Nigerian startup Planit has developed an all-round event services platform that aims to create an easier event-planning process, end-to-end.
Formed in June 2018, Planit allows users to search and hire event vendors from all states in Nigeria, but it has also built other services around this base. These include concierge service Planit Pro and discounts platform Planit Deals.
The startup is also working on having venues on the platform, and has partnered with RentYourHall to make this happen.
“Our ultimate goal is to make all aspects of the event planning process as easy as possible. This includes logistics, payments, vendors, venues and more,” co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Nkenu Timothy told Disrupt Africa.
Uptake has been impressive, and demonstrates the need for such a platform. Planit currently has over 6,000 vendors, and has so far handled more than 2,000 client requests.
“When we picked the idea, we were focused on primarily problem-solving. The events space is one that, while large, does not currently have any solutions that make all parts of event logistics easier,” Timothy said.
“Most direct competitors are focused on just venue or vendor booking, with OgaVenue being the leader so far. There are also general service marketplaces and classifieds such as Jiji and vConnect that host a lot of event-related vendors.”
Planit is trying to be more all-encompassing than those platforms, and is seeking funding in order to build out more features and market its service. Largely pre-revenue thus far, it has experimented with premium vendor subscriptions and also takes commissions from Planit Deals.
“Trying to eliminate disintermediation was a challenge, but we’ve found a way to work around it, especially with our concierge service and the Deals feature,” Timothy said.
“We’re working hard to increase visibility for the demand side of our platform.”
