Your favorite time of year is almost here—Essence Festival! In just a few short days, New Orleans will be shining wall-to-wall with #BlackGirlMagic and girl squads in town to turn up and live their best lives.
There will be no shortage of fun and activities to be found, but how can you make sure that you enjoy your festival experience with as little headaches as possible? Thankfully we’ve got you covered!
We’ve been keeping you in the know with the hottest tech gadgets all year long to prepare you for this moment. From easily finding directions to locating that oyster spot you heard about to making sure you stay safe in these NOLA streets, we’re going to show you how your favorite tech items can help you make this your best Essence Festival yet.
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01
Tile EVERYTHING!
We’ve told you how amazing Tile is for finding your luggage when you travel, but during Essence Festival, your suitcase is the last thing you’ll be worried about. With all the excitement it’s easy to lose track of your belongings. Luckily Tile is slim enough to attach to your phone, hotel room key, that chic new clear bag, and even that one friend that always seems to get lost.
Photo Credit: Tile App
02
Use Your Headphones For More Than Music
Getting around New Orleans can be a bit overwhelming, and having to remember where everything is when you’re in a rush or your phone battery is on 1 percent can suck the fun out of your day. If you’re #TeamApple, use your AirPods for something other than blasting City Girls. You can get directions to all the ESSENCE Fest events by simply saying things like “Hey, Siri. How Do I Get To The Superdome?” and before you know it you’ll be on your way. If you took notes from our survival kit and downloaded the Lonely Planet Guide to New Orleans, you can also use your AirPods to ask Siri to open the app and get to the heart of the city.
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03
Keep Your Cards In The Safe And Use Your Smart Gadgets Instead
Massive gatherings are a treat for pickpockets and other undesirables. Keep your coins safe by leaving your physical cards locked up in the hotel safe, and using the wallet on one of your smart devices, like your watch, to pay for items. For example, if you have an Apple Watch, all you have to do is double-click the side button, swipe left or right to choose the card you’d like to use and hold it near the reader at checkout. Simple, right?
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04
Use Your Phone To Stay Safe
Emergencies can happen anywhere, even on the ultimate girls’ trip. Utilize the emergency services on your phone to stay safe and help you out when you need. On most devices, all you have to do is hold down the power and/or volume buttons to activate emergency services and get help quickly.
