Event Tech of the Week: @Airtable

Today, we’re talking about: Airtable

Company/Tool Name: Airtable

Website: https://airtable.com

Twitter: @airtable

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airtableapp

What is the “problem” that your tool seeks to solve?

Spreadsheets were designed as number crunching engines, and were never intended as an organizational tool. Despite this fact, they’ve become the predominant go to tool for making tabular lists of anything from venues to guest lists – simply because the spreadsheet grid interface is fast and intuitive. However, it comes with its many faults: the lack of ability to type in long notes, attach images and other documents, clunky collaboration, and virtually no mobile access. Airtable solves this problem by offering an organizational tool powered by a database (so it can handle rich content), but with a spreadsheet-like interface that’s fast and easy to use. All this on top of easy collaboration and a tap-friendly mobile app makes it the perfect tool for planning an event of any size!

What is the best audience for this tool? Corporate events? Social? Other? Large? Small?

All of the above. We’ve seen Airtable already being used for everything from planning major conferences and nonprofit galas to birthday parties.

What does your tool help event planners do better?

Organize all of the information as part of the event planning process, collaborate on it with teammates and stakeholders, and easily access it on the go with our mobile app.

How is your tool different from/better than the competition?

Like a spreadsheet, it’s fast and fully flexible to your needs. Unlike a spreadsheet, it handles rich content, seamless collaboration, beautiful mobile access, and is automatically saved and synced to all your other devices.

What is the single coolest feature of your product?

The mobile experience seamlessly displays your data in easily tappable cards.

Anything else we need to know?

Airtable has raised $10.6M in venture capital funding to continue expanding and improving its product. Its investors include CRV (which made the first major investment in Twitter) and Ashton Kutcher.

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This weekly series spotlights a new tech tool that is designed to help make planning events much more seamless. Whether it’s using event software to track every detail from start to finish or mobile apps that deliver content to attendees’ fingertips, these technologies allow planners to divert their stress to more critical issues like deciding which napkin color looks best.