About Illinois Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP): IAFP is a state chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians, representing medical school students, resident physicians, and family physicians across Illinois. Their mission is to support the family medicine community through conferences, continuing education opportunities, and advocacy.

We Spoke To: Ginnie Flynn, the Vice President of Communications and Member Engagement at IAFP.

The Challenge: Inefficient Event Communication

Before working with MobileUp, IAFP faced significant challenges in managing their regional conference, Family Medicine Midwest, which brings together several midwestern states.

Their Pain Points Included:

• Outdated Information: Printed conference guides quickly became obsolete as event details changed.
• Communication Inefficiency: This led to difficulty in relaying real-time updates about presentations and speakers to all attendees. This made it harder to allow for last-minute speakers.
• Trouble Reaching Members: There was a lack of effective communication channels with attendees outside of email, especially for their younger, mobile-friendly members. “They prefer to have everything in the palm of their hand, and like the convenience of a app over a website, which can be harder to navigate on a phone,” Flynn noted. Members were also used to having mobile apps at similar conferences. 

The Solution: A MobileUp Event App

Choosing MobileUp: IAFP selected MobileUp thanks to its seamless integration with their existing MemberClicks/Personify system. The integration capabilities were a crucial factor in their decision. With a small staff, adding an unrelated competing app option was not attractive. 

Getting Started: IAFP initially added the event app in 2018. Their planning committee was thrilled with the association’s decision to adopt a mobile app. Flynn also had great things to say about MobileUp’s proactivity with holding training sessions on new product launches and product features. She was pleasantly surprised when critical training videos were delivered straight to her inbox, without her ever having to go searching for them. This has helped her stay informed on all the innovations the brand offered. With their conference happening on an annual basis, she habitually reaches out to her MobileUp representative every year to ensure everything is on track with their app functionality. 

Going Year-Round: After the association’s board members saw another state chapter using a mobile app for members, IAFP decided to follow suit with an app for members to enjoy year-round. Since they already had the branded event app through MobileUp, adding member data to create a year-round solution was a natural extension of the app. The year-round app actively fosters communication and content-sharing with members.

The Impact of Having a MobileUp App

Enhanced Event Management: The app significantly improved IAFP’s ability to manage their annual conference, allowing for real-time updates on speakers, room changes, and other critical information.

Reduced Printing Costs: A reduced reliance on printed materials helped them stay environmentally conscious and reduce printing expenses. Not to mention, far less paper to bring  around and then ultimately gather up and recycle at the end of the events!

Real-Time Feedback: The app lets them send post-event surveys while attendees are on-site, getting immediate feedback on how the event may impact their medical practice.

Streamlined Check-In Process: The app has made the event check-in process much faster, with plans to implement QR code check-ins for real-time attendance data.

Resource Hub: The app allowed key resources to be conveniently assembled in one place for attendees, from WiFi instructions to restaurant suggestions, and all event-related information.

Key Features Utilized

• Push Notifications: Essential for immediate communication with attendees during events.
• In-App Updates: Keeps members informed about the latest industry and association news.

IAFP’s Message to Others Considering a MobileUp App: 

“The biggest thing is to detach yourself from print. Going all digital means you’re more flexible and adaptable. In this new meeting world, people are waiting until the last possible moment to attend. The more you can accommodate last-minute attendees, speakers, and sponsors, the easier everything will be for all involved.”

IAFP’s experience with MobileUp demonstrates how a well-implemented mobile app can transform event management and member communication for professional medical associations. By addressing key pain points in real-time information sharing and member engagement, MobileUp has helped IAFP’s small staff enhance its service delivery and strengthen member relationships, particularly with their younger, tech-savvy audience.

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