Andi Sie of eEvent
Meet Andi Sie, CEO and president of
eEvent, a company that gives event planners and organizers a way to maximize attendance at their events through using online technology.
What is eEvent, Inc.
Our company is an online platform that uses their Influencer Builder technology to enhance usage of the newest and most traditional social, mobile email and direct marketing plans. We provide organizations and individuals with limited social media access as a way to market events quickly, as well as tap into a larger pool of influencers and brand ambassadors.
Why did you start your business?
The business began because I wanted to make event planners’ lives easier by using mindful web and mobile technology solutions.
How did you come up with the idea?
Having organized small networking events of fifty people and festivals of 150,000, I saw how much was being spent on ineffective event marketing and lack of word of mouth to boost attendance. Knowing the benefits such events can provide, I envisioned an online process that lowers the marketing budget while increasing the buzz around an event and boosting participation.
What resources or organizations in Ohio did you take advantage of, and how did they help?
TechColumbus has been a good resource and recently invested $250,000 of pre-seed money in eEvent. It has also provided networking opportunities. The Ohio State University provides access to hidden IT talents.
What was the biggest surprise in starting your business?
As we built and implemented new apps for our product, I learned that I sometimes needed to eliminate many good ideas in order to focus on the great ideas and have them grow.
Also, that there were so many underutilized IT and entrepreneurial assets in Columbus. One example is OSU's talent in technology and their recent attempts to keep from losing their talent to other areas.
Where did you find your first employee?
Finding our first employee was serendipity at an unplanned dinner and networking opportunity. We anticipate hiring three to six designers and programmers over the next year.
What are some of the advantages to doing business in Columbus?
The many untapped resources for funding, the talented individuals hidden in the city, and a growing IT community are some advantages. Other advantages are the many support organizations that have evolved quickly, such as
TechColumbus.
What inspires you?
I am inspired by the passionate people I work with -- my co-founders Edy Sulistyo (CTO) and Lawrence Samantha (VP Mobile). Their mission is to change the world using the skills they enjoy and know best: information technology. I am also inspired to do well by a desire to enhance the lives of others via entrepreneurship.
What companies or founders do you admire and why?
I admire Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank, a micro-credit system that provides small loans to poor people with no credit. I like the way he has helped people with a dollar or two to start their own businesses and become self-sufficient
.
What’s next for you and your company?
We are about to release a new product that will
enable people to promote events they love and earn cash for their favorite charities.
Interested in learning more? eEvent has created an early access code/link especially for the first 100 hiVelocity readers who have important events to promote. eEvent is giving each of them priority access to use eEvent to effectively promote their events when this online hub goes live. Here is the code/link: http://eevent.com/promo/hiVelocity
Writer: Mona Bronson-Fuqua