One Tap. One Hand. One Drink.
That’s the UX benchmark.
If your attendees need both hands and a degree in UI just to find a name — start again.
They’re in heels. Holding a flute. Navigating a crowded floor.
They’re not trying to complete a product tour.
One tap. That’s it.
Anything more and you’re designing for yourself, not the room.
The Problem: Tech Built for Features, Not Floorplans
Most event apps look good in a demo.
Shiny features. Data dashboards. Click-through tours.
But step onto the floor of a black-tie launch or a private summit — they crumble.
Because the real user isn’t the organiser. It’s the woman trying to meet someone before her glass runs dry.
And she has one hand. Not two.
Most apps ask too much:
— Sign in again.
— Update your profile.
— Navigate a five-item menu just to find 'Attendees'.
You’re not onboarding a B2B customer.
You’re interrupting a live moment.
The floor doesn’t wait. The right tech shouldn’t either.
These apps are over-engineered and under-experienced. Built to tick checkboxes in sales meetings, not streamline movement on a crowded event floor. The disconnect is brutal. And avoidable.
It doesn’t matter how good your backend analytics are if no one uses the frontend. And no one will, if it feels like work.
An app that makes attendees feel like they’ve opened a dashboard, not a door, has failed. This isn’t a product showcase. It’s a social machine. And if the machine stutters — the moment dies.
Organisers don’t need more metrics. They need more momentum.
The Insight: Networking UX is Not Optional
Networking is the product.
It’s the reason attendees dress up, show up, and stay present.
And yet, most tech forces them to:
- Tap 4 times to find a contact
- Swipe through menus mid-conversation
- Wait for laggy load screens
- Scan QR codes at every door and badge
Attention is the most precious currency at an elite event.
If your app steals it, it’s in the wrong job.
Apps shouldn’t be destinations.
They should be directional. Instant. Barely noticeable.
A tool used, not experienced.
An interface that gets out of the way.
Because attendees don’t want an interface. They want information. Fast. Discreet. Precise.
Anything else is just noise in a tailored suit.
Most UX designers work from wireframes. At Presso, we work from wardrobes. We consider the clothing. The heels. The clutches. The glasses. We design for the ergonomics of real rooms — not perfect rectangles.
If you want someone to network, you give them speed. If you want them to stay, you give them ease.
The Instruction: Design for One-Handed Networking
This is what event tech should do — and nothing more:
- One-tap profile exchange
- Search that understands names, roles, and relevance
- Live proximity indicators (but not creepy)
- QR-based check-ins that feel like magic
- Push notifications that don’t interrupt — they instruct
And it must do this:
- Without onboarding
- Without buffering
- Without babysitting the user
The physical context matters:
Dim lighting. Loud music. Glass in one hand. Schedule in the other.
They’re not tapping through your wireframes.
If an app isn’t dead simple at full volume, low light, mid-conversation — it’s not event-ready.
It’s a prototype. And your floor isn’t a beta test.
Elite UX is subtraction. What can you remove without removing the result?
Keep one goal: help people meet faster.
Everything else is vanity metrics.
And remember — minimal doesn’t mean basic. It means refined. A single elegant touch that does exactly what’s needed, with no second guess.
If attendees hesitate, you’ve lost them. In elite circles, friction isn’t just frustrating. It’s offensive.
The Standards: UX Criteria That Actually Matter
Here’s your checklist:
- Latency under 300ms
- Navigation reachable with one thumb
- User flow no longer than 2 taps to connect
- Offline fallback for spotty signal
- Battery efficiency for full-day use
- Privacy respect with opt-in visibility
And one more thing:
Make sure it works with champagne in hand.
If you’re designing for the C-suite, design like it.
Time is not just money — it’s image. Delay is disrespect.
Function is table stakes. Fluency is the win. An app shouldn’t be impressive. It should be invisible — until the exact moment it’s needed.
The Invitation: Invisible Infrastructure, Not Just an App
Presso doesn’t sell software.
We build infrastructure.
Our Progressive Event Apps (PEAs) are designed backwards — from the floor up.
What can you reach with one thumb and one glass in hand? That’s the UX.
Networking is physical.
Your app should be invisible.
In our world, tech doesn’t perform. It serves.
It gets in, gets out, and gets results.
Because prestige isn’t about overbuilding.
It’s about building less, better.
The future of events is not more software. It’s better context.
UX is the new concierge. And the new concierge doesn’t talk. It gestures. Precisely. Once.
💥 If your app’s a chore, it doesn’t belong at an event.
So to sum up:
What makes a good event networking app?
Speed, simplicity, and one-handed access. The best apps don’t feel like apps — they feel like part of the room.
Why is user experience more important than features?
Because at elite events, attention is limited. Attendees won’t explore; they’ll skip. UX is not decoration — it’s the engine.
Can event apps really improve networking?
Absolutely. When designed right, they make connections instant and organic. No friction, no delay.
What is a Progressive Event App (PEA)?
It’s Presso’s custom-built digital infrastructure for high-end events — engineered for simplicity, designed for the floor.
Is Presso an app I can download?
No. Presso is not SaaS. It’s commissioned infrastructure. Built with you. Run by us.
How does Presso differ from standard event platforms?
We don’t hand over software. We build bespoke platforms and run them for you. Every line of code exists for your event. Nothing more.
Who is Presso for?
Top-tier event organisers who treat their floor like a flagship. Not a test case. Not a signup funnel. A statement.