An Independent HelmsBriscoe Associate | 636-678-7661 | jstone@helmsbriscoe.com

Jill Stone

Your Meeting Matchmaker Fairy Godmother

Drive Time

in: Event Planning Advice

Due to the rising cost of airfare, more and more attendees are driving in to their meeting destinations. As a result, meeting managers are now considering more drivable cities like Raleigh, Lincoln, Boise and more. If your attendees are planning to road trip their way to your next conference, send along some App-ealing ideas to help them make their drive time enjoyable and easy.  

  • Plan: When planning the route from current location to destination, try out Roadtrippers. The app allows for creating itineraries, trip guides, finding places to stay and for collaboration with friends.
  • Directions: Google Maps and Waze are popular apps for navigating the world. In the case that service may drop during the road trip, there’s an option to download maps for offline access. 
  • Tunes: Every good road trip includes a playlist. Create a playlist of favorite music on iTunes, or choose from one of their many musical genre specific playlists. Other musical apps to check out are Amazon Music, SoundCloud, and Spotify. A special shout out to Tidal, they pay artists more than any other apps out there.
  • Learn: Autio is an app that features thousands of incredible stories about various locations around the nation. The stories feature favorite voices like John Lithgow, sharing Footloose Filming Locations in Provo, Utah, and Kevin Costner with stories about the Northern Great Plains.
  • Adventure: Why not take a bit of extra time and check out some offbeat attractions? Roadside America serves up one entertaining stop after another. Another app to check out is Atlas Obscura, perfect for the curious minded. Up for a hike? Download the AllTrails app.
  • Stay: If the plan is to take an overnight break at a point or two along the way, make sure to download HotelTonight for last minute deals. For those that prefer camping, check out the thousands of campgrounds on The Dyrt.
  • Gas: Filling up the tank is all part of the road trip experience. GasBuddy shares the cheapest and closest options for refueling. For electric cars, check out PlugShare.
  • Pay: Whether it’s splitting the cost of fuel expenses, dining or hotel stays, apps like Venmo and Cash App are easy ways to send money.

Also, make sure to have roadside assistance info on hand and safety supplies, in the case that your vehicle is in need of some help. Be safe out there! And please feel free to share this list with attendees driving in to your next event!

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