What challenges were you experiencing prior to creating the IBA app?

Before the app, our efforts around IBA felt fragmented. Attorneys were scheduling meetings independently, which sometimes led to overlap or missed opportunities to coordinate. There wasn’t a clear, centralized view of who was meeting with whom, which firms we were engaging, or how those conversations were progressing.

We also lacked a consistent way to capture meeting notes and action items. Follow-up depended heavily on individual tracking, which made it harder to maintain momentum after the conference. We knew there had to be a better way to organize our efforts and maximize the value of attending IBA.

In previous years, much of this coordination relied on email threads, spreadsheets, and printed materials. We would prepare printed dossiers and reception invitations for attorneys to carry with them. Moving to an app meant replacing multiple documents and even physical printouts with one centralized, digital source of truth.

Why did you decide to use Fliplet?

We were also introduced to Fliplet after seeing how another law firm was using it for the IBA conference. That initial demo helped us visualize how the app could support our own attorneys’ coordination efforts.

We chose Fliplet because of its experience working with law firms facing similar challenges. It was clear they understood the legal industry and the need for secure, structured collaboration tools.

For our small marketing team, Fliplet offered an intuitive platform that allowed us to build, design, and deploy an app without needing developers. The flexibility of the platform, combined with the support we received along the way, made it realistic for us to take this on and execute it successfully.

Can you tell us about the IBA app?

The IBA app serves as a central hub for everything related to our firm’s presence at the conference. It gives our attorneys a comprehensive view of their individual schedules, our full team’s activity, and our signature reception that we host at the beginning of the IBA conference.

Attorneys can access detailed information about meetings with other firms, including background information and existing relationship data. They can view information about our reception, see who else is attending, and prepare strategically.

The app also allows users to take meeting notes, document insights about specific contacts, and access firm resources to support meaningful conversations. It brings coordination, preparation, and follow-up together in one streamlined place.

What are the key features you implemented?

One of the most impactful features is the personalized and team-wide scheduling view. Attorneys can see their own meetings as well as the broader team schedule, which provides helpful context and encourages collaboration.

We linked CRM data into meeting entries so attorneys could easily access existing relationship information before walking into a meeting. That preparation element has been incredibly valuable.

The note-taking functionality has also been a standout feature. Attorneys can submit structured meeting notes or add notes at the contact level. We implemented push notifications after meetings to remind attorneys to complete their notes while details are still fresh, helping us capture accurate and actionable information.

Together, these features support preparation, real-time coordination, and meaningful follow-up.

How much effort is involved in adding and maintaining content?

The level of effort largely depends on team size and the scope of content you want to include. For a smaller marketing team like ours, gathering and organizing information from attorneys requires thoughtful coordination.

That said, once the framework is built, maintaining and updating content becomes very manageable. The platform makes it easy to adjust schedules, upload new information, and refine content as plans evolve.

What feedback have you had from attorneys and staff using the app?

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Attorneys appreciated having everything in one place, especially during such a busy and fast-paced conference.

They found it helpful to see not only their own schedules but also where colleagues were engaged. That visibility created a stronger sense of team alignment and helped them stay organized throughout the week.

What testing did you complete before publishing the app?

For testing, we worked closely with one attorney who was a strong advocate for the app, as well as a few other tech-savvy attorneys. We walked through the app together - both in person and via calls - gathering real-time feedback.

Working with testers with varying degrees of technological proficiency also helped me refine usability before launch.

What results have you seen from the IBA app so far?

During the event, the app improved coordination and helped attorneys prepare more strategically for meetings. It also encouraged more consistent note capture, which is something we had struggled with previously.

After the conference, we were able to export consolidated data from a single source and import it into our CRM. That made post-event follow-up much more efficient and allowed us to track action items in a structured way.

Additionally, the monthly activity reports that we provide to the leaders of each of our country desks includes data that was captured in the app.

Attorneys used the app heavily during the conference itself, and the information continues to inform structured post-event reporting and follow-up tracking.

What are the main lessons you learned?

One major takeaway is that building an app is absolutely achievable, even for a small marketing team.

I also gained a deeper understanding of user experience design, especially how to build something intuitive for attorneys with varying levels of comfort with technology. Testing, refining navigation, and keeping the interface simple were key to adoption.

Another lesson was that the upfront effort pays off significantly. Once the core structure is in place, future versions become much more about iteration and improvement rather than heavy lifting.

How did you deploy the app and what was the experience like?

We deployed the app via both web app and the Apple App Store. Fliplet’s structured submission process made deployment much more approachable than I expected.

For someone without prior experience submitting to the App Store, the guidance and documentation were extremely helpful and streamlined what could otherwise feel like a complicated process.

During the conference, most attorneys primarily used the Apple App. However, some preferred using the web app when completing longer note forms on their laptops, demonstrating the value of offering both access methods.

What advice would you give to others publishing apps for events like this?

Start early and prioritize thorough data collection. The more complete your meeting and relationship information is upfront, the more powerful the app becomes.

I would also recommend involving a small group of attorneys in testing before launch. Sitting down in person with at least one attorney to walk through the app step by step was particularly valuable. Real-time reactions and feedback helped identify small refinements that made a big difference in usability.

What would you say to someone considering using Fliplet for their IBA or event app?

If you’re looking for a practical way to bring visibility and coordination to your event efforts, I would absolutely recommend it.

Fliplet makes it possible to create a tailored, professional app without needing technical expertise. It empowers marketing and business development teams to build solutions that directly support attorneys in the field.

What are your future plans for the IBA app and other event apps?

We plan to continue evolving the IBA app for future conferences, incorporating new features and refinements each year.

We are considering adapting the app framework for other major conferences and potentially for firm-hosted seminars, with a more focused version centered on attendee insights and targeted networking. Now that the foundation is built, replicating and tailoring the app for additional events will be significantly more efficient.