Jazzy Apps for Your Mobile Device
On-the-Go Tools for Busy Planners. Busy planners-on-the-go need a bagful of tricks to manage all the details and stay on track. Here are a few mobile apps that may tickle your keypad and make your day just a bit easier.
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Ootoweb (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch). Ootoweb recently announced its new mobile meetings management app, and it’s already causing a stir. It’s the first iPad app designed specifically for the meetings industry, and it allows you to manage registration, event websites and online payments. It also allows planners to access meeting details and status in real time and create reports on-the-run. See a demo video at Ootoweb Demo. www.ootoweb.com, 30-day free trial, then $49 per month.
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Eventful (iPhone and iPod Touch). This is Event Central of the app world with listings of events, performers, schedules and venues. It will recommend events based on your preferences, and keep track of your friends’ favorites. With a GPS-powered search capability, it’s a great little app to have with you in a strange city. eventful.com, free.
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Evernote (all platforms). If you’re one of those types who has dozens of little post-its clinging to your dashboard and your desktop , consider a free Evernote account. It allows you to collect all the little snippets with your mobile phone, from thoughts and ideas to photos, itineraries and lists. They have great customer support and an excellent website and blog full of useful tips for making the most of this handy app.
evernote.com, free. -
Mark On Call (iPhone and iPod Touch). Originally intended for interior designers and DIYers, this cool app is also ideal for event planners. Create floor plans, select flooring and architectural elements, arrange furniture and even add custom colors and textures such as stone, metals and fabric to create the perfect virtual setting for your event. Then share your inspirations with clients and vendors with a few clicks.
whatwouldyoudowiththisroom.com, $2.99. -
Bento (iPhone and iPad). Here’s the app to go to for serious organizing. Bento offers 25 pre-designed templates that allow you to organize contacts, budgets, event planning, recipes, expenses, time billing, images, diagrams and more. It runs great on the iPad’s interactive touch interface.
filemaker.com, $4.99. -
Event Planning Tools (Android). For you open system geeks, check out a just-announced app from event planner Cheryl Lawson. It’s actually a two-part app, consisting of a meeting space calculator and a budget module that will calculate cost per attendee.
theperfectdate.com, $.99. -
Beat the Traffic (Blackberry, iPhone and iPad). The last thing you need when dashing between appointments is to sit in a traffic jam. This app gives you live traffic maps, showing speeds and incidents on major routes in more than 100 cities. The iPad version has been flying off the app store shelves, according to the developer.
blog.beatthetraffic.com, free. -
Vegas Reality (iPhone). Check out this augmented reality app that merges real Las Vegas with virtual Vegas for a multi-dimensional experience. Users simply point their iPhones at resorts and watch as information appears as floating text on the screen, using the phone’s camera and GPS. Check out a video preview at Vegas Reality. Free.