“Longtime members were vocal about how helpful the app was.”
About the Massachusetts Council on Aging: The Massachusetts Councils on Aging (MCOA) supports local Councils on Aging and senior centers by providing training, resources, and advocacy that help communities deliver high quality services to older adults and their caregivers.
MobileUp Client for: 3 years
Events: 2 conferences annually (Attendance ranging from 350-700)
Who We Spoke To: Paula Hersey, Digital Communication & Website Manager for MCOA. After 20 years as a developer, Hersey possesses a deep well of knowledge in the technology space, which partially informed her selection of MobileUp.
The Challenge
MCOA was keenly aware they needed a stronger communication tool. Their conferences attract up to 700 attendees, along with speakers, volunteers, sponsors, 64 sessions, and a full vendor expo. Events ran up to 3 days, and communicating effectively became difficult. There was no concrete method to ensure attendees wouldn’t miss sessions and speeches, or that event updates would reliably reach them. They also struggled with attendee badges on the expo floor, which need to be easily scannable for the sake of lead capture and info exchange, but had experienced glitches.
Their old method, printed programs, was expensive and deeply inefficient. “Information changes as soon as it prints,” Hersey says. With this in mind, they began comparison shopping for a tech platform.
The Solution: A Flexible, Cost Effective Mobile App
After an MCOA team member attended a conference that used a mobile app, they were inspired to start looking for one of their own. They didn’t need to look far.
The team evaluated several event app companies based on three key criteria:
- Price point
- Contract flexibility
- Ease of deployment
On all 3 counts, MobileUp stood out. Hersey met directly with MobileUp CEO Tom DeBacco. “He was able to explain the platform so clearly, even for people without a technical background. That made a huge difference,” Hersey says.
“There were other competitors in the mix, but they couldn’t have come close to you guys.”
MobileUp furnished them with a branded mobile app that could be used for conferences and year-round member communication. With it, MCOA was able to centralize event updates, resources and schedules, making it easier for members to stay informed and engaged. Attendees were also able to build personalized schedules, receive real-time notifications about sessions, and connect directly with exhibitors and each other.
Onboarding & Customer Service
Hersey’s MobileUp rep was “with [her] every step of the way.” But support endures well past onboarding, as the app is often expanding with new capabilities. Hersey and her team regularly attend MobileUp webinars unpacking those new features, and add them to their roadmap for deployment. “Our rep was right there with us through new feature deployments.” In the event of any hiccups, attention came immediately.
MCOA was never left out to dry with tech questions or unresolved glitches.
Standout Feature – The Spreadsheet Upload Tool: A substantial benefit that came with their MobileUp app was the ability to upload information, like attendee data, via spreadsheets. “We’ve been doing an enormous amount of tech upgrades, and we have a new membership platform. All registration and billing is done through that system. We seamlessly bring that into MobileUp with a simple excel spreadsheet. Massive time savings compared to when we had to input all 72 workshops.”
Member Impact
The app deployment was a resounding success, and it’s now been used across multiple MCOA conferences, earning praise from members and exhibitors alike. MCOA even created videos instructing members on how to get the most out of the app.
“Some of our longtime members were vocal about how helpful the app was.”
Many associations know that introducing new tech can often breed apprehension; you never know whether members will take to it. But with MobileUp, adoption and satisfaction are high – and members go out of their way to say so.
Wow Moment – Real Community: The council sometimes holds evening networking events. On occasion, the app’s newsfeed explodes with photos and conversations from these events, deepening a sense of true member community. Thanks to well-designed newsfeed and messaging functions, the app can feel more “social” in nature, helping members network and forge connections.
Wow Moment – Web Interface: MobileUp is not only an app; they make the entire platform available in a desktop/web view as well. “This has been so useful for members who were apprehensive about the app.” The web view also doubles as their official event page, saving them time in that respect.
MCOA’s Message to Other Associations:
“Many associations face a fear of newness or time commitments. But once an application like MobileUp is in place, the time saved is enormous. It’s normal to have reservations about whether members will adopt, but if you have a good marketing plan for the app, and can show the need and the benefit, members will use it. The time savings alone can mean hundreds to thousands of dollars saved. No more inputting endless data, so you can move that time to more important things.”
Ready to Get Your Own MobileUp App?
MobileUp helped this association do more with less.
They just needed a partner that understood associations, and delivered.
Want to see what MobileUp could do for your events and membership? Let’s chat. It all starts with a brief demo. Or simply reach out with any questions you have, and we’ll get them answered. It starts by clicking below to request a demo or learn more.
