After recovering from the recession, the $6 billion party and event planning industry is predicted to grow over the next five years, market research firm IBIS projects. Company and household spending on celebrations reflect economic conditions businesses and consumers spend more as they earn more. As the economy improves, spending will increase.
Mobile apps complement this growth and can improve every phase of event organization, from scheduling parties and organizing catering to sending out invitations. Professional and amateur organizers can plan parties more efficiently equipped with the following collection of apps.
Scheduling
Let’s say you’re planning a surprise party for your sister in a few weeks, but you’re working around scheduling conflicts. You want to see if you have any alternate days available that week for backup options. Unfortunately, iPhone’s calendar tool doesn’t provide a weekly display, only List, Day and Month views. The Week Calendar app solves this problem for iPhones and other devices by providing an overview of the week’s events. For $2.99 on iTunes and $2.19 on Android (where a freemium version is also available), the app also features automated birthday reminders and other fun tools.
Catering
You’re trying to arrange wedding catering away from home and while traveling. A variety of catering apps can assist professional caterers and one-time party planners. The free Personalized Catering Planner app organizes all the essential information you need, including places and times, contact details, meal offerings, and special instructions, all with customization options.
Music
You’re hosting a party and the guest list includes groups of friends and family with varied musical tastes. Give everyone a chance to enjoy their favorite tunes without any genre of music dominating the party. The free Playmysong app is a song lists management tool, and guests can request songs on a limited hourly basis. Playmysong turns any computer into a hip jukebox that you and your friends can play and control right from your mobile device.
Gifts
You suddenly realize you’ve been so busy planning your friend’s birthday party, you haven’t even thought about a gift. The FTD birthday gifts app lets you send a variety of colorful birthday gift bouquets that include flowers, a decorative bag displaying candles and a personalized message.
Invitations
Mailing wedding invitations to several hundred guests? Although you may want to hire someone to handle the task, you can just download an app. Evite is a free app for Android and Apple that sends and manages invitations for any party planner who’s on-the-go. You can also organize guest lists, RSVP to events and receive notifications about updated events.
All-In-One Planner
If party planning is your livelihood and passion, then Pro Party Planner can help ensure you cover all the event-planning bases. For $4.99 on iTunes, Pro Party Planner provides you with a single platform for party management, including scheduling multiple parties, creating task and guest lists, sending online invitations, planning menus and drinks, and arranging entertainment.