Frustrated with pains in event venue and talent sourcing, Adam Tan decided to provide the solution himself and founded Singapore-based multi-resource platform Effro to connect planners with quality talents and services.
How did the idea for Effro come about?
When I started my own events company back in 2011, I had problems searching for resources such as venues and talents. After speaking to my brothers who were in the entertainment industry, I realised that a significant gap exists. Without a consolidated marketplace, it was difficult for event planners to get in touch with venues and talents who are, similarly, looking for ad hoc event jobs.
How does Effro work?
Effro connects clients with the best talents and services for their events, such as emcees, singers and magicians. The current platform has 300 registered clients, and over 1,200 talents listed on the Singapore platform.
Its end goal is to create an effortless event management experience for event organisers. As event organisers ourselves, we understand the arduous process of finding the right resources for the right event. To solve this major pain point, Effro was created as a marketplace for the events industry and we want to revolutionise how transactions are carried out.
Our one-stop platform consolidates information on event resources and talents which is made easily accessible to event organisers, who can then reach out to them directly for a quotation through our chat feature.
With this element, communication between event organisers and event vendors is enhanced, allowing the former party to request for customised packages and obtain quotations more efficiently. Furthermore, our platform has the unique feature of remembering quotations, hires and reviews as well as customisable to-do list for each event for the organisers’ easy reference.
These project management tools and processes incorporated within Effro aim to, ultimately, contribute to the effortless planning experience for the event organiser.
How is it different from what’s out there?
Currently, the events landscape is filled with solutions that are not integrated.
Companies such as Japan’s Space Market and GigSalad in the US only provide solutions for certain verticals. On the other hand, integrated marketplaces such as HoneyBook do not hold a strong focus in the South-east Asian region.
The South-east Asian market is unique due to the cultural nuances of our region and therefore a different approach is required. As a local brand with established networks around the region, Effro has a keen understanding of the South-east Asian market as well as the capability to close this gap.
Can you give some examples of how the platform will benefit MICE planners?
MICE planners value quality and efficiency. Effro 2.0 was improved based on these needs. As a B2B platform, event organisers and resources are matched based on the specific needs of each event, doing away with the need for event organisers to reach out to multiple vendors who might not even have the necessary expertise.
On top of that, we have a sales team that closely assists MICE planners to ensure that they are able to shortlist the right hires for their events. With Effro 2.0 as a multinational platform, our resources span Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, making international event planning a breeze.
What are your future plans for Effro?
Following our successful expansion into Malaysia and Thailand (its recent partnership in Malaysia and Thailand comprised over 1,800 event vendors and 50 clients), we are now looking to establish ourselves in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
South-east Asian markets hold huge potential with many unrepresented talents and through our platform, we aim to close this gap. By 2020, we hope to achieve a full reach in South-east Asia, while potentially penetrating Asia-Pacific should opportunities arise.
Are there visions of a global reach?
We are definitely open to exploring opportunities that will allow our platform to reach a network of global users.
With the industry’s rapid development in technology, we are constantly improving our platform to meet the needs of our regional and international audiences.
