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Startup Roadshow Winner Seeks to Revolutionise Event Booking- Meet Łukasz Idzikowski

We’re finally there. The 2nd Edition of the Startup Roadshow is behind us and a new winner has been fetched. In this edition, the winning project was znajdzmiejsce.pl by Łukasz Idzikowski. It’s a platform designed forevent booking that aims to ease the process of booking from restaurant halls to photo/video shooting rooms or even pop-up stores. The platform will be at first for polish events only, but strives to expand through Europe. Łukasz agreed to give us a short interview where he shared more about himself, his platform and gave valuable insight for startups. See what he’s all about:

– Shortly, who are you and what do you do?
My name is Łukasz Idzikowski, im 29 years old. Since my first year of University I’ve been involved with event organization. I first started organising student parties and later car racing events as a volunteer and member of the Warsaw Speed Team. I also was involved with the international gala of martial arts Kokoro Cup. I run my own advertisment/event organisation agency Cosmic Group (Cosmic Promotion in the past), where we organize various promotional events for fashion brands and startups.  Presently, Cosmic Group provides as well photography session services.

– Where did the idea for your platform platform come from?
I got the inspiration after watching an episode of “Milioner na Stażu”. The next stage of idea development came after reading articles posted in startupakademia.pl’s blog. I had also noticed on my facebook page aswell as in event organisation and video/photo production groups that many people we’re searching for very specific places for events and sessions. Through cooperation with the event agengy B.E.R.M Soft, after reading anounces and offers we started asking ourselves questions about finding parameter-specific places located in specific parts of Warsaw. And thus the idea was born.

– Describe what’s your product about and who helped you put it together.
The project is about creating a platform simmilar to Booking.com or AirBNB but different in the fact that we’ll be mediating the process of renting places for events, foto sessions, filming and short term promotional stores (popup stores). The platform graphics will be handled by designer’s from Cosmic Group, as well as programers and IT experts from Tricity managed by Marcin Banaszek, owner of OPEN System, a long term partner. For extra enhacements i have the support of some aquaintences from event organisation firms.

– Is it ok to describe your platform as AirBnB for polish events?
Yes, I hope first for Polish and later for European. We are presently focusing in Warsaw, after that we’ll get to Tricity, Kraków, Poznań an so on. Our plan is to visit aswell the Startup Safary in Berlin and assess the possibilities offered by that market.

– Which event category will this platform satisfy the most?
The platform will be of utmost use for event organisation agencies seeking service promotion and also fashion shows, events for product presentation and pop-up stores.

– Have you already figured how you’ll motivate people to use your services? Is it going to be viral?
The ideal virality would be one devided by stages. We don’t wish to be in a situation where lots of users at once discover znajdzprzestrzen.pl while the platform still has no content. We have a vision on how to reach to the event organisation community but there’s still a lot of work to do.However we have information from market related specialists that the projects has great chances of being a hit. The basis for our succes is a well chosen localisation.

– What about competition? You said there’s no direct competitors. Some consider it a flaw. What’s your take on that?
We have indirect competitors, similar to us. However they only target conference organisation. Event organisation agencies are for us not only competition, they’re aswell clients. Furthermore we look forward to convince  them to use our platform.

– Talking about competitors, did you meet some at the Startup Roadshow?
There was no time to meet them. Each participant was busy with he’s concerns, analysing competitor’s behaviour and questions the jury made. I was the only participant from outside Koszalin, so some looks where a bit intimidating.

– What encouraged you to participate in the contest? Did you know you’ll win?
Some friends involved with startups and obviously the 100 000 PLN prize. I went to the contest with the thought of winning- just like each and every participant. I have watched few similar contests in Warsaw and maybe for this reason I had advantage over the opponents, and it worked. After the first fase-10 minute presentation, I knew that the jury liked my project. The second 3minute prezentation didn’t go so well, but I managed to make up by answering well their questions.

– You achieved the competition goal, what’s next?
From now on months of hard work await me first on the platform itself, and later with the content. The next stage will be the marketing altogether with finding cooperators in other cities, where we plan to develop the project.

– Where can people find information on your projects?

Projects related to my agency can be found here: www.cosmicgroup.pl and www.cosmicproduction.pl.

The platform will be available at www.znajdzprzestrzen.pl and www.findspace.eu

– Any advice for young startups?
I advise them to not be afraid of expressing their ideas inside the investor/startup environment. I recommend attending startup mixers as well as watching the program Dragon’s Den or Milioner na Stażu.