MONTREAL, Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Planned is a startup that empowers corporate event planners to discover and book unique suppliers, while saving, and tracking budget, all in one software solution. Today, Planned announced that it has raised $4.7 million in venture financing with participation from Inovia Capital, Telegraph Hill Capital and N49P. This brings their total raised to $7M. The cash will continue to propel Planned forward as it gears up to tackle the future of event planning in a post-pandemic world.
Co-founders Marc-Antoine Bonin and Emeric Noel came across the idea for Planned in 2017. Since then, Planned has launched a one-stop-shop platform with over 10,000 suppliers in 50+ markets across North America, working with clients like Google, Michelin, Amazon, Nespresso, BMO, Airbnb, and Ernst & Young.
In 2019, the corporate events industry represented a growing but highly fragmented $565B industry. Unfortunately, the market has been heavily affected by COVID-19, forcing the majority of organizations in North-America to shift their events from in-person to digital. To adapt, Planned launched a virtual marketplace to help planners find the suppliers they need until in-person events return. ''It was important for us to provide value to our customers and assist them in the transition to virtual events, so we built a virtual experience marketplace with thousands of services ranging from speakers to virtual sushi-making classes. We are constantly improving our platform to meet the changing needs of enterprises and their event personnel. An example is our COVID map, which provides insight on event regulations across different states and provinces," says Emeric Noel, co-founder of Planned.
Some of Planned's new platform features include:
- Discovery: A marketplace of venues and vendors for in-person, hybrid, or virtual events. The marketplace has detailed information about each supplier, including health and safety protocols.
- Efficient booking: Planners can pay all of their suppliers in one centralized place. Additionally, they can keep track of invoices, compare quotes, and streamline conversations.
- Company savings: Planners can save money by accessing exclusive rates and listing prices.
- Planner tools: Registration, RFPs, day-of-event app, and much more coming up.
"I am proud to continue to support Planned. Enterprises traditionally host and spend significant dollars on many events for multiple reasons. Unlike travel, most enterprises have limited visibility on the spend and have no easy way to organize events. Planned is working to change that and has traction with many enterprises. As the event space changed, Planned reacted quickly and continues to impress me and the other investors," said Alex Norman, partner at N49P Ventures.
Return of in-person events:
With recent vaccine announcements, companies are getting ready for the return of in-person events in 2021. Planned will be there to support them. In APCO Insight's recent survey, American adults confirmed that workers are excited to return to in-person events when COVID-19 is contained. With a global shift to working from home, 83% of Americans say they miss attending in-person meetings and conventions, and 78% say they plan to attend as many or more events when it is safe to do so.
"We've also spent this time connecting with our customers through our 'discovery program,' which is made up of hundreds of top planners, helping us create the most useful solution possible. Through our conversations, we know that when it is safe, people will quickly switch back to in-person events, searching for human connection. With the long-lasting uncertainties that will hover over our industry post-pandemic, we see Planned being a key tool to help companies plan in-person and hybrid events, safely," says Marc-Antoine Bonin, co-founder of Planned.
"Marc-Antoine and Emeric have built a product that solves many problems and inefficiencies of corporate events. They have shown resilience while keeping the customer front and centre even as they faced almost total cessation of corporate events due to Covid-19. This focus and customer centricity will hold them in good stead as they continue building Planned into a successful business," says Varun Dalal, Principal at Telegraph Hill Capital.
The round of investment will allow the company to focus on executing the product roadmap during the pandemic, by attracting top tech talent and expanding its partnerships with venues and vendors across North-America.
About Planned:
Planned is a corporate event platform founded in 2017 by Marc-Antoine Bonin and Emeric Noel. Planned helps corporate event planners book everything they need for their events while providing visibility and control to managers. Users can browse and book from a curated portfolio of thousands of venues and vendors across North-America. The platform makes it easy for companies to source, compare, and book suppliers like venues, caterers, equipment, A/Vs, entertainment, and more.
Media Contact
Emeric Noel, Planned, +1 (438) 405-4774, [email protected]
Marc-Antoine Bonin, Planned, 514-647-6396, [email protected]
SOURCE Planned
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