Event Management Software: What’s the Difference Between Apps and Integrations?

Event software plays a critical role in the management of your event and the ultimate impact of your strategy. But your event management software is only as effective as the apps and integrations it offers.

Unfortunately, not every event organizer has the best tools for the task — and not all solutions prioritize your success. Often, event managers must rely on disparate platforms for ticketing, CRM, email marketing, sponsor management, and more, which creates friction, opens the door for human error, and makes it challenging to see the bigger picture.

To bring everything together in one place with deep insight and transparency, you need to choose event management software that offers both apps and integrations. In fact, 20% of event marketers believe APIs and integrations will hold the greatest areas for improvement for event technology in the future.

Although many people use the words “app” and “integration” interchangeably, there are nuances that differentiate the two. This article will explain the differences between apps and integrations, why you need both, and how apps and integrations can help you work smarter — not harder.

Event Software Apps vs. Integrations

Although apps and integrations are very similar, it’s essential to understand the differences and how each can help you achieve event success.

“There are a lot of gray areas between integrations and apps,” explains Talia Wissner-Levy, product marketing manager at Bizzabo. “In general, apps are usually developed and maintained for the specific purpose of use within a specific piece of software.”

Whereas applications are developed and designed to live exclusively within a specific piece of software, integrations simply allow for seamless data transfer between two separate software applications.

“Think of it like this: A Google Maps app on your iPhone offers a much richer experience than a Google Maps integration embedded on a website,” Wissner-Levy said.

Integrations can shatter data silos at a high level and solve fragmented tools and processes by connecting separate software platforms for a seamless data transfer. For example, integrations can help you automatically route ticketing data directly into your CRM without any manual intervention required. Remember that integrations aren’t nearly as robust as apps, despite how helpful they can be.

The Benefits of Apps and Integrations for Event Management

The primary benefit of apps over integrations is that apps will naturally improve as the software its built upon updates and improves. On the other hand, integrations are developed external to your event software, which means that if updates or fixes are necessary, it’s up to the company that built the integration to complete updates or repairs. If integrations aren’t monitored or repaired promptly, it can create a frustrating experience.

When integrations and apps do work well, event organization becomes less stressful. From networking and accessibility to marketing to ticketing, apps and integrations can help organizers with the following:

• Streamline processes. You can work more efficiently and effectively when you don’t have to hop between different platforms. With more time on your hands, you can invest more energy in mission-critical tasks.
• Consolidate data. Apps and integrations enable event teams to consolidate data, reduce data-entry errors, and create a single source of truth that the whole team can access.
• Act on insights. With your data in one place, it becomes easier to identify what is working and what isn’t. With deeper insight, it becomes easier to prove ROI and Return on Event (ROE).
• Create meaningful moments. Apps and integrations give organizers choice and flexibility for how they’d like to curate attendee experiences and maximize engagement. For example, gamification apps can go a long way in creating powerful event experiences.

Bizzabo’s Approach to Apps and Integrations

At Bizzabo, we believe in the power of apps and integrations. Currently, we offer many integrations with tools teams like yours rely on every day:

• Integrations with Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and pixel integrations for all major social platforms to power attribution, campaign tracking, and data-driven decision-making
• Integrations with tools like Zapier and Slack to manage information and streamline communication
• Integrations with marketing automation and CRM platforms — Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot, and Eloqua — for personalized omnichannel marketing and customer journeys

In November 2021, we unveiled Bizzabo’s App Market, a storefront that enables Event Experience Leaders to browse and install best-in-class apps and bring memorable, immersive, and bespoke event visions to life with the help of vetted third-party apps and services. At the same time, the App Market also allows partners to tap into Bizzabo’s vibrant event community, extending the reach of their apps.

We can’t wait to see how our community of event professionals will leverage existing integrations alongside new apps to engage their audiences and extend their overall investment in Bizzabo.

Want to learn more about Bizzabo’s App Market and how we can help you create memorable event experiences and deliver more value to sponsors and attendees? Request a demo today to see our integrations and apps in action.