Mobile apps are redefining the way consumers experience events by putting information at attendees’ fingertips and enabling planners to instantly deliver schedules, updates, maps, rich media and more. However, to date mobile apps have primarily been available only to large-scale event organizers. But today, CrowdTorch, the groundbreaking consumer mobile apps division of event management technology leader Cvent, announces a powerful new platform that will empower planners of events of any size to easily, quickly and affordably create their own customized native apps.

The new CrowdTorch app platform makes it possible for an event or festival organizer to simply visit a website, follow a few simple steps and build a customized native app in a matter of hours – a process that has traditionally taken weeks of developer time and substantial resources. It is still widely believed that native apps for events offer an unrivaled attendee experience with which web-friendly apps of today cannot compete.

“We are opening up the native app market in a way that’s never been done before, democratizing the process and making apps more affordable than ever,” said Todd Rogers, co-founder of CrowdTorch. “Any event, festival, concert or fair that has several hundred people or more is a great candidate for a native app, and there are millions of events like this annually. Yet only a small percentage of events currently benefit from mobile apps. This new platform will change that dynamic.”

The new platform is built around a user-friendly, straightforward approach that requires no training or experience in app development – users simply log in and build their app by going through four easy steps:

1) Select features – build the menu for the app

2) Follow the dashboard to input the details like schedules, sponsors, maps, etc.

3) Customize the design – upload backgrounds, choose color palettes and more to design a unique app look and feel

4) Submit the App for approval to Google and Apple.

“Native apps help participants become even more deeply immersed and engaged in events and share their excitement with others through social media,” said Brian Ludwig, vice president of sales, Cvent. “We see an incredible growth opportunity by bringing native apps to organizers of virtually any kind of event or activity. These apps are fundamentally transforming the way organizers can drive engagement and an amazing attendee experience.”

CrowdTorch has created mobile apps to support a range of world-renowned events, including custom apps for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, the ESPN X Games, Insomniac Events' Electronic Daisy Carnival and the New Orleans Jazz Festival. With CrowdTorch and sister division CrowdCompass, the business event apps platform, Cvent is the worldwide leader in the mobile app sector with 700 apps developed and approximately 2.5 million branded apps downloaded to date.

About Cvent

Founded in 1999, Cvent is the world's largest meetings and event management technology company and has 1,100 employees worldwide. Cvent offers web-based software for online event registration, meeting site selection, event management, mobile apps for events, e-mail marketing and web surveys, and helps more than 10,000 clients in 90 countries manage hundreds of thousands of events, surveys and e-mail campaigns. The company has processed more than $2 billion in online payments and has managed over 30 million event registrations and survey responses for its clients. Cvent's client base includes more than 30 companies from the Fortune 100, as well as corporations from every major industry, associations, universities, and non-profit organizations. For more information, please visit www.cvent.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

About CrowdTorch

CrowdTorch is a leading provider of mobile applications for consumer and social events such as music festivals, sporting events, culinary events and community gatherings. Acquired by Cvent, the world’s largest meetings and event management technology company, in 2012, CrowdTorch has developed more than 200 mobile apps for high profile consumer events including the Kentucky Derby, the Orange Bowl, Toyota’s auto show and the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. Since 2009, their apps have been downloaded and accessed by more than 2 million users. To learn more about CrowdTorch, please visit www.crowdtorch.com.