Tag: Event Apps
ABCey Presents: Top 5 Event Planning Apps
Smart phone apps have become increasingly beneficial, especially in the event planning industry. There are many apps available now that can help event profs become more efficient in their day-to-day tasks. Here are ABCey’s Top 5 Event Planning Apps that are crucial for staying up to date on all the latest event trends!
1. Super Planner
This useful app is a great business application tool for the professional event planner, including calculators for venue capacity, staffing, catering, staging, projection and dance floor, as well as useful tips. ($9.99)
2. Boomset
Boomset focuses on event registration. Easily check attendees in with their QR scanner. Event organizers can also use this event app to print badges, or create wristbands. It also has integrations with other event management platforms so that event registration is as painless for organizers as possible. (FREE app)
3. myParties
“myParties” is simple and extremely easy-to-use event planner app. It lets you organize your party with utmost convenience. You can schedule times, make invitations and have the much-needed control of the bills. (FREE app)
4. Social Tables
Social Tables is a super efficient check-in tool. It provides a fast, professional and secure alternative to Excel or paper event guest lists. Their web-based app also makes 2D or 3D diagramming and seating charts easier. (FREE app, monthly service pricing)
5. Monefy
Monefy aims to remove all the clutter from tracking expenses. It allows you to view graphs, export data, and sync to Dropbox. The app makes it easy to manage all of your event expenses in one place. Event planning is an on-the-go job, having an app like this is a godsend. ($0.99)
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What event planning apps do you use? Have you tried any of these apps? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook & Twitter pages!
Sources: Social Tables, Bizzabo, iGeeksBlog, Ticketbud
#TechTuesday:10 Tech Tools For Your Meetings Or Events
#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! In today’s #TechTuesday, we present to you some of the best new Tech Tools for your meetings and events!
Tech has seen some pretty cool changes and improvements this year, and now it’s time to change up your tech tools so that you can produce better meetings and events. At ABCey, we have compiled 10 of our favorite apps and services that will keep you up to speed with all of the latest tech trends!
10 New Tech Tools That You Can’t Beat
1. Asana
Asana is a great overall web and mobile app for event professionals and others! You can track your progress from start to finish and stay on task! Team members will know exactly what needs to be done, and when it needs to be done. Not to mention, this app supports any collaboration and is free for teams of up to 15 people!
2. Meetoo
Got a huge conference coming up? That’s not the least of your troubles. Imagine the difficulty of when you’re trying to collect hundreds or even thousands of responses. Now that’s troublesome! Well, what better way to get that information than through Meetoo. Meetoo allows for real time messaging as well as live polling to get the information you need in the blink of an eye! Start your free trial today!
3. Hootsuite
You’ve got the schedule posts down for Facebook, but what about Twitter and other social media websites? With Hootsuite, you can manage your social media in the best way! Schedule ahead and leave it to Hootsuite to post and share information for you! After all, you can’t be on social media all the time.
4. HeyTell
Imagine a walkie talkie, but on your phone! That’s exactly what HeyTell is, except more modernized! You can add friends and know who you’re talking to. And to talk, simply hold and speak. “This is ABCey Events! Over.”
5. Super Planner
Have no fear! Super Planner is here! If you’ve got an iPhone, then go on ahead and download this business app. This app is great for event planners with a wide variety of tools to help with food and beverages, A/V, and venue capacities!
6. Pro Party Planner
Get all your planning needs in one place. With Pro Party Planner, you’ll be able to do a variety of tasks such as creating seating charts in a matter of minutes! You can manage all of your guests as well as track your budget easily. Also make sure to set reminders and build those shopping lists for anything that you need! Or, you can delegate your tasks to team members.
7. Monefy
As you’re planning your event, it’s important to keep track of your expenses. So Monefy them! Monefy can add expense records extremely fast and can be used on multiple devices. This app is also able to visually present how much you’re spending on each category.
8. Bizzabo
Another great overall app is Bizzabo! Bizzabo has done events right by knowing exactly what event profs need! Bizzabo also includes the website, ticketing, CRM, event app, email, agenda, networking, sponsors, updates, polls and reports. That’s a lot to offer!
9. Event Assistant
Need to check in guests? Create a whole new experience for checking in with this app! Event assistant is a custom check in flow app that keeps the line moving even if you’re offline. You’ll also be able to check the progress and see how many guests have checked in!
10. Event Farm
Organize your event before, during and after! Before your event, you can send out customized invitations, register your guests, and manage them. Check them in during your event and then after the event, and you’ll have reports and data ready at hand.
Have you tried any of these great tech tools? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
Sustainability At Your Next Event- 5 Must Try Tips!
ABCey Events knows how important sustainability practices are- so here, green is the new black! We’re sharing our top 5 favorite sustainability tips for you to try at your next event!
1) Go Mobile
It’s time to ditch those age old paper programs at your next event and go mobile instead! Create an app for your event that will still provide all the same helpful info about your event, but is environmentally friendly. You’re now sustainable AND showing people how tech savvy you are! There are tons of websites to help create your own app, but our favorite is AppMachine!
2) Eliminate Waste
Forgo the paper plates and plastic utensils at your next event and try using chic reusable plates and silverware instead. Not only will you reduce the amount of waste produced, but it will also amp up the level of quality of your event! Not ready to bite the bullet yet in purchasing reusable china? Try out these eco friendly wooden options instead!
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3) Be Selective
It is important to remember that where you choose to host your event matters! Try to choose locations that are LEED certified with sustainability initiatives already in place. One of our favorite green venues in SF is The Hall, which provides all locally produced food and beverages!
4) Consider The Timing Of Your Event
If possible, hold your event during the day to save on energy required by artificial lighting. If it’s unavoidable, try using LED lighting instead- using LED lights can help reduce your carbon foot print up to 70%! Just because it’s energy efficient lighting, doesn’t mean it has to be boring. You can have almost all the same lighting effects using LED as you would with normal lighting, so there is no reason not to make the switch!
5) Sustainability in Spirits
As if you needed another reason to love happy hour… what if all your favorite drinks were now locally grown, organic, and made with seasonable products? Now they can be! By making a few simple changes, your happy hour just became a whole lot more sustainable. Add a whole new element to cocktail hour at your next event, and show your attendees how easy it is to go green!
Have any other ideas to make an event sustainable? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and on Twitter!
Get Organized! 2 Helpful Event Planning Apps
Event management is no walk in the park. From vendors, to clients, to caterers, to conferences, to meetings… there’s so many components to planning! Sometimes it’s tough for event managers to stay organized. But with the development of event planning apps such as Wunderlist and Basecamp, there is no doubt an event can flow efficiently! ABCey encourages you to manage your events at the palm of your hands without worry of lost post-it notes or hand written to-do lists!
1. Wunderlist is an online tool and app that allows you to input tasks and to-do lists for yourself and other colleagues. We recently discovered Wunderlist and in our experience, it has shown to simplify the process of planning! It allows you to check mark what is done, know what needs to be done, and also make separate folders to keep everything organized! It’s a great way to jot tasks down while on the go or even help to overview components of an event.
2. BaseCamp is another essential tool for an event planner. Not only does it allow features like Wunderlist, but it also enables you to appoint tasks to fellow colleagues. Communication is made simple with messaging features so you can easily contact your people when important jobs or problems may arise while planning. Communicating with people across country? No problem! BaseCamp even allows the correct time zone to be correlated to fellow business partners. Deadlines will be met accordingly and less stress will dealt with.
The Wunderlist and BaseCamp apps can definitely simplify an event management job. These are just two of many great tools for event planning. Know any other helpful apps? Let us know with a comment or send us a message on Facebook or Twitter!
Life Made Simple: 3 Food Delivery Apps!
Planning a party? Celebrating the Warriors NBA championship this weekend? ABCey encourages you to stress less and celebrate more! Get your favorite foods delivered with apps like Postmates, Caviar, and Crunchbutton for your next hosted event!
But wait… What is a food delivery app?
A delivery app allows you to choose your favorite eating spot (from participating restaurants), place an order via smart device, and get it delivered right to your door! It’s as easy as one, two, three… Less worry about hiring a caterer and more time to enjoy your party!
1. Postmates: This app is versatile and easy to use. Looking to order lunch or even make a grocery run? Postmates has got you covered! In under an hour you’ll have what you need to make for a great meal for one or ten!
2. Caviar: This service delivers from a wide range of restaurants, commonly used from all corners of the city! Lunch and dinner breaks are made simple. Use it for quick take-out or catering your next event/ business meeting!
3. Crunchbutton: They let you know what restaurants deliver around to your area and simplify your hunt for food. Nobody likes meal-time rush hour. Let someone else do the hard work for you and get your favorite foods delivered to your doorstep with the push of a “Crunchbutton”.
In this day and age, we aren’t limited to just pizza deliveries. Take advantage of these apps for your lunch, dinner, or hosted party events! Which app do you like the best? Let us know in the comments below or message us on Facebook and Twitter! Or, call ABCey Events and let us do the work for you!
Tech Tuesday: 3 Technologies to Wow Attendees
Tech Tuesday highlights the best and brightest ideas in the tech world. ABCey would like to recognize these up and coming companies for their innovative ideas and ability to think outside the box!
As event professionals, we are constantly looking for ways to be creative and offer attendees something unique and special during events. Here at ABCey, we have found three great event technologies to help capture attendee’s attention and increase engagement!
1. Beak Labs| During an event, it is expected to have visuals and pictures but with Beak Labs, the visuals become a story through design and technology using short film, smartphones, and tablets. They combine media and technology to create immersive and interactive digital art experiences for attendees. In addition to video installation, Beak Labs can create “Tweetlantis” and “Planet140”, large-scale digital backdrops showcasing social media during the event. What a cool way to impress your audience and create something they will remember!
2.Blippar | Hosting an event with some big brand name sponsors? Or, just looking for a new way to engage your attendees? Blippar is a free app enabling users to bring the world around them to life using the camera on their smartphone. The app scans and recognizes graphic images such as logos or ads and offers exclusive content and interactive opportunities including games, videos, and virtual photo booths! The content can be anything the brand or event host wants to share and can range from event calendars to a virtual photo frame that can be shared on social media. We love that this app has so many features that can really help create a memorable experience for your attendees.
3. CrowdSync | Ever wish you could see those pictures or video that the person next to you is taking? This app allows users to relive events by merging attendee’s pictures and videos at the same time and same place. When the user uploads their content, it will be matched to other content from the same event. This app is also a great way to connect and expand your network! Let your attendees know about this app and unlock some awesome post event footage.
Would you try any of this event tech for your next event? Let us know in the comments below, or on Facebook and Twitter.
Startup Monday: et al
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.
It has happened to all of us – your friends are planning a group dinner or a special outing and cannot decide what amazing restaurant in San Francisco to try, let alone coordinate a date or time that works well with everybody. This situation typically results in those dreaded long threads of back-and-forth email conversations that overflow your inbox. We believe we have found the perfect phone app that will resolve this issue!
Et al eliminates the email chains and instead give you a way to make plans with your friends in a way that is quick, easy, and most importantly, fun! The phone app allows guests to vote on date, time, and location options. Once votes are in, the details are finalized and an RSVP is requested by everyone. Et al also has text and email syncing capabilities so you’ll never miss an invite! Chat messaging and photo sharing are other features that add to this amazing phone app!
Jenny Hunt founded et al and the app is her vision for a simple and aesthetic experience that makes planning getaways and get-togethers with friends fun again. The app is available on the iPhone and the website offers full functionality as well. Et al is great for hosting a dinner party, bridal parties, weekend trips, or even wine night! We love that et al makes the planning process simple & easy; therefore we can spend more time enjoying the presence of others!
What do you think of et al? Will you be using it for your next get together? Please let us know in comments on Facebook and Twitter!
Top 10 Event Tech Trends in 2014
The incredible advances in technology bring value and versatility to the event industry. At ABCey, we love keeping up on the latest in the tech world! While 2013 was filled with innovation, we can expect even more in 2014. Here are the top event tech trends to keep an eye on in the year ahead. This blog post has been adapted from George P. Johnson’s Kevin Jackson, Adding Value’s Randle Stonier, and TFI Group’s Simon Maier.
1. Event Apps: These innovative platforms cover everything from event itineraries to delegates being able to download files relevant to presenters, and attendees having the ability to directly interact with event speakers!
2. Connected Technology: Clients used to base their budget off of the number of guests they wanted to attend their event. In today’s world, advances in technology allow events to reach so many more people beyond the guest list.
3. Google Glass: Wearable technology, specifically Google Glass, is going to make a big impact on events this year. It will encourage planners to make event experiences more personal.
4. Tailored Social Networks: Public social networks will continue to be used to generate buzz for events. There is a growing number of tailored social networks that have features to connect people before, during, and after an event!
5. E-Posters: With the reduction of costs and advances in e-poster technology, the interactivity and versatility will be a hit for 2014 events!
6. Live Audience Engagement: Mobile apps and SMS texting can now enable guest conversations to be linked directly through to the podium, allowing the speaker to respond to inquiries. This can continue even after the session is over!
7. IPS and Geofencing: Indoor positioning systems lend themselves to plotting where you are in an indoor environment. Geofencing creates a virtual boundary of space so delegates can be given a route to various stands or booths in a venue.
8. Advanced Digital Display: In the events space, we can expect to see various monitors – one could display real-time news and another with content from the event, tied together with software that allows you to change over at the flick of a switch.
9. Spread of Content: It is common for organizers to set up portals such as live streaming and webcasting of live event content for larger audiences to have access to the valuable material. This will continue to be a trend in 2014.
10. Mobile App Integration: A key trend in 2014 will be incorporating more features into mobile apps, such as scientific abstracts, social networking, and interactive content!
What do you think of the top event tech trends for 2014?! Which do you hope to see at events? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!
Go Mobile: Event Apps We Can’t Get Enough Of
Staying connected to events and conferences is key for many attendees and event planners these days. Today, we’d like to introduce you to some of our favorite apps to keep your event running smoothly and connected with attendees! We love these apps and can’t imagine planning future events and conventions without them!
1. Attendify: This app builder lets you pick from two stunning interfaces and it guidesyou step by step. This feature eliminates all guesswork and gives you the ability to post last minute changes and information about your event. We love the ease of use, and simple step by step guides!
2. EventMobi: EventMobi features tons of interactive and engaging features to keep everyone up to date about your event and agenda. With its simple drag and drop customization, you can highlight and emphasize the most important features of your event. EventMobi goes one step further and allows you to include your event logo and branding, a feature we are head over heels with!
3. Live Cube: This all in one gamefication app allows you to create the ultimate engaging experience. We love the incorporation of social interaction, agendas, and gaming, as well as polls and surveys. We can’t get enough of its interactive interface!
4. Planspot: Want to place your event on social media platforms and broadcast it? Planspot can help by putting all of the information for your event, registration, and links in one sector and promoting it. What we love about this app is the ability to track conversations about it on Twitter and Facebook from one platform!
5. DoubleDutch: This San Francisco based company has the goal to create the most user friendly app for your event! They even create subsets within the same app for multiple venues as well as an Offline Mode, which we love for those times when WiFi and data coverage get tough.
What mobile event apps have you used for your conference or event? Which ones are you faves? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!