[1]QuickMobile [1], a supplier of mobile solutions for the meetings and events industry has closed a $2.3 million round of funding. The investment, a combination of debt and equity from angel investors, will be used to support new product development, innovation and to expand QuickMobile’s customer base internationally. QuickMobile is on pace in 2011 to record a 500 percent increase in bookings compared to 2010.
“We have seen exponential growth over the last year as meeting planners have moved away from traditional print-based media and adopted our mobile conference app to fully leverage the ubiquity and interactive capabilities of mobile devices,” said Patrick Payne, chief executive officer of QuickMobile. “As evidenced by our growth, both conference organizers and meeting attendees are looking for more efficient tools and environmentally friendly solutions to their static event program guides. Our apps are much more than simple replacements for the paperbound agenda, providing an unprecedented level of interactivity, connectivity and engagement while also dramatically reducing paper and printing.”
In the United States alone there are 1.8 million meetings per year with more than 205 million attendees. The size of the market and ever-increasing reliability on mobile technology, coupled with the fact that less than 10% of events use mobile applications, creates a major opportunity for QuickMobile.
Payne added, “The growing reliability on mobile devices and increased usage of social media is changing the way event planners and organizers use technology for managing their events. This new investment will help us capitalize on the growing market for mobile apps, allowing us to pursue and fund our aggressive growth strategy.”
QuickMobile’
Among the features available in QuickMobile’s custom applications are the following:
• Mobile sponsorship and advertising
• Integrated Social Networking – Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, FourSquare and others
• PUSH messaging
• Program guides or event schedules
• Personal scheduling
• Speaker and Attendees Lists
• Participant messaging
• City Guides
• Surveys, polling and real-time audience interaction
• mCommerce capabilities
• Personalization and privacy setting
• User-generated content such as Photo Gallery and speak-out boards
• Rich media – podcasts, videos and other content