About Amplify

Amplify simplifies event organizing for large-scale events like concerts, sports games, and festivals by building tailored applications that streamline event management and deliver a seamless experience for both organizers and attendees. Amplify apps support every step of the event journey, from the creation of event websites, to ticket sales and payments, to on-site event planning and attendee navigation.

Clear maps and detailed navigation is a vital part of ensuring a great attendee experience, especially for multi-day events that cover a large area. Amplify is a leader in using highly detailed custom 3D maps to make their event maps visually appealing and intuitive to use.

When the Boomtown festival decided to create an app with an interactive map for their expansive five-day camping festival, they partnered with Amplify to create a memorable and unique 3D map experience.

Extensive 3D rendering can quickly hurt app performance

Large-scale events often feature a wide range of services and entertainment options that vary by day and time, with some locations serving multiple purposes throughout the event. Amplify needed a map platform that would give them the design flexibility to ensure that maps remain clear and intuitive to use, even with numerous layers of dynamic information.

The types of buildings and structures at events can also cause challenges when building a 3D landscape, with many irregularly shaped or circular objects, which required an extensive number of connecting points. While testing different 3D rendering tools, the Amplify team found that representing structures like event stages was often unsatisfactory if the tool only supported using solid, single colors without strokes, gradients, or special effects. 

External tools for 3D rendering can also quickly make maps slow and hurt app performance, which immediately reduces user engagement.

Mapbox Standard enables advanced, yet lightweight 3D maps 

The map design team at Amplify had previous experience building with Mapbox and knew what was possible with the latest 3D mapping technology. Timing for the Boomtown festival app was serendipitous, corresponding with the launch of the new Mapbox Standard map style, which is designed with 3D map rendering at its core.

The Amplify team was delighted by the features of the Mapbox Standard style, combined with the rendering performance of the latest Mapbox Mobile Maps SDKs. Together, they enabled Amplify to integrate custom 3D models seamlessly into their map, without needing to use additional external tools for 3D rendering. The maps remained lightweight, loading quickly and smoothly even after adding extensive custom models. Additionally, the ability to toggle 3D buildings on or off helped maintain visual consistency and clarity.

Mapbox Standard also allows Amplify to highlight and illuminate 3D shapes in ways that external tools could not support. The freedom of the 3D styling enabled the design of realistic structures that captured the vibrant atmosphere of the festival. The dynamic lighting model, complete with presets for different times of day, added an extra layer of realism with effects like stage lighting or lanterns illuminating forest paths. These customization options made maps more visually appealing and more engaging for users.

Enhanced festival experience for both attendees and vendors 

The Boomtown festival app mirrors the physical design and layout of objects with stunning accuracy, immersing attendees in the festival environment. This precision not only enhances the attendee experience but also simplifies navigation, making it easier to find favorite artists or the tastiest burgers.

The enhanced maps also significantly boost engagement. By making interactive zones and food stations stand out in the bustling festival atmosphere, the Amplify app increased customer traffic to these areas by 350% at the Boomtown festival. This increased visibility created more opportunities for attendees to experience the festival's unique features and drove higher revenue.

Mapbox provides the foundation for leading-edge 3D maps 

The 3D visualization capabilities of the Mapbox Mobile Maps SDKs and Mapbox Standard map style equip Amplify to deliver unique visual map experiences that seamlessly blends reality with the digital world, even for complex large-scale events. A visually stunning 3D map helps guests easily locate and connect with the festival's offerings, while vendors benefit from increased visibility and foot traffic. 

Building with the latest Mapbox features helps Amplify to push the boundaries of map realism and design, while preserving optimal app performance. With support from Mapbox, Amplify was able to quickly adopt and maximize their use of the latest Mapbox features to deliver impressive and rewarding results to the Boomtown festival and other clients. By making it easier for the Amplify team to bring to life the maps that they envisioned, Mapbox supports Amplify to continue leading the industry for interactive event map experiences.