If there is one generation of media consumers and technology users that hog up most of the national attention today, it’s millennials. Whether it’s slamming the young, tech-driven generation as lazy or admiring the growing number of successful entrepreneurs under the age of 30, it’s clear that everyone has a lot to say about millennials. While there still seems to be quite a bit of debate around the different labels that this generation has been pegged with, one thing is for sure — this group of social media-loving consumers can’t get enough of events.
Gone are the days when nightclubs were the main attraction for the carefree spirits of college students and recent grads. Today’s social atmosphere boasts day parties, networking mixers, website launches, fashion shows, indie mixtape releases, adventure groups, gaming communities, workshops, art shows and so much more.
So with such a wide variety of events and social opportunities now filling nearly every major metro area across the country, how are we supposed to keep tabs on what exactly is happening in our area and when?
Some have turned to Instagram where cat pictures and random selfies clutter our timelines and distract us from our initial search for the perfect event. Meanwhile, others have started to rely on platforms like Eventbrite, and while this service is a great tool to use when looking for a great networking event or day party, it can be incredibly easy for a wide variety of events to fall through the cracks. Not to mention Eventbrite lacks a certain social aspect that many millennials are looking for in such a platform and it typically doesn’t provide the average event browser with much information regarding the nature of the event or who else in their social network will be in attendance.
That’s where a group of Georgia State University-bred developers come into play with a new remedy for FOMO (fear of missing out).
That remedy is called Event Tent.
Imagine this—You’re sitting at home watching your favorite television show when all of a sudden you have the urge to break out that new outfit you have perfectly placed at the front of your closet. You didn’t plan on going anywhere tonight, but the atmosphere suddenly feels right.
Instead of playing a guessing game with hashtags on Instagram and Twitter, you open up Event Tent.
Event Tent is an upcoming app that will do more than just tell you about events in your area. It will also allow you to have a live preview to see how the event is going so far, see other people in your network who may be at the function already and even create a timeline for your own event if you want to take a shot at hosting your own social experience.
With Event Tent, your social life won’t be left up to luck anymore.
“Event Tent is revolutionizing event discovery through visual influence,” explains Justin McLeod, co-founder and CEO of Event Tent. “Event goers can view real-time photos and video from live events nearby so they can know before they go.”
In other words, this is your digital means to become a fly on the wall at an event before you decide to rush out and join the fray.
“We found that the majority of students are using social media, email and poster boards (to find events), but are overwhelmed with the clutter that comes with it,” McLeod added.
For the lively and rather unpredictable millennials, such cluttered means of finding the right event simply won’t suffice. The very nature of the young socialite and emerging professional is exactly what makes a tool like Event Tent so key.
Not to mention it also gives event planners another major tool to have in their arsenal when it comes to their marketing campaigns.
Event Tent serves as an amazing way to get the word out about events but also provides a unique advantage by continuing to promote the event even as it happens. When the event begins, event planners can utilize the platform to continue sharing images of the live event in order to help drive even more traffic to the function. It’s a win-win for those looking to host events and those wishing to attend them.
The team has worked tirelessly to create a truly innovative social experience but their work isn’t done just yet. Now is the time for everyone who needs something like Event Tent to pitch in and make this dream app a reality.
This team has already garnered an incredible amount of media and industry attention from a multitude of sources including Atlanta Business Radio X, Atlanta Tech Village and Atlanta Tech Edge. Now they are in the running to receive the FedEx Small Business Grant.
The first round of the potential grant winners will be chosen using a voting system, which means Event Tent needs support from all those who are eager to have an easier way to find events in their area.
With the FedEx Small Business Grant, this Atlanta-based team hopes to create a more efficient way for event planners to create events on the platform and give their users more content and options to scroll through as they plan their night out.
“Currently, we just have a mobile application that event organizers use to create their events,” McLeod said. “Creating events through a mobile app can be strenuous, time consuming, and overwhelming for event organizers who coordinate multiple events. We will use the FedEx Small Business Grant money to develop a web dashboard for event organizers to create as many events as they like seamlessly.”
The easier it is to make an event on the platform, the more options there will be to push out to the users relying on the app to find out what’s going on in their area.
Again, Event Tent is all about the win-win.
So support these local developers who are quickly pushing their way to the forefront of Atlanta’s tech scene with a “centralized community for event organizers and event goers to discover and share unique experiences in real-time.”
Voting has already started for the competition but you have until June 13th to submit daily votes.
Take control of your social life. Stop missing out. Learn more about Event Tent here.
