Customized Client-Branded Container Apps

Updated April 16, 2024

The Eventfinity Live app can be customized for clients and distributed as unique event apps. For Apple devices, the app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store. The event app will be downloaded on Android devices as a progressive web app (PWA) via the Chrome browser in most cases.  These custom-branded apps, known as container apps, are built on the Eventfinity Live app platform and have the same functionality and structure.

Getting Started - App Store Permissions and Upload Options

Developing, uploading, and releasing an iOS app requires several App Store permissions and Apple Developer certificates. 

See https://developer.apple.com/support/roles/ for more details

There are several options for Gramercy Tech to help our clients publish their custom branded app in their organization's Apple App Store. 

Option 1 – We handle everything from start to release

This option is preferred as it’s the easiest to configure and manage. You add us as a user with the appropriate permissions for the app(s) and we handle the rest.

Steps

1. Create a new user in your App Store Connect account
2. Set the role as App Manager
3. Allow access to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles
4. Allow access to Cloud Managed Distribution Certificates
5. Choose the appropriate app from the dropdown list.

Option 2 – Fastlane

For situations where policy prohibits providing us with any level of developer access, the final option is to use Fastlane (or a similar service) to resign/upload an app archive.IPA file that we send you. In addition to requiring you to manage the resigning process, you would also manage the app store details, submission, and release. 

More information on Fastlane can be found at https://fastlane.tools

Option 3 – We Sign, You Manage

This option allows us to create an app with a signing certificate, app provisioning profile, and Apple Push Notification .p12 file that you provide. We then send the archived app .IPA file to you and you upload the file and manage the app store upload, details, submission, and release.

Steps

1. Create a new user as detailed in option 1, but set the user role to ‘Developer’ and check the ‘Additional Resources’ options as needed.
2. Create an app signing/distribution certificate for the new user.
3. Create an Apple push notification .p12 file.
4. Verify that the app provisioning profile is active.

Requirements for app submission

Regardless of which option is chosen for, prior to submitting the app to the Apple App Store, the event must be designed and ready with all functionalities working correctly for the App Store reviewer.

• There should be no placeholder content for this reviewer’s attendee login
• There shouldn't be any buttons/links that do not work
• Product Page Description
  • Provide an engaging description that highlights the features and functionality of your app. The ideal description is a concise, informative paragraph followed by a short list of main features. Let potential users know what makes your app unique and why they’ll love it. The first sentence of your description is the most important as this is what users read without having to tap to read more.

Screenshots for the Product Page

• The client should provide 3-4 screenshots of both iPhone and IPad screenshots in the two required sizes below. To be clear, iPhone will need 3-4 screenshots, and iPad will need 3-4 screenshots. This is a total of 6 to 8 screenshots required.
• The client should provide 3-4 screenshots for Android devices in an Aspect ratio of 16:9 that are not smaller than 320 pixels wide.
• Do not include: Social Screen, pages with links or icons to app stores.
• Below are the minimum requirements and sizes for screenshots. These images should be provided to the client's App Store developer for the following display sizes:
  • iPhone 5 - 1242 x2208
  • iPhone display 6.7 - 1290 x 2796 pixels
  • iPad Pro 12.9 display - 2048 x 2732 pixels 
  • Android - Minimum dimension: 320 pixels wide up to a maximum of 3840 pixels, with an aspect ratio of 16:9  
• Recommended Screenshots: Homescreen, Agenda, Library Page with Graphics

App Image Requirements 

Home Screen Icon

The home screen icon will be the icon used to launch the app from the device's home screen. It will also appear in the Apple App Store listing. 

Event Logo

The event logo will be displayed on the login screen and on the top navigation bar between the home icon and the hamburger menu.

• The image size should be 950W x 450H pixels, with a high resolution, and saved for the web as a PNG
• The image should have a transparent background

Background-splash image

The background-splash image will display on the login page at app launch. It is different from the background image for the Eventfinity web view and will override web view login background images loaded into dashboard. 

To avoid overlap and images being cutoff, the background image should not contain text or logos that could conflict with the event logo that will appear on the login screen.

• iPhone 9 or below: 375W x 667H pixels
• iPhone X and above: 375W x 812H pixels
• Tablet (Landscape View): 1366W x 1024H pixels 
• Tablet (Portrait View): 1024W x 1366H pixels

All images should be high resolution and saved for web as a PNG be saved for web and under 1 MB in file size.

Transparent logo that gets placed on the splash background – must be a separate  image 950W x 450H	App Icon image 1024W x 1024H (square)
Tablet background-splash Tablet (Portrait View): 1024W x 1366H Tablet (Landscape View): 1366W x 1024H	Phone background-splash iPhone 9 or below: 375W x 667H iPhone X and above: 375W x 812H Android App: 360W x 640H pixels