No backend cost is a benefit for you, not for your users.
Walking around with your phone out with an app open is inconvenient and a distraction, and a battery drain. Downloading a special app just for this is already too much friction unless the event requires it or the benefit is very tangible. But in most people’s minds, the benefit would be very hypothetical, and you need to get nearly everyone at the event to do it for anyone to continue to try to do it, I think. I don’t see how it’s going to work, other than at conferences where the attendees are perhaps already interested in this exact problem space and find it interesting to try.
well it benefits the users if the backend never goes down!
And in this case, it can't by definition of not existing.
I think it depends a lot on the event. I would do all this at a 222.place after party if it placed me into buckets with the people I'm looking to meet.
Walking around with your phone out with an app open is inconvenient and a distraction, and a battery drain. Downloading a special app just for this is already too much friction unless the event requires it or the benefit is very tangible. But in most people’s minds, the benefit would be very hypothetical, and you need to get nearly everyone at the event to do it for anyone to continue to try to do it, I think. I don’t see how it’s going to work, other than at conferences where the attendees are perhaps already interested in this exact problem space and find it interesting to try.