What is an event app?

An event or conference app is a mobile application that is built to improve the experience for delegates at live events. Customised mobile conference apps are a super tool to engage your attendees before, during and after events by providing all of the necessary information in one place. From getting to the airport to navigating your way through the conference venue, delegates can access essential information with the touch of a button. It couldn’t be easier!

Why you need an event app for your 2020 event: 

Communication

At live events, schedules can change on the hour every hour, but, if your delegates have access to an event app, push notifications sent out from the app will allow delegates to find out about changes to the agenda instantly. This will improve their experience and make sure they never miss a session. Delegates have access to the full agenda before arrival and they can manage their agenda and select the sessions they wish to attend in advance. An app also makes communicating FAQs a breeze by including a google map with all points of interest added in like the venue, ATMs, recommended restaurants and off-site venues.

Networking

Conferences and corporate events provide an excellent opportunity to interact with other professionals and grow your network. A built-in attendee list gives delegates access to the contact details of other attendees, speakers, staff and VIPs. This can help delegates network with the right people and set up meetings while at the event.

Eco and Budget Friendly

Printing brochures, abstract books and agendas are not only time-consuming – it is also costly to your budget and to the environment. Abandon paper and print and go eco by having no printed materials at your conference. This will deliver the message that you and your company are eco-conscious and making a real effort to reduce your environmental footprint.

Audience Engagement

Increase engagement with customised inbuilt questions and answers section. These features allow delegates to ask questions and share their thoughts and ideas even in a large group setting. Including a live polling feature in your event app means speakers can poll attendees during sessions which will increase interaction and get real-time insights.

Analytics 

Collecting event feedback is made simple with a survey available via the app. This can make it easier for delegates to complete post-event feedback and more likely to collect the most constructive feedback possible. If you hold a similar event year after year, having an event app will capture some key data; What guest speakers do your event attendees want to see at the next conference? What sessions topics are popular? How many breakout sessions are necessary? What did attendees enjoy (or not enjoy)? Using an event app and having a post event survey ready to complete leads to invaluable feedback which you can utilise to improve your event year after year.

Technology has become integrated into our daily lives – and the same applies when attending an event. An event app will provide better value to your conference attendees, and all of the event information right at their fingertips, before, during, and after the event. Want to learn more about how venuesworld.com event apps? Request your event app demo here.

The Travel Industry Dictionary defines a hotel site-inspection as “a visit to a hotel or other establishment for the purpose of evaluation”. The site inspection check-list can vary from venue-to-venue and will be inspired by the standards and facilities required for your event. Here are 4 reasons why conducting a site inspection is vital to the success of your next event:

Relationships 

Meeting the hotel staff prior to the event will ensure the successful delivery of your event. Developing these relationships early and building trust will give you confidence that your event will go off without a hitch. There will also be a lot more opportunity to ask the hotel representatives more questions than you would over email or phone.

Getting to Know the Space

Viewing the space ahead of time will make planning your event much easier.  A venue may have a set capacity but in reality, it would be far too cramped for what your event entails. You want your attendees to be comfortable. Seeing the event space can throw up all sorts of ideas and opportunities.

Minimise Risk

A site inspection is an opportunity to discuss contingency plans. Is there an alternative available to an outdoor space in the case of bad weather? You need to feel confident on the day of your event that everything will run as planned. By conducting a thorough site inspection you minimise the risk of anything going wrong.

Quality and Standards 

A site inspection is a chance for you to check that food quality, service and facilities are up to standard before you commit to the venue. Put yourself in your delegate’s shoes! As soon as you arrive, take in everything around you and pay attention to first impressions.

 

The potential risk and cost of not doing a site inspection outweigh the cost of doing one. We think it is important that you view venues first-hand before making a final decision, and we are delighted to offer you a Supported Site Inspection of any of the venues we include in your free venue proposals.

Once you have shortlisted your venue selection then the next step is to take a site visit.

Our supported site inspection service includes:

• Minimum 50% discount on accommodation and other hard costs (transfers)(Complimentary where possible)
• Complimentary local Host
• Hosted Dinner
• Onsite venue negotiation services

Checkout our site-inspection checklist to help you with your next site-inspection.

Long before the contemporary Carnival parties that are a common occurrence across the western world, the aristocrats of Europe held lavish balls. Modern balls and events can rarely compare to the lush balls organised in castles and palaces in the olden days. For those longing for some royal splendor, our friends in Culture.pl prepared a list with some of Poland’s most breath-taking ballrooms.

1. Krzyżtopór Palace, Ujazd

For ages now, no ball has been held here. Even though this ballroom solely exists in collective memory, it continues to stir the imagination of many. Krzyżtopór Palace is a humongous structure which was built by the Polish nobleman Krzysztof Ossoliński in the years 1620 – 1644. It was, supposedly, the biggest palace in Europe of its time. However, it did not enjoy its glory days for long –it was pillaged by the Swedes in 1657. By the mid-17th century, it was effectively a ruin. This notwithstanding, it continues to capture the imagination. Its exuberant interiors included a two-storey ballroom with an adjacent dining room. The latter, allegedly, had a huge fish tank for a ceiling, which meant that ornamental fish actually swam above the ball-goers heads!

2. Lubiąż Abbey

One wouldn’t commonly look for a lush ballroom in an abbey. The Prince’s Hall, however, was used as a venue for glamourous balls. It is one of Poland’s most precious Baroque landmarks. Built in the late 17th century, it is located in the northern part of the monastery complex; its interior decorating continued into the 18th century.

The abbey’s enormous ballroom is lusciously decorated and includes sculptures and reliefs by Franz Joseph Mangoldt. His figures of an African and an Indian flank the entryways, while Atlas holds up the music balcony. There are also sculptures of three Habsburg emperors, allegories of cardinal virtues, as well as personifications of Europe, Asia, America and Africa. The ballroom’s vault is decorated with a large format plafond (24×14 m), painted by Christian Bentum, depicting ‘the triumph of the Catholic faith over heresies and infidels’. The abundant iconography was designed by Konstanty Beyer and was meant to praise the Catholic faith and the Habsburg empire. Today, this magnificent ballroom is the venue for concerts, such as those during the international Wratislavia Cantans festival.

3. Malbork Castle

While gloomy Teutonic Knights may not have been keen on staging posh balls, they certainly had suitable venues for it. Suitable in size, architecture and décor. Take the Great Refectory, for instance, where the Knights hosted their guests. It was built in the 1330s, and its Gothic character has been preserved. It’s the biggest hall in the Malbork castle (its dimensions are: 15x30x9m), which 14 large arched windows. Its raw décor is topped by a spectacular palm vaulting held up by three slender columns.

4. Książ Castle, Wałbrzych

The third largest castle in Poland. Its history stretches all the way back to the 13thcentury. It was at the behest of the Bolko I The Strict, Prince of Świdnica and Jawor, that the castle was erected. It was the Hochberg family, however, who gave the edifice its distinctively Baroque character at the beginning of the 18th century. It was then that an extension was added to the complex. It houses Maximilian’s hall, one of the best preserved Baroque banquet rooms in Silesia

The marble fireplaces and crystal mirrors are not the only things that will take your breath away. The Greek mythology-inspired plafond was designed by Antoni Felix Scheffler, who was joined by a cohort of moulding, stone and marble experts to create it. Today, this huge two-storey ballroom is available for use for balls or weddings as Książ Castle is currently a hotel.

The Great Assembly Room might look familiar to a Polish eye, as very often important state celebrations, concerts and conferences are held here. Just imagine you are back in the 18th century at a lavish ball held under a plafond designed by Marcell Baciarelli, grand candelabras and surrounded by gold stucco. It was in this 321-square-metre ballroom that Poland’s King Stanisław August Poniatowski held numerous lavish parties. Designed in the late 17th century by Dominik Merlin and Johann Christian Kammsetzer, it was demolished during World War II and meticulously rebuilt after the war thanks to existing photographs of the castle.

6. Palace on the Isle, Warsaw

King Stanisław August Poniatowski is commonly remembered as an art lover, who organised countless parties to honour artists. Most of these events were organised in the king’s park estate, Łazienki (Royal Baths Park). The royal architect Johann Christian Kammsetzer turned a park pavilion into a neoclassicist palace. In 1778, a ceremonial ballroom was created in the palace. While the Royal Castle’s ballroom is richly decorated, its counterpart in Łazienki Park has a subtler décor, dominated by lighter colours. It is additionally adorned with faux-ancient sculptures and frescos by Bogumił Plersch. The ballroom’s biggest asset is its large windows, opening the space onto the surrounding park.

7. Łańcut Castle

When initially built between 1629 and 1642 by Stanisław Lubomirski, the Łańcut Castle was a palazzo in fortezza type of residence. It was in the 18th century, that the owner of the town, Izabela née Czartoryska, decided to strip the building of its fortifications and bastions and surrounded it with a garden complex. The interior design changed dramatically as well. It was at that time that a ballroom was added.

Today, it is considered as one of the most breathtaking ballrooms in Poland. It was designed by Chrystian Piotr Aigner, a prominent classicist architect. Its elaborate mouldings were designed by Fryderyk Bauman. The elegant forms of the antique-inspired architecture are complemented by his subtle stucco decorations and grand crystal chandeliers.

8. Machine Hall at EC1, Łódź

Looking for something a bit more modern? Fancy a ball in a factory? The monumental Machine Hall is the place for you! It’s part of the postindustrial cultural centre EC1 Łódź, which opened in a former CHP plant. The complex underwent a deep metamorphosis, turning from an old run down factory into a modern science centre (Centre for Science and Technology opened in January this year) and an important cultural spot (The National Centre for Film Culture and The Centre for Comic Books and Interactive Narrative are to be launched in the next few years).

There are also spaces in which one can organise a conference or a banquet. The biggest one, Machine Hall, boasts huge windows and staircases adorned with beautiful railings. And above all, it will charm you with its unique postindustrial atmosphere.

9. The International Conference Centre, Katowice

Gold-plated candelabras or crystal mirrors may not be everybody’s thing. Enthusiasts of more contemporary architecture should think of inviting their guests to a ball at The International Conference Centre in Katowice. Erected in 2015, this award-winning building, designed by JEMS Architekci, is a conference, congress and concert venue. Squeezed in next to the iconic Spodek, the modern complex houses various spaces, including a ballroom. It boasts a separate entrance, its own foyer and can fit approximately 1000 guests. Although its raw décor can’t compete with Baroque splendour, it will certainly appeal to modern architecture aficionados.

10. Wieliczka Salt Mine

We tend to hear the word ‘ballroom’ and instantly imagine posh balls in palaces or castles. Less obvious places, however, do have something to offer as well. Why not hold your grand ball underground?

The Wieliczka Salt Mine opened in the 13th century and, up until 2007, it was one of the world’s oldest salt mines in operation. In the 19th century, the Warsaw Chamber was opened after 20 thousand tons of salt were excavated there. The chamber is located 125 metres underground and is approximately 630 square metres large, with a ceiling that is 6,5 metres high – it can sit up to 700 guests.

A great venue for balls, weddings or banquets, it is available for rent for both companies and private parties. Bonus: although the chamber itself dates back to the 19th century, the Warsaw Chamber is equipped with cutting-edge technology.

Searching for an amazing venue does not have to be difficult. There are local experts who know where to find the most amazing ballroom or gala dinner venues. The team in venuespoland.com are experts in venue finding and can guarantee the best rates. Click here to have them find the perfect venue for your next event in Poland.