From Facebook to Flickr: Use the Web to Plan Your Next Event

September 1, 2008 by admin
Filed under Media Coverage

by Lyn Mettler

You’ve probably received more Evites than you can count, been invited to attend an event via Facebook or maybe even found some-like minded souls on MeetUp.com. If you’re planning an event, using the latest and greatest Web technologies is a great way to communicate, save time and attract more people to your shindig, whether it’s a wedding, a corporate luncheon or the opening of a new restaurant. Here are eight totally free Internet resources you can tap into to get your next event off the ground:

Facebook – One of my all-time favorites, Facebook is a social network that connects friends, colleagues and acquaintances from across all walks of life and it offers a handy event feature. You can invite anyone to come, on Facebook or not, and it will keep track of RSVPs for you. You, or attendees, can upload photos, videos, links, etc. related to the event and start a discussion on the “the wall,” a place where people can publicly post comments. www.facebook.com
MySpace – While Facebook is dearer to my heart, MySpace, for now, still has an important place, even though earlier this year it was surpassed by Facebook in the total number of unique visitors. MySpace also has an event feature, which is not quite as nifty as Facebook’s. You can invite anyone who is a user of MySpace, track RSVPs, post it to your MySpace blog and more. It certainly doesn’t hurt to post the event in as many places as possible. www.MySpace.com
Twitter – If you haven’t heard about Twitter, it’s a service called “micro-blogging” or posting a comment that’s 140 characters or less. You can “follow” other people’s “tweets” (read: comments) and they can follow yours. Set up an account just for your event, try to find the folks you’d like to invite to your event and “follow” them. Twitter etiquette says they’re supposed to “follow” you back, so you can then begin to post updates about the event and engage in dialogue with them about it, as well. Twitter makes a great conversation tool. www.twitter.com
Evite – This site is really like a digital version of the classic invitation you get in the mail to attend a function. Choose from a variety of designs, or create your own, and then send to your invitation list via email where they can RSVP and see who else is attending. But it does a lot more. In fact, they describe themselves as “your own personal party planner.” They provide you with an event checklist, budget estimator, drink calculator and other cool party planning tools. www.evite.com
The Knot – Brides and grooms only for this one. What a fab tool that I wish they’d had when I got married! Set up an account and you can track your budget and due dates, manage your guest list, create a customized Web page about your Big Day to share with friends and family, search for vendors and send a Save the Date by email. www.theknot.com
Jott – Jott is an voice to text service that lets you use email, text messages and mobile phones to keep track of reminders, post to Web sites (like Twitter and Facebook), create lists and more all with your voice. So, for example, while driving to a meeting I can call Jott on my cell, and 1) tell it an email I want sent to a contact 2) have it email me a reminder about something I suddenly remembered 3) post a “Tweet” to Twitter or a status update to “Facebook.” www.Jott.com
Remember the Milk – Need an easy-to-use way to keep track of tasks for your event? This is the answer. Create lists for different types of tasks (promotion, execution, vendors), which you can tag by subject. It will also send you reminders via email, cell phone, instant messaging services and more. You can share your tasks and lists with anyone you want, and even note your tasks’ geographic locations, so you can more efficiently plan outings. www.RemembertheMilk.com
Flickr – OK, so you’ve had the event, it went beautifully, and now everyone is rehashing the good times. Consider creating a group on Flickr, a photo social networking site, where everyone can upload photos of their grand time and download full versions of others’ photos to save or print. www.flicker.com