Tweet, Check-In, Repeat

August 23, 2012

Mobile technology will be ubiquitous during the 2012 DNC

There's An App for That!

Here’s a quick rundown of a few notable (and free!) apps created specifically for the political conventions:

App: Re:Con
Developed by: National Journal
Compatible with: iPad, iPhone
Key features: Provides up-to-date schedules for events, forums, and parties; breaking news from the convention floor; photos from the convention action; detailed city information for Tampa and Charlotte; and contact information for key personnel and campaign offices. Download here.

App: 2012 Convention Badges
Developed by: Time magazine and Foursquare
Compatible with: Android, Blackberry, iPad, iPhone, Windows Phone
Key features: Attendees of the RNC and the DNC will be able to unlock the Time-Foursquare badges upon check-in at the conventions and surrounding events, access a curated list of must-attend venues and events, and get convention tips from Time’s political reporting team. Plus, Time.com will broadcast updates from reporters, newsmakers, and VIPs as they check in on Foursquare. Download here.

App: Obama for America
Developed by: The Democratic Party
Compatible with: Android, iPad, iPhone
Key features: Helps supporters participate in the campaign on the ground by listing local phone banks and volunteer events; provides voting info; provides state-by-state, issue-by-issue information on the benefits of President Obama’s policies; and gives direct links to donate to the campaign. Download here.

Look for Charlotte to resemble Silicon Valley during the Democratic National Convention. Several big tech companies and social networks will have a visible presence in the city, with staffers on the ground, sponsored events, private parties, and online tools eating away at your data plans.

You’ve probably used Eventbrite.com for admission to conferences or concerts. Eventbrite claims to have been a portal to selling more than 65 million tickets since launching six years ago. It’s also a fave with the political set, and it has a dedicated staffer for each major political party.

“We’re called political event evangelists,” says David Glasgow of Eventbrite, who’ll be in Charlotte during the DNC.

While Billy Graham might call and ask for his evangelist title back, Glasgow has been assisting DNC organizers for months. “They’re using Eventbrite to organize political fundraisers and various campaign events … There are going to be many event organizers in Charlotte using our platform.”

And what would a convention experience be without Facebook? No word on whether “Zuck” himself will appear in Charlotte, but members of his team definitely will be.

“We’re working to bring Facebook’s unique ability to connect more than 160 million U.S. users to the convention experience in Tampa and Charlotte,” says Andrew Noyes, manager of public policy communications at Facebook. “This will include giving delegates and convention attendees easy ways to share what they’re doing, seeing, and hearing with family, friends, and others on Facebook.”

When Barack Obama was elected in 2008, Facebook had about 140 million worldwide users. Today that total is more than 950 million. —J. H.