Event App vs Printed Programme: Which Is Right for Your Event?
The case for ditching the paper - and what to replace it with.
Common Ground
Insight
The UK events industry spends an estimated £47 million on printed programmes and signage every year. A large chunk of that ends up in a bin by Sunday afternoon. As mobile app adoption at festivals and expos continues to climb, more organisers are asking whether print still earns its place in the budget.
That brings the question: is a printed programme still worth it in 2025?
What does print do well?
Printed programmes have real advantages. They work without signal. They don't need a battery. Some attendees genuinely prefer them, especially at heritage events and older demographics. And for high-end events, a well-designed programme is a keepsake.
If your audience skews older or your event has a premium, tactile brand identity, print still has a role.
Where print falls short
The fundamental problem with a printed programme is that it's frozen at the moment it goes to press. A headliner pulls out Friday night. A stage time shifts. A sponsor drops. The programme is already in 8,000 people's hands and there's nothing you can do about it.
The other problem is cost. A run of 5,000 full-colour programmes can cost £3,000 to £6,000 depending on spec. That's before distribution, storage, or reprints.
What a mobile app does differently
A branded event app solves the core problem print can't: live updates. Change a stage time at 10pm and every attendee with the app sees it immediately. No reprint. No PA announcement. No confusion at the gate.
It also gives you a channel that outlasts the event. Push a notification about next year's dates to everyone who attended this year. That's not something a printed programme can do.
How much does the switch cost?
A native event app starts at around £1,999 — often less than a mid-size print run, and without the per-event reprint cost. Annual maintenance runs around £799 per year.
How to make the switch — 3 simple steps
Brief your app — share your schedule, branding, and sponsor details
Promote downloads — add a QR code and download prompt to your ticket confirmation emails
Retire the programme — or run a smaller keepsake print run for those who want it
What's the right answer?
For most modern festivals and expos, a mobile app is the better investment. It costs less at scale, it updates in real time, and it keeps working for you after the event closes.
Print isn't dead. But it probably shouldn't be your primary information channel in 2025.
