The problem
By event week, a photo booth booking has a long email thread: the couple's names as they want them printed, a changed start time, the backdrop and props they chose, the venue's parking note and a late request for a guest book. Pulling that into the job sheet takes about 20 minutes an event. With 25 events a month that's over 8 hours, and a name copied from an old email means a reprinted run of strips on the night.
What the AI does
Gemini in Gmail, included from Google Workspace Business Starter, sits in a side panel beside the inbox: it can summarize long email threads into bullet points and answer questions about emails. The week before each event, the owner opens the client's thread and asks Gemini for the final details under the job sheet's headings, using the latest email where something changed and saying which email it came from. The owner checks each line against the emails, especially names and times, copies it into the job sheet and print template, and sends the client the final details to confirm. Client names and venues stay in the business's Workspace account, which Google says isn't used to train its generative AI.
A worked example
A photo booth firm in Essex with 3 booths runs about 25 events a month, mostly weddings and birthday parties, with its email on Google Workspace Business Starter. The owner opens each client's thread the week before and asks Gemini for the job sheet details.
Before
About 20 minutes per event: 25 × 20 = 500 minutes, about 8.3 hours a month
After
About 8 minutes per event to ask and check: 25 × 8 = 200 minutes, about 3.3 hours a month
What it's worth
About $166£125€149A$240C$235 a month in time saved, against about $8£6€7A$12C$11 to $9£7€8A$13C$13 for one Workspace Business Starter user. Job sheets take about 3.3 hours a month instead of 8.3, and 5 hours at an assumed $33£25€30A$48C$47 an hour is $166£125€149A$240C$235. A firm already paying for Business Starter pays nothing extra.
How to set it up
- Use Google Workspace Business Starter or above for the business inbox: €6.80 (about $8£6€7A$12C$11) per user a month on a one-year commitment, or about $9£7€8A$13C$13 with no commitment, excluding tax. Gemini in Gmail is included.
- Keep each booking's emails in one thread where you can, and add phone or text changes to it by replying with a short note.
- The week before the event, open the thread, open Gemini in the side panel and ask: "List the final names and wording for the print, the date, venue address, arrival and finish times, backdrop, props, guest numbers and extras. Where a detail changed, use the latest email and say which one."
- Check each line against the emails, especially the spelling of names and the times, then copy it into your job sheet and print template.
- Email the client the final details and ask them to confirm before the template is printed.
What goes wrong
- Gemini only sees what's in Gmail. A change agreed by phone or WhatsApp won't be in its answer unless you've added it to the thread.
- A summary can mix up an old detail and a new one. Read the original email for names, times and the venue before anything is printed.
- Personal Google accounts with Google AI Plus ($5.97£4.49€5.34A$8.62C$8.44 a month) also get Gemini in Gmail, but on consumer terms; keep clients' emails in a Workspace account.
- Google shows Workspace prices in your local currency, so the UK sterling price may differ slightly from the figures here.