Israeli start-up BizMe2 Ltd. is targeting business people who travel to global conferences. This market has 120 million visitors a year and a turnover of hundreds of billions of dollars. Many industries rely on these conferences, including airlines and tourism, even as executives attending them have to deal with logistical problems that consume valuable time.
BizMe2 was founded in late 2009 by Yair Margolin, who came up with the idea, and chairman Boaz Yehuda. The company offers a platform, which targets businesspeople and company employees who frequently travel to conferences and exhibitions around the world. The company's goal is to collate all the relevant information they need.
"In effect, we offer a kind of international social network based on the content of international conferences, and which meets all the needs of the participants, before, during and after the conference," Margolin told "Globes".
BizMe2's website has information about more than 20,000 conferences. Its search engine aggregates large number of sources in order to provide focused and comprehensive information about the conferences. It also offers tourism services interfaced with the conference location, such as hotels and transportation.
"Businesspeople are looking for ways to save time and money, and the information we provide does just that," says Margolin. He adds that the company already collaborates with leading companies in the field, such as Kayak.
In the spirit of the social media, BizMe2 offers the features of a social network, such as the option of registering via Facebook Contact and inviting friends to a conference, seeing who is attending, and arranging meetings.
"Among other things, the platform encourages the establishment of ties between the presenters and visitors at a conference," says Margolin. "It also makes it possible to arrange and event within a conference, and update all the participants in real time."
BizMe2 has raised several hundred thousand dollars to date from private investors in Israel, whose names Margolin declines to disclose. The company is currently seeking to raise up to $1 million.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 9, 2010
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