NextMe

Top brands don’t just attend events, they use them as growth engines. No matter what industry you’re in, events bring people together in a way that no other marketing channel can. When you take the time and spend money to travel somewhere and meet others who share your passion, it creates a bond that’s hard to replicate online. That’s why some of the biggest brands today used event marketing as a growth engine. Here are some of my favorite examples: Airbnb – They made a splash at SXSW and even launched their own cereal (yes, cereal!) during the 2008 election to get press and early traction. HubSpot – Instead of just attending events, they built their own: INBOUND. Now, 25,000+ marketers show up every year. Notion - Hosted workshops, hackathons, and community-driven meetups to educate users about its product. Slack – Live demos at conferences let people experience the product firsthand, turning event attendees into brand advocates. Peloton Interactive – They didn’t just sell fitness gear, they created live, interactive workout events that showcased their product in action. The best part? Event marketing isn’t just for big brands, it works at any stage if done right. Whether you're hosting, sponsoring, or just showing up, live experiences build trust and relationships faster than anything else. What’s the most memorable event marketing activation you’ve seen lately? – I'm John Yi, Co-Founder of NextMe - A Modern Virtual Waiting Room. #events #experientialmarketing #brandactivations #conferences #tradeshows #eventprofs

Small conveniences go a long way. Having customers fill out the same info every time they visit your business is annoying and often leads to messy, redundant data. Our team at NextMe just launched a convenient prefill feature that recognizes repeat guests and populates all relevant info from their past visits. Beyond saving customers time, this feature serves as a subtle form of personalization. When the form prefills, you think, "oh hey, they remember me!" - a convenience that surprisingly few businesses offer on outdated intake forms.

When I travel to conferences, I always gravitate toward the most engaging booths. That’s why when I discovered go MLR, Talent + Experiential, I immediately saw the value Lou Rod and his team bring. Their high energy activations with professional hairstyling, headshots, and even tech tattoos - don’t just attract attendees, they create experiences people remember. But with long lines forming at every event, I saw both the excitement and the challenge. What if we could make the wait just as engaging as the activation itself? So I reached out to Lou with an idea. NextMe’s virtual waitlist could streamline his lines, keep attendees engaged elsewhere while they waited, and ultimately increase retention for his incredible experiences. Now, NextMe and go MLR are teaming up to elevate attendee experiences at major events like INBOUND, COMIC CON, DREAMFORCE, HLTH, and SXSW. With our onsite waitlist technology, our clients can focus on delivering unforgettable moments and driving business forward without attendees feeling stuck in line. Founder to Founder, I couldn’t be more excited to partner with Lou, someone who truly understands the power of engagement. And this is just the beginning! Looking to transform your event’s attendee experience? Connect with us now! - I'm John Yi, Co-Founder of NextMe - A Modern Virtual Waiting Room. Bootstrapped entrepreneur sharing stories & lessons learned weekly. #eventprofs #events #tradeshows #conferences #ExperientialMarketing

I got kicked out of one of the largest trade shows in the world. The National Restaurant Show. Back in 2016, when I was just getting NextMe off the ground, I didn’t have a marketing budget. No fancy booth. No team. Just me, an idea, and a whole lot of determination. So, I got creative. I bought a $100 attendee ticket and turned it into my guerrilla marketing campaign. I stood around the tech booths at McCormick Place in Chicago, handing out flyers to anyone who’d listen. But my boldest move? Slipping my flyers into the official programs. As you can imagine, security wasn’t having it so that’s how I found myself escorted out. Looking back, it wasn’t my proudest moment. But when you’re in survival mode, you do whatever it takes to spread the word. Fast forward to today, things have changed. NextMe’s onsite waitlist software is now managing lines for major brands at some of the world’s biggest conferences trade shows and activations. We recently teamed up with Magic Leap at CES to streamline their operations and help them make the most of their event spend. The result? A booth that ran smoother, kept people engaged, and delivered measurable results. To all the scrappy founders out there, keep hustling. You never know where that flyer might land. P.S. - Check out our Magic Leap case study in the comments below. – I'm John Yi, Co-Founder of NextMe - A Modern Virtual Waiting Room. #founderstory #eventprofs #events #tradeshows #conferences #CES2025

NextMe has been named one of the key players in event tech for 2025! It’s exciting to see how versatile NextMe’s waitlist solution has become, helping service based businesses includings event professionals across industries streamline their customer experiences. From small pop ups to large scale events, businesses are leveraging NextMe not just to manage wait times onsite but to level up their event marketing strategies and meet customers where they are. I’m thrilled to see marketers of all event sizes investing in smarter, more customer centric solutions this year. Thanks to Julius Solaris for featuring us in this roundup! #events #eventtech #eventprofs #popups #experientialmarketing #smb

Fun to be featured here - from Comic-Con to the Wicked premiere, NextMe has been helping events of all kinds streamline their attendee flow ??

NextMe 2024 wrapped - taking on the wait of the world, one year at a time ??

As a parent, there’s nothing better than seeing your kid light up with pure joy. And as a founder, it’s even cooler when your work helps make that happen for other families. We recently teamed up with Walmart and Eventus Marketing, Inc. to make their Bluey themed brand activation even more memorable. My son’s a big Bluey fan so it’s been really rewarding to see families creating long lasting memories at these events. NextMe helped keep things running smoothly with SMS and virtual queues, so families spent less time waiting around and more time dancing, laughing, and meeting their favorite characters. Check out the full story in comments below: – I'm John Yi, Co-Founder of NextMe - A Modern Virtual Waiting Room for SMBs. Bootstrapped entrepreneur sharing stories & lessons learned weekly. #events #brandactivation #eventprofs #experientialmarketing

Two patients walk into an urgent care. One has a sore throat, the other is in anaphylactic shock. Luckily, NextMe has some neat triaging features for when "first come first serve" just won't cut it ??

You don’t need Disney’s fast pass to wait like a VIP.? Event professionals use NextMe’s virtual waiting room to shorten lines and make waiting more enjoyable. At the #OzOnAmazon event, we teamed up with Universal and Amazon to make waiting a part of the excitement for today’s WICKED movie premiere. Here’s how it worked: 1) Use QR Codes for Self Check-In Make check-ins smooth and fast ? Do this by:? ? Providing QR codes at entry points ? Allowing attendees to scan and check in themselves 2) Set Up a Virtual Waiting Room Keep attendees informed and engaged ? Do this by:? ? Sending SMS links to attendees on their position in line ? Sharing event FAQs and highlight what to expect 3) Send SMS Notifications Ensure attendees never miss their turn ? Do this by:? ? Sending timely SMS alerts ? Providing clear instructions on where to go next I continue to be amazed by how businesses and events are using virtual waiting rooms to create meaningful waiting experiences for their guests. How are you transforming wait times into memorable experiences for your customers? – I'm John Yi, Co-Founder of NextMe - A Modern Virtual Waiting Room for SMBs. Bootstrapped entrepreneur sharing stories & lessons learned weekly. Photo Cred: @Kane Yuan #WickedMovie #BrandActivation #EventProfs #Events #ExperientialMarketing