Snapchat Takes On Partiful with New Event-Planning Features
Snapchat announced on Thursday that it is launching "Snapchat Plans," a suite of features for creating, sharing, and managing real-world events with friends. The new event-planning tools allow users to send and receive invitations and track details like time, location, and attendees—all in one place.
According to Snapchat, the features can be used to organize everything from birthday celebrations and sporting events to study sessions and casual weekend hangouts.
A Direct Challenge to Partiful
With Snapchat Plans, the social network is looking to take on Partiful, a popular event-planning and digital invitation platform, as young users increasingly turn to dedicated apps to organize get-togethers rather than relying on group chats or general social media. Snapchat isn't the only tech company taking on Partiful and other invitation apps—Apple launched an app called Invites last year that lets users create custom invitations for any occasion.
How Snapchat Plans Work
Snapchat users can create an event—called a "Snapchat Plan"—by adding a title, choosing a date and time, and inviting up to 200 friends. Invitations are then delivered directly within a one-on-one chat with each invited friend. Guests can RSVP with "Going," "Maybe," or "Can't Go."
Image Credits: Snapchat
The app is also adding a new "My Plans" section on users' profiles that lets them quickly browse all of their current, upcoming, and past Snapchat Plans. Additionally, once users click on a friend's profile, they will see the events they share with them.
Once a Snapchat Plan is created, hosts can see who's attending, invite more friends, and update event details as needed. Guests can view the full guest list, change their RSVP at any time, and receive a reminder one hour before the event starts.
Expanding Beyond Online Communication
Although Snapchat has been a significant player in the social media space over the past decade, the company is now expanding its focus beyond how people communicate online to also help shape how they get together in the real world. This follows the broader trend that sees Gen Z increasingly favoring in-person gatherings and dedicated tools for coordinating them.
via TechCrunch