Why the download is the biggest obstacle
Every extra step between the invitation and the app loses attendees. With a native app the path is long: read the email, open the store, search the app, install it, open it, find the event, enter a code, create an account. People do it for an app they will use for years, much less for an event that lasts two days. Storage on phones is full, company phones block installs, and many attendees decide to look at the agenda on the website instead.
A web app removes most of that path. The invitation contains one link; one tap opens the app with the event already loaded. That is why networking only works when access is this simple: matchmaking is only as good as the number of attendees with a profile. More on this in how to get attendees to use the event app.
What is a progressive web app (PWA)?
A progressive web app is a website that behaves like an app. It opens in any modern mobile browser, can be added to the home screen with its own icon, opens full screen without the browser bar and can send push notifications. On iOS this works from Safari via "Add to Home Screen", on Android Chrome offers the install itself.
For an event, that means: one link for everyone, on iPhone, Android and desktop, always the current version, and no store approval before you go live.
PWA vs native event app compared
- Access: PWA via one link or QR code; native app via app store search and install.
- Platforms: PWA runs on iOS, Android and desktop from one build; native apps need separate iOS and Android builds.
- Updates: a PWA is always current; native apps depend on attendees installing updates.
- Branding: a white-label PWA carries your event name, logo and colours from day one; a branded native app needs its own store listing per event.
- Go-live: a PWA is live the moment you publish the event; a native app waits for store review.
- Push notifications: both support them; on iOS the PWA has to be added to the home screen first.
Native apps still make sense for products people use every day for years. For an event that lasts a few days, the trade-off clearly favours the web app.
How attendees join a Conferras event
- You share the event link or QR code: in the ticket confirmation, the pre-event email, on badges, slides or a poster at the entrance.
- Attendees open it on their phone. The app opens in the browser, already branded with your event.
- They create a short profile with role, goals and interests and can add the app to their home screen in two taps.
- From then on they see their matches, chat and book 1:1 meetings, and receive your announcements as push notifications.
There is no app store step and no Conferras branding in the way: attendees see your event, not ours. See how it looks in the live preview on the homepage.
Does a web app work offline at the venue?
Venue Wi-Fi is often overloaded. A PWA loads quickly over mobile data because it only fetches what changes, such as new messages, and keeps the app shell on the phone. Chat and meeting requests naturally need a connection to reach the other person. For crowded halls it is worth planning a dedicated Wi-Fi network for attendees, independent of which event app you use.