Transforming Event Discovery with a Mobile-First Social Platform
A consolidated, mobile-first social networking event app that captures the full event lifecycle, enabling users to effortlessly discover, create, share, and experience real-life events on the go.
Client
Founders based in New York and San Francisco who identified a market gap for a simple, consolidated, mobile-first solution for event organization and social sharing.
Problem Statement
Event organization and discovery were fragmented, relied on cumbersome desktop tools, and lacked mobile engagement features to easily connect participants and allow them to share experiences in real-time.
Industry
Quick Summary
A US-based startup sought a technology partner to build a consolidated, mobile-first social networking solution centered around real-life events (e.g., weddings, marathons, concerts).
- Developed a native iOS application that captured the full event lifecycle, unifying features such as creation, invitation, navigation, and real-time sharing into a single, seamless solution.
- Addressed key business pain points by simplifying event organization while facilitating bonding among participants through in-app group messaging and media sharing.
- Launched the application iteratively, using an incremental development model to gather early feedback and ensure feature acceptance, establishing the app as the go-to solution for social life management.
Client Profile
The founders, based in New York and San Francisco, provide simple, smart solutions to organize events quickly via mobile, enabling participants to share experiences, and discover interesting events.
Challenges: Fragmentation and Cumbersome Tools
The existing landscape for event management was hindering user engagement and simplicity:
- Cumbersome Desktop Tools: Event organization had not transitioned effectively to mobile, forcing users to rely on tedious and time-consuming desktop software.
- Lack of Participant Engagement: Prevailing tools did not support bonding or real-time communication among event participants.
- Fragmented Discovery: Finding interesting events was difficult, as information was distributed across a web of disparate resources.
QBurst Solution: Native Mobile Event Lifecycle App
We developed a comprehensive native iOS mobile application that seamlessly manages the entire social event lifecycle from discovery to post-event sharing. The solution consolidated diverse features into a single, smart application, making it the "go-to app for everything in a person’s social life."
The application was built using a robust backend (Python/Django with Postgres Database) hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and utilized incremental development: an MVP was released first to gather feedback, followed by incremental feature releases.
Key Features:
- Event Creation & Invitation: Users can create events instantly via mobile and send invites via email, SMS, and in-app notifications to phone contacts and social media friends.
- Real-time Engagement: Facilitates real-time group messaging inside each event (using tools like Quickblox or similar services) and allows sharing of photos/videos within the event feed.
- Location & RSVP: Provides travel directions to event venues via Google Maps and supports event participation confirmation via RSVP.
- Social Discovery: Users can easily find events their friends are involved in and discover events they are passionate about.
Technical Highlights
The solution integrated several key technologies to deliver a fluid, socially connected experience:
- Native iOS Development: Used Objective C for optimal performance and user experience.
- Cloud Infrastructure: Leveraged AWS services, including Amazon CloudFront for fast content delivery (photos/videos).
- Social Integration: Integrated with Facebook for friend connectivity and invitations, and Instagram for photo sharing.
- Analytics and Tracking: Utilized tools like MixPanel, AppsFlyer, and Facebook App Events for comprehensive usage tracking and marketing attribution (Branch.io for deep linking).
Impact
The mobile solution successfully revolutionized how users manage their social lives around real-life events.
- Simplified Event Organization: Users moved away from desktop tools, organizing events effortlessly on the mobile within minutes.
- Enhanced Real-World Bonding: Real-time group messaging and photo/video sharing within the event allowed for stronger connection and bonding among participants.
- Improved Discovery: Users could easily discover and attend relevant events, increasing overall engagement.
- Consolidated Experience: The app served as a single consolidated solution, bringing together the entire event lifecycle (discovery, creation, connection, and sharing) into one place.
Client Profile
Challenges
QBurst Solution
Technical Highlights
Impact