Firstly I want to clear up some apparent confusion.

A mobile website is not an app, it is a mobile website. If you need to enter a url into your mobile browser and save the bookmark to your home screen this is not an app, it is a mobile website. If you enter in a url and are taken to an app store then this is an app. It may not be a truly native app (may be hybrid) but it is an app. Anything that you do not download via an app store is not an app. It is a mobile website and it is important not to confuse the two.

HTML5 web sites, Hybrid web apps and Native Event Apps I also want to demystify. A truly native app is native application or program that has been developed for use on a particular platform or device. Because native apps are written for a specific platform, they can interact with and take advantage of operating system features and other software that is typically installed on that platform. We define hybrid HTML5 apps as a web app, primarily built using HTML5 and JavaScript, that is then wrapped inside a thin native container that provides access to native platform features. Apps such as Fabebook are Hybrid web apps.

HTML5 for web development has been described as the cure for device fragmentation, and is liked by developers for its use of familiar programming languages such as HTML, javascript and CSS. It is interesting to note that Facebook, for example, shunned native mobile apps for years, instead betting fully on HTML5. But last September at TechCrunch’s Disrupt conference, Mark Zuckerberg announced that "betting completely on HTML5 is one of the, if not the biggest strategic mistake we’ve made".

What went wrong?

To be clear, HTML5 has certain limits and shortcomings. The implementation of HTML5 is far from uniform. It varies from browser to browser and from mobile platform to mobile platform. This widespread "technology fragmentation" makes it difficult for software developers to know which part of HTML5 they can use. HTML5 apps can also be afflicted by slowness and often work erratically when a data connection isn’t available or is intermittent.

Other shortcomings of HTML5 in comparison to native applications include the fact that it presently lacks the DRM (Digital Rights Management) needed for many multimedia services, does not support background processing, and is missing secure storage and notifications outside of applications. Finally, HTML5, by itself, does not provide apps with the native look and feel that users may expect. These disappointing aspects of the technology have led some well-known companies to reduce their usage of HTML5.

It turns out that HTML5 is not yet a mature enough set of web standards to fully deliver on its promises. Missing APIs, weaker UI compared to native apps and difficulty routing ads onto HTML5 sites can add up to make it feel like an inferior product. Zuckerberg added that "it’s not that HTML5 is bad. I’m actually, on long-term, really excited about it" – but right now, the platform isn’t mature enough to replace the native app. Even if performance and UI improve in HTML5, developing and upcoming features such as augmented reality and NFC, will first be exploited by native apps, maintaining a feature gap.

You might even find this article interesting:

Why LinkedIn dumped HTML5 & went native for its mobile apps
Read more at http://venturebeat.com/2013/04/17/linkedin-mobile-web-breakup/

For my money, and obviously Facebook and LinkedIn, native is the only way to go.

All interesting points to consider when planning your mobile event app strategy.

Mobile development is a constantly moving target. Every six months, there’s a new mobile operating system, with unique features only accessible with native APIs. The containers bring those to hybrid apps soon thereafter, with the web making tremendous leaps every few years. Based on current technology I will sum those up in the following table:

I know at first glance the cost of native app development may seem high but when you compare the cost of deploying an app with more traditional methods of content delivery they are really on par. A lot of final programs that are designed and printed cost clients in the vicinity of $5-10K for design and print alone (volume and event dependent of course). Native app costs sit squarely in the middle of this. When you also factor in that apps, if launched early enough, present a more targeted communication tool than email marketing you are also saving hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in your marketing efforts.

In addition to these costs savings native event apps also provide a lot of opportunities for your clients to generate show revenue via the app through sponsorship and advertising sales. Securing an overall app sponsors alone should more than cover the cost of deployment. You can also add silver level sponsors and sell advertising space to exhibitors and local accommodation, restaurants etc. I have written an article on this topic which may help you see things differently: http://blog.invisage.net/?p=664

In general most of our clients generate between $15-35K of additional revenue via the app by utilising the tools mentioned above so there is really no reason why people should shy away on price. I often find, when I did a little deeper, that it is not price but lack of knowledge as to how well the app will work for them that is the main objection. Price is just an easy out.