A failed attempt
Beachbody's annual Coach Summit is an interactive (and physically active!) event that offers Beachbody Coaches the chance to network with their peers, learn from industry experts, celebrate top-achieving Coaches, and workout with Beachbody Celebrity Trainers.
Planning this summit is no small feat. The Beachbody planning team has had their hands full creating a four-day event that involves guiding huge crowds, organising large-scale workouts, managing dozens of venues, and booking celebrity speakers. That's why they decided to get an event app. The planners were looking specifically for push notifications and content management features, so they found a basic provider who could serve as a testing model for their first app.
Attendees immediately embraced the new technology, but the app's capabilities were limited and the functionality at the event did not go as planned. "We went with an app provider that didn't execute onsite," Leah Green, Associate Director of Beachbody Global Events explains. "Content took too long to load, and push notifications didn't work. 24/7 at our event, we were on the phone with their support team."
Beachbody knew that it needed to find a mobile app partner who could deliver an amazing onsite experience, offer the advanced features and functionality it needed, and scale with the Coach Summit as it grew year after year. Their next Coach Summit was going to be the biggest and most complex event that Beachbody had ever done, and their attendees were expecting a functional app. They couldn't afford another technology roadblock – the event app had to be amazing.
Finding the perfect solution
After their experience with a less-than-functional mobile app, the Beachbody planning team knew exactly what they were looking for: push notifications, interactive maps and top-notch customer support.
When evaluating CrowdCompass, the planners took into account the cutting-edge technology behind every feature of the app. They were reassured that the push notifications were reliable and wouldn't let them down in an urgent situation. This meant they could consider outdoor venues without worrying about the weather. If disaster struck, they could quickly and safely redirect their tens of thousands of attendees. "With the push of a button, we can tell thousands of people what's going to change and what they should do," says Leah.
The ability to create interactive maps for dozens of venues was key during the app selection process. With CrowdCompass maps, attendees can zoom in and out, tap on pins for more information, and see links to full profiles of workout sessions and celebrity trainers.
Last but certainly not least was customer service. After their experience struggling with a non-functional app onsite, the Beachbody team wanted an app provider with responsive, skilled and professional-level support. They knew they had found what they were looking for when they learned that CrowdCompass offered award-winning customer service, around-the-clock support and a dedicated account manager.
A Recipe for App Success
Having a reliable mobile app solution empowered the Beachbody team to plan a more engaging, exciting and logistically complex event for their Coach Summit. "Every breakout session is like a mini event," explains Leah. "For our Super Workout, we shut down Broadway in Downtown Nashville, invited the public to join us, and had 20,000 people working out in the street with our celebrity trainers." They created interactive maps within the app for over 20 unique locations around the city. As the planners predicted, push notifications were invaluable at communicating last minute updates and location changes. "Using push messages with information on the where, why and when is a game changer," Leah emphasises.
Based on the feedback from the previous year, the Beachbody planners knew their attendees were more than ready to adopt a mobile app. But they didn't stop there. Instead, the planners made sure to have an aggressive and comprehensive app adoption strategy. First, they released the Coach Summit app at an incentive event for top coaches. This meant their first downloaders were coaches who were already high achievers and actively engaged in the brand. Second, they went to all 42 event hotels and put the app's QR code at their check-in counters and concierge desks. "Everywhere you go at Coach Summit, you see the QR code posted," Leah says.
Beachbody's unique independent distributor model relies heavily on recognising their coaches' achievements, and inspiring and motivating their community. By taking advantage of the flexible and fully customisable options of the CrowdCompass app, the planning team accomplished these vital business goals. The Beachbody Coach Summit app features special icons for the top 10 "Elite" Coaches, which acts as a powerful motivation for the Coach base and an exciting reward for the few who are featured. "We have Elite coaches posting their profiles to Facebook saying ‘I'm in an app!'," says Leah.
Achieving results
Immediate results? A 90% download rate. The planning team's ultimate goal of increasing visibility and creating another level of Coach recognition was achieved with more than 30,000 Coach profile views. Attendees were more organised and able to experience more of the event with the help of interactive maps for every location and frequent push notifications preparing them for the next activity. Just as important as the phenomenal adoption rates were the savings. The Beachbody planning team estimates that they saved at least $38,000 in printing costs on a single event! Printing costs aren't the only line item when planning an event this complex – the app has reduced planning time by 5 months.
When asked how CrowdCompass has helped the company, Leah explains, "Cost savings, time savings, tree savings! Our attendees love it, and it gets better and better and bigger and bigger every year. It makes for a much cleaner event for the planner and for the attendee."