Why Most Networking Apps Make Events Worse

Let’s start with a simple truth:

Most event apps make networking harder, not easier.

They get in the way, add friction, and shift focus from real human connection to screens full of “features” no one asked for. At best, they’re ignored. At worst, they actively annoy the very people your event is meant to serve.

Let’s break it down. 👇

1. The Real Product Is Networking 🤝

Business events — especially in-person talks + networking evenings — are built around one goal:

Get good people in a room, and let them meet.

Yes, there’s a speaker. Yes, there’s a topic. But ask anyone why they actually came, and 9 times out of 10 it’s the same answer:

“To meet people.”

The talk draws them in.

The networking is the product.

So when your event tech becomes a barrier to connection, you're not just annoying users — you're damaging the product.

2. Features ≠ Flow ❌📱

Let’s list a few “standard” networking app features:

• 🎤 Speaker bios
• 🗓️ Multi-tab schedules
• 🏆 Gamification and leaderboards
• 🗺️ Interactive venue maps
• 🤖 AI matchmaking
• 🔔 Push notifications
• 🛎️ “Time to rate the event!”

Now ask yourself:

How many of these help someone start a conversation with the right person, right now?

Most of these features look impressive in a sales pitch, but fall flat on the event floor. Why?

Because they:

• Take focus off the room
• Add setup time (passwords, profiles, onboarding screens)
• Don’t actually help attendees do what they came to do: connect

Meanwhile, the one thing they do need — a simple, fast way to see who’s in the room and say hello — is buried under five taps and a signup form.

It’s all noise.

3. Time Is a High-Stakes Resource 🕒

Here’s what most product teams don’t understand:

At a networking event, your window to connect with someone might be 60 seconds.

Maybe you just heard them ask a sharp question.

Maybe you bumped into them at the bar.

Maybe you spotted a company name on their badge.

That moment is everything.

And your app either helps it happen, or kills it.

Flow Killers in the Wild:

• “Hang on, I think I saw their name in the app… where’s the search?”
• “Wait, I need to log in again?”
• “It says I have to complete my profile first…”
• “Oh wow, it’s showing me people from yesterday’s event.”
• “This is slow. Forget it.”

And just like that, the moment is gone. 😶

4. People Avoid Clunky Apps (and That Hurts Your Event) 📉

Let’s be brutally honest:

If your event app feels like homework, people will avoid it.

They’ll rely on LinkedIn instead.

They’ll glance at badges and wing it.

They’ll miss people they wanted to meet.

And the worst part?

They won’t blame the app — they’ll blame the event.

Because to attendees, it’s all the same thing.

When your tech fails, it looks like your event failed.

5. “Engagement” Metrics Are a Trap 📊🪤

Event platforms love to talk about engagement. Clicks. Swipes. Messages. Profile views.

Here’s the problem:

Networking is not a screen activity.

People didn’t come here to click. They came to talk.

If your app gets high “engagement” but people are sitting on their phones instead of mingling, you’ve lost. You made a distraction, not a tool.

Real success =

• Faster intros
• Better matches
• More conversations
• More follow-ups after the event

That’s it. No dashboards required.

6. The Invisible App 🕶️

Now let’s flip it.

What if the app was invisible until useful?

What if instead of trying to “engage” attendees, it got out of their way?

What if it respected their time, their attention, and the reality of the room?

That’s what we built with the Progressive Event App™.

🎯 No logins
🎯 No profiles
🎯 No tabs, feeds, or gamification
🎯 Just a fast, searchable attendee list — and the ability to connect in seconds

It’s not clever. It’s not shiny. It’s useful.

Because when networking is the product, less isn’t just more — it’s survival.

7. What Actually Works at Events ✅

We’ve worked with dozens of operators running professional networking events across London — from 50-person roundtables to 300+ attendee open mixers.

Here’s what consistently works:

• A clean attendee list visible to everyone 👀
• Instant search by name, company, or role 🔍
• One-tap connection tools (no signup, no faff) ⚡
• Short session, long networking 🕺
• Clear signage and good acoustics 📢
• No in-app distractions 🚫

Every time we keep it simple, connection rates go up.

Every time someone tries to “enhance engagement” with more features, it backfires.

8. Let’s Stop Lying to Ourselves 💬

The event tech industry is full of fluff. Big platforms want you to believe you need a suite of features, because that’s how they charge you more.

But what do attendees need?

A clean way to know who’s here, and a frictionless way to connect.

That’s it. That’s the job.

So let’s stop pretending:

• People don’t want in-app networking games.
• People don’t want push notifications.
• People don’t want to “build a profile” the night before.
• People don’t want to be sold to while trying to talk.

They want tools that respect the room. Period.

9. Pay for Outcomes, Not Features 💷

Here’s our model:

£1 per attendee. Full stop.
You only pay when people show up.
You get the full power of PEA™, no gated features.
Because you’re not buying software. You’re buying better networking.

No per-feature pricing.

No upsells.

No jargon.

Just a clean tool that helps your attendees meet the right people, faster.

10. Recap: Why Most Apps Fail (and How to Fix It) 🔁

Final Thought: Attendees Paid to Be Here. Don’t Waste Their Time. 💡

Every minute of a networking event is precious.

The people in the room are professionals.

They’ve paid — with time, money, and attention — to be here.

Your job as an operator is to make connection easier, not flashier.

So next time you’re picking a networking app, ask one question:

Does this help people meet faster?

If not — bin it.

And give us a shout.

We built the Progressive Event App™ for one reason:

To make business events work the way they should.

No noise. No bloat. Just networking that works.