SparkGig

Nov 23, 2015

By Jessica Galang The Disruptors November 23, 2015 ‘Airbnb of entertainment’ SparkGig takes the stage on #TheDisruptors As the sharing economy grows, one Kitchener-based company pitched The Disruptors on why it’s the best resource for a fairly underserved demographic: the starving artist. SparkGig is an online community that connects performers with event opportunities in the area. So far, the seed-stage company has raised about $1 million and boasts more than 700 customers. The company has clients spanning across cities including Toronto, Waterloo, and New York. “We envision that with the success of Airbnb and Uber, and the sharing economy and how it works, we believe having a similar platform for entertainment we can drive down the cost and make life in entertainment more accessible and affordable for the public,” said Desmond Choi, co-founder of SparkGig. The company’s clientele ranges from store managers, kids’ birthday party event managers, and wedding planners. “Our five to 10-year goal is to empower performers to pursue their dream and give them the right tools and resources to pursue their passion,” said Choi. Co-host Bruce Croxon agreed that the ability to help artists makes the platform exciting. “The poor artists, hard enough as it is, they’ve had the heck disrupted out of their careers so here’s a stage where they might be able to be discovered,” he said. “But if I’m an event organizer and I want to find a singer, I can go on YouTube or check local Toronto.” Amber Kanwar countered that the fact that SparkGig’s rich data set and marketplace approach sets it apart from other services. “You have the contact information, you can profile reviews, everything is just a one-stop shop.” Watch the whole pitch below: BetaKit is a production partner on The Disruptors . Tune in to BNN every Thursday night at 7pm for full episodes!