Gear guide
Meeting notes for the travel trade
A stand meeting at a show, a site inspection on a fam trip, a supplier call from a hotel room — the notes are where the value lives, and typing them up is the part that slips. Here’s the gear reps use to capture meetings on the road and on video calls, and a simple way to land the summaries in your RepBud log.
On the road
Pocket recorders, compared
Two recorders worth a look for in-person work. Both pair with a companion app that transcribes the conversation and writes the summary for you — transcription plans and allowances vary, so check the maker's current pricing before you buy.
Plaud Note Pro
Ultra-slim AI voice recorder with InstantView display — records in-person meetings and calls, transcribes and summarises in 112 languages. Amazon's Choice, 4.5★.
- Form factor
- Card-style recorder with display
- Captures
- In-person meetings and phone calls
- Summaries
- Transcribed and summarised in the Plaud app
- Trade fit
- Slips behind your phone or into a badge holder — stand meetings, training sessions, roadshows
Maker’s site: plaud.ai
MagSafe AI recorder that clips to your phone — its contact mic captures calls without speakerphone. Offline-first, 120+ languages, no subscription required.
- Form factor
- Pocket-sized wearable recorder
- Captures
- In-person conversations, hands-free
- Summaries
- Transcripts and summaries in the companion app
- Trade fit
- Clip it on and keep your hands free — fam trips, site inspections, busy show days
Maker’s site: heypocket.com
Affiliate disclosure: some hardware links on this page are affiliate links — if you buy through them, RepBud may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t change what you pay. As an Amazon Associate, RepBud earns from qualifying purchases.
A note on recording etiquette: rules differ by country and setting. Tell people they’re being recorded, ask where you’re not sure, and check local requirements — especially when travelling.
On video calls
Notetakers for virtual meetings
If the meeting happens on Zoom, Teams or Google Meet, a notetaker can join the call and send you the summary afterwards. These are the ones we see most in the trade — none of these are affiliate links, just pointers.
Zoom AI Companion
Included with paid Zoom plans. Produces a meeting summary you can have emailed to you after the call — handy if your supplier calls already happen on Zoom.
Visit zoom.us →Microsoft Teams + Copilot
Recaps, notes and action points inside Teams, for organisations with Microsoft 365 Copilot. A natural fit if your company already lives in Teams.
Visit microsoft.com →Fathom
A notetaker that joins your Zoom, Google Meet and Teams calls and emails you a summary afterwards. Free plan available — a low-friction way to start.
Visit fathom.video →Fireflies
Joins video calls as a notetaker, transcribes and summarises, and can send the recap to your inbox. Free plan to start, with team features as you grow.
Visit fireflies.ai →Otter.ai
Live transcription with a notetaker that can join Zoom, Meet and Teams calls — useful when you want to see the words as they are spoken, with a summary after.
Visit otter.ai →The last step
Getting notes into RepBud
Whichever recorder or notetaker you choose, the route into RepBud is the same — and there's nothing to set up or connect.
Record the meeting
On the stand with a pocket recorder, or on the call with a notetaker — whatever fits the meeting you’re in.
Receive the summary by email
These tools can send or export their summary to your inbox once the meeting ends.
Forward it to your RepBud address
Forward the email to your personal RepBud log address. RepBud reads it, matches the contact, pulls out the action points and files it in The Lantern for you to approve.
Your meetings, filed in The Lantern — without the typing-up.
Questions
Meeting notes, answered
Does RepBud record my meetings?+
No. RepBud does not record audio. You record with the recorder or notetaker of your choice, then forward the emailed summary to your personal RepBud address — RepBud reads it, matches the contact and pulls out the action points for you to approve in The Lantern.
Do I need special hardware to get meeting notes into RepBud?+
No. Any meeting summary that reaches your inbox can be forwarded to your personal RepBud address — from a pocket recorder’s app, Zoom AI Companion, Teams Copilot, Fathom, Fireflies, Otter.ai, or notes you type yourself.
Which recorder is better for the travel trade — Plaud Note Pro or Pocket?+
They suit different working styles. The Plaud Note Pro is a card-style recorder with a display that slips behind your phone or into a badge holder — strong for stand meetings, training sessions and calls. Pocket clips to your phone and keeps your hands free — suited to fam trips, site inspections and busy show days. Both transcribe and summarise in their companion apps; transcription plans and allowances vary, so check the maker’s current pricing before you buy.
Do the virtual notetakers work with RepBud?+
Yes, in the simplest way possible: any notetaker that can email or export its summary works. Forward that email to your personal RepBud log address and it is filed in The Lantern, with the contact matched and the action points pulled out for you to approve.
Is it OK to record meetings at trade shows?+
Rules differ by country and setting. Tell people they are being recorded, ask where you are not sure, and check local requirements — especially when travelling.
Are the links on this page affiliate links?+
Some hardware links are — RepBud may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, RepBud earns from qualifying purchases. The virtual meeting tools listed are not affiliate links.