Whether you’re taking a site visit or on the ground running your event, smartphone apps can help you acclimatise and get to work wherever you are in the world .
We’ve compiled 8 of the most useful travel apps for event planners that you should never be without when travelling away from home…
Related: 10 Tools to make you a more efficient event planner
Jet lag is the bane of the globe-trotting event planner’s life. Caused by the disruption of the body’s circadian rhythms when we travel, jet lag can make some people become drowsy and lethargic while others can become irritated, disoriented or unable to sleep.
But fear not, Jet Lag Rooster claims to have a remedy based on science. Simply input your travel dates, destination and usual sleeping times and the calculator will generate a 5-day sleep schedule to help you adjust to the new time zone before travel.
Cost: free
Just because you’re away from home, doesn’t mean you want to let your fitness regime fall by the wayside. Going for a jog is a great way to discover a new city and you can ensure you don’t get lost by using an app like Map My Run. The app gives you access to more than 70 million pre-mapped routes in destinations around the world.
In addition you can record your time and distance covered, meaning you won’t feel so guilty at that menu tasting later on!
Cost: free, with in-app purchases
On the hunt for unique dining venues or just want somewhere decent to grab a spot of lunch between appointments? The TripAdvisor app can help. You can look up the top rated restaurants (and hotels and attractions) in over 300 cities, see which ones you’re nearest to and get directions.
The app also enables you to read customer reviews, tells you what type of cuisine is served, gives you an indication of price range and contact details.
Cost: free
A currency converter is a must for any frequent traveller and this one is both excellent and free. The XE Currency app is the most downloaded foreign exchange app, with over 25 million downloads.
It uses live currency rates, meaning it’s completely accurate, and you can add as many currencies as you like, making it easy to compare and contrast prices. Plus, it stores the last updated rates so it even works when you’re offline.
Cost: free
The language barrier need never be a problem again with Google’s newly upgraded translation app. Its real-time speech translation facility enables you to have a more natural conversation by automatically detecting which of the two selected languages are being spoken and translating them out loud.
You can also instantly translate text by simply pointing your camera at it. Have no idea what that Russian road sign says? Hover your camera over and, as if by magic, you can read it!
These features currently work for translation from English to and from French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
Cost: free
- FlightStat
If you’ve got delegates arriving on multiple flights, meet and greets and ground transportation to organise, you’ll love the functionality of this app.
FlightStat lets you track flights in real-time by flight number, airport or route. See what time the aircraft took off, what time it’s scheduled to land and get vital info about any delays or cancellations. You can even monitor the plane’s progress on a map – a treat for the control freak in all of us.
Cost: free, with in-app purchases
Bad weather can put paid to the best-laid event plans, so it helps to know as far in advance as possible what to expect.
WeatherPro produces detailed and accurate 7-day forecasts for well over two million geographical locations, feeding in everything from cloud formations and atmospheric pressure to wind speed and humidity.
As well as giving the actual temperature, it tells you what it’s going to “feel like” so you can more accurately advise delegates on clothing. Meanwhile, the dynamic short-term forecasts can provide you with hour-by-hour information, so if it tells you it’s going to rain at 1pm, best move lunch inside!
Cost: from £1.99 to £2.49 depending on device
Collecting business cards is so last century – with the LinkedIn app you can make connections digitally, on the go.
It’s far easier to remember people when there’s a photo of them to remind you and you don’t need to worry about losing important business cards.
In addition, having access to your new contact’s profile enables you to discover interesting things about them, which could enhance your relationship.
The app also lets you share updates with your professional network, and stay up to date with theirs.
Cost: free
Conclusion
No matter where in the world work takes you, with the power of your smartphone you’ll be living like a local in a few clicks.
Are there any other apps you simply can’t do without when travelling? Please share them with the Eventbrite community…
