Reflecting on the past 10 years and looking forward to what’s next
Ten years ago, as the City of Vancouver planned for the upcoming Winter Olympic Games, few predicted (or even thought about) how technology would transform the event experience for the organizers, attendees, and athletes.
Jeff Sinclair and Ben West—co-founders of Eventbase—had that foresight. As Vancouver prepared the facilities, logistics, infrastructure, and operations to host an event on the world stage, Sinclair and West were heads down in an office at the heart of the city’s burgeoning tech industry.
They were working on a project that would extend far beyond the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games—a mobile event app to help attendees navigate complex events and receive a more personalized event experience.
“Mobile event apps were unheard of in 2010,” said Sinclair, “We knew we were building something important for the Olympic Games, but when the app hit one million downloads in the first few days, we realized our technology had the potential to transform the entire event industry.”
A decade later, Eventbase is celebrating its 10-year anniversary as the most recognized mobile event technology platform for premium brands. Their clients include IBM, Cisco, Microsoft, SAP, Century 21 and TD Ameritrade. They also power official apps for many of the largest events in the world including SXSW, CES, Comic-Con, Sundance, and three Olympic Games.
“The past decade has been an exceptional ride,” West said, reflecting on his time in the event technology industry. He described some of the “instagrammable” moments he experienced, including walking the red carpet at Cannes, meeting Al Gore and witnessing Barack Obama speak at SXSW, seeing the Foo Fighters play at a small BBQ restaurant, and even holding a human brain at a medical conference. “Every day, there are massive events happening around the world where thousands of people are making memories like these,” continued West. “I feel so proud that our event app product is being used to connect people to these memorable experiences.”
Bringing event innovation to the enterprise
About five years ago, Eventbase found a niche in the enterprise market. “We realized that everything we were building for global events like the Olympics and SXSW was also a perfect fit for the enterprise,” said Sinclair. “The innovation that resonates so well at global events is also sought after by enterprise event managers seeking ways to surprise and delight their audiences.”
Since then, the company has continued to lead the way in introducing breakthrough mobile event technology. Eventbase pioneered the “Intelligent Event App” with technologies such as an Advanced Chatbot and Recommendation Engine, and the use of proximity beacons for Hyper-local Networking and Indoor Location.
10 years of “having your back”
As event enthusiasts, Eventbase co-founders are passionate about the holistic event experience—and they’ve built this passion into the DNA of Eventbase. Each employee has their customer’s’ needs front and center.
“Our informal company motto is, “We’ve got your back,” said West. “Events are dynamic. The best event manager in the world can’t foresee natural disasters, mechanical errors, a keynote speaker’s flight being delayed. When unfortunate things happen, event managers have to pivot—it’s game day and they won’t get another shot until the next year. The Eventbase team and technology is by their side and ready to act through all of the unexpected.”
Having your back also holds true with Eventbase employees. The company has built a culture where people support one another through both professional and personal issues.
What’s next for Eventbase?
Event technology is only in its infancy. Attendees today expect a stellar mobile app to connect to their event experiences.
In the next 10 years, advances in artificial intelligence, mobile computing power, high speed bandwidth, and augmented reality will further personalize the event experience for each individual. “The Intelligent Event App is a personal concierge to help attendees navigate every stage of an event,” said Sinclair. “Our advanced chatbot and recommendation engine are just scratching the surface of what’s possible with AI.”
Whatever comes next, Eventbase intends to stay at the cutting edge of customer-focused innovation. “We’ve been fuelled by our customers and their successes,” said West. “We can’t wait to invent the future of events with our customers over the next decade.”
Eventbase celebrates 10 years on March 19, 2019.
