2012 Hallmark Gold Crown Retail Summit

The theme at the 2012 Hallmark Gold Crown Retail Summit in Las Vegas was "Get Connected," and as part of the event, all 600 attendees received new Apple iPads.

The three-day Summit featured the Hallmark Advantage Marketplace, 16 workshops and presentations hosted by subject matter experts within Hallmark and messages from Hallmark leaders.

The Retail Summit is sponsored by Hallmark every two years for its network of independent Gold Crown retailers

  • Mobile event app helped Hallmark achieve overall event objective,
    "Get Connected"

  • App provided a user-friendly, engaging solution that helped Hallmark retailers become comfortable with using a tablet computer

  • Custom features included a game that allowed attendees to earn points from engagement activities

  • App allowed event organizers to run
    a paperless event

  • By the end of the meeting, achieved 100 percent adoption rate of the app

Oftentimes, meeting themes have good intentions, but fall short of substance. They become decor or centerpieces of an event, and that's about it. But the 2012 Summit theme, Get Connected, was much more. Hallmark was determined to deliver a new Summit experience based on specific goals, which were designed to address and support the company's vision for the network and the realities of a competitive environment.

The connecting started with Hallmarkers creating a "brand experience" based on its core values and the need to embrace technology. One of the key objectives of the event was to help retail owners and managers get comfortable with technology and help them understand how new technologies will impact and benefit their businesses in the future. The company wanted this Summit's brand experience to inspire its retail leaders like Hallmark expects them to inspire their customers. The connection theme continued with the use of iPads, which were preloaded and preconfigured prior to the event.


To help with the inspiration, engagement and technology experience, Hallmark turned to QuickMobile to develop an iPad meeting app that would serve as a replacement for printed materials, as well as a registration, communication, networking and engagement tool.

Attendees registered online, and when they arrived at Retail Summit, they received an iPad containing their personalized event schedule. In addition to the essential features, such as Sessions Lists, Maps, Exhibitors and Surveys, the mobile application also included several unique features, including:

iPad Discovery Game

A custom built game that awarded points for activities throughout the app, such as messaging other attendees, uploading photos, checking-in to sessions, completing surveys, and downloading Hallmark Apps.

Two-Way Scheduling

Two-way scheduling was integrated with the Hallmark registration system. This allowed Hallmark to track attendance for all sessions, as well as create a personalized schedule for all attendees.

Recommended Apps Gallery

This allowed Hallmark to showcase their various App Store offerings to attendees.

Packaged PDFs

Packaged PDFs for the various exhibitors and sessions within the application allowed for immediate viewing.

The interface also supported adult learning principles, allowing attendees to open and follow all workshop presentations and take notes.

"QuickMobile's mobile app provided a user-friendly, engaging solution that not only provided the event information; it also helped them to grow comfortable with using a tablet computer," said Pat Jones, Senior Retail Trainer with Hallmark Cards, Inc. "Well over half of Hallmark's retailers had not used an iPad before Retail Summit. But within hours, most felt comfortable having at their fingertips their daily personalized agendas, the ability to take and organize personal notes, simple ways to send messages to other attendees, and easy access to breaking news from Hallmark."

Pat Jones
Senior Retail Trainer, Hallmark Cards


Significant challenges for large events such as this are the costs and environmental impacts involved with providing information and materials. The Retail Summit included more than 600 participants, and rather than printing materials, Hallmark and QuickMobile put all the information on the iPad app.

According to Hallmark, "going 'paperless' and using the iPad and meeting app was not a gimmick; rather a deliberate effort to embrace how they plan to do business in the future."

Central to Summit Success

All information regarding scheduling, sessions, speakers, exhibitors and the venue were available through the iPad app. The app helped attendees to learn about new technology and become comfortable with solutions that showcase the future of the retail business and trainining delivery. Finally, the app helped to engage attendees in all aspects of the event.

"By the end of the meeting, we had a 100 percent adoption rate, while app features, such as the Discovery Game and 'enter to wins' encouraged app use and increased the technology comfort level of attendees," said Jones. "The iPad and QuickMobile iPad app were central to the success of the meeting helping to inform, educate and engage attendees, and allowing us to achieve our overall event objective, 'Get Connected.'"

Pat Jones
Senior Retail Trainer, Hallmark Cards

The theme at the 2012 Hallmark Gold Crown Retail Summit in Las Vegas was "Get Connected," and as part of the event, all 600 attendees received new Apple iPads.

The three-day Summit featured the Hallmark Advantage Marketplace, 16 workshops and presentations hosted by subject matter experts within Hallmark and messages from Hallmark leaders.

The Retail Summit is sponsored by Hallmark every two years for its network of independent Gold Crown retailers

  • Mobile event app helped Hallmark achieve overall event objective, "Get Connected"

  • App provided a user-friendly, engaging solution that helped Hallmark retailers become comfortable with using a tablet computer

  • Custom features included a game that allowed attendees to earn points from engagement activities

  • App allowed event organizers to run a paperless event

  • By the end of the meeting, achieved 100 percent adoption rate of the app

"By the end of the meeting, we had a 100 percent adoption rate, while app features, such as the Discovery Game and 'enter to wins' encouraged app use and increased the technology comfort level of attendees," said Jones. "The iPad and QuickMobile iPad app were central to the success of the meeting helping to inform, educate and engage attendees, and allowing us to achieve our overall event objective, 'Get Connected.'"

Pat Jones
Senior Retail Trainer,
Hallmark Cards

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