Hundreds of presentations, dozens of parallel sessions, and hundreds of participants all wanting to create their own personalized schedules. In the past, this meant piles of paper, weeks of preparation, and hardly any room for last-minute changes for the Leiden Congress Bureau. Until they switched to Networkapp in 2017. What started as a search for the right event app grew into a long-term collaboration full of customization, smart innovations and, above all, time savings.
“In 2017, we organized a conference that wanted to go paperless,” says Marit from By ease, the PCO of the Leiden Congress Bureau. “Before that, we printed full programs, including short descriptions of hundreds of presentations and speakers. Everything had to be designed and printed weeks in advance, which meant we had no flexibility when something changed.”
The need for a more efficient and sustainable solution was clear. Marit and her colleagues explored the world of event apps and compared several providers. “We had specific requirements, especially because we organize many scientific conferences. In the end, Networkapp really stood out for us—not only because of its functionalities, but also because of the personal contact and their ability to think along with us.”
One of the first custom features Networkapp developed for the Leiden Congress Bureau had everything to do with their specific audience. “At scientific conferences, we often have parallel sessions where multiple presentations are grouped into one block,” Marit explains. “The idea is that participants attend the entire session, without switching midway. So in the app, we wanted it set up in such a way that when someone selects the first presentation, the entire block is automatically added to their personal schedule. Michiel from Networkapp built that for us, and it worked perfectly.”
Participants themselves also contribute to improvements to the app. “We got feedback asking if it was possible to make a shortlist of sessions first. Sometimes there are thirty presentations at the same time, and people just want to browse first. That’s when Networkapp developed the favorites functionality, allowing participants to easily make their selections. We’re really happy with that.”
For organizers, the user-friendliness of the app is a major advantage. “You really don’t need to be an IT wizard to set it up clearly and beautifully,” Marit says. “We organize many recurring conferences, and it’s super convenient that we can just copy a previous edition. The foundation is already there, and we only need to adjust the variables. That saves us a lot of time.”
The Leiden Congress Bureau uses Eventure, a registration system and abstract management tool. The integration with Networkapp is essential for them. “If anything changes in the abstract system—like a speaker dropping out or a title being updated—it’s automatically reflected in the app. That prevents errors and saves duplicate work.”
Direct communication is essential during an event. “If a speaker falls ill or public transport is disrupted due to strikes, we can send push notifications through the app to quickly inform everyone of program changes. The chat feature is also very accessible for participants. They can easily ask questions or report lost items through the app. That direct contact is really valuable.”
Since 2017, a lot has changed—except the collaboration between By ease, the PCO of the Leiden Congress Bureau, and Networkapp. “We really enjoy working with Networkapp, especially with Michiel,” Marit concludes. “He understands what we need and actually makes it happen. That’s worth its weight in gold.”