Posted: 19th November 2011
You could be forgiven for thinking it was a Hollywood film premier last week when stylish London conference venue 41 Portland Place held a launch event for their new custom mobile app. Guests entered the building via a red carpet which had been laid to add a touch of glamour to the launch. Dramatic lighting within the building set the scene to build guests anticipation as they climbed the stairs to reach the room where the first mobile app for an events venue was about to be revealed.
The new custom mobile app for stylish London conference venue 41 Portland Place marks the dawn of a whole new event planning experience for busy agents and bookers eager to do their venue research and manage their event admin on the go. It’s set to transform the event delegate’s experience too. Incorporating seasonal menus, team contacts and historical venue facts, plus an interactive Google map plotting useful amenities near to 41 Portland Place, such as coffee shops, restaurants and pharmacies, the app really does take advantage of current technology trends. Wherever a client is in the UK, the app’s map tool is able to give directions by car, public transport or on foot, direct to 41 Portland Place, together with an estimated journey time.
During the course of the evening, staff gave personalised demonstrations of the new app to guests using ipads, iphones and android phones. Guests were also able to gain a detailed understanding of the app from an interactive presentation which highlighted how it will enhance the experience of both clients and delegates at 41 Portland Place.
Hannah Evans, events sales coordinator says: “We are delighted that 41 Portland Place is the first meetings, conference and events venue to create a mobile app that takes advantage of current technology trends and we were thrilled to celebrate this new USP with our guests. Everyone was impressed with how easy accessing information using the app is. The ‘My Event’ section was a real hit, event organisers were excited by the prospect of using this to help run their event and ensure guests are equipped with all the information they may need. Organisers were particularly impressed that this section could be used to store downloadable presentations.”
Natasha Etienne, special events organiser for leading medical research charity, Arthritis Research UK, says: “This is a great asset for event organisers, providing a simple way of getting information about our events direct to supporters’ mobile phones – all we need to do is to send the link to our attendees.”
The evening’s technological theme was carried through into the presentation of a host of tasty canapés, served on boxes bubbling with dry ice or under-lit with tiny LED lights. As guests left the event, goodie bags containing a freshly baked rosemary biscuit with an edible version of the venues bespoke QR code, were handed out allowing guests to download the app before enjoying another innovative taste of 41 Portland Place.
41 Portland Place’s free business app is now available through Android Market and Apple’s App Store. It can also be downloaded by scanning their branded QR code ensuring ease for event organisers to access room specifications and advice on the event types best suited to the venue.