The Tech Friends We Need to Make it Through the Day

As much as I love my meeting binders and my neatly printed resumes (where I can make organized notes with one of my many gel pens!), tech tools, goodies, and gadgets really do make getting through a complex event much easier. Whether it’s jump-starting some brainstorming, tracking a VIP, or collaborating with a large and disperse team, we really are reliant on technology to make many aspects of our job easier. I truly embrace this because the time that I save by relying on my tech tools gives me more time to think creatively and be more strategic with my clients.

Here are a few of our current tech faves:

Instant Charge!

OK, seriously, how did I ever live without my iPhone charging case and MyCharge portable charger. These quickly became a ‘don’t go anywhere without this’ device in my life. The last thing a planner needs is something else to worry about, and now I never have to worry about my phone being down to 5% battery life when it’s only 10:30 am. Yes, these are pricey investments but two of the best ones to make! We’ve also tried this model, and love, love, love that it is small enough to fit into a pocket!

Instant Creativity!

You know those moments when you just need to be a little bit creative and come up with a good idea, but you are zapped and the only thing you seem to be able to think about is that you are so zapped and can’t think? Google Trends to the rescue! You can check out hot searches or trending topics to jumpstart your creativity and see what other people are talking about (in case you are wondering, the top cocktail that that is trending as I write is the martini … note to self, add a themed martini to the reception menu for next month).

Instant Access!

Even if we don’t print them all, planners are reliant on the many documents and spreadsheets we create throughout the planning process to create the perfect event. I heart that my files don’t live in isolation only on my computer anymore and that I can access them from any one of my devices. Office365 is my newest best friend.

Instant Sharing!

So you know how tons of people are taking pictures at an event, but nobody ever sees most of them? We do too, and that’s why we love Adobe’s GroupPix. This handy app saves all of the pictures that everyone takes in Group Pix into one shared album, instantly! And, you can like and comment on them too. Oh my, it’s a whole new piece of attendee engagement!

Instant Location!

Your biggest VIP was just picked up at the airport, and you need to track his or her precise movement because your second-by-second agenda depends on it. Enter Glympse! Glympse lets either the driver or the handler you sent to the airport to ensure everything ran smoothly with the pick-up (you did send someone to the airport, right) share their location with you for a designated period of time. Now, you can watch as their little dot moves along the map, getting closer to your venue every second and you will know their exact location and ETA. This is an app that totally feeds into a planner’s natural desire to control absolutely everything!