First Impressions and Onboarding
Upon visiting the Nowadays website, I was immediately struck by its clean, professional interface that clearly targets corporate event planners. The dashboard previews—visible in the demo walkthrough—show a streamlined workflow: you start by inputting basic event parameters like attendee count, preferred dates, and budget range. The free demo platform lets you explore without committing, which is a smart onboarding move. I tested the flight and budget estimator by entering a hypothetical 50-person team retreat from New York to Austin. Within seconds, it returned cost comparisons for flights and venues, pulling from what the site claims is a database of over 400,000 vetted venues. The UI uses simple cards and side-by-side comparisons, making it easy to digest complex data. Unlike manual spreadsheet-driven planning, this tool feels purpose-built for speed.
Core Features and AI Capabilities
Nowadays positions itself as the first AI-native platform for corporate events. Its core differentiator is automation across the entire lifecycle. The AI email outreach feature sends personalized first-contact emails to venues, and I observed a sample that included specific details like room counts and budget ranges—reducing back-and-forth. More impressive is the AI phone call functionality: I played the demo audio clip in which the AI agent introduced itself as "Victor," confidently responding to hotel staff questions about an RFP. This is not a simple chatbot; it's a voice agent capable of gathering availability and following up. The proposal translation tool converts messy PDFs and scattered email quotes into clean, side-by-side comparisons. In the demo, I saw a breakdown of $174,221.91 total after taxes, with each line item (guest rooms, meeting rooms, F&B) clearly itemized. The tool also offers real-time negotiation, backed by internal benchmark data, to help users secure better rates than they could negotiate alone. For enterprise users, there's centralized tracking and preferred rates; for startups, a lighter version handles retreats without a dedicated planner. The platform replaces the need for external planners by managing everything in-house, from registration pages to vendor coordination.
Pricing and Market Positioning
Pricing is not publicly listed on the website. The call-to-action is "Book a Demo" or "Create an Event," suggesting a custom quote or subscription model. Given the target audience of corporate teams and enterprises, it likely operates on a per-event fee or annual contract. Competitors include traditional event management platforms like Cvent (which focuses more on registration and attendee management) and newer AI tools like 10times (which emphasizes venue discovery). Unlike Cvent, Nowadays embeds AI negotiation and phone outreach directly. The company was built by MIT engineers and claims IATA certification, giving it credibility in the travel and hospitality sector. User testimonials—like one from a Senior Manager at Google—suggest enterprise adoption. The tool is best suited for corporate event planners who manage multiple events annually and want to reduce time spent on sourcing and negotiation. Solo planners or small companies with occasional events may find the demo useful, but the investment likely requires a recurring need.
Strengths, Limitations, and Final Verdict
The strongest aspect of Nowadays is its end-to-end automation: it doesn't just find venues, it also handles initial outreach, follow-up calls, proposal comparison, and even negotiation. The integration of AI voice calls is genuinely innovative and could save dozens of hours per event. The database size (400K+ venues) and partnerships with top venues give it a competitive edge. However, I noticed a few limitations. First, the platform's heavy reliance on AI assumes that venues respond well to automated calls and emails—some smaller hotels might prefer human interaction. Second, the pricing opacity could deter small teams that need budget predictability. During my test, the flight estimator worked well, but I couldn't fully evaluate the negotiation power without a live booking. The tool also seems designed primarily for North America (the sample events all reference US cities and IATA certification), so international planners may find coverage gaps. Overall, Nowadays is a powerful ally for corporate planners drowning in spreadsheets, but it may not replace human expertise for highly bespoke events or complex international logistics.
Visit Nowadays at https://getnowadays.com/ to explore it yourself.
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