Tailgating Scheduling Program

By Stephen Linn
From tailgatingblog.com

Okay, you know the problem. You and your buddies are set to tailgate this weekend but you're having a heck of a time getting everyone on the same page - who is bringing what, who is responsible for the drinks, who's making sure the parking permit is paid for.

That's exactly the problem Tom Hessen had. Okay, not exactly. His problem was actually his wife's:

My wife came to me one day after having emailed a group of fitness instructors looking to find a substitute for her classes while we went on vacation. She got 20-25 replies from people indicating they wanted to pick up her classes so she had to respond to all of the emails saying who got the classes. She came to me frustrated saying "I wish I could create timeslots and people could just sign-up for them and everyone would see when the slots are filled and I wouldn't get any emails". I told her that wasn't very hard so I took her idea and expanded it.

The result is SlyReply. And Tom has expanded it so the free online service now offers ways to schedule just about any event, including tailgate parties.

Tom says tailgaters typically use the "Custom Slot Sign-up" tool. The tailgate organizer creates a list of things needed - everything from tents to beer to food to decorations - and then sends the link to the group for people to sign-up for what they are bringing.

It's simple to use and can help relieve the headache of organizing a tailgate that has someone bringing everything except the plates. Or, worse, the bottle opener.

Give it a try and let me know how it works for your tailgate group.