Event App Development
Our event app development team builds apps for venues, organizers, and entertainment brands across Canada. From ticketing to registration and live event tools, we help event businesses sell tickets and run great events, without handing fees and data to a third-party platform.
- Fixed-scope quoteA written price and milestone plan before any work starts.
- From $4,999 CADTypical single-platform apps $5,000 to $12,000.
- You own the codeSource, designs and store accounts are yours.
- Reply within 24 hoursMon to Fri, Toronto time. Call +1 (365) 440-1786.
Who this is for
Event app development serves venues and promoters that want to own ticketing and customer data, conference and trade show organisers needing registration, agendas and networking, festivals handling large crowds with weak signal, sports and entertainment brands running loyalty and fan engagement, and associations with recurring member events. An event app is judged on the day, at the door, under load.
Apps we build for events
- Ticketing apps that sell and scan tickets
- Event apps with schedules, maps, and speaker info
- Registration apps for conferences and workshops
- Check-in apps with QR codes and badges
- Loyalty and membership apps for venues
- Live apps for polls, chat, and updates during events
Key features
- Ticket sales and secure payments
- QR codes and fast check-in
- Event schedules and personal agendas
- Push notifications for updates and reminders
- Attendee profiles and networking
- Promotions, email, and reporting
Systems we typically integrate with
- Ticketing and registration platforms, or a custom ticketing backend
- Payment providers with Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Access control scanners and badge printers
- Email and marketing platforms for campaigns and reminders
- Sponsor, exhibitor and lead retrieval tools
- Live streaming, polling and Q&A services
Integration access is confirmed during discovery, before we quote, because vendor onboarding often takes longer than the code. Our backend and API service covers the server side of these connections.
What discovery covers for an events project
The first week or so answers these questions, and the answers set the fixed-scope quote:
- Whether you sell tickets on your own or through a platform, and who owns the customer data
- Peak load: how many people arrive at the door in the busiest fifteen minutes
- Signal conditions at the venue and what must work offline
- What attendees need during the event: agenda, maps, networking, alerts
- Sponsor and exhibitor obligations the app must support
- Whether the app serves one event or a recurring series
Build custom or use an off-the-shelf tool?
Custom is not always the right answer. This is how we advise events clients in the first call:
| Need | Off-the-shelf is usually enough when | Custom makes sense when |
|---|---|---|
| Ticketing for occasional events | Ticketing platforms are hard to beat on cost and reach | Custom when fees, data ownership or brand make owning the channel worthwhile |
| Conference agenda and networking app | Event app platforms cover standard conferences | Custom when integration, branding or a recurring series justify it |
| Door check-in under load | Platform scanners handle typical volumes | Custom when offline scanning, multiple entrances and custom badge rules matter |
| Fan or member loyalty | Loyalty SaaS with limited event features | Custom when loyalty ties to tickets, merchandise and content |
Compliance and considerations
Event apps take payments and hold attendee information. Card payments should run through a tokenised provider so PCI DSS obligations stay with the processor, and marketing messages need CASL consent collected at purchase or registration. Some provinces regulate ticket sales and resale, including disclosure of fees and limits on resale practices, so your ticketing terms, fee display and refund policies should be confirmed by your business before launch and presented clearly in the app, which store review also expects. Attendee lists shared with sponsors or exhibitors need consent, and accessibility matters for venues and public events. We are developers, not your legal advisors, so we build to the requirements your business sets and document how the app meets them.
What drives the cost of an events app
Most apps we build land between $5,000 and $25,000, with complex platforms from about $25,000. These drivers decide where yours sits, far more than the screen count does. See our price sheet.
| Cost driver | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Ticketing and payments | Selling, transferring, refunding and scanning tickets reliably is the core engineering. |
| Offline check-in | Scanning without signal and syncing later needs careful design and venue testing. |
| Live features | Polls, chat, alerts and streaming under load need real-time infrastructure. |
| Multi-event support | Series, seasons and per-event configuration add admin tooling. |
| Sponsor tooling | Lead retrieval, sponsor placements and reporting add features and integrations. |
Timelines
- Focused first version. 6 to 10 weeks for an iOS and Android attendee app with agenda, tickets, check-in and alerts on an existing ticketing platform.
- Full platform. 3 to 6 months for own ticketing, live features, networking and multi-event admin.
What moves these ranges:
- A fixed event date, which sets the deadline regardless of scope
- Ticketing platform API access
- Venue testing time
- How quickly decisions and feedback come back each week
- Scope changes mid-build, which we quote before starting
Common mistakes we help you avoid
- Assuming venue Wi-Fi will hold up
- Launching the app a week before the event, so nobody installs it
- Fees and refund terms hidden until checkout
- No plan for the busiest fifteen minutes at the door
- Building a single-event app when you run a series
What a first version can look like
Illustrative example: an annual three-day industry conference wants to stop paying per-attendee platform fees and own its data. Version one is an attendee app with registration synced from the existing ticketing system, a personal agenda with push alerts for room changes, offline QR check-in at four entrances and a sponsor directory. Own ticket sales and attendee networking are phase two for the following year.
Why events companies choose us
- We design for real event pressure, so check-in and ticketing hold up on the day
- Experience with payments, ticketing, and live real-time features
- Security planned into the build from day one
- Fixed-scope quotes and milestone billing, so costs stay predictable
- You own all source code, designs, and documentation at handover
- Support plans that keep the app current as platforms change
See every industry we serve, compare project pricing, or read how a project runs before you send us a brief.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Yes. We build ticket sales with secure payment and fast QR check-in, so you own your ticketing instead of renting it.
We can build check-in to work offline and sync later, so a weak connection does not stop the door.
A focused first version is usually 6 to 10 weeks on iOS and Android, or 4 to 8 weeks on one platform. Larger builds run 3 to 6 months, delivered in phases.
It depends on scope. Tell us about your project and get a free, no-obligation quote for your actual requirements.
The main drivers are whether you own ticketing, offline check-in, live features and multi-event support. Most apps in this sector cost $8,000 to $25,000 with us, and builds with heavy integrations run $25,000 to $50,000+. You get a fixed-scope quote once those are decided.
For an attendee app on an existing ticketing platform, plan for at least three months before the event so the app is in the stores and promoted well before doors open. Own ticketing and live features need longer.
Free quote
Tell us about your app
A senior engineer reads your brief and replies within 24 hours with questions and a fixed-scope estimate. No obligation and no sales sequence.
- Written, fixed-scope quote before any work starts
- You own the code, designs and accounts
- Typical apps from $4,999 CAD
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