#TechTuesday: SummitSync

#TechTuesday highlights the best and brightest ideas in the tech world. ABCey would like to recognize these up and coming technologies for their innovative ideas and impact on the event world!

Networking is an essential part of the business world. When it comes to events, meetings and conferences, networking helps to develop meaningful relationships and connections that can unlock future business opportunities. However, when at a conference with thousands of attendees, finding those connections can sometimes be nerve-racking and just flat-out awkward. SummitSync is the solution to that problem. Like Tinder for conference apps, it brings the fun and excitement back into networking, making it more efficient and easy.

How it works.

First you sign up with your LinkedIn account.

Then you can choose which conference you are attending and in which city.

Once you have your selected conference, you can scroll through profiles of event attendees.

Swipe right if interested or left (not interested).

And just so swipe lefts don’t get too awkward, the app only allows you to connect with attendees that reciprocate your interest.

Once a connection is made, you can then message through the app and plan a time to meet at the actual conference.

SummitSync is transforming the way conference attendees engage; making it easier to discover and develop valuable business relationships. Gone are the days of countless handshakes accompanied by awkward and forgettable conversations. Instead, build those relationships beforehand and spend less conference time worrying about making the right connections and more time engaging in the actual conference.

Planning on using SummitSync before you attend your next conference? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter!

3 Event Networking Apps to Upgrade Your Experience

Over 40 million Americans attend a convention, trade show, or a conference each year. For the attendee, one of the greatest benefits of a business conference is the unlimited access to networking. This is an excellent way to create lasting business relationships, while maximizing on career opportunities and potential. However, in an ocean full of people, how are you supposed to network with the RIGHT ones and how do you sustain these relationships? In the year of tech, there is always a solution, and this solution can be found right at your fingerprints. These 3 networking apps are the greatest new addition to your cellular device and your networking career!

1. SUMMITSYNC

For all of our LinkedIn readers you will be very pleased, SummitSync utilizes your LinkedIn login as it’s backbone to connect you to your conference. Once you’re logged in, select your conference and merely swipe left or right across the attendee list to connect with fellow participants who you are interested in networking with. Once a mutual connection is made you are offered a platform of capabilities like in-house messaging, email accessibility, and calendaring tools! Enterprise customer relationship management (CRM) tools also become available and ensure company productivity by recording clientele data to optimize interactions. Oh, and once April hits Google maps and location services will be accessible with the app to cover all grounds!

2. CAMCARD

For all of our earth friendly readers, this is the app for you! There’s no longer a need to bring 20+ business cards to your next networking event when CamCard is just a click a way. Allow CamCard to store your business card so you can go paperless to events while you virtually exchange information at your next meeting, trade show, and/or seminar. Contact cards are quickly and easily stored into the database and provide management efficiency with features like notes, reminders, quick searches, tagging and sharing, and most importantly productivity. Enjoy the convenience of accessing this information anytime and anywhere with iCloud on all of your database platforms.

3. CHARLIE

While attempting to impress a prospective business relation or employer, you may have competition with the 3 other individuals who are just as prepared and just as interested. However, what your competitors may not have is Charlie, which literally will put you two steps ahead of the game. The Charlie app provides virtual insight prior to any interaction that will enable you to make a lasting impression. Forgot you scheduled a meeting in the midst of the weekend? No worries. This app understands the hectic agenda of a professional and will send you email reminders with pertinent research to ensure you’re fully prepared to present yourself to the best of your ability. Charlie ensures that you’re maximizing all possible opportunities, without you even having to ask!

Which one of these networking apps will you be using at your upcoming conference this year? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!

Startup Monday: Slack

Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on or have worked with in the past & would like to share with friends and followers of ABCey Events!

When it comes to the workplace, collaborating in a team is the norm. Although extremely beneficial, it requires continuous back and forth dialogue which can sometimes get a little hectic and disorganized when having to communicate through multiple online platforms. We’re all about efficiency and productivity here at ABCey, so today we’re highlighting Slack, a messenger app that is sure to improve your team communication, making it more simple and more efficient.

Channels:

Team Conversations are organized into Channels. You can create different channels for specific departments, groups or conversations. Public channels are open for all members of the team, allowing them to pop in at any time and join the conversation. Private channels are for confidential projects that can be viewed by invitation only.

Direct messages:

Need to communicate to someone directly? Use the direct message function to send private and secure messages.

File Sharing:

Working on an event proposal or drafting a contract? Documents, images, pdfs, spreadsheets can be uploaded into a particular channel and team members can view the document and make comments on it.

App Integration:

Need to access your twitter feed? You can streamline the tools and systems you already use by plugging app notifications into particular channels.

Search and Archive:

Everything in Slack is archived. You can search for specific conversations or even content within a particular document that was shared on a channel.

Device Syncing:

Sync the desktop app with your mobile phone and you’ll always be connected to the conversation.

Slack is the perfect platform to organize your team communication and increase daily productivity. Planning on using this amazing app for your team? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!

TechTuesday: The 9th Annual Crunchies Awards!

#TechTuesday highlights the best and brightest ideas in the tech world. ABCey would like to recognize these up and coming technologies for their innovative ideas and impact on the event world!

The 9th Annual Crunchies are here and just in time for #TechTuesday! For those of you that aren’t familiar, The Tech Crunchie Awards are the tech world’s equivalent to The Oscars. This award ceremony will take place this upcoming Monday, February 8th, 2016, and it will recognize the greatest technological innovations this past year has seen! ABCey has highlighted the top 5 best new tech startups for this weeks #TechTuesday! Congratulations to all of the nominees!

1. EAZE

The Eaze app is a quick and professional medical marijuana delivery service that has partnered with legally permitted dispensaries to provide patients with lab tested medication that is delivered fast and efficiently. Medication ranges from flowers, edibles, concentrates, and more!

WHY WE LOVE IT: Eaze utilizes it’s advanced technology to automatically assign drivers once the order is complete, so that your delivery is as sufficient as 10-20 minutes after purchase! Not to mention, their dispensaries are open earlier and later than most to provide their users with the most efficient convenience!

2. HONOR

For your loved ones that need extra care, Honor is the app for you! This app is centered around family and comfort, and it supplies the best & most skilled caregivers to your family’s home, while giving you the convenience of scheduling and monitoring their care from virtually anywhere! Caregivers can assist with meal prep/groceries, transportation, check in visits, personal care/hygiene, and the list goes on!

WHY WE LOVE IT: Not looking for a commitment? With Honor Care there are no long term contracts, and care can be scheduled by the hour, and paid by the hour! As well, this app does all of the work for you! The stress of screening and interviewing will be left in the hands of Honor for your convenience.

3. JET

Jet’s free membership does not come with a price, but more so with a savings! Literally, this app has created a marketplace that enables users to watch every dollar being spent, and provides smart choices and options to get the most for your money. Home goods, automative supplies, and even groceries- this app has made shopping simple and convenient!

WHY WE LOVE IT: Who doesn’t love saving money while spending money? One of the many perks of shopping with this app is JetCash! Jet customers that want to switch it up and shop from a different store just need to skim through the Jet Anywhere Retailers list and find the brand of their choice. The money spent at these websites will go towards your next JetCash purchase, all you need to do is forward your confirmation email of purchase to anywhere@jet.com!

4. OPERATOR

We’re past the days of dialing zero to get some assistance! This free messaging app is the equivalent of a personal shopper. Operator is available 24/7 and provides quick and helpful responses to meet users needs! For all of the men that are struggling to find their loved one something special for Valentine’s Day, look no further! Their staff will be glad to assist you and match you with the perfect gift!

WHY WE LOVE IT: From your local store to an exotic country, regardless of the location delivery is made to be easy! With the in-app tracking, Operator’s systems monitor your order around the clock and provide estimated delivery times and shipping updates for your convenience!

5. ROBINHOOD

Commission fees can be aggravating especially when you’re already dabbling with the buying and selling of stocks! The Robinhood app recognized this and created a stock brokerage that offers commission free trading for all of its users! Sounds too good to be true? Robinhood has raised $66 million from several different outlets so that they can make their predominant focus on building lasting experiences for you versus the short-term profits!

WHY WE LOVE IT: Robinhood’s Card feature provides guests with updates that cover basic account information, such as pending and completed transfers, but it also highlights movements within the stock industry! Top News Cards will deliver breaking news in regards to the financial market, while Top Mover Cards will showcase the biggest gains and/or losses on your watch list and in the S&P 500.

This is definitely a tough race! Who do you think will be The Best New Startup of 2016 at this year’s Tech Crunchies? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Monday: Gone|Selling on Demand

Out with the old and in with the new! To start the new year off right, we want to help you lead a more productive life by tackling one unproductive nuisance: clutter.

Our living and working spaces are constantly full of so much junk and clutter. We tend to accumulate more stuff than we need, buying more and getting rid of less. Oftentimes, we either let the clutter continue to pile up or we resort to donating everything. Figuring out the how and where to sell our items is such a hassle and with our busy lives, we just don’t have the time. Today, we’re highlighting Gone, a startup that will resale, recycle and upcycle all of your old junk.

Gone is a concierge service that makes selling your unwanted items a whole lot easier. They manage all the logistics of the entire selling process so that you don’t have to and they unsure that all of your items get sold for the best possible value.

HOW IT WORKS:

Once you decide what items you wish to sell, you can either upload a pic into the app or through a text message. Gone will then pick up the items at the location of your choice.

After inspecting the items, Gone will set a selling price and list it for sale within 1-5 business days. In order to get the best bang for your buck, they analyze transactions from around the world in order to determine the proper market prices. The marketplace that they use to sell the items depends on the demand and average price for said item.

After your items are packaged, Gone will contact buyer, negotiate a deal and ship your items. You are able to monitor this entire process within the app!

PAYMENT:

Gone makes the payment process easy by allowing you to choose from several options: check, PayPal or Amazon Gift Card. After they deduct costs for preparing items for sale (inspection, pricing, postage and packing materials), they charge a commission of 7%-15% depending on the demand of the item. You’ll then receive payment within one to several weeks of sale.

If, for whatever reason, your items don’t sell within 90 days, they’ll either send the items back to you or extend the selling period for another 90 days. When needed, Gone can arrange a tax write-off for donations and even recycled items.

We love how Gone has revolutionized online selling, helping to make your life easier, clutter-free, and more productive.

Thinking about using this service the next time you have items that need to be sold? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

#TECHTUESDAY: SKIDDLE- Weekend’s Matter

#TechTuesday highlights the best and brightest ideas in the tech world. ABCey would like to recognize these up and coming technologies for their innovative ideas and impact on the event world!

“A small fish in a big pond” is how any person can feel living in a large city, especially San Francisco! The “Things to do” lists extends for miles, but still some remain unaware of the events and excitement occurring a few steps from their door. Skiddle recognized this detachment and brought a resolution with their Weekends Matter app! Before we even go into the deets, this event library includes more than 100,000 events at any given time! Combining that stealthy number with the additional features, it’s no question why this app is featured on this week’s #TechTuesday!

It’s a Friday night and there’s nothing to do- until you open up your Skiddle app and find all of the events occurring within your location! Events range from anything as large as a music festival to something as simple as an art exhibit. The beauty of this app is that it identifies with all interests, which is why it has such an extensive gallery. Don’t feel like scrolling through an entire archive? That’s okay! You can search events by date, location, category, what’s trending, and even Skiddle’s recommendations!

Every once in awhile there’s an event that’s so good it requires you to pack your things for a few days and explore a new territory! However, planning the housing and transportation can be a little strenuous especially when it’s a group. If you’re looking for simplicity, Skiddle has a search feature to scope out the nearest hotels to your event venue. Still confused on how you’ll get to the actual event? If you’re looking for a lift, Skiddle is integrated with the Uber app (first ride is free for the newbies!) or if you’re within walking distance and choose to sightsee it offers directions to your event location!

Looking for some new music to listen to? This app has access to music clips via Spotify to give you a taste of an artist before purchasing any tickets! Once you find your new favorite artist, you can track them and receive alerts when new events are announced. When your event is finally available and you’re ready to purchase tickets, don’t worry! There are no booking fees with this app and ticket delivery is instantaneous!

Why we love Skiddle Weekend’s Matter: Learning new things is what keeps us young! This progressive app introduces users to a range of events that extends beyond their regular “going out” vocabulary. Discovering new music is as easy as a click, which can inevitably lead to a random night on the town to experience something different! It’s exciting to see how many avenues and options are literally at the tip of our fingers, and how simplistic it’s been made for our convenience. This database was made for enjoyment and that statement is clear with the ease of it’s accessibility!

So, where are you headed next? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

Top 3 Tech Trends for 2016

Who’s ready to kick off the New Year? As we say goodbye to 2015, and move forward into 2016, there’s a few technological developments that are just too good to leave behind! These trends are taking huge strides in not only the tech world, but the event planning industry!

ABCey explored 3 of the Top Tech Trends for this upcoming year! From planning to entertainment, these trends have been proven to be extremely beneficial for a successful event!

1) AFFECTIVA

Want to know what your guests are thinking? Affectiva has analyzed over 3.5 million faces to match expressions with emotions. This software has app capabilities that enable it to analyze an audience’s interest and reactions to give the host better insight on the crowd’s engagement level. Their online demo gives you an idea of how it works!

2) GEORAMA

Not enough hours in the day? No problem! Georama has made it easy for event planners to find anything from an event venue to entertainment- no car required! These live virtual tours can take place from something as small as your phone with two way audio capabilities so all questions can be addressed. Not to mention, these tours are access code friendly, which provides the luxury of privacy!

3) OCULUS RIFT

As we dive deeper into the 2000’s we can expect our technological development to expand with us. Live experience interaction is no longer a foreign topic when it comes to events. Trends like Oculus Rift, allow educational conferences to become less boring and more interactive! What was once a conference room could now be an exotic land, and this tech device can be utilized for training and simulation purposes to create a more “real world” experience.

We can’t wait to see what the future holds for event planning. What trends do you like the best? Let us know in the comments below or find us on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Monday: Misfit

Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on, or have worked with in the past and would like to share with the friends and followers of ABCey Events.

Working events can easily double as a daily workout with the amount of running around it takes! Thankfully with the sleek, fashionable and subtle fitness tracking wear MISFIT offers, you can finally keep tabs on your fitness and look professional while doing it.

The product itself is a work of genius with its durability and design. It is made from aircraft grade aluminum with an LED display, and is water resistant. But, the most amazing thing about it is no charging ever! In a world where most modern tech is still tied down with countless wires and battery’s, this is something ABCey can get behind.

MISFIT specializes in wearable watches, jewelry, and even apparel that is so subtle no one will ever know it’s a fitness tracker. These items boast of the newest in fitness tech! Here are some MISFIT app features that make it so great:

1. Tracks your steps, calories, and distance.

2. Monitors your sleep pattern.

3. Makes meal planning easy with food journal.

Another thing we love about MISFIT is the unique styles and designs that they offer. Our favorite is the Swarovski Shine collection that features a clear crystal face with a complimenting detailed wrap band that make it the perfect nighttime event accessory.

Get your own stylish fitness tracker here at MISFIT. What’s your favorite design? How and where would you wear the unique MISFIT technology? Let us know in the comments below or message us on Facebook or Twitter!

Startup Monday: Bannerman

Bannerman is an events service that allows businesses to book security guards on demand. With on-call security guards (trained to arrest, control crowds, and take action in an emergency) your event is sure to flow smoothly. Bannerman allows help within 30 minutes of a request and guarantees trust and safety as their main priority!

With the Bannerman app, booking is made easy in 3 steps. Simply type in the date and time of your needed service, select the number of guards, and place the location of your event.

At ABCey we love Bannerman because of their awesome features! Flat hourly rates are provided through the app so there is never a question on how much your security will cost. Free online signup and 24/7 customer service help cater to an event’s specific needs. In addition, background checks are available for businesses to ease the stress on booking the right guard!

The struggle to find security for your business conference or personal party is no more. With Bannerman, booking a reliable security guard for your event is fast and easy! Now available for download on the App Store. What do you think about this startup? Let us know with a comment or message us on Facebook or Twitter!

5 Apps to Ease Meal Planning

Whether you’re hosting a small get-together, big celebration, or just a night in, decisions about food can be difficult to make. Not to worry, we have a great list of apps to ease meal planning! From recipes, to restaurant suggestion,s to food delivery apps we’ve got you covered! We’re excited to try EatWith and their private chefs for our next dinner party!

1. ChefsFeed

ChefsFeed is the inside connection to the best dishes and food culture. They offers chefs a platform to engage with guests, featuring reviews from more than 1,000 chefs in 24 cities. Who doesn’t want the inside scoop from the chefs themselves? Users can read up to date reviews on food and restaurant reviews, check out chefs recommendations and search for reviews by chef, dish, cuisine or keywords.

2. Grubhub

GrubHub is an online and mobile food ordering company dedicated to connecting hungry diners with local takeout restaurants. You can order directly from approximately 35,000 takeout restaurants in more than 900 U.S. cities and London. If your hosting a get together, but don’t feel like cooking, just order in. With Grubhub, food for everyone is just a click away!

3. EatWith

EatWith is a community marketplace offering authentic dining experiences in people’s homes in over 150 cities around the world. Through EatWith guests can not only connect with amazing hosts, and enjoy delicious homemade cuisine, but you can also hire a chef for your very own custom private event! You team up with a chef to create an intimate event and personalized menu your guests will not forget!

4. Yummly

Yummly is the ultimate kitchen tool and recipe discovery app that combines beautiful pictures with recipes from around the web to make it easier for you cook, eat and share. You can filter recipes by the ingredients you have on hand, create different recipe boxes, and build shopping lists for the week based on the recipes you choose. It’s perfect if you’re hosting a dinner party and plan to cook!

5. Evernote Food

Evernote is a great event planning tool we often talk about to stay organized, but there is also food version? Whether you’re organizing recipes, looking for a good place to eat, or just want to lifelog meals, Evernote Food is an ideal companion app. You can save recipes from the web just like Evernote, and so much more!

What food apps do you use? Let us know with a comments below or message us on Facebook and Twitter!