Planning a corporate event can be a daunting task without the right set of tools. You’ve to carter several people at the time, handle multiple tasks, make a guest list, decide the music and the theme for the event – all this can be overwhelming when most of the planning is on your shoulders.
Luckily there are smartphone apps that can assist you with most of the planning. The apps cover most of the aspects of event management and will act as your sidekick, affirming you there’s help in your pocket if you get stuck at some point. There are even apps that help you manage event ROI and customer feedback.
Top smartphone event planning apps
1. Supper Planner
Super Planner is a professional event planning app featuring a variety of planning tools such as projection, capacity at the venue, staffing and stage projection. It presents you with a capacity calculator that allows you to calculate the size of the room depending on the number of attendees. You also get a price converter that’s inclusive of tax for food and beverage.
The staffing calculator of the app shows the number of waiters and check-in personnel are required. You also get to take advantage of projection tips and audio visual diagrams. Super Planner is available for $9.99 for iOS and Android.
2. Beat the Traffic
While the name may sound unrelated to event planning at first, it’s actually one of the most useful apps if you want to make sure guests (at least VIPs) are able to make it for your event. The app currently has the most accurate traffic map available in a smartphone app. You can use Beat the Traffic to inform guests, fellow staff and anyone who’s planning to attend the event about the latest road conditions and what would be the best route to take to avoid getting stuck in traffic.
One of the major factors that make events successful is when everyone shows up, and on time, so this app is going to be quite handy in this regard. Users get real time information on average speeds and incidents as well. Beat the Traffic is free on iOS and Android, but there’s a Pro version also available that can be useful for big events.
3. Check
Previously known as PageOnce, Check allows you to keep bills for the event in check. You can also monitor your bank accounts and credit cards with this app, and it also notifies you of the due amount to be paid or when the budget is going overboard.
The app is protected by third party security companies such a McAfee, Hacker Safe and TRUSTe. Check also comes with a 4-digit PIN code, so even if you lose your smartphone or someone steals it, you can still wipe account data. You can also set alerts for unusual account activity. Check is free to download for iOS and Android.
4. MindNode
MindNode offers an interesting way to note down your thoughts when planning an event. There’s a ‘mind map’ that you can use to see notes, connect different lists and see suggestions (it’s more like a route of a subway).
The canvas presented by the app can be expanded, and you can add and delete nodes at your disposal. You can also drag and drop the mind map and highlight important nodes. MineNode is available on iOS for $9.99.
Do you use smartphone apps when planning for events? Feel free to share your thoughts.
Photo Credit: Flickr/Intel Free Press
