The topic of sustainability affects us all. Even scientific events. This is one reason why the program committee of the Feminist and Rhetoric Conference decided against the pressure of printing the 80-page conference program booklet this year. Instead, the program was offered as a digital PDF. To offer the participants the maximum comfort on-site, LineUpr also provided a digital program that was always up-to-date and available everywhere. We spoke to Cynthia Martin about why she chose LineUpr as a tool and what her experience with event apps has been so far. Have fun while reading.

LineUpr: Hello Cynthia. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and the James Madison University.

Cynthia: I am the conference program editor and an instructor in the School of Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication at James Madison University (JMU), located in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. JMU is home to 20,000 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students studying in over 147 majors and advanced degree programs. Students enrolled in the Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication program study written rhetoric, technical communication and editing, web design and user experience, and scientific and medical writing and have opportunities to collaborate on interdisciplinary projects, engage in community-based learning, and complete professional internships and practicums. Two years ago, faculty member Dr. Jen Almjeld and the school won a bid to host the biannual conference of the Coalition of Feminist Scholars in the History of Rhetoric and Composition. Two months before the conference, the planning committee decided against printing the 80+ page conference program and decided to provide participants with an electronic PDF of the program. That is when I decided we needed an app. I learned about LineUpr via a Google search for free conference apps, which lead me to reviews on G2.com.

LineUpr: You used an event app from LineUpr for your conference Feminisms and Rhetorics. Please tell us more about this event.

Cynthia: The Feminisms and Rhetorics Conference is held every two years to further the mission of the coalition of Feminist Scholars in the History of Rhetoric and Composition by fostering inquiry in feminist histories, theories, and pedagogies. This year’s conference was attended by 450 scholars, students, and community leaders representing 47 states and over 200 universities, making it the largest Feminisms and Rhetorics conference ever. Participants presented and shared research, participated in think tanks, and engaged in grassroots feminism by producing feminist zines, writing and editing articles for Wikipedia’s Women in Red project, and completing craftivist projects.

LineUpr: If you compare a printed program with an event app, what are the advantages and disadvantages of both variants?

Cynthia: The printed version of a program offers a designed page that can capture attention and motivate/guide reading. A well-designed app can do the same. LineUpr comes close with its Plus subscription. The disadvantage of printed programs is that they are often lengthy and their one-time-use rarely justifies cost—financial or environmental. In addition, accessibility is often limited because of the fixed nature of printed materials.

Apps provide on-the-go/on-demand access to the program. LineUpr specifically enables organizers to send out push notifications, so we were able to send out reminders of events and schedule changes. Web-based apps such as LineUpr are also compatible with screen readers, and all apps are greener and environmentally friendly than printed programs, which are used for a day or two and then sent to the landfill. Feminisms and Rhetorics was an official “Greening Your Event” partner designated by the university’s Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World, so LineUpr fit well with our goals to be a sustainable event and to reduce the conference’s carbon footprint.

One of the key advantages of LineUpr over printed programs and much of its app-based competition is that it is web-based, which means it is compatible with screen readers and it avoids app-fatigue because participants do not have to download anything or create yet another login credential.

LineUpr: What were your first steps with LineUpr?

Cynthia: As I considered LineUpr as a potential candidate to serve as our conference app, I created a login and entered a few events to determine ease of use. I then showcased what I had done at a meeting to secure buy-in from the conference planning committee. We did not have a budget line for an app, but I convinced the members of both the need and the cost effectiveness of LineUpr. Once we had the schedule set, I spent about 30 hours entering data over a week. I had tested the upload of data via an Excel spreadsheet and it worked seamlessly, but we didn’t have all of our conference presenters in a spreadsheet in the order required by the app. It was easier to enter the names and credentials of our 450 presenters and their presentation titles in the app directly. I then focused on building content for our sponsors, which was a great addition in the app.

LineUpr: How strongly did you individualize the LineUpr app?

Cynthia: I individualized the color scheme to match our conference branding and uploaded a title image designed by one of our undergraduate students. I renamed a couple of menu options (Participants instead of Lineup), and I opted to have names of presenters and locations on the daily schedule.

LineUpr: Did you also use the info pages?

Cynthia: Indeed, we did! The info pages on the app contained all of the content that would typically go in the front matter of the program—general services, support services, meal information, transit schedules, maps, and more.

LineUpr: How do you rate the creation of the event app with LineUpr? What did you like and what can we improve?

Cynthia: 5 out of 5—The creators of the app were so intuitive about user needs. For example, our conference event locations were spread over a campus that is bisected by an interstate, so having maps and directions was crucial. I loved that all I had to do was enter the address of a location when building the app, and a Google Map of the location was generated in the app that enabled users to get directions to and from the event.

One limitation we experienced is that several sessions featured a panel with a title that consisted of several presenters with individually titled presentations. There was no way to nest these individual presentations within larger panel titles. I ended up not including panel titles in the app if individual presentations were also titled.

LineUpr: When and how did you inform your participants about the event app?

Cynthia: A week before the conference, we sent out an email to participants with a link to the app. We also added an image of the app to our conference website (where participants registered months prior, for example), and tweeted out links to the app. During the conference, we created a flyer with a QR code linked to the app webpage. We also included instructions on the flyer for users to add the app to their home screens. Because we did not have printed programs, users had little choice but to use it. That said, getting buy in from conference participants to use the app was not a problem. The app is easily accessible and simple to use. Everyone seemed pleased, even relieved, to use LineUpr.

LineUpr: How did your visitors react to the app?

Cynthia: Our conference attendees were very pleased with the app. Even one of our keynote speakers complimented me on the app’s design and ease of use. (I gave all the credit to LineUpr.) Honestly, we did not get a single complaint about the app. Not one.

LineUpr: If someone is thinking about using an event app for their event, what would you advise them to do? When is an app useful and what are the disadvantages of an app?

Cynthia: Using an app for a large event or conference gives the event credibility and signals a modern sensibility. Digital natives expect an online presence. You can’t host an academic conference and not use an app without seeming old school or too traditional.  Apps are more green/environmentally friendly than printed programs, and thus contribute to a positive image of the event and its organizers.

LineUpr is one of the most affordable apps available. I have unfortunately attended many conferences in the last few years that used apps that were poorly designed and were not intuitive to use. And organizers spent thousands on the app.

LineUpr: Thank you for the great interview with Cynthia. We can tell that you have been very busy with this topic. Apps are an excellent tool to make events more sustainable. And you even increase productivity because participants are often better informed and therefore ask fewer questions.

By the way, here is the website of the Feminist and Rhetoric Conference. Also, the links to the Coalition of Feminist Scholars in the History of Rhetoric and Composition and James Madison University should not be missing.

We are already looking forward to your next events.

The post More Sustainability at Events with an Event App– An Interview with Cynthia Martin from the James Madison Univ. first appeared on LineUpr Blog.

If you think of good examples of digitalization, universities will spontaneously come to mind for only very few people. Unfortunately, education in Germany is often associated with outdated instruments and strategies. Private universities are usually ahead of the state models in terms of forward-looking strategies as well as digitalization. A perfect example for this is ESMT Berlin.

ESMT not only uses the latest knowledge and tools in teaching, but they also communicate their events digitally. That is why they have been using apps from LineUpr since 2018. Christiane Wieland is one of the people responsible. As a senior events manager, she is responsible for the conception, organization, and execution of events. In this interview, she will explain the advantages of event apps in comparison to the classic printed program, and show how they can make organizing an event much more comfortable. A great customer story with great insights ?

LineUpr: Hello, Christiane. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and ESMT Berlin.

Christiane: ESMT Berlin was founded by 25 leading global companies and institutions. The international business school offers a full-time MBA, an executive MBA, a master’s in management, as well as open enrollment and customized executive education programs. Additionally, the business school provides an interdisciplinary platform for discourse between politics, business, and academia. The business school is based in Berlin, Germany, with a branch office in Shanghai, China. ESMT is a private business school with the right to grant PhDs and is accredited by the German state, AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, and FIBAA.

I am a senior events manager, responsible for conception, organization, and execution of academic events and our premier conference, the ESMT Annual Forum.

LineUpr: You are already planning five events with LineUpr in 2019. What role do events play for you? Which goals do you want to achieve with them?

Christiane: As an international, research-oriented business school, ESMT focuses on three main topics: leadership, innovation, and analytics. Within this realm, ESMT is interested in extending experts and research results internationally. For this reason, we also host events that offer institutions, managers, and experts from business, politics, and academia an opportunity to network and exchange views.

LineUpr: Which tactics and tools do you use to promote these events? Which target group do you want to address?

Christiane: We publish our events on our homepage, in our newsletter, and on our social media channels. Our target group are people from business, politics, and academia who want to network, debate, and share ideas on current global business challenges.

LineUpr: If you compare a printed program with an event app, what are the advantages and disadvantages of both variants?

Christiane: First, the event app is handy. Almost all participants possess a mobile phone, and thus have quick and easy access to all event information with just a few clicks. What is more, we save paper and ink by not printing programs, so it’s eco-friendly.

LineUpr: How much do you customize the event apps?

Christiane: We do individualize the app to a certain extent – we use our own cover images, our logo, and our corporate colors. For all other parts, we adopt the default menu as well as the suggested order of appearance since the default settings are intuitive and cover all relevant information fields.

LineUpr: When and how do you inform your participants about the event app?

Christiane: We publish the link to the LineUpr app on our event pages and include it in our email invitations. For invitation only events such as scientific conferences, we inform participants via email about the app. On the day of the event, we also have the QR code ready for scanning.

LineUpr: Do you point out the event app during the events?

Christiane: We refer to the app during events by simply providing the QR code at the registration desk. This proves to be sufficient as participants are informed in advance that we are using the app instead of a program booklet.

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

Christiane: LineUpr facilitates event organization immensely. We can easily enter information about the program, speakers, or various venues including Google links in the app and publish it with just one click. This way, we avoid the hassle of preparing multiple documents, printing them, and so forth. This also saves time.

LineUpr: What hurdles and difficulties did you experience in launching an event app for your event?

Christiane: In fact, there were no significant hurdles or difficulties. The app is generally very well received, many participants especially like the easy to use and environmental-friendly aspects of the app.

LineUpr: If someone were thinking about using an event app for their event, what would you advise them? When is an app useful, and what are the disadvantages of an app?

Christiane: I can only recommend an event app. It not only saves a lot of time, and thus makes organization easier; it is also environment-friendly and convenient for our visitors as all relevant information is available with just a few clicks.

LineUpr: Thank you for the great interview, Christiane. It’s always great when organizers are enthusiastic about using an event app. With the organization and the implementation of events, you are significantly more forward-thinking than the average university in Germany.

If you or one of your relatives is still looking for a good university, then look at the ESMT website. Or if you want to have direct insights into study programs, then we recommend the series “MIM Student Insights” on YouTube. Here students talk about their everyday life at ESMT. As a university of rank and name, the ESMT is of course represented on all major platforms, so visit them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

We are already looking forward to the remaining events in 2019 with you.

The post LineUpr in Action – Interview with Christiane Wieland from ESMT Berlin first appeared on LineUpr Blog.

Each year, the TU Dresden offers students the opportunity to study various courses in Dresden through a one-week trial course. Since 2018, the TU Dresden has been using an event app for this purpose and this has made communication significantly easier.

In an interview, Eric Mildner, a member of the Student Counsel Centre responsible for the Summer University, tells us how he used the app and which additional benefits he and the participants can profit from. Have fun while reading. ?

LineUpr: Hello Eric. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and the TU Dresden.

Eric: I have been working at the Student Council Centre of the TU Dresden since 2014 and there I am responsible for the Summer University. The TU Dresden has 32,400 students and, with 53 undergraduate and 71 postgraduate programs, a very wide range of subjects: natural sciences, engineering and traffic sciences, linguistics, literature and cultural studies, economics, education and training sciences, forestry, geo and environmental sciences, hydro sciences as well as computer science and medicine.

LineUpr: You first used LineUpr in 2018 for your Summer University. What is this event about and which target group are you addressing?

Eric: With the Summer University, we offer prospective students the opportunity to get to know university life at the TU Dresden for over four project weeks during the holiday. Under the motto “Try first, then study” you get insights into study courses, research and professions of STEM disciplines at the science campus Dresden. LineUpr allows prospective students, who are usually between 16 and 19 years old, to view our up-to-date program in compliance with data protection laws on their smartphone.

LineUpr: Was it the first time that you created an event app yourself? What is your feedback about LineUpr?

Eric: I used LineUpr for the first time and I am very satisfied. The handling is easy and the team is always available to answer questions.

LineUpr: Do you also use printed products for the participants or is everything digital?

Eric: We used a printed program until 2017, which was then completely replaced by LineUpr.

LineUpr: How do you use the app before, during, and after the various events?

Eric: A few weeks before the start of the Summer University we send the participants the link to the program for their week. We welcome them to the app and give them tips on how to use it. Then we ask them to give us feedback on which events they would like to attend. In the week itself, the participants mainly use LineUpr to find out the times and locations of their events. Via Posts, we also publish important notifications such as updates to the program or reminders, so that everyone is up to date.

LineUpr: How did the students react to the app?

Eric: LineUpr was very well received and there were no problems using it.

Quote: Thanks to LineUpr, we can reach all of our participants at once and that too in compliance with data protection law, which makes communication much easier.

LineUpr: How have the two event formats changed by using the event app?

Eric: Thanks to LineUpr, we can reach all of our participants at once and that too in compliance with data protection laws, which make organization /communication much easier. Besides, it helps the participants because they use the app intuitively and can be navigated directly to the locations.

LineUpr: We want to grow daily and offer our customers a better experience, what features do you wish for the app and why?

Eric: For us, it would be extremely helpful if the participants could preselect their event in the app and submit it to us so that we can get rid of the PDF forms that we send in the email with the link to the app.

LineUpr: Which top three tips would you like to give other organizers when using LineUpr?

Eric: Just get started and ask the team in case of doubt. It is very easy to use.

LineUpr: Thank you, Eric, for the great interview and feedback. The summer university is a great concept to allow students to first test out a real study course. More information about the Summer University can be found on the homepage of the TUD. The profiles of the TUD on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube are always worth a visit.

We are already looking forward to the next four weeks of the Summer University.

The post Event Apps for Universities – How the Summer University of the TU Dresden Benefits first appeared on LineUpr Blog.

An event app for federal student council conferences- that’s what this interview is about. We have Effi Drews from the University of Bonn as a guest. She will explain to us what a federal student council conference is and how an event app makes life easier for organizers and saves both money and stress. We hope you enjoy reading. ?

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

Effi: My name is Effi Drews and I am both the chairman of the Student Council for Geosciences at the University of Bonn, as well as the deputy chairman of GeStEIN.eV, the German umbrella organization for geoscientific student councils. Once a semester, we organize a conference for student representatives from all over Germany, Austria, and Switzerland with the name “Bundes Fachschaften Tagung der Geowissenschaften” or BuFaTa for short. Approximately 100 students meet in a different city (in November 2018 in Bonn) and exchange ideas about their studies and student council work. It is about networking and therefore forms a common voice for the student. We work on topics such as safety in the field, studying with physical disabilities, co-operation with other geoscientific associations and much more. In addition to workshops, there are also specialized lectures and various excursions based on the subject of geology in the region.

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

Effi: We were a team of 10 students who met at least once a week for a year. The closer the conference came, the more we sat together, towards the end we met almost every day. For the event itself, we had about 35 helpers who worked around the clock to attend to the participants’ needs or culinary desires. Besides, there were lecturers from the Institute of Geosciences who organized excursions and gave lectures.

LineUpr: Why did you decide to use an event app for BuFaTa?

Effi: We always had a conference booklet with all the information. Of course, they had to be printed early so short-term changes were not possible. This takes time, costs a lot of money and is bad for the environment. Also, we experienced that participants lose the booklets after a maximum of two days and then do not know what is next on the agenda. We were able to solve all these issues with LineUpr. Changes are possible spontaneously and only very few lose their mobile phones. Also, we could integrate much more information because we were not limited to just a few pages. The linking of the events with places has also saved us from explaining complicated directions.

LineUpr: How did you share the event app among the students?

Effi: We sent the link via e-mail to all of the conference participants and presented the app again at the first joint meeting.

LineUpr: For what information did you use the app? How did you use the app specifically before, during and after the BuFaTa?

Effi: During the event, several workshops or sessions ran simultaneously at some times. The app gave the participants an overview of the places where they occurred. Also, concrete times, like for breakfast or plena could be seen. We were also able to link all the significant pubs in Bonn and give a good overview of the evening program. Contents of the lectures, the excursions and workshops gave the participants the opportunity to inform themselves in advance about the different offers.

LineUpr: How did your students react to the app?

Effi: Positive! The ability to reread everything without having to rummage through the booklet was well received. The offline usage was especially important because some persons were worried about their mobile data.

LineUpr: Generally speaking, can other BuFaTas also benefit from the use of an event app?

Effi: It facilitates the communication between the organizers and the participants enormously because of its actuality and clarity. Also, the design of the content is easy to understand and saves a lot of work in advance.

LineUpr: Is there a unique story about the last BuFaTa that you would like to share with us?

Effi: At the beginning of the meeting, I was often asked things like, “When’s lunch? Where do I have to go? “After two days at the latest, I did not have to answer anymore because several people who stood around me all answered at the same time:” It’s all in the app!”

LineUpr: Great ?. What top three tips would you like to share with other organizers when using LineUpr?

Effi: Linking to the map is worth it! Send the app to the participants a few days in advance, so that they can read it and look forward to coming! The more colorful, the better! Everyone loved the colors and many pictures.

LineUpr: Thank you Effi for the lovely interview. Volunteer and student events are often a bit different than traditional conferences. We think that organizers can always learn a lot and give their events a splash of creativity.

More information about the association Gestein e.V. is available on their homepage. Otherwise, of course, they have profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

We look forward to supporting you at the next BuFaTa.

The post Event Apps for Federal Student Council Conferences – Experience of BuFaTa GeStEIN in Bonn first appeared on LineUpr Blog.

Have you ever heard of the Bachelor Thesis Day at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)? On that day, undergraduate students of health professions at the ZHAW present their thesis to their families, friends and other interested persons.

Philipp Funk and Nina Stadelmann help to organize the event. They explain how the event has benefited from an event app and what role parallel event points play in it. Have fun while reading. ?

LineUpr: Hello Philipp and Nina. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and the ZHAW.

Philipp and Nina: We both work at the ZHAW Department of Health Professions, which comprises about 1,600 students and 300 employees. Philipp is the Online Manager and takes care of all digital channels including websites, social media, etc. Nina is responsible for our events as event manager and has also co-organized the Bachelor Thesis Day.

LineUpr: You used LineUpr for the “Bachelor Thesis Day”. What is this event about and what added value do you offer the participants?

Philipp and Nina: On the day of the bachelor thesis, around 350 undergraduate students present their thesis in 175 presentations. This event is organized in the style of a public event for internal and external persons who are interested. So also family, friends, practice institutions and other interested parties can experience the final presentations in the form of a small (knowledge) festival.

LineUpr: Who is your typical target audience and how do you reach them?

Philipp and Nina: The main target group are our bachelor students of all five health professions – occupational and physiotherapy, nursing, midwifery as well as health promotion and prevention. They also have to attend some presentations as preparation for their own bachelor thesis. The families and friends of the presenters, as well as practice institutions or other interested persons, are also invited.

LineUpr: How did you learn about LineUpr and what was the decisive argument for you to use an event app?

Philipp and Nina: Our programme is very extensive with around 175 presentations by the 350 students and it takes place in parallel and in different rooms of the University of Applied Sciences. Our primary goal was to create an app that would help participants build their personal agenda for the day as intuitively as possible. We learned about LineUpr through our internet research.

LineUpr: How did you use the app before, during and after the Bachelor Theses Day?

Philipp and Nina: We sent the link to the app via e-mail about three days before the event and published it on our website so that visitors could already put together their individual programmes.

During the event, the participants were able to download the app via conveniently placed QR codes on the infoscreens on site and could thus also read detailed information about the speakers and their work.

LineUpr: How did your students react to the app?

Philipp and Nina: We have received very positive feedback from the students and lecturers about the app and have often heard that it greatly simplifies creating individual programmes. While the app will not completely replace a printed program, it will innovatively complement it.

LineUpr: Do you think that other events of this kind can benefit from an event app or is this an exception for you? There are also Bachelor Thesis Days at other universities.

Philipp and Nina: Yes, similar events with so many parallel events can definitely benefit from the app, especially if there is also essential background information on the presentations or speakers available. We do not know if other colleges also organize such days – if so, the app would certainly be a good thing.

LineUpr: What are the top three tips you would like to give other organizers for the use of LineUpr?

Philipp and Nina: Firstly, adapt the structure to the needs of the visitors and not primarily to those of the organizer (user-centered).

Secondly, send the link to the app early enough so that participants can put together their own agenda.

Thirdly, strategically position the QR code in various places and include a notice that says that you only need to focus your cell phone camera on it on getting directly to the programme. (Note: Many smartphones today no longer need a QR reader, but the regular cell phone camera can recognize the code)

LineUpr: Thank you Philipp and Nina for the great interview. It’s always so exciting to get an insight into different types of events during these talks. More information about the Department of Health at the ZHAW can be found on their homepage and on social networks such as Facebook, Youtube and LinkedIn. For visual motivation, we also recommend a look at Instagram.

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

The post Event Apps for Information Events – Example: Bachelor Theses Day at the ZHAW first appeared on LineUpr Blog.