Almost everyone who organizes a festival, conference or tradeshow has the same problem. Even with the best possible promotion, attendees usually disengage once the party ends.
And if their event happens every year, they have to climb the same hill again and again.
Austin-based Skoop has come up with a way to keep the conversation going — small, built-to-order, private social networks. Parent company EmBazaar released Skoop for College in 2014 and a second, city-based version of the platform called Skoop City at SXSW in March.
Now the company has spun its idea into a third app platform called Skoop for Events, which can be customized in the form of branded, stand-alone apps for Skoop’s clients with a marketplace for each event’s sponsors and advertisers.
The app works like this: Imagine a news feed around an event like Austin City Limits festival or SXSW, with relevant posts, pictures and polls from the official organizers as well as attendees. Users can easily post public polls to crowdsource answers to questions like, “Is this line for the meet-and-greet worth it?” and “Which booth has the best swag?”
Skoop tested this events-focused functionality during SXSW this spring, when they first launched their public Skoop City app. Their user base grew by word of mouth from zero to 4,000 in seven days.
Custom event apps aren’t a new idea. But the existing solutions for large events tend to emphasize engagement before and during an event, which is only half the picture for events that happen every year. Building a community that stays engaged after everyone goes home is harder, and that’s where Skoop is focusing their efforts.
Founder and CEO Neil Patwardhan (pictured left) said he saw the need after countless talks with people in the events industry and a lot of competitive research.
“Think about a captive audience that you can communicate with anytime, anywhere and really drive relevant engagement and feedback year round,” he said. “Our customers typically see cost of ownership savings in the 300% range over a 3 year time frame.”
Since releasing Skoop for College, the company has been focused on catching users’ attention outside the established macro social networks like Facebook and Twitter. For their events platform, Skoop spent a year researching user interfaces, down to details like where and what color a button should be to get the most clicks.
Account Executive Byron Austin (pictured below) said the UX also benefits from input from the events industry.
“We’ve also done a ton of research into what event organizers and planners want out of these apps,” he said. “Some of the way our platform is mapped out is based on that research.”
EmBazaar has 11 employees in Austin, and they’re expanding their sales and account management teams, which Patwardhan says is part of the company’s focus on client success.
“Every client gets the white glove treatment,” he said, referring to the consultative process Skoop uses to help clients plan their event content leading up to and after each launch. “We’re looking for candidates who will exemplify that vision and carry it forward."
Skoop for Events officially launched Oct. 12 for private clients. Skoop City and Skoop for College are both available in the Apple and Android app stores.
