Tech Q&A with Atendy: Ahmad Iqbal / Co-Founder

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1. Why and When did your company get started? What was the inspiration?

The two co-founders were in college (2010) when they decided that networking at events was nothing like the hosts claimed. Everyone said they had the best networking at their events but no one could prove it. So we created our first version of the product fresh out of college, which would allow attendees to scan one another’s name badges and network with each other during the event, add to contact books, and give event organizers stats on the actual networking and followups. Needless to say this stand alone 3rd party application didn’t go far in the fragmented event technology market, so we pivoted and moved into registration. Smartest move we ever made.

2. How did you come up with the ‘name’ and concept – what’s the story behind the name?

It was pretty easy. We knew that the events are all about the attendees. Attendees are there for other attendees, sponsors are there for attendees, and organizers want to learn more about the attendees. Attendees are at the center of every event business model. The single “t” and one “y” in “Atendy” is to show that we have gotten rid of unnecessary items, and focus on what matters.

3. What is your “big innovation?” What’s the coolest features of your tech?

Our network graphing technology.

4. How does your technology change the game for event professionals?

Seeing that events are the original social networks, they should be managed using network-based management tools; not static 2-dimensional spreadsheet. It brings them closer to the web 3.0 world. Social is becoming a norm, and yet most event professionals say they still don’t quite understand how to use it. With our network mapping technology we let event professionals know which attendees are the influencers, and allow them to create unique experiences for all stakeholders, including sponsors.

Atendy isn’t just a ticketing/registration application, it’s a full e-commerce platform purpose built for live events. Enable your speakers to charge for 1-on-1 consulting sessions during the event, create an exclusive invite-only private dinner for your top 10 influencers, or create automated reports using our ARM (Attendee Relationship Manager). It’s a platform that can be modularized to meet the unique requirements of each of our clients.

5. Is it possible to measure ROI on your product?

Yes. We have a real-time metric dashboard that is integrated with the platform. It tells you everything from site visits, revenues, shares, and discount code usage. These metrics are also displayed over a weekly option so you can see increases or decreases in figures from previous weeks. Additionally, we are working on a task management plugin which will integrate costs, and create a real-time P/L statement.

6. What do your best customers love about you?

Our customer service.

 7. What industry trends and shifts are you following that you think are important?

Wearable technology.

8. Any lessons learned?

Don’t assume if you build it, they will come. Always create your product in partnership with your target customers from the very beginning. And never write a line of code until you have a paying customer!

BONUS QUESTION: What’s your favorite app:

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