If you aren't using the World Water Week App, you're missing out. BIG TIME!

Mike Flacy

I was a bit skeptical when I first heard that there is now an app created specifically for the World Water Week in Stockholm this year. With the millions of apps already in the world for everything, I asked myself why I would need an app that I would use for only a week, or even shorter? But after installing the free app on my phone, I was simply amazed at how the app ties together all that you need to keep organized and productive during such a hectic week of events and meetings. I'll mention just 2 major functions for now.

Scheduling

All the events at the #WWWeek are included in the app with a very brief description and they are grouped by days. At a glance, you can see all the events happening within one 90-minute block at a time and select some favorites which you will attend. The beautiful thing is that you can arrange to be notified 30 or 10 minutes before your chosen event starts. Now who needs  another calendar or bulky programme book when they have this app? And did I say that you can take and save notes within each session's page? Yeah, that too! So out goes the traditional paper notebook.

Networking

Everyone who uses the app can set up a short bio with their name, professional info and contact details plus a photo if they so wish. You can search for anyone so essentially, you have access to all the participants who are using the app at your fingertips. Need to set up a meeting with someone, send them a private message. Need to send them an email or call them up instead? One tap's all you need. Need their contacts? Download their vCard direct to your phone's local contacts with one tap. All this within the same app! Running out of business cards (or not having carried any) is now no longer an obstacle to effective networking.

At the risk of sounding like I'm over-enthusiast, I would like to opine that this app is the best (logistical) thing to happen to the World Water Week in several years (or at least the three I've attended)! This app could really enable #WWWeek to become a paperless conference. It is available on the Google Playstore and the App Store. I'm reliably informed that by evening on Sunday 28th August 2016, about 25% of the registered participants had signed up onto the app. If you aren't using it yet (or are "under-using" it), trust me, you're missing out.