Bizzabo
Bizzabo launched in June, making it one of the newest products in this arena. Co-founder Alon Alroy said Bizzabo is intended to become “the standard app for networking at events” because it aggregates information from multiple events on one mobile platform, available for free on iOS and Android. Planners add an event to the app by inputting the event’s name, address, date, hashtag, and description on the Bizzabo Web site, free of charge (they can also import information from Eventbrite). Once added, anyone using the app can find the event, unless the planner opts to make it a private community. Attendees join by connecting their LinkedIn account, and they can also connect their Twitter account and add other professional information. Then users can browse the list of attendees to find people with common interests, send messages in real time, and find future events that like-minded people will be attending.
Planners can also use the app to communicate with attendees and get real-time analytics on usage, while exhibitors can send Groupon-style offers through Bizzabo, such as providing a gift to the first 20 people who click on an offer in the app. Alroy said in the future planners will be able to use the platform to generate revenue from sponsors and exhibitors by providing them with more targeted leads.
Planners can also use the app to communicate with attendees and get real-time analytics on usage, while exhibitors can send Groupon-style offers through Bizzabo, such as providing a gift to the first 20 people who click on an offer in the app. Alroy said in the future planners will be able to use the platform to generate revenue from sponsors and exhibitors by providing them with more targeted leads.
Photo: Courtesy of Bizzabo
Shhmooze
Shhmooze does not require buy-in from the planner or company organizing an event. "We designed this around the needs of the attendee more than the organizer," said Michelle Gallen, co-founder of Shhmooze. An attendee can download the free app (currently only available for iOS, but coming soon for Android) and create a profile by linking to LinkedIn, Twitter, Foursquare, and Meetup accounts. That profile can be used for any event the user attends. Shhmooze is integrated with Meetup and Eventbrite, so events from those platforms are automatically listed. Shhmooze tells the user which of their connections are also at the event, and also suggests new connections by analyzing Foursquare check-ins, tweets with the event hashtag, LinkedIn profiles, and other social network activity, even from people not using the Shhmooze app. Users can search for people by skill or company name to identify attendees who meet their needs or interests.
Gallen said they are working on an algorithm that will provide what it calls “smart recommendations” of whom to meet based on the user’s social graph and interests. Shhmooze will also add tools to allow planners to add schedules, speaker profiles, logos, and other elements, possibly for a fee.
Gallen said they are working on an algorithm that will provide what it calls “smart recommendations” of whom to meet based on the user’s social graph and interests. Shhmooze will also add tools to allow planners to add schedules, speaker profiles, logos, and other elements, possibly for a fee.
Photo: Courtesy of Shhmooze
Shpare adds an extra layer of networking assistance by offering a personalized list of the 20 people each attendee should meet at an event. The process begins when the planner imports attendee information into the online system. Shpare then pulls public information from each person’s Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook accounts to create a profile for each attendee. A few days before the event, each attendee receives an email explaining the service and inviting them to edit their profile—for example, by adding keywords of specific products or services they are interested in. The system analyzes tweets going back three months prior to the event, as well as likes on Facebook and LinkedIn information (including prior work experience) to generate a list of the 20 best matches. The system does not share personal contact information; instead, attendees click on the “matches” they want to meet, and the system sends a meeting request to that person.Shpare is intended primarily for events with exhibitors and sponsors, who each pay a fee (typically 10 percent of their booth cost) to receive leads generated by the system. That revenue is shared by the planner and Shpare. The matching between attendees is included free of charge as long there are a minimum number of exhibitors and sponsors participating.
Photo: Courtesy of Shpare
Presdo Match
Presdo Match creates an invitation-only social network for an event. Organizers pay for the service based on the number of attendees; rates start at $1,499 for events with as many as 300 people. The system creates profiles on attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors using data from the event registration profile and LinkedIn. “A couple months prior to the event, the network is launched and the attendees have a chance to interact with people before they get there,” said Presdo C.E.O. Eric Ly. Users receive recommendations on other attendees with matching interests, and they can use the network to communicate and schedule meetings.
Attendees can also share the event through social networks, creating “attendee marketing,” said Ly. Planners can use the network to display session information and share speakers’ LinkedIn profiles, and they also receive reports on confirmed and requested meetings. The network is accessible as a Web site and mobile application, and planners can customize it with the event name, logo, and color scheme.
Attendees can also share the event through social networks, creating “attendee marketing,” said Ly. Planners can use the network to display session information and share speakers’ LinkedIn profiles, and they also receive reports on confirmed and requested meetings. The network is accessible as a Web site and mobile application, and planners can customize it with the event name, logo, and color scheme.
Photo: Courtesy of Presdo
For a Yelp community event in 2009 in New York, the user review and social networking Web site kept guests cool with branded fans and misting stations near the event's entrance.
Photo: Entwined Studios
A 3-D printer made tiny figurines of guests at the Omote 3D pop-up.
Photo: Courtesy of Party
Grilled corn on the cob with assorted toppings; roasted potato salad on chive sticks; watermelon cubes with feta and spinach; spinach salad with chopped eggs and microgreens in bacon cups; “hot dog” and “hamburger” macarons; and apple pie parfaits, by Windows Catering Company in Washington
Photo: Erika Rydberg for BizBash
Ahi tuna salad with pineapple-sesame dressing, greens, tobiko, and sambal aioli; cucumber rolls; hoisin duck salad with quinoa, wakame, and roasted vegetables; macadamia nut biscotti; coconut alfajores; and Absolut Ruby Red vodka, Soho lychee liqueur, and Patron Citronge cocktails, by Brûlée Catering in Philadelphia
Photo: Andrew Kahl for BizBash
Mac ’n’ cheese; chicken wings served with assorted sauces; kielbasas; Bavarian pretzels; and grilled chicken Caesar salad wraps, by the Garden at Studio Square NYC in New York
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Grill-ready clay pot kalbi, with marinated beef, soybean paste, fresh garlic, red leaf lettuce, vegetables, and kimchi, by Miss Korea Barbecue in New York
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Chopped salad with salumi, provolone, fresh oregano, and red wine vinaigrette; tarragon egg salad sandwiches with watercress and radishes; and ricotta pound cake with Meyer lemon curd and whipped cream, produced by Dandelion Ranch Events with catering by Cooks County in Los Angeles
Photo: Bridget Kenny for BizBash
Bento boxes including chilled Italian antipasti, served with sangria with blood orange ice cubes, iced tea with lemon zest and mint, and Peroni beer, by Parkland Chef in Boca Raton, Florida
Photo: Andrew King/LuvRox Photography
Urban Picnic bento box including a chicken ’n’ waffles sandwich; a prosciutto, parmesan, and sherried fig jam sandwich; gazpacho in a cucumber bowl served with a pipette of vinaigrette and a dusting of avocado snow; a Caprese potato salad skewer; and a trio of sweet-and-savory suckers, by Truffleberry Market in Chicago
Photo: Tyllie Barbosa for BizBash
Bonnaroo's Fountain
The 20-foot lighted fountain, known informally as the "mushroom," provided a cool break from the heat of the day, as well as a place to shower. There was also a Ferris wheel that offered attendees a fun ride and great views.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
A Mustache Bash
A recent baby shower by Frog Prince Paperie had a theme that was more hipster than twee: mustaches. Little mustache flags decked the cupcakes, which were decorated in baby-boy-friendly hues of blue and brown.
Photo: Courtesy of Frog Prince Paperie
'Food & Wine' Best New Chefs Event
At the culinary event at New York's Pranna on April 2, large marquee letters spelling out "Food & Wine" surrounded a lounge area.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Audio speakers are now smaller and lighter weight, so they can be hung from a truss rather than stacked on the floor.
Photo: Courtesy of ShowPro
Invitations that are messy, cluttered, or contain typos turn guests off.
Illustration: Joey Bouchard/BizBash
Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Samsung
An Airplane in Flight
How about an airplane in flight as a venue for an event? When Entourage returned from a yearlong hiatus, HBO needed a dramatic way to launch the fifth season of its flagship comedy. A typical screening and after-party didn’t seem to fit with the show’s expensive campaign and jet-set vibe, so the marketing team came up with the idea of an on-brand airplane. HBO approached Virgin America, which fit with the show's aesthetic. The airline was about to debut a new flight service between New York and Las Vegas, so the pair agreed to a joint promotion. The result included a private Virgin-hosted party inside a JFK airport hangar, photo ops with the show’s cast and Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson, an in-flight premiere of the season opener, and an after-party at the Playboy Club in Las Vegas.
Photo: AP Photo/Virgin America, Bob Riha Jr.
Event staffers should be prepared to answer these questions from guests.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Photo: Brooke A. Cassidy/BizBash
Provide Props
For a highly visual—and Instagram-friendly—photo opp, social media prompts served as props against a grassy wall decorated with Veuve bottles at the fourth annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic at Will Rogers State Historic Park in Los Angeles on October 5. Working with Veuve director of communications Christine Kaculis, BrownHot Events produced the event once again with the chic, subtly branded details that characterize the annual sporting event.
Photo: Claire Barrett Photography
At the Museum of Science & Industry’s Black Creativity gala in Chicago in January, Sodexo provided a table that held hanging terrariums of flavored salts including red chili, pink Hawaiian, smoke, and rosemary. Also on hand: grinders holding pink, green, white, and black pepper, as well as a variety of flavored butters such as lavender honey and garlic.
Photo: J. B. Spector/Museum of Science+Industry
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" Installation
For Art Basel, the Mondrian South Beach pool was filled with massive rainbow-hued inflatables. FriendsWithYou, Paul Kasmin Gallery, and Paper magazine collaborated on the installation with Morgans Hotel Group. The installation will remain at the hotel through January 15.
Photo: World Red Eye
The Epicurean Hotel opens in Tampa December 18 and will include a culinary classroom that can be used by groups. The 2014 forecast predicts demand for hotel space for groups will outpace supply in North America.
Rendering: Courtesy of Epicurean
Wedge salad bites served on forks, by Occasions Caterers in Washington
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
