Former dancer Ivan Outerbridge believes local event promoters could double or even triple their social-media reach by using Bermuda’s Very Own, an app he developed more than a decade ago.

Mr Outerbridge, now a graphic designer responsible for such things as the look of the Bermuda driver’s licence, said event promotion is a tough game in Bermuda.

“People often wait until the last minute to buy tickets, making organising an event a risky enterprise,” he said.

To make matters worse, he added, some organisers wait until two weeks, or even a week before an event, to actually start advertising.

“This limits their chances of success even more.”

Bermuda’s Very Own is an app designed to connect social activity organisers with people looking for something to do.

Mr Outerbridge said Bermuda promoters have become too complacent with low attendance figures.

“Many of them are content if they have 4,000 followers on social media, and do not feel they need to do more,” he said. “However, having that number of followers does not mean that everyone is seeing their marketing. Everyone has different social-media circles.”

He added that only a fraction of followers will actually buy a ticket or turn up.

“In Bermuda, something like Cup Match would attract 4,000 people,” he said. “Not many events here get those numbers.”

He said one advantage to promoters is that listings on Bermuda’s Very Own can stay posted until the festivities start. They can be up for months with no financial penalty.

“I have things on there right now that are happening at Cup Match,” he said. “By having one app that is dedicated to Bermuda entertainment, everyone will know what is going on because it is always on their phone.”

Mr Outerbridge launched Bermuda’s Very Own in 2015, having seen a gap in the market. He did not have a tech background, but did possess coding skills.

“At that time, the only entertainment website was Nothing to Do in Bermuda, and that changed direction,” he said. “Ptix and Bdatix were coming online back then, but they were ticket-sales hubs.”

He dug deep into his own pockets to develop the app, winning second place in the 2015 TechAwards. “I lost out to the app Hitch,” Mr Outerbridge said.

One of his hurdles was that many people did not have a lot of room on their phone for multiple apps.

“Getting loyalty for an app is really hard when people do so much with their phones,” he said. “In 2019, I changed the platform into a web app, so right now, it is not something that takes up a lot of space on your phone.”

So far, the app is free to download and use, for both people seeking to list, and for people looking for something to do.

“I have had a few banner advertisers such as the City of Hamilton and the Centre for Alcohol and Drug Abuse,” he said. “I am not making any money from it right now, but I am looking at changing that.”

First, though, he wants people to see how they could benefit from Bermuda’s Very Own.

“I am trying to show people that their events could be even more successful if they multiplied that with my social media and someone else’s social media,” he said.

Mr Outerbridge’s biggest challenge has just been getting the word out there.

He does not have the budget to spend thousands on advertising.

“I am still trying to figure out how to make it more popular,” he said. “I have been looking at TripAdvisor and at other advertising venues such as the airport.”

However, he has found that even with TripAdvisor there are logistical challenges that he has to get beyond. “I am just figuring that out,” he said.