Bizzabo has set the bar a bit higher with their easy to set up, cost-effective event app with a focus on social sharing and networking.

The basic app, which is free to event organizers and their attendees, has all the features organizers are looking for such as schedule, speaker bios, event information and maps. But its social engagement features and networking function are what keeps the attendees engaged.

The app is integrated with LinkedIn, so attendees need only connect to their LinkedIn account to create their networking profile. Bizzabo then makes recommendations on people to meet based on the information contained in the attendee’s LinkedIn profile.

Alon Alroy, co-founder and CMO of Bizzabo said, “Everyone has a LinkedIn profile; everyone has a smartphone. We connected the dots.”

The organizers of the Montana Economic Development Summit turned to Bizzabo this year to help their attendees of the tri-annual event network with one another.

Andy Gordon, technology team co-lead for the Summit, said, “This year was U.S. Sen. Max Baucus’s final summit while in office. They wanted to pull out all the stops on this one.”

Gordon and his team were charged with finding the appropriate technology for their tech-savvy audience and implementing that technology.

“They didn’t have to time for a custom developed app. They were looking for something to help with networking and we found Bizzabo. The pricing structure, flexibility and the sheer number of technical challenges that they addressed, we decided to go with them, and they performed flawlessly,” Gordon said.

Gordon added, “Our primary goal was a mobile tech piece that allowed for frictionless networking. The secondary goal was an event agenda and the ability to dynamically change that agenda if needed and to be able to use push notifications for any plan or venue changes. Bizzabo came through fantastically on both goals.”

Bizzabo is free of charge for all users, whether you’re an event organizer or an attendee. They currently offer premium packages for event organizers that include additional capabilities such as in-app sponsorship opportunities and exhibitor profiles.

Alroy said that, while their app can accommodate any size event, its sweet spot are events with 200 to 3,000 attendees.

As more events are added to the Bizzabo platform, Alroy says there are plans to have the app make recommendations of other events based on an attendees connection activity and based on events they’ve already attended.

“If we know you attended a tech related conference and some of your contacts are going to something that seems to be a match, a recommendation would be made. We’re working on that but far from where we’re aiming right now,” Alroy said.

Bizzabo is a privately held company that started in Israel and is backed by angel investors. The company now has offices in New York City.