Have you ever gone to a conference by yourself, sat there listening to the speaker in a dimly lit room, and then made awkward eye contact trying to strike up a conversation with a stranger? Or, gone to an event and wished you’d met people you had more in common with?
That’s exactly how Jordan Schwartz felt before creating Pathable. So he set out to create an event app that keeps the conversation going long after the event is over.
Create Invaluable ROI
Fast forward to today, and Pathable offers event attendees the tools to find out who else is going to the event, find the right people to connect with at the event, and start conversations beforehand, so attendees already have relationships developed.
Many event planners struggle with how to promote event networking and then keep the conversation going after the event has ended, so Pathable’s capabilities create invaluable ROI by creating a tribe.
What started as a social networking tool soon became a logistical platform for event planners and event attendees.
If you’re wondering how to create an exclusive event, then today’s episode of EventPlanning BlueprintTV is for you.
After its initial launch, Jordan and his team realized that their customers wanted to have the event brand in front of the attendees throughout the year, so they adjusted their event app to allow for continuous, year-round networking under the event brand.
An Event App on Steroids
Pre-dating the iPhone (do you remember B.i. (before iPhone?), Pathable now integrates your conference floor map, the conference agenda, and allows you to send meeting requests and reserve meeting space before the event. Now that’s efficient! In the comments below, tell me, which event app you’ve used and why you choose it? Thank you very much for watching. I love hearing all your comments each week. Have an event-ful week,
P.S. Plan any event with The Event Toolkit. Get your copy now!
This sounds like a dating app almost is this similar to that or is this something entirely different? It sounds like a good way to get to know someone and to keep the information going back and forth about an event or something that you went to. I wish there had been something like this for a seminar that I went to a couple of months ago.
That is a brilliant social tool that he has created. I can see more event planners using social tools like this one, to fully engage the attendees. You could create contests or raffles. There are likely many ways you can use this social tool to give people incentive to be more engaged with others. I guess this would fall under the business to business social media tool.
Todd, the reason this app sounds like a dating app is obviously because, as a networking social platform, it functions much like a dating app. But clearly, it is designed for business to business social interaction. I think it is a useful tool for event planners and those who attend an event. They could use Facebook, but most people don’t know how to manage groups, much less join an event group.
Networking is important for an event planning professional. As you grow your network of venue point people, clients, decorators, food and beverage people, audio/visual teams, etc., you increase your referral base. A potential client is highly likely to ask someone they’ve worked with before, a florist for example, for recommendations about event planners they’ve worked with and liked. The better known you are in the industry, the more clients you will have and the higher your compensations will be.
Could this networking tool be the next big social network or will it remain relatively unknown to the public? This sounds to me like a business to business app for event planners and those who would attend any corporate function or seminar. Those apps could find a business model to make a good or great revenue stream, but I don’t think they will be the next Facebook.
I think this is a great idea I don’t know how many times I have had people call up and ask me to talk to the person they saw at the event here at our church and there is no way to get them connected because either that person was just here for the event or they didn’t leave contact information. What a good idea thank you for posting this.
If you’ve ever crowdfunded or simply hosted your own event, you know how important of a tool social media can be. And with the help of new social tools like this one, and if leveraged effectively, networking will likely be your most powerful tool when it comes to campaigning for your event. If what you’re promoting is so good that it sells itself, you have little to worry about, but for most event planners that isn’t always the case.
Planning your own networking event can be a great way to make sure that you have the opportunity to meet exactly the sort of people who you want to connect with. Yet, holding a networking event is pointless if no one else shows up. You’ve got to make sure that prospective attendees are just as excited about the idea of your networking event as you are. This social tool, if used creatively to promote networking, could make a difference.
I am planning an event coming up in the fall and I would very much like to implement this before that happens. I have not heard of this from any other place before so I will be in contact with you to make that happen. This is a great idea and I think it will make any event stand out above the rest. Keep up the good work you did a great job.
Set the Scope. By scope, I mean size and industry. How many people will you include in the event? Are you looking to create more of a sit-down environment where people would take turns going around the circle, explaining what they do and what kind of new clients they are in the market for? Or do you envision a large group gathering, with freestyle networking and a massive exchange of business cards. If a speed networking event is more your style, then maybe this tool might not be ideal.
Like many people these days, I find it easier to interact with people I don’t know by way of my mobile device and social media. I’m not exactly a social butterfly or a hyper networker, so I find it easier to use social tools like this. At least until I establish some sort of common ground. Then I’m more comfortable and inclined to talk directly with other attendees at any given event.