Guidebook
reviews and complaints

There could be a couple of changes/additions to help look up schedules.
If you could make it look up all schedules of a particular room, or to be able to see the old-style guidelines from previous years.
Also, a filter for particular videos, panels, or discussion boards would be nice, instead of having it all bunched together in a timeslot.
But, for now, it is a slightly useful app.

This is a GREAT concept to help me coordinate my schedules each day for the convention that I'm going to. HOWEVER- it gives me the option to add photo ops to my schedule but not panels... Which means I can't create an actual full schedule at all... Only shows me what time my photo ops are. It's unfortunate because that makes the app pointless for me. If it worked I would give it 5 stars

Looks pretty good but must have way to navigate long alpha lists. Like their own list of schools using this app! Starts at A and then you have to scroll and scroll. Search is too loose and you can't easily get to S items and browse there. Several solutions have been common for years. Until implemented this app is not usable where you need a long index list. Like we have over 400 bios of people. Need sidebar or top button groups.

I like this so much that I'm taking time to review it. I'm currently at Katsucon which has tons of events that I want to go to. This app has a nice feature where I can bookmark everything I want to go to and then have it remind me so I have time to get in line and not miss it. It also has lots of other info that Katsucon provided them in digital form, but I'm mainly using the app to quickly plan a schedule for myself. Very useful.

I've downloaded the iOS app and logged in using
Facebook. But if I want to log in on the website there is not way to do that with Facebook and for the life of me I cannot find away to see my email address & password for your guidebook account on my app. How can I use & sync my guidebooks across platforms when I cannot log in?
BIG Suggestion:
SUPPORT! They have no email addresses, no FAQ and now support in app or on your website.

This app looks pretty nice, but fails in too many places. I downloaded the guide for my workshop, but it constantly deletes it. I’ve had to download it 5 times now. When you are in class with poor WiFi and need to know what’s next, well you are out of luck. I’ve also got it into open loops where you click open and it does nothing. And you can map addresses. That’s just stupid.

Also have you seen their pricing? Why would anyone use this?

Like another reviewer here, I think that this app is really useful and has a lot of potential, but I do wish that you could narrow down by Location. I thought the purpose of this app was to find through Guidebook something interesting that's going on, in which case you should be able to narrow down by location. But if the purpose is just to find a schedule for an event that you already know is happening then it is great as is. Lovely design.

Diocese of Olympia is using this app for their convention. The primary use for it would be for documents. They are all links to pdfs which don't rotate and so you have to zoom and scroll each line to read it. Since it has to link to the internet each time you access the doc, you need internet connection - at a venue that doesn't have enough bandwidth to accommodate the number of attendees. Just use paper!
Also... A number of the links go to "Page not Found."

As soon as I downloaded the app and opened it up as I was in transit to my conference, I saw a map which pinpointed where the hotel is. Sadly the pinpoint was not accurate and perhaps pointed to another hotel in the same chain. This caused me to visit the conference website to see which location the hotel was at to verify the pinpoint was not in the right location. Bingo, it was wrong indeed. Glad I did not get a taxi there. I hope the rest of the app is more accurate

If you're reading this you're likely considering using this to organize your next event. As an event attendee I can say this app doesn't do anything a printed itinerary doesn't do better. Static maps (Google does better), a static itinerary, and weak implementations with social media. It has a photo stream, but no one uses it. Where's the messaging? Where are quality maps? App just takes up space on your attendees devices and a line item in your budget sheet. You can do better.

The version I have (dL today from Apple Store)
1. failed to keep running twice when I clicked on SCHEDULE from MENU homepage.
2. I note several places where a consistently accessible HOME button would have been VERY helpful.
3. Add the ability to RENAME a To-Do. Lacking this ability, I had to REMOVE and create a To-Do all over again.
4. To-Do list should be able to be manually SORTED & should have a PRIORITY type of button for ea. item.
5. TYPEFACE SIZE should be a user selectable item.

Got this app back in 2011 for Otakon and I have been using it every year since. Guidebook is fantastic and makes your con panel experience much easier. I No longer have to carry large paper schedules, and whenever a panel time changes, you get a push notification. Also scheduling panels is so easy, just click add to schedule and you can set a time for it to remind you. Also it makes browsing convention programming much easier. Guidebook is definitely a must-have for any convention attendee!

Overall a decent app. I do wish it supported Apple Watch, however. So many apps support the watch now, especially productivity apps. It would be a great convenience if the notifications for “my schedule” popped up, or I could pull “my schedule “ up and scroll through it without having to dig my phone out of my pocket. I’m usually juggling handouts, tote bags, etc. at conferences in addition to my backpack with all my electronic needs. The additional convenience of watch support would be great!

This is an excellent medium for conventions to provide electronic guidebooks, with sections for maps, schedules, and guests. The quality of the guides, of course, depends on the individual convention, of course; for instance, the BayCon guide inexcusably omits the names of panelists from meeting listings. The only weakness I’ve noticed so far in the app itself is that, while you can set a reminder for ten minutes before a meeting, you can’t set one for five minutes before, nor after the meeting.

Must have: to see schedule conflicts noted as I select the item (or at least in "My Schedule"). When I select a 50 minute session at noon, there should be SOMEthing that tells me, "Hey dummy, that cuts in to the 12:30 event you wanted." Also, prioritization of the events. If a session is running long, but the signing session is about to start, I want to see/hear/feel a notification.

Nice to have: Maybe it's just the event I'm going to, but allowing images in the description / body would be great.

Needs a lower level tier for convention planners between the free and first pay level...one that would allow a few more downloads for the small cons (and not necessarily more features) without spending a lot of money.

As an attendee, my BIGGEST complaint is that when I’ve downloaded a guide, it should ALWAYS open to that guide during the convention dates. I hate opening the app and finding myself having to re-select the convention I’m at in order to see my schedule (where I last used the app a few hours earlier.)

I’ve only used one guide so far and my comments may be off because there could be features missing that are school dependent.

• no hyper local (beacon) support for campus location and guidance
• need additional maps
• need parent version if the focus is college tours
• need list of potential auxiliary events (eg. volleyball game) with potential for colleges to give passes (free or purchases) within app
• give food places ability to coordinate with colleges to offer reservations and make deals within app

Good app with a lot of potential.

I've used this companies "Guidebook" at some conferences and it lacks what almost every one I've experienced does ... it wasn't created by someone that has probably attended a tradeshow. This app fills a checkmark for the conference, it doesn't help attendees do things easier.

For example, allow me to post to my own calendar / update it from the app. Allow me to search my own contacts for other attendees. Incorporate the bar code reader instead of the useless lanyards.

For those conferences looking at this app ... keep looking. It didn't make my life easier when I used it as an attendee.

I would feel lost without this app. I used to make schedules by hand or computer until I found conventionist (that's what guidebook used to be called).

Now with guidebook, It's super easy to not only plan your schedule ahead but also to figure things out on the fly. Using the maps for example of you get lost, or finding somewhere to eat, or stayin updated with breaking announcements or news from the convention.

My favorite feature is how you can view the schedule and then add events from it to "my schedule", so that you only see what you want to, and then you can get updates or reminders on your mobile device in case you forget something.

Guidebook team. There are basic features that are missing or not easily accessible:
1. Search is confusing. Not clear whether I am searching within a current event or for an event from the global pool.

2. Calendar and scheduling is from 1800s (way before computers). I need to be able to:
A) see all events in a room and/or in a building/venue, for a day, date, the duration of the main event etc.
B) see all the times for an event—when it is offered more than once.
C) see events by teacher/mc/leader, eg, show me what John is teaching.
The above are basic pivot features that should be built in.

3. Provide ability for events to post links to additional materials including PDFs.
4. Event feedback and reviews

This app will not allow me to download any documents. It keeps telling me the request timed out. I know it is not my wifi as everything else works well. I can see the potential with it being useful for conferences if it were fixed.

The app seems auspicious in features, but frankly very poorly tested against real-world content using their app. I'd like to try using it, but frankly there's little here that can't be accomplished already with a simplistic website.

I followed a link to install from the university. After reading the introductory note about orientation and dismissing it the app was frozen. I had to force quit the app. Sure hope it works after re-opening... not a good first impression

This app has been "loading" an update on my iPad for over a week now. I can't seem to uninstall it, and when I thought I was able to, it went back to the downloading symbol when I tried to reinstall it. Does it do this for all iPad 3s?

For people with visual issues the lack of contrast in font colors makes the content hard to read. Black font on white background is best. Light gray font on white background is hard to see. Aside from the font colors, the app is fantastic.

I was very disappointed when downloading this app to discover it was going to cost me $3500 to publish 1 guide. Extremely difficult for a non-profit helping children with cancer. Will find another way to communicate with those attending the events

I'm sure this app would be great if I could actually use it, but it keeps crashing when I try to look at any guide. I've restarted my iPhone, checked to be sure I had the latest updates, and even deleted and reinstalled the app but nothing has helped

Complete garbage app. Constantly crashes and im always having to start all over. They should do a complete overhaul on this failure of an app. Hopefully Trashbook, I mean Guidebook is able to learn from their mistake. Though, more than likely they wont.

This app deleted all (ALL!) of my notes from a 5-day professional conference. Received no response from Guidebook support. Attempted to log in after a long duration hoping notes were miraculously restored--forgot my password and never received a reset password email. Not recommended.

Having same issue as Sue. So sad. Used it for a conference last year and LOVED it and expected to use it again for the same conference this year. Just tried to report the problem, but when I search for "iPhone 4s crash" or even just “crash" no answer comes up that I can apply. Help! :(

The search function is a disaster. An absolute disaster. It can’t even find the events that I type in word-for-word that it’s showing me on the main screen. In addition, it won’t open my school’s commencement guide and won’t even find it for some reason that has yet to reveal itself. Good idea, awful in execution.

I used this for a conference two years ago and loved it. Now I’m headed to a different conference and can’t get it to switch. I finally deleted it and loaded it from the conference web site and it keeps opening on the web instead of the app. It’s a paperless conference and I have no schedule to use. Really unhappy.

The app freezes when you go to the "share guidebook" option. And it doesn't just freeze the app, but my whole phone. Some guides will not load, and the form submission option is very confusing. I think the app has potential to be very good and work extremely well. It would be very nice to have these kinks worked out.

Used to be an amazing app. I don't know why it suddenly needs to be linked with Facebook and I don't know why they suddenly need all of my person info. Beyond that, they aren't updated and they don't have the events I attend anymore, but I can still search for events that are two or more years old. This app used to be so good too.

I downloaded Guidebook for an event my school was holding, but when it was done I decided to delete it from my phone to save space, but it just keeps downloading itself. Every time I try to delete the app, it ends up downloading itself later. This is the only app that has ever done this on my phone. Be cautious to download this if you have an older phone like mine.

Meeting listings do not list speakers or participants. No index of speakers or participants. No search capability for keywords. Very hard to use for any size conference.

Trying to find a current event on this app is a pain! They still list ones from 2013! Too many to slog through. No way to filter them. And the user can’t even delete their old events. Not user friendly. Better curation and user controls are needed to make this app what it is meant to be.