with Dennis Shiao, Director of Product Marketing
Who are the founders of your company? What are your company roots?
Malcolm Lotzof, Drew VanVooren, Rich Hawkinson, and Adam Mankoff. Our company started by providing online versions of trade shows, better known as "virtual trade shows". Since founding the company in 2005, our technology platform has grown to support virtual career fairs, virtual product launches, virtual learning centers, virtual sales meetings and more.
In 25 words or less, what are you all about?
We are transforming the Web from pages and files to events and destinations, where people go to meet, learn and do business.
What problem do you solve?
1) We augment and extend the reach of physical meetings. 2) We help businesses generate sales leads in a cost efficient manner. 3) We help publishers and associations generate additional revenue with online events. 4) We allow anyone in the world to experience your event. 5) We help businesses assemble an increasingly global work force.
How did you get started?
The first use of our technology platform supported the food service industry. Our next use was an e-commerce virtual trade show called eComXpo, which remains one of the largest virtual trade shows produced (e.g. hundreds of exhibitor booths).
What makes your company special? How is your product differentiated in the eye of the consumer?
The foundation of our company is around Knowledge, Care and Innovation. As with any technology company, a true customer experience involves more than pure technology. It requires the Knowledge of employees - about your business challenges and how to address them; Care, to ensure that we exceed your expectations on your program's (and your business') success; and Innovation, to continue to evolve the technology platform.
How do you make money? Who are your primary customers and why do they choose you?
Customers license our technology via a Software as a Service (SaaS) model. Our pricing is based around the size and complexity of our clients' virtual events. Our customers include Autodesk, Cisco, HIMSS, PennWell, PCMA, TechTarget, and UBM. Most of our clients come to us via recommendation/referral - or, from dissatisfaction with our competitors' offerings.
Work Hard/Play Hard or The Early Bird Gets The Worm?
Work Hard, Play Hard.
What's the #1 thing on your To-Do list?
Helping organizations achieve their business goals via massive adoption of virtual events and virtual business.
What are your dreams for your company?
We'd like to join Groupon among the ranks of the Internet powerhouses who call Chicago home.
It's our kind of town too... but what are the advantages of being a Chicago-based technology company?
We're lucky to have access to the bright minds coming out of local area universities. In fact, for a majority of our positions, we hire entry level folks right out of college. In addition, we've partnered with a number of great Chicago area companies, via connections we made locally. Finally, despite selling a virtual solution, we do need to travel extensively, to meet with clients and partners. And being located centrally in the states allows us to reach both coasts quite conveniently.
What trends do you see heading into 2011 that are relevant to your industry and your company?
In the near future, we believe that ever physical event will have a virtual component. And INXPO will provide that virtual component.
What's your #1 need going forward... other than funding and customers, anyway?
Finding talented employees to help us reach our aspirations.
What are the biggest challenges you are facing in scaling your business up?
Finding talented employees to help us reach our aspirations.
This one is all you.... Anything else you want to tell us?
Go Cubs - this is their year!
