How CREA boosted app engagement by nearly 100% using AITL

CREA X AITL

CREA Achieves a 99% Increase in App Engagement Since 2024 with AITL

Introduction

PAC Days 2025 marked the 40th anniversary of the Canadian Real Estate Association’s (CREA) annual Political Action Committee event, an especially fitting year to modernize the attendee experience. Held October 26–28 in Ottawa, the event brought together REALTORS® from across Canada to meet with Members of Parliament, discuss housing policy, and advocate for solutions to Canada’s missing-middle housing crisis.

This year’s event stood out not only for its national significance, but also for its digital transformation. CREA partnered with All In The Loop (AITL) to deliver a fully integrated event app that dramatically elevated engagement. Compared to the previous year, app engagement nearly doubled, information page usage increased almost fourfold and attendees saved 88% more sessions, clear indicators that the new app had become the central hub for the PAC Days experience.

Event app highlights

The PAC Days 2025 app served as the single source of truth for attendees, merging schedules, documents, alerts, and engagement tools into one intuitive platform. It was clear that participants were relying heavily on the app to navigate the event.

Real-time notifications kept attendees updated instantly, and the integrated feedback and polling tools created a continuous, two-way communication flow throughout the event. Rather than juggling printouts, PDFs and emails, everything attendees needed was available directly on their devices.

Attendees saved sessions raised by

88%

The challenge

CREA’s event team is no stranger to managing complex national gatherings, but the reliance on printed materials and fragmented digital solutions made it difficult to ensure consistency and clarity. The team wanted a cleaner, faster, and more accessible way to deliver updates, distribute documents, and engage attendees.

Their goal was to:

Reduce reliance on printed programs

Ensure real-time communication

Capture immediate attendee feedback

Simplify navigation during a high-stakes, fast-moving event

Although the user wasn’t directly managing the event, they supported the planning team, led by Joelle, ensuring seamless coordination and a smooth attendee experience.

Partnering with AITL

CREA selected AITL for their expertise in custom-built event platforms, agile development, and responsive client support.

The experience was outstanding, honestly the best solution we’ve tried.
The level of customization was impressive, the support was constant, and the team was incredibly agile throughout the process.

From onboarding to deployment, AITL collaborated closely with CREA to tailor the app’s layout, branding, and interactive features. The result was an experience that felt purpose-built for this specific event, not a generic template.

Designing the Perfect App

The app was designed to match the professional tone of PAC Days while making navigation effortless. Key resources—such as the agenda, speaker details, and policy documents, were front and center, minimizing the time attendees spent searching for what they needed.

Dynamic elements such as feedback forms and live polls encouraged participation, contributing to measurable improvements. For example, information page views reached 733, compared to fewer than 200 the year before, showing that attendees were actively using the app as their primary reference point.

Even exhibitor engagement improved: while fewer exhibitors participated this year, average interactions per exhibitor increased by 33%, demonstrating a rise in quality engagement.

Key app features

Interactive agenda

Attendees could view and personalize their schedules, contributing to an 88% increase in saved sessions year-over-year.

Push notifications

Instant updates ensured smooth transitions between sessions and helped maintain a consistent flow throughout the event.

Feedback & polling tools

CREA captured real-time insights, far faster and more efficiently than traditional post-event surveys.

Document access

All policy briefs, handouts, and materials were centralized, reducing confusion and eliminating redundant emails.

Analytics dashboard

AITL’s analytics allowed CREA to measure what resonated with attendees. For example, ad banner clicks surged 204% year-over-year, giving sponsors significantly increased visibility and demonstrating strong ROI.

The most useful features were definitely the agenda and notifications. The feedback and polling tools made it easy to hear from attendees right away, and the analytics helped measure engagement after the event.

Results & feedback

PAC Days 2025 delivered one of CREA’s most streamlined, data-rich, and participant-focused events to date. The app not only centralized communications but significantly strengthened engagement across the board:

App engagement nearly doubled vs. the previous year

Saved sessions increased by 88%, showing more intentional attendee planning

Exhibitor engagement rose 33% per profile, despite fewer exhibitors

Ad clicks increased by 204%, benefiting sponsors and partners

Information pages saw nearly four times more views, confirming the app as the primary information hub

App adoption remained strong, maintaining a high 74–76% participation rate

Together, these results confirm the success of CREA’s investment in All In The Loop’s platform and underscore the impact of modernizing the attendee experience.