By Chad Brincheski.
A year ago, I didn’t know much about digital events, and if I’m honest, I didn’t want to know. The few I had attended were glorified zoom calls with inconsistent lighting and poor camera quality, complicated interfaces and few branding opportunities.
So I was prepared to wait until we could gather again, but fate has a curious way of intervening.
At ESP Inc., we work with several charities and non-profit organizations, and the money raised, and perhaps even more importantly, the attention generated by these events, is crucial to helping them achieve their charitable goals. They needed a solution that was not too expensive, allowed for branding and was easy for the average person to access, and they asked if I could help.
That led me to a search for the ideal platform, and while I did get the chance to check out some fascinating digital experiences, none of them fit perfectly. Some were too expensive, others far more robust than the client needed, while others were simply too complicated. (Especially throughout the on-boarding process, but that’s for another article)
So, with little appreciation for the challenge I faced, I plunged headfirst into building my own digital event platform tailored to the needs of my customers. I prepared a big cup, told the family that I loved them, locked myself in a room, took out a pad and pen, opened the laptop and….. found someone way smarter than me, cause whose kidding who, I can barely use my smart phone.
Beyond the money and time, my greatest contribution was my input as a planner, my ability to design engaging experiences, and my technophobe tendencies. My thinking was simple; if I could use it, understand it and move efficiently within the platform, anyone could do it.
The result is Hugo, a Canadian-designed digital event platform that is responsive and accessible to the visually impaired, seamlessly integrates with fundraising tools and integrates registration and attendance tracking directly into the platform at a price that will not break the bank.
We began this journey to find a solution for a client, not to pivot or mine a new opportunity, but that initial hesitancy is long gone, and I’m convinced that digital events will only get better from here on out. That means new experiences we can offer our clients, hybrid models that remove barriers to access, and greater opportunities for fundraising than ever before.
Meet the Author: Principal, President, Owner, and Walker of Dogs, Chad Brincheski. At age eight, Chad organized a surprise birthday party for his grade 3 teacher, Mrs. Sampson, and found his calling. Then in 2011, he launched EPS Inc, determined to provide his clients with the highest level of service. Over the years, Chad has had the opportunity to work with some amazing and talented people, producing events that have raised hundreds of millions of dollars for valued charities worldwide. Today, he is still just as hooked as he was at eight years old and is excited about the future of events.
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