in a convenient way, while letting us publish changes easily and fast, without waste of time and paper.

LineUpr: What is the main target group of the PyCon and how do you reach them? Do you use particular processes or what channels and tools do you use for the marketing and presentation of these events?

Anton: We make our events for people who are curious about technology. Running a few parallel tracks lets us present content for everyone, would it be first-year students or Python Core Developers. In combination with flexible pricing policy and grant system, it makes our audience quite diverse.

To grow big, we obviously need to learn a lot of professional marketing tricks, but our good connections and reputation in the community are already enough to make a conference of this scale. Our primary channels are mailing lists, user groups, and social media.

LineUpr: Do you also use print products? If so, which ones and why?

Anton: Yes. Some people prefer easier access to the schedule; some run out of smartphone battery. To address their needs, we print A4 sheets with a conference program. Apart from that: badges, lanyards, navigation signs and roll-ups. And, of course, stickers. What a miserable IT conference would it be without stickers!

LineUpr: You are right. Everything is better with stickers. Now lets come to the app. How did you use the app before, during and after the event?

Anton: First, we publish it on the mobile version of the conference website. A few days before the event it is included in an attendee mailing. Then, during the conference opening, we say a few words again, explaining the advantages of having an up-to-date schedule in your pocket. At the end, we send out a survey.

LineUpr: How did your visitor‘s response to the app? For you it was undoubtedly the first time you used an app for this event, wasn’t it?

Anton: People like it and support the idea of moving away from paper. The app has a clear structure and navigation; the interface is simple and inviting. But it’s really hard to convince everyone that it’s not a usual native app that needs installation from the store, weird permissions and so on. We sometimes get a negative feedback from people who did not even try it, like why the hell you make me install some third-party app on my private phone just to see the schedule.

LineUpr: Crazy, but you are not the only event organizer facing this kind of problems. It’s hard to communicate the difference between a native and a web app. When you use the term app, everyone instantly thinks of the app stores.

Now, of course, there is always room to improve. What features of the app are you missing and why?

Anton: Not sure it’s even allowed, but we also used LineUpr programmatically. The information has to be synchronized across multiple platforms, and no way we’d type it all manually. So with some hacks and scripts, we got what we wanted, but having a straighter way for import/export would be excellent.

Apart from that, a schedule version that could be embedded to a website would simplify conference preparations a lot.

Then, an option for own answers in surveys (questions like “which country are you from?”). Push notifications would also be cool, which we know hits the platform limits.

LineUpr: Funny, because right now we are working on our import/export feature. Maybe we can learn from your hacks.

What other difficulties do you face in planning, marketing, and running events?

Anton: There is a general problem on the internet about service integration. One tool for planning, one for analytics, one for newsletters and one for social media, then one for customer support, one for team chat, and a whole bunch of financial tools. They are all digital and web-based, but integrating them is not easy. It results in a lot of duplicated actions and information or investing time into integration scripts. We prefer the second option, but it’s still not easy.

LineUpr: You are right. We also work simultaneously with so many different tools. Integration between various services will be a big thing in the future.

Closing question. What inspires you in your daily work?

Anton: Work is work; I run a software business which means talking mostly to computers. In contrast, organizing a conference for me is like preparing a party, just a complicated and a bit weird one

Two years ago, when we planned our first PyCon, the question “what for?” was something nobody of organizers could answer. The answer came in a few months with a conference itself, when we saw all that people in person. There were faces from Germany, Italy, France, Ukraine, and Egypt. Then I remember one guy from the Maldives, and one from El Salvador. You see, knowing that even one guy came all the way from El Salvador just to attend your conference, is a great feeling. That inspires a lot.

LineUpr: Inspiring closing remark. Thank you, Anton, for this great interview. We are already looking forward to supporting your next PyCon with LineUpr. If you want to know more about the PyCon or want to buy tickets, you will get more information at the website. Or take a look at Anton’s website or Twitter profile.

The post Easy to Use Event-App to Deliver Your Content Directly to Your Attendees – Experiences of the PyCon first appeared on LineUpr Blog.