New Service Helps Attendees Find Their Way

Ensure your guests arrive on time (minus cumbersome printed maps) with Dial Directions, a new cell-phone-based service that sends point-to-point directions via text message. After a planner enters event information on the Dial Directions Web site, attendees can dial “DIR-ECT-IONS” (347.328.4667), say their starting location and destination (by address, intersection, or event), and get instant directions by text message. The service is available in nine metro areas including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. It’s free to list an event online (the company recommends doing it at least two days in advance), although standard long distance and text-messaging rates apply.