Introduction
It's day 9 of 100 days of no code and today I've been tasked with creating an app.
I used this as an opportunity to build the first draft of the attendee facing app fror Royal Vegas Retreat.
Let's jump in!
What is Royal Vegas Retreat?
Royal Vegas Retreat is a fashion networking event with a focus on Lolita fashion and other subcultures of Japanese alternative fashion. It's held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The inaugural event was held in 2021 and will return again in 2023.
The event focuses on connecting people who are interested in niche clothing and accessories with other like-minded individuals from around the world, as well as providing them with opportunities for collaboration or networking within their own communities. I worked with this event as a coordinator for their guest vendor room in 2021 (which was fantastic!) and I'm joining the team again in 2023 to focus on the user interface and data management at this event.
I wanted to create an application that would allow attendees to see, favorite, and register for events that they'd like to attend
I wanted to create an application that would improve the attendee experience before, during and afterwards. The application needed to be fast and easy-to-use from an attendee perspective. It also needed to be easy for the organizers of the event so they could quickly update it when there were changes in the schedule. I really want to lean into the networking aspect of this event by building social features designed to help attendees connect with and make friends.
Similar solutions
In the past, I have used Fan Guru, Eventee and Guidebook. In addition to being expensive, they are limited in their customization capabilities. They require manual syncing with event's internal records which makes it difficult to add new features or make changes later on down the road.
Current Features
The app currently allows users to
- Create a profile
- View and favorite list of events they'd like to attend
- Register for events that require an RSVP or have a limited number of spots available.
- View a list of recent announcements such as new guest announcements
- Comment on events and announcements
- Submit panels, meetups, and other event proposals for consideration
Future Features
I have a long list of features I'd like to implement in the future such as:
- Wait lists
- Virtual Queueing
- Custom automated text messages
- Integration with ticket sales and check in
- Implementation of QR codes and NFC chips
- Additional social features like messaging and friend requests
This was a great opportunity for us to showcase our ability to build powerful apps with custom backend solutions that scale.
This was a great opportunity for me to showcase my ability to quickly build powerful apps with custom backend solutions that scale. I was able to create an app that allowed attendees to use their mobile phones in order to save time at the event, check-in and meet up with friends, and find information about upcoming events.
Conclusion
When it comes to designing an app, there are many ways to approach the problem. We've learned that the best way to build a functional and beautiful app is through thoughtful design, user experience (UX), and performance optimization. I really look forward to reviewing this with the RVR team to determine how we can improve upon current solutions by providing more functionality without sacrificing simplicity or price point.