Gigs, weddings, corporate conventions- the event industry is getting massive every passing year. While the sector took a hit from the infamous 2020, it is safe to say the market is up and running. According to a report by Allied Market Research, “The U.S. corporate event market size was valued at $95.3 billion in 2020, and is estimated to reach $510.9 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 17.3% from 2021 to 2030.”
There was a surge in virtual events and everything, even weddings, were no exception to this rule. Needless to say, it is getting a bit too much of the virtual world. The world is striving for normalcy and people want to go back to attending seminars, their favorite poetry gigs, family functions, and having weddings amongst their loved ones. So does it mean going back to the days of stressful event scheduling, arranging everything from scratch?
In today’s world, where food can be ordered in a click and relationships can be swiped right, technology is here to revolutionize the event industry. One such tool is Plans, founded by Adnan Kharuf. Described as a social network for people to plan events, the application allows users to enjoy the events without the stress of planning.
With experience in product management, technical marketing engineering, and system architecture, Kharuf aims to solve the complexities of scheduling, tracking, and communication aspects of an event through Plans. The platform uses a two-way status service between host and guest to provide real-time event status, which serves as one of the unique features loved by the users. The platform also credits its UI/UX as a key differentiator in the industry.
User-friendly Interface For The Win
The success of applications and tools are highly calculated by two factors- the ability to make users’ lives easier, and convenience. With an easy-to-use interface and features such as real-time tracking before, scheduling events, creating invites, Plans has emerged as a savior for people who want to socialize without the hassle.
An art gallery show called ‘All The Small Things’ was recently planned and executed using Plans. Showcasing collections by artists from the Bay Area, the event planner used the app for various tasks such as inviting guests, sharing and receiving updates about the show, and more. Besides this, the audience was even able to share the live videos and photos from the events, making it easy to view, comment, and like the posts for the viewers.
Additionally, the wedding boom of 2022 is also largely contributing to the platform’s success. The current trending categories on the app include bachelor/bachelorette parties, engagement parties, and weddings. Apart from this, vow renewals and baby showers are also gaining attention on the platform.
Keeping the aim of revolutionizing the event sector, Plans is also undergoing a tech-enabled transformation. The new design called Plans v2 is expected to have advanced features, mainly enhancing the connectivity.
“We are planning to release Plans v2 later this year. Plans v2 will be a complete redesign of the current platform and include a lot of new features such as advanced social media features, advanced chat, search and join public and online events, and a lot more! To explain it in a simple sentence: A social network for people to plan events,” says Adnan Kharuf, founder, Plans.
Tech- The Road Towards Future
As the industry grows by the minute, it is safe to say that the platform has its expansion plans in place. Besides working on Plans v2, the team is also planning to raise its Series A funding soon.
To accomplish its ambitious plans, the platform is also well integrated with the technology of today. Not just this, the interface also seems to be ready for the future of the 3D immersive world, Metaverse. Where we are witnessing worries about the oncoming of decentralized Web 3.0, Kharuf seems to be supportive of what the future has to offer.
With the combination of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), crypto, social media, and more, the world of Metaverse can be accessed through goggles and thus will allow users to have a better, close to real-life experience while attending events. Moreover, the users will be able to attend from around the world, which means bigger events and more engagement. The platform is also planning to research more about Metaverse and its applications.
“We believe the metaverse may provide a highly interactive experience where people can move freely and participate in two-way dialogues in a virtual setting. We are planning to invest in research in the metaverse and determine how to adopt this technology to improve the experience of events on Plans”.
The platform seems to have an aggressive plan of expansion for the year. With tech as its core, Plans is emerging as an arrow in the quiver for the event planners. Add to this, the current opportunities the platform offers for companies and individuals to plan and schedule events without the fuss.