Tag: eventapps
ABCey’s Top 5 Event Apps Every Event Planner Needs
People assume that event planners have a simple job. Getting paid to make plans? Sounds so easy! But the reality is that event planning is extremely hard work. If you’ve ever planned an event, you know how much time and effort goes into it. Luckily, there are apps that has made it easier to plan and manage events, no matter how large! Today, we bring you our top five apps that every event planner needs to ease the process.
Boomset
For much larger events, Boomset is an amazing application for managing guest check-in. This app is the perfect tool for checking in registered conference guests. With fast check-ins and a walk-in registration feature for attendees who have not pre-registered, lines will definitely be reduced. You can even print customized badges or wristbands for your event by using the Boomset web platform.
Bizzabo
Bizzabo is a bunch of event planning tools all wrapped in one. Targeted towards medium-to-large-sized businesses, Bizzabo is ideal for planning large events with a lot of tasks. The application allows you to build event websites for registration, emails for marketing, and agendas for event management, great for concerts or fundraisers!
24me
For planning smaller events, 24me is the best handy little personal assistant to help you stay on task with planning. The app includes integrated calendars, to-do lists, and notes. It automates events by keeping your tasks and schedules in one place and by sending you reminders for them when necessary.
HeyTell
Communication with your team is key for running your event smoothly, so being in touch at all times is necessary. HeyTell is an app that turns your smartphone into a walkie-talkie. When you need something even snappier than texting or email, get the app, choose a contact and start talking. This makes it easier to communicate and avoid any confusion during your event!
SuperPlanner
Nothing is worse than an overcrowded venue, exceeding a budget due to over staffing or any other problems you might face while planning your event. Super Planner offers calculators for venue capacity, staffing, and catering to avoid these kinds of issues. Use this app to stay on budget and execute all the details to perfection.
What are your favorite event planning apps? Are there any we missed? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter!
If you’re interested in learning more about events we’ve done for other San Francisco startups or other Fortune 500 companies, click here.
ABCey’s Tech Tuesday: 10 Event Organization Apps to Help You Stay Sane
#TechTuesday highlights the best and brightest ideas in the tech world. Today’s #TechTuesday features the 10 best event organization apps to help you stay sane and organized as an event planner!
1. Super Planner
There’s a new iphone / ipad app on the scene that is garnering a lot of buzz…and for good reason. Super Planner is an event industry app developed by Howard Givner, and is one of the most in-depth mobile tools on the market today.
It is a digital encyclopedia of industry calculators convenient enough to carry with you everywhere in your purse or pocket. Just as a good measuring tape, hotel directory, business calendar and frequent flyer miles are mainstays for the planner, so too should be the Super Planner.
2. 24me
This app acts as a personal assistant to help you stay on task with your planning. It includes integrated calendars, to-do lists, and notes. 24me keeps track of your tasks and schedules all in one place and sends you reminders for them so you don’t forget. The app also reminds you about bills and other important information, as it connects to your financial institutions, service providers, and social networks. This app is especially great for smaller events!
3. Asana
Asana is a great way to keep everyone on your event planning team in the loop! It lets you assign tasks to different team members while keeping track of who’s doing what. Asana gives you the ability to easily monitor what’s getting done and who’s getting it done.
4. Boomset
Boomset helps speed up the registration process by allowing you to check people in using QR codes, print bases and create wristbands. It also integrates with other platforms you might already be using for your event, so it makes registration simple!
5. CamScanner
CamScanner basically transforms your phone into a scanner. It’s great for digitalizing contracts, agreements, marketing material and other important documents you need to send to clients. It also has the ability to convert documents into PDFs. Now that’s convenient!
6. Timebridge
Timebridge makes scheduling fast and simple! The app collects information about everyone’s availability, takes into account preferences, and then automatically arranges a good meeting time. This is a great way to arrange meetings or even events with a lot of people without having to deal with the long back and forth of emailing!
7. Blossom
This event organization app helps simplify communication between the event planner and the client. It allows you to create a card system detailing different sections of the project, so everyone knows what stage each part of the event is at. There’s even a client review card so the client can approve the final step!
8. Eventgrabber
Sometimes it can be hard to find events you want to attend. Luckily, Eventgrabber can help! It matches people with the types of occasions they’ll likely be interested in. They can look at the top events going on, see the most popular events with locals, and even order a taxi or an Uber to take them to the next party. As an event planner, this app is extremely useful for attracting guests who would genuinely be interested in your type of event!
9. Heytell
This app essentially turns your smartphone into a walkie-talkie, making communication with your event staff easy! There’s no need to hang on to multiple devices, and it prevents you from having to physically locate various members of your crew during the actual event!
1o. Pingg
Pingg is a great tool for running your events, as it lets you create invitations, guest lists, and thank you messages for your attendees all in one place! Not only this, but you can also add a gift registry, schedule reminders, and search for local services for your event as well. This handy app let’s you keep all the little details of your event organized!
What event organization apps do you use to stay sane when planning events?
Event planning can be extremely stressful and overwhelming, and these tools are guaranteed to help simplify your job! Which apps you use? Are there any we missed? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
ABCey’s #TechTuesday: Top 5 Event Tech Trends in 2018
#TechTuesday highlights the best and brightest ideas in the tech world. Today’s #TechTuesday features the top 5 event tech trends to make your events stand out.
1. Facial Recognition
Facial recognition serves many different functions at events, such as speeding up the registration process, improving security, and it helps with getting feedback from attendees. FR also allows you to reach new audiences via social media. Try encouraging your guests and staff to post photos of the event to Facebook and to tag themselves, which will help showcase your event!
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI has also recently joined the event tech trends family, mainly because it has the ability to personalize guests’ experiences. One aspect of AI that has caught the attention of event planners are chatbots, which offer automated customer service to guests. Give it a try!
3. Event Apps
Event apps can help your event run more smoothly and efficiently, and has been a prominent event tech trend for a while. Grupio and CrowdCompass are just a few of the great event apps we recommend. Use our list of the Top 5 Apps for Event Engagement to find the best app for your next event!
4. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
These two tech trends are on the rise and can help make your event more interactive. VR is useful if you want to transport your guest into a completely different world. AR is helpful if you want your guests to be able to incorporate the environment around them so they can view and interact with it on their personal devices. Which one will you use?
5. Social Media
There are so many new ways to incorporate Social media into your next event. Try having a social vending machine filled with event or brand related swag/apparel! Another social media trend to use at events is a hashtag mosaic. Luster has a fun tool that takes your event hashtag to make a mosaic wall. These tools are sure to get your guests excited!
Which event tech trend will you use at your next event? We’d love to hear from you! Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
ABCey’s #TechTuesday: Top 5 Apps for Event Engagement
#TechTuesday highlights the best and brightest ideas in the tech world. Today’s #TechTuesday features the top 5 apps to engage your attendees.
1. Attendify
Attendify is an event management app that includes great features, such as creating a private social network for your event. In the network, you are able to share photos, messages, and quick polls on the event timeline. Also, with this, introductions are easy! People are notified once you join the network, so everyone will know you made it.
2. CrowdCompass
CrowdCompass enables you to create an app for your event with cool features that prompt your attendees to engage with each other and your event! For example, guests can message each other one-on-one, participate in live Q&As, and take notes all in one app! Furthermore, attendees are able to create personalized schedules with an option to push notifications for reminders. Also, the event planners are able to track guest engagement and the event’s impact in easy-to-read charts and graphs.
3. Grupio
Grupio is an event app that allows you to link your social media channels, like Facebook or Twitter, to your customized app! With this feature, you and your guests are able to share their experiences through your favorite social media platform! Other features include being able to create advertisements for your sponsors to feature on the app and gamification to encourage attendee engagement.
4. Whova
Whova is an event app that gives event planners the ability to customize their own app with their brand. Some of their features include document sharing among attendees to limit paper handouts and interactive maps. Also, Whova pushes the guests to create more buzz and excitement with a convenient Twitter outlet built into the app!
5. Eventbase
Eventbase is a mobile event technology platform that allows its users to create an app for their event. Depending on the type of event, the company has a specially curated app for your event app needs! This app has a large variety of fonts and themes to cater to your preferences. Eventbase also has features such as “Around Me” that suggests people nearby and small descriptors to allow for better connections.
Which of these apps are your favorite? We’d love to hear from you! Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
Startup Spotlight: Splash
Startup spotlight 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.
ABCey knows the value of a good event ticketing app, which is why we have chosen to spotlight an up and coming San Francisco startup that provides ticketing services and more! Splash is of particular interest due to its unique customization capabilities and interactive qualities and it’s booming success after the win of SXSW13. Not only does Splash offer awesome ticket/check-in but it doubles as a marketing and interactive guest platform that other competitors are lacking.
Here are the top 5 things we love about Splash:
1. Complete Website Customization
Registration for an event should create anticipation and excitement for attendees. Using a bland registration platform could potentially be the “kiss of death” in attendee numbers. Splash allows full event planner digression when designing the web based platform for events to give each event the unique online vibe that will carry over to the real thing.
2. Real Time Social Media Integration
Here at ABCey, we are all about killing two birds with one stone. Splash makes it easy and convenient to do so by eliminating the middle man so we can get our guests set with interactive tools. Event planners can utilize the app to check in and scan tickets as well as live stream photos guests take. Smile for the selfie!
3. The Online After-Party
When the event is over, we need the data that matters. Splash delivers by allowing detailed user profiles and client lists to be tracked as well as complete analytics of web traffic, emails and all the social media interaction. Having this information at our fingertips allows for growth and change event planners need for future event reach.
4. Top Brand Representation
Reputation is everything. Splash is used by many top reputable brands including Spotify, Sundance, and Thrillist. Although this start up is only four years old it has made a lasting hold in the event marketing world which says a lot about the great service they provide for event planners.
5. They Walk & Talk
A company that provides insider knowledge on the complex world of event planning is something all event planners look for when using a ticketing and marketing platform. Splash’s blog outlines their experience out at their events with their services along with photos to document the guest interaction. Seeing and reading success stories makes them all the more appealing.
What do you think about Splash? Let us know in the comments below or find us on twitter and facebook!
5 Unique Options for Event Registration
Registration for large events can be quicker and more steamlined thanks to new event tech on the rise. This is crucial for massive events because it allows improvement of the guests experience in terms of a fast and easy check-in, instant data collection, and even payment options. ABCey will explore 5 different registration programs and the strategies some of these top companies use to check in thousand of guests!
1. RFID tech
What is RFID tech? RFID stands for radio-frequency identification which utilizes electromagnetic fields in order to transfer data to objects with tracking tags that hold even more electronically stored information. A Montreal based company Connect & Go is a leader in the in this tech. In a project they did for WE day, they created bracelets embedded with tech that allowed for guests to register before the event and could also connect the bands to their email, facebook, and twitter. And of course, take selfies at event kiosks and instantly save them.
2. Online Registration Software
Custom online registration software allows users to implement ones own registration creation. Etouches is an online registration software and tracking platform that allows the user to implement the registration questions, agenda, and check in while also being able to creatively tailor the fonts, colors, and logos so that they are cohesive with your event. You can print badges with bar and QR codes for your guests.
3. Mobile Check-In App
Since everyone has their phones on hand mobile check in seems like the most obvious choice, especially with the rise of new mobile applications that can personalize and simplify the event check in process. One such mobile app called Boomset assists the event manager with just that. You can make a variety of registration adjustments straight from your phone and can even collect guest selfies upon check in to immediately print badges or store for your records!
4. WordPress Event Registration
WordPress has a function that allows admin users to curate their own event check-in guest list as well as offers editing features for detailed transcripts on registered guests and easy payments. There are multiple WordPress plugins you can utilize for event management. Event Manager has all these features and is even integrated with Google Maps.
5. Event Marketing Companies
Try an all in one event marketing company that merges multiple tech aspects to get the job done. Make your event registration as high tech as possible like the company FISH! They offer a “Live Event Operating Systems” which means they offer a multitude of registration options including pre-registration, mobile, and onsite registration.
With all this new technology on the rise the future of registering and data sharing for events is endless! Tell us which tech seems the most effective to you in the comments below, or find us on facebook or twitter!
How to Build an Event Budget in 3 Steps
It’s hard to tell just how much you’ll be spending on a big event, let alone what exactly you’re spending it on. ABCey breaks down how to build an event budget so you can tackle the production head on, and outline what you need and where you’ll need it!
1. Set an overall budget amount (estimate)!
- Don’t get too stuck on the exact budget for all line items upfront. Use placeholders room for growth but be realistic.
- Decide on a budgeting tool you want to use, or just build your own in google sheets, which allow for easy collaboration and transparency with your clients. We like the Productify app, because it gives ready made templates that are easy to manipulate, saving you time creating one. They also offer walk through budget tutorials for the beginning event planner making things easy and accessible.
2. Set up columns and categories for line items
Columns and categories are essential for clearly organizing any and all information on the items in your budget. Make sure to include as much detail as possible.
- Item title
- Item description
- Assigned vendor
- Budgeted amount
- Negotiated amount
- Actual amount (cost)
- Payment(s)
Helpful budget templates can be found here (all free!).
3. Set up line items
Use your designated budgeting tool to fill in the categories with each corresponding item so you’re creating a subgroup! Here are some examples:
- Food & Catering: Food, Beverage, Cakes, Staff Fees, Service Charge
- Venue Expenses: Space, Room Rental, Parking, Security, Connectivity
- Floral & Decor: Floral Displays, Rentals, Signage, Room Decor, Table Decor
Once you have set these items into place, you can set percentages for each category that will represent the cost of your event in a more accurate way. You can then decide what you would like to focus on, or downsize depending on your events needs.
Things to remember:
- Get a few quotes from at least 2 vendors for each service before you commit!
- Always update your information with the budget tool when there is a change so you don’t lose track
Once you follow these simple 3 steps, the event planning process should be well underway! Did you find this helpful to creating your event budget? Let us know with a comment or find us on Twitter and Facebook!