2024 has been a monumental year for Grandstand Apps, marking a significant milestone in its history. With more clients, app users, and set of features than ever before, this year has set a new standard for the platform. As we reflect on the incredible progress, let’s dive into the numerous updates and enhancements that have helped shape this year’s success.
Grandstand Apps has achieved impressive growth in 2024. With the most clients and app users in its history, the platform has continued to build on its reputation as a trusted tool for event management. New large-attendee partners included Minnesota State Fair, Bumbershoot Music Festival, the JUNO Awards, the Kansas State Fair, and more! The year has also been defined by a substantial expansion in its offerings, with numerous releases adding new tools and functionalities that cater to a wide range of event organizers and participants.
As we look back on 2024, it’s incredible to see how much we’ve accomplished at Grandstand! Here’s a month-by-month look at our journey:
January: We kicked off the year with user-friendly enhancements to surveys and forms with a new dropdown menu option. Home page layouts also saw significant improvements, with auto-sizing for icon titles and better alignment and padding adjustments. These updates made the app more intuitive and visually appealing from the start.
February: February focused on customization and style. Users gained the ability to control row background colors and add dividers in side menus, creating a cleaner look. We also introduced auto-fit icon titles for icon-driven layouts, allowing text sizes to adjust dynamically for a polished and professional appearance.
March: This month brought major updates to rewards and coupons. Digital badges were introduced, enabling users to earn and display achievements without needing redemption options. We also added alternate text and images for locked and unlocked coupons, enhancing flexibility. Language tools expanded, including an English UK version with localized spelling and date formats. These updates made the app more engaging and accessible to a global audience.
April: The "NEAR ME" schedule feature was a game-changer, helping users locate events nearby in real time. This update provided precise, real-time information, making event discovery effortless. Additionally, app-wide background graphics were introduced, allowing brands to create a cohesive and immersive visual experience across all pages without sacrificing readability.
May: Creativity took the spotlight in May with the introduction of home page stickers. These allowed users to place graphics outside the grid system, offering new possibilities for social media icons, sponsor logos, or promotional banners. Geofenced in-app messages also expanded, enabling more targeted notifications based on a user’s location.
June: Accessibility improvements were at the forefront with TalkBack and VoiceOver support for home pages, ensuring inclusivity for visually impaired users. We also enhanced the coupon and reward system, adding website redemption links. This made it easier for users to claim promotions directly through their apps, creating a seamless journey from discovery to redemption.
July: We made maps more dynamic by integrating app user locations on graphical overlays. Admins could now set coordinates to pinpoint user locations, adding a layer of interactivity to events. Customizable sharing options for lists also debuted, allowing users to tailor shared content with titles, tags, and descriptions that best suited their needs.
August: Refinement and functionality were the focus this month. Full-screen hero images transformed home pages into stunning, immersive introductions to apps. Map pin toggling and schedule description searches provided greater control and usability. We also improved list layouts, giving users the option to hide titles and subtitles to highlight graphics or logos.
September: This month brought more style options for coupons and maps, including customizable backgrounds and border styles. Direct linking for list pages allowed admins to create dynamic landing pages, such as scavenger hunt links or pre-filtered schedules, enhancing the overall app navigation experience. Interior background refinements ensured every detail aligned with a brand’s aesthetic. In addition, Grandstand Admin style previews for app design changes launched, allowing admins to experiment with updates in real time before publishing. This tool enhanced clarity with detailed explanations of how changes affected specific app areas.
October: October saw the debut of custom-created map pins, allowing users to personalize maps with unique shapes, colors, and emojis. Spotify and SoundCloud playlist integration added a musical element to apps, while schedule pages introduced ratings and voting, streamlining user feedback. Restricting access to certain pages for logged-in users gave admins more control over content access. On the admin side, new layout options for Web Widgets arrived, featuring enhanced styles and a nearly-full-width popover layout for schedules and lists. These layouts showcased large photos for foods, bands, and more, creating visually engaging experiences that maintained functionality.
November: The Countdown Widget launched, adding a fun and engaging way to count down to events. With options to customize fonts, colors, size, and messages, the widget became a versatile feature for creating excitement. It could be placed anywhere on the home page, making it a flexible tool for event promotions. Web Widget previews were introduced in Grandstand Admin, allowing admins to view their widget layouts with live content before embedding them on websites. Whether using Javascript or iframe formats, this feature ensured widgets appeared as expected before going live.
December: We ended the year on a high note with the introduction of the Map Filter by Favorites feature. Users could now plan their day with ease by viewing all their favorite events, vendors, and activities in one place. The map functionality received a sleek upgrade, with improved filters and search capabilities. Multilingual support expanded with German, Italian, and Dutch, making the app accessible to an even wider audience. In-app alerts were also refined, ensuring users received version-specific notifications for a personalized experience.
Looking back, 2024 was a transformative year for Grandstand. Each update and feature brought us closer to our goal of creating seamless, personalized, and powerful app experiences. Here’s to an even more innovative 2025!
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