We probably all have a number of apps on our phones and tablets that we don’t use very often (if at all).

Don’t waste space with useless applications! Now is the time to have a clear out and make way for the best and most useful apps to hit the market this year.

We compiled 15 of the most interesting apps to be published so far in 2016, helping to give your productivity a boost and make your job (and your life) a little bit easier.

1. Eventbrite Organiser App (iOS)

We gave our app a fresh new look in April; relaunching as the Eventbrite Organiser app. It’s been redesigned to be easier to use, with a more attractive interface.

So what can you do using the Eventbrite Organiser app? You can track ticket sales in real-time, helping you make on the fly marketing decisions.

Then, when you’re on site at your event, you can have the app running on multiple devices allowing you to check-in attendees quickly and efficiently, no matter how large your audience. Use the ticket scanning facility or, for smaller guestlists, simply swipe their name to register their attendance.

Managing check-in digitally provides you with real-time data, accessible from anywhere that shows you how many guests have arrived, and when and where they’re checking-in.

The Eventbrite Organiser is a free app with truly priceless functionality! Download it now

2. Spaces (iOS/Android)

Spaces is a new social networking/messaging app from Google. It’s designed to be the opposite of platforms like Twitter or Instagram where most users aim to collect as many followers as possible. Spaces is all about keeping it small.

The app is designed for small group conversations and is therefore the ideal social sharing platform for key team members working on an event. You can post links, pictures, YouTube videos and more to group conversations.

If you manage multiple teams you can set up different groups, allowing you to easily share interesting content with colleagues in charge of different aspects of the event such as catering, content, build or finances.

3. Airtime (iOS/Android)

Airtime is another great way to communicate with your teams. It’s like Apple’s FaceTime but with the added bonus that you can have up to six participants on one video call.

The screen is split so you can see everybody who’s on the call and you can set up named groups with pre-defined members. When you need to consult your team, simply hit the Signal button to bring everyone together.

4. quickReply (Android)

If you receive messages via multiple apps such as WhatsApp, Skype, Hangouts and Telegram, quickReply can save you time by allowing you to respond directly from the notification.

This means you don’t have to stop what you’re doing to open the app. You can even mark the message as read directly from the notification. The app also supports voice replies.

5. News Pro (iOS)

Developed by Microsoft, News Pro uses Bing News to deliver personalised feeds of news based on your profession. It uses your job title to make its suggestions.

Simply connect it to your LinkedIn account (or Facebook if you prefer) and it will display relevant stories – that’s the idea anyway. The app is still being tweaked and you may find some of its suggestions off the mark. The good news is that you can easily unfollow the topics that aren’t relevant to you.

One nice feature is the “speedy” option, which offers users a stripped down version of the article, which is easy to read and free of ads.

6. Ummo (iOS)

If public speaking is part of your job, or you need to pitch to a perspective client, Ummo can help you hone your presentation skills.

It acts like a virtual speech coach, analysing your speech as you talk for pace, word power, clarity, and filler words like “ums”, “ahs”, “like” and “kind of”.

Press the record button, deliver your speech and then see how many words per minute you were talking at on average. Then drill down and see how your speed altered throughout – did you keep a steady pace or did you start rushing? Ummo also gives you a percentage score for clarity and lets you set your own filler words and phrases for tracking. Basically I think it sounds like a great idea, you know?!

7. Mimicker (Android)

Need to get up early on the day of your event and worried about missing your alarm? Install Mimicker! This nasty piece of work, created by Microsoft, wakes you with a ‘game’.

This so-called game requires you to mimic an action in order to dismiss the alarm – this might be speaking a tongue twister, making a particular facial expression or taking a picture of something with a given colour.

The aim is to ensure you’re fully awake and alert and not in danger of falling back to sleep… but just in case you don’t finish the game in time, the alarm will start ringing again.

8. Boomerang (Android)

When you’re busy, you’re not always able to respond to every notification as they come in and consequently it’s easy to then forget about them. Boomerang Notifications ensures that doesn’t happen.

See a notification from Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn that you want to follow up? Simply save it for later and, optionally, set a reminder for a more convenient time.

You can view all of your saved notifications in one place, allowing you to quickly crack through them when you get a few spare minutes.

9. Guides by Lonely Planet (iOS/Android)

If you travel for work and often find yourself in unfamiliar cities, this app from guidebook publisher Lonely Planet is a must. It features comprehensive guides for 37 major destinations across the world, from Amsterdam to Washington, D.C.

Download the guide over Wi-Fi and then use it in offline mode to save on roaming data. You’ll find maps, trustworthy restaurant and hotel recommendations, must-see sights, handy tips and ‘near me’ functionality for when you need an urgent coffee break!

10. Detour (iOS/Android)

Although Detour has been available on iOS for some time, it is now on Android too, meaning you can enjoy great audio-guided city tours no matter what type of mobile device you have.

This is an excellent app to recommend to (or provide for) conference delegates if they have spare time around sessions and want to explore the host city. It even offers group syncing so groups can experience the tour at the same pace.

Currently, the app provides audio tours for San Francisco, New York City, Austin, London, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, and Marrakech, all of which have been produced by award-winning journalists and filmmakers with ‘cinematic sound design’.

11. 11. RunGo (iOS/Android)

RunGo also provides audio-guides, but this time for running. If you like to pound the pavement before starting work, this app can help you keep up your routine even when you’re away from home.

It features running routes in cities around the world, created by local runners, and then acts like a sat nav, delivering turn by turn voice navigation so you don’t get lost.

RunGo works off GPS, so you can download the map before you go and then use it without an internet connection.

12. Thumbly Keyboard (iOS)

Event planners have always got their hands full, so wouldn’t it be great to have a phone keyboard that can be used one-handed? That’s exactly what Thumbly gives you.

The app uses fast, gesture-based, controls to help you navigate the keyboard and autocorrect with one hand, and it’s really efficient.

Left-handed? Don’t worry, they’ve not forgotten about you; the app lets you switch between configurations to suit your preferences.

13. Gideon AI (IOS)

If you’re a gadget lover and an early adopter of ‘smart home’ technology, the Gideon AI app is your perfect travelling companion.

The app enables you to manage multiple smart devices from multiple brands. Whether you’re in another country, or just staying late at the office, you can control devices such as heating, security systems and lighting remotely. It means you never have to return to a cold, dark home again – you can even stick the kettle on so it’s ready when you open the door!

14. Drupe (Android)

Drupe is a great new way to organise your important contacts and instantly connect with them through any app you like.

First create a priority list to bring your most frequently called contacts together – it’s easy to change their order by shuffling them about – then you can contact them via phone, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Skype and others with just one swipe.

15. Workgroup (iOS)

Workgroup is an app specially designed for cross-company project teams. You can add anyone to a workgroup by adding their email address, meaning you can communicate with people from any organisation in a closed environment.

The idea is to reduce email and help build stronger working relationships with real-time communication. On a workgroup you see when people read your messages, and you can instantly reply, and thus, things that might have taken days using email get done in minutes.

Have you discovered any other great new apps? Which are the apps you simply couldn’t live without? Share them with our community!