#EntrepreneurMonth: Flock Eventing Platform makes great strides

The SA Investment Conference, which saw investors pledge more than R290bn in investments into the country, has emerged as a massive breakthrough for the Johannesburg-based start-up which built a mobile app for the entire event.

Flock Eventing Platform’s app had more than 900 downloads and 120 000 app views throughout the conference – an average of 190 views per minute.

The app played a major role in making the event more interactive through functions like the Live Q&A, which allowed delegates to ask questions to speakers directly through the app. It also provided in-depth event information, including the full three-day programme; details on the speakers; sponsors; partners and exhibitors; a live social feed, which included videos and photos from the event; an event feedback survey; and downloadable PDF documents.

“We’re extremely proud to have been involved in this event. This is the kind of moment every entrepreneur dreams about: where you get the chance to showcase a homegrown solution on a bigger stage. There was such a positive sentiment amongst the delegates, and the President has really revitalised investor confidence. The app we provided was used as a communication tool: it kept all delegates up to date and provided a host of networking opportunities,” said Mike Lysko, founder of Flock Eventing Platform.

Mike Lysko, founder of Flock Eventing Platform.

We chat to Mike Lysko to find out more about Flock Eventing Platform, building an impressive portfolio of work across 25 countries and what the future holds for the local startup.

Can you tell us a bit about Flock Eventing Platform?
At Flock, we help our customers increase engagement and communicate better with their attendees at events. We provide an online platform on which our customers can build event websites, manage RSVP’s, design and send custom branded emailers and publish a mobile app that has over 20 integrated event features.

We are very proud of our excellent service and our affordable pricing allows for events of all sizes to have a digital presence.

When, how and why did you get started?

I started the company in 2013 while working a full-time job, I bootstrapped it to get it off the ground until going into the business full-time in 2015 and have not looked back since. I started the company because I saw a gap in the market for attendees at events to have real-time information at their fingertips and to increase engagement and interactivity via a mobile app.

For the first year going into the business full-time, I hardly drew a salary and lived off savings. Time pressure is another thing to deal with as there are so many hats to wear when starting out until the business grows and you can hire a team to assist.