Nigeria - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

NotJustEvent is a digital platform connecting event organizers with vetted vendors and venues. We streamline event planning with AI-powered budgeting, secure payments, and vendor management, making event organization simple and stress-free across Africa.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

NotJustEvent, Inc. is transforming how events are planned in Africa. Our platform connects event organizers with trusted vendors and venues, making it easy to find and book everything needed for an event. Key features include a marketplace for vendors and venues, an AI-powered budgeting tool, and secure payment systems. We also offer ticket sales and communication tools to coordinate with all involved parties. Our goal is to make event planning simple, transparent, and enjoyable. Based in Nigeria, we have over 1,000 users ready to join and support from major tech companies like Google and Microsoft.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

The main problem NotJustEvent is solving is the difficulty event organizers face in finding and booking reliable service providers and venues. In Africa, planning events is often stressful and time-consuming due to a lack of trusted vendors, inefficient communication, and budget management challenges. Organizers spend excessive time searching for vendors on social media or through word-of-mouth, which can lead to unreliable choices and financial surprises. Our platform streamlines this process by connecting organizers with vetted vendors and venues, offering an AI-powered budgeting tool to help manage costs, and ensuring secure payments. This makes event planning simpler, cost-effective, transparent, and reliable, allowing organizers to focus on creating memorable events.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

1. Streamlined Planning NotJustEvent connects event organizers with vetted service providers and venues, saving time and ensuring reliability. Our platform makes it easy to find and book everything needed for an event in one place. 2. Budget Management Our AI-powered budgeting tool helps organizers plan events within their budget, suggesting vendors and venues that match their financial constraints. This prevents overspending and financial surprises. 3. Secure Transactions We use an escrow payment system that holds funds until services are delivered, ensuring security for both organizers and vendors. This builds trust and guarantees that services are provided as promised. By using NotJustEvent, organizers can plan events more efficiently, stay within budget, and enjoy peace of mind with secure transactions, all while reducing the stress typically associated with event planning.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

NotJustEvent’s platform is aimed at serving event organizers across Africa, including individuals, companies, and organizations planning various events such as weddings, conferences, parties, and corporate gatherings. The primary beneficiaries are: Event Organizers: Individuals or teams responsible for planning and managing events who need a reliable and efficient way to find and book vendors and venues. Service Providers (Vendors): Professionals offering services like catering, decoration, entertainment, and photography who want to connect with potential clients easily. Venue Owners: Owners of event spaces looking to list their venues and attract more bookings. Event Attendees: People attending the events who benefit from well-organized, memorable experiences. Our platform simplifies the planning process for organizers, provides business opportunities for vendors and venue owners, and enhances the overall event experience for attendees.

01.05 When was your company established?

2023-07-13

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

No

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

1

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

0

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

NotJustEvent, Inc. was co-founded by me, Frank Egwu, and my trusted partner, Kenechukwu Nnakwue. Here’s a bit about us: Frank Egwu (CEO): I specialize in backend development and cloud services. With a degree in Food Science and a minor in Hospitality Management, combined with 13 years of IT and entrepreneurial experience, I ensure our platform is robust and scalable while managing business operations. Kenechukwu Nnakwue (CTO): Kene is an exceptional full-stack software engineer with 6 years of experience. He writes the core business logic and leads our engineering team, driving the technical vision forward. Kene’s expertise is crucial for developing and maintaining the core technology behind NotJustEvent. Together, we blend our technical skills, industry knowledge, and leadership abilities to build and scale NotJustEvent, aiming to transform the event management landscape in Africa.

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://notjustevent.com

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

h) IT (digital services, equipment and software)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

NotJustEvent contributes to reducing poverty by creating economic opportunities for vendors and service providers in the event industry. By providing a platform for these vendors to connect with event organizers, we help small businesses grow and thrive. This, in turn, generates income and employment opportunities, helping to alleviate poverty in communities across Africa.

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

4

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

While NotJustEvent does not directly address hunger, our platform can support food vendors and caterers, enabling them to grow their businesses and contribute to local food security. By facilitating more business opportunities for food-related service providers, we indirectly support efforts to achieve food security and improved nutrition.

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

5

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

NotJustEvent indirectly supports good health and well-being by enabling event organizers to host well-coordinated events, including health and wellness events. Our platform ensures these events can be organized efficiently, involving reliable vendors and venues that can accommodate health-related activities.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

5

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

NotJustEvent facilitates the organization of educational events, workshops, and conferences, providing a platform for learning and development. By connecting organizers with quality service providers and venues, we help create environments conducive to education and lifelong learning.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

NotJustEvent promotes gender equality by providing equal opportunities for female vendors and service providers in the event industry. Our platform encourages diversity and inclusion, ensuring that women-owned businesses have access to the same opportunities and markets as their male counterparts.

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

2

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

NotJustEvent does not directly impact clean water and sanitation. Our primary focus is on event management and connecting organizers with vendors and venues.

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

2

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

NotJustEvent does not directly address affordable and clean energy. Our platform is centered around improving the event planning process.

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

NotJustEvent drives economic growth by creating job opportunities for service providers, vendors, and venue owners in the event industry. By facilitating connections and transactions through our platform, we support the growth of small businesses, foster entrepreneurship, and promote sustained economic growth.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

NotJustEvent fosters innovation in the event management industry by introducing a digital platform that streamlines event planning. Our use of AI-powered tools and secure payment systems enhances efficiency and reliability, building resilient infrastructure for the event industry and promoting sustainable industrialization.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

NotJustEvent reduces inequalities by providing equal access to opportunities for all vendors and service providers, regardless of their background. Our platform promotes inclusive growth by ensuring that even small and emerging businesses can compete on a level playing field with established ones.

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

6

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

NotJustEvent contributes to sustainable communities by enabling the organization of local events that bring people together and foster community engagement. By promoting efficient and transparent event planning, we support the development of inclusive and resilient communities.

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

5

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

While NotJustEvent does not directly address responsible consumption and production, our platform encourages efficient use of resources by helping organizers plan events within budget and avoid wastage. We promote the use of vetted and reliable vendors, ensuring quality and sustainability.

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

3

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

NotJustEvent does not have a direct impact on climate action. Our focus is on improving the event management process rather than addressing environmental issues.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

NotJustEvent does not have a direct impact on the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and marine resources.

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

NotJustEvent does not directly impact the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems or biodiversity conservation.

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

5

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

While NotJustEvent does not directly address peace, justice, and strong institutions, our platform promotes transparency and trust in transactions, which can contribute to building a fair and accountable system in the event industry.

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

NotJustEvent thrives on partnerships with vendors, service providers, and venue owners. By fostering collaboration and building a network of reliable partners, we contribute to the development and strengthening of partnerships for sustainable development in the event industry.

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

4

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

6

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

5

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

6

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

5

06.08 Justification for my startup

NotJustEvent is unique and innovative because it combines several features to solve multiple pain points in the event planning industry. Our platform is a new technology that streamlines the entire event planning process by connecting organizers with vetted vendors and venues. It significantly improves existing services by integrating AI-powered budgeting tools and secure payment systems, which are not commonly found in traditional event planning solutions. Additionally, it addresses unmet needs by providing a comprehensive solution for event planning, reducing stress, and enhancing transparency and reliability.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Our main competitors are social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, which people use to find vendors, and event management platforms like Eventbrite and Tix.Africa. What sets NotJustEvent apart is our dedicated marketplace for vetted vendors and venues, combined with AI-powered budgeting and secure payment systems. Unlike social media, our platform ensures reliability and trust. Compared to other event management platforms, we offer a more holistic solution that goes beyond ticketing and registration to include vendor management and budget control.

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Yes. Examples include organizing workshops and networking events for female entrepreneurs, providing mentorship to women in tech, and collaborating with organizations that support women-led businesses.