WeSpeak Global

First and only events industry platform available on all browsers and across 3 app stores. Professional Speakers, event hosts and entertainers pay a subscription to be on platform. Free for end user to download and use.

This platform is not just about finding speaking talent or entertainers, but the bigger scope is as follows:

1. Online courses - end users to purchase or enroll in courses created by listed talent.
2. On-demand videos - these are speakers keynote videos that can purchased instantly for 24 hour access, target market is small businesses that cannot afford the fees of keynote speakers. Hosted by the platform or externally.
3. DinkeyBooks - For Speaker Authors - this project is still in alpha phase.

To engage with end users there ae the following sections:

1. Podcast channels from talent
2. Bookstores where they can find books from speakers and talent to purchase through amazon etc, above "dinkeybooks" will take these books from authors and have them retailed through the platform.
3. Articles - talent can submit articles and blogs for user to read and linked back to their listings

Recently launched sections:

1. Venue and business accommodation listings
2. On-Demand showcases 
3. Pitching Board - these are for speakers and talent to find relevant events or summits to pitch themselves directly for. We source and they have the details to pitch.

WeSpeak Global was launched on the 5th of May, 2020 at the start of the global lockdowns with Covid-19. Initially only available to the South African speakers as we beta tested it for 12 months with professional speakers and event planners across Southern Africa (in challenging times). Our team consisted of 2 sales persons, 2 marketing and 2 directors (partners). The platform was coded for Apple AppStore and Google Play store.

During these 12 months we introduced the conference MC and Entertainer sections and developed how the listings looked and functioned based on feedback from the beta testers and early adopters.  The full development and mobile app coding was bootstrapped by my wife, Bronwyn and I.

During this time we tested some initiatives to see if they would work such as the on-demand videos and pitching board, these were infancy models and purely for later launch and development.  We introduced them back onto the platform in April 2022.  In addition with feedback from certain sectors within the platform we launched in October 2021 the on-demand virtual courses for course creators and trainers along with the Book Store for speaker authors.

Throughout the first half of 2021 we were establishing our business in North America with the goal to bring this platform to the USA, on the 7th September we arrived in San Diego, California which was delayed due to covid restrictions and travels bans. We are now here permanently in the USA and I, Duncan Hesketh have an E-2 visa allowing me through my British citizenship to work and reside in the USA. My wife's spousal visa is under review with US Immigration and in process, my step-daughter is a freshman in the local high school. 

The business Model:

1. Subscription based platform for Speakers, Emcee's, Entertainers, Comedians 
2. Further to include subscriptions for event suppliers (AV, decor, Studios etc), accommodation venues and possibly conference venues
3. Free to end user to download or use via browsers. (currently we have 10,500 download with Android alone)
4. Available across 3 mobile Appstore's (Apple, Android, Huawei)

Packages available to the talent:

1. Basic - $9.95 per month, joining fee of $145 (plus we take 10% commission on any confirmed bookings)
2. Essential - $9.95 per month, joining fee of $199 (plus we take 10% commission on any confirmed bookings)
3. Silver - $48 per month, joining fee of $249 (no commissions on any bookings)
4. Yearly Silver - $480 annually

Vision:

We have taken our collective expertise from the events industry of over 35 years and created this platform to make it accessible on mobile and across browsers globally. We see the potential in time to become the "air BnB" of the events industry. A one stop shop not just for speakers  but to engage, build communities, sell merchandise, listen to podcast and dinkeybooks for all those involved in the events industry.

Marketing:

We have bootstrapped this for the past 2 years and now need investment for marketing operations to take it to the event planners, bookers and such. In addition to employ 2 sales staff who will be responsible to reach out to the speakers across North America only for now and ensure they sign up for the subscriptions. During the past 2 years where the events industry came to a stand still with live events because of the pandemic we ensured we continued to test and evolve, yet we had to do this without speakers wanting to invest as their businesses had stopped. Now that the industry is opening back up again we intend to aggressively market with structure advertising campaigns through a marketing company to ensure we target the right audiences for user engagements.

Resources:

We have a detailed business plan that we had an external company put together end of 2021 and along with a pitching deck both are available on request.


Here is the link to the desktop version of our platform, WeSpeak Global - www.motiv8rs.com