With so many apps out there – and only so much room on your mobile device – you might be wondering: what are the must-have apps for meeting and event planners in 2014?
This post first appeared on the Meeting Professional International Chicago Area Chapter blog.
To get you started, here’s a list of apps that will help you grow your career and build your business.
We’d love to know what apps make your must-have list.
Thanks for sharing yours in the comment section.
Looking for a more comprehensive app list for meeting planners, including side-by-side comparisons? Check out the Event App Bible from EventManagerBlog.com.
On the road a lot? Take a look at this list of 35 travel apps for meeting planners and event pros from PlannerWire.com.
How big is the app market?
According to Gartner, mobile app stores annual downloads were projected to reach 102 billion in 2013, up from 64 billion in 2012. Total revenue in 2013 was projected to reach $26 billion, up from $18 billion in 2012. Free apps were to account for 91 percent of total downloads in 2013. In-app purchases (IAPs) will account for 48 percent of app store revenue by 2017, up from 11 percent in 2012.
Must-Have Apps for Meeting Planners
Everyone is different. You’ll want to select apps that save you time, consolidate efforts, manage events, report on key metrics and keep you in top condition. Here are a few apps to consider.
But, before we get to the apps. . . keep in mind that video is key, as is a responsive website, to the mobile experience. Consider these video stats from the Cisco Visual Networking Index.
Globally, consumer internet video traffic will be 69 percent of all consumer Internet traffic in 2017, up from 57 percent in 2012. The sum of all forms of video (TV, video on demand [VoD], Internet, and P2P) will be in the range of 80 to 90 percent of global consumer traffic by 2017.
What’s better? A responsive web design or a native mobile app? Whichever you choose, optimizing your site for mobile is a good idea; 67 percent of consumers say they are more likely to purchase from a mobile-friendly website than they are from a website not optimized for devices other than desktop.
Networking Apps
As an MPI-CAC member you’ll meet lots of people at events. Did you know there’s an easy way to get the contact information into your phone and the people you meet into your LinkedIn network?
LinkedIn CardMunch App scans business cards into your contact database and sends out LinkedIn invitations.
Because CardMunch is only available for iPhone, check out these business card scanner apps.
Healthy Living Apps
Let’s face it: you are busy. Your job demands that you be on, and in top shape, all day for sometimes as much as 16 hours straight. These apps will keep you running.
Lumosity Train your brain to focus and manage details by playing a few fun games everyday.
Meditation Apps For Inner Peace (On The Go) – stay calm and carry on.
Top 10 2014 Fitness Apps keep your fitness goals with pocket personal trainers.
Imagery – Best Photo and Video Apps
We all know that we need to shoot more video. And, it’s common knowledge that pictures engage more than words. Check out these apps to get the most out of your photo and video galleries.
Over lets you add beautiful text to your photos. That’s how I made this image of the EdCon team.
Vine lets you create and share beautiful looping six-second videos on Twitter.
Instagram shares your pictures and up to 15 second videos to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and of course, Instagram.
iMovie App‘s tagline is “a major production without a major production.”
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About the Author: Barbara Rozgonyi leads CoryWest Media, a strategic marketing consultancy that attracts attention, builds brands and connects communities around events, places, people and technology. For more ideas and resources, visit Barbara’s top 50 marketing and PR blog, http://wiredPRworks.com. At TechCon 2014, Barbara will be presenting two LinkedIn workshops.
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