Tips & Tricks When Event Planning On A Mobile Device

Event planners are glued to their cell phones, especially the day of events. Here are some useful mobile tips to make event planning on a mobile device easier.

The power of our pocket-sized devices is unbelievable. What’s even better is that smartphone capabilities are growing with every software update and app release. Cell phones have expanded far beyond phone calls and text messages and exploded into a universe of clever ways to get things done – if you know how to.

That’s the problem, isn’t it? Our smartphones are underutilized simply because we don’t know its secrets. Unless you work at a Genius Bar, you know there are functions on your phone that you are unaware of. So what can your cell phone do? And more importantly, how can it help your event planning?

Here are some basic mobile tips and tricks for event planners that will make your event days – and life – easier.

Keep Documents in the Cloud When Event Planning On A Mobile

If you don’t already digitize your documents, it’s time to start. Save all your important event spreadsheets, contracts, and more in the cloud so you can access them at all times.

When you’re on-the-go, you don’t want to sift through a binder for a document that could already be out of date. Apps like Evernote, Dropbox, or GoogleDrive allow you to store and access your saved files instantly. These apps also make it easy to share, send, and collaborate on documents.

Use the Assistant in Your Pocket

Both iPhones and Androids have voice-activated helpers waiting for your commands like Siri and Google. The problem is that we hardly ever use them. A study showed that 70% of iPhone users sometimes or very rarely use Siri. It’s a lost opportunity considering all the great things she can do.

Here are some popular and underused commands that can be performed via voice on both iPhones and Androids. So next time you’re running around, keep your fingers off the keyboard and simply ask Siri for a favor.

Ask your voice assistant to do things like:

• Check the weather
• Add events and meetings to your calendar
• Turn on/off your wifi, cellular data, do not disturb, and airplane mode
• Call a person from your contacts
• Convert measurements like feet to meters or ounces to gallons
• Remind you to do something at a specific time or at a set location
• Calculate a tip or solve other basic addition/subtraction problems
• Ask what foreign currency rates are 
• Find out what time it is in another city or time zone

There are plenty more commands waiting for you to try. Just be sure to practice using them before your event day. That way, you’ll be acclimated to what your phone helper can (or cannot) do for you. 

Use Mobile-First Event Planning Software

There’s an app for everything these days and the event industry is no exception. There are many apps designed specifically for event planners to help them on-the-go.

Try an all-in-one event planning software for total event management, like ThymeBase. You can stay organized, keep track of to-do lists, collaborate with others, and create shareable event timelines to keep everyone in the loop.

Other niche apps are useful to download too, like Super Planner. It’s smart conversion tables help you figure out how much food and drinks to order or even how many servers you need. CamScanner is another useful app that lets you scan documents using your phone’s camera. The iPhone Notes app also has this scanning function!

Extra Tips When Event Planning On A Mobile

Here are a few extra mobile tips to remember at your next event.

• Need to charge your phone – fast? Put your phone on airplane mode for a quicker charging speed.
• Share wifi details through QR codes (Android) or Airdrop (iOS).
• Don’t feel bad for ignoring that phone call. Set and customize your own auto-reply text messages.
• Use the Measure app on your iPhone to scan areas and measure things on the fly. 
• Try the same iPhone Measure app’s “leveler” to hang signage and banners straight the first time.
• Try out the one-handed keyboard next time you’re multitasking – or if you’re just trying to drink your coffee and text at the same time.
• Do you have a lot to type? Send a voice memo instead of a text message.
• A video is worth 1M words. Use the screen record function on your phone to make instant videos using your phone screen.

What other tips and tricks do you have? Any cool apps that help you plan events?

Amanda Larson, CED, is a Certified Event Designer, marketer, and content creator. With a degree in journalism and special events management, Amanda has worked in marketing and events for both international startups and Fortune500 companies. She specializes in digital branding, copywriting, and graphic design freelancing for clients globally.

You can read other article by Amanda here:

• Social Distancing for Event Planners
• An Introduction to Event Design & the Event Canvas