Daphne Earp Hoppenot

@bdistel @yext @howard Once a Yexter always a Yexter 💙👊🏻👊🏻

Well.....that's a wrap. 18 years after founding @yext with @howard, my Tour of Duty is now complete. Since college I had always dreamed of founding a technology company in NYC (it was not popular then!) and taking it public. It's been the adventure of a lifetime and I'm filled with gratitude. On my final day as a member of Yext's Board, I'd like to take a moment to thank the long, long list of people who have joined me on the journey. First of course is Howard Lerman. Having had the privilege of working side by side with him for nearly 2 decades, all I can say is that he is significantly UNDERRATED as a human and entrepreneur. He's the best. So many others to thank, this list is just a start and apologies to anyone i missed. Used the X1 document to jog my memory! :) Tom Dixon @seanmacisaac @BRutcofsky @alokb @wendicsturgis @jpkeels @DHoppenot @smcakebread @RoadWarrior247 Jim Steele @DavidRudnitsky Brian "Skip" Schipper Ho Shin Darryl Bond @lwJohnston @jonathancherins @jkrohrs Marc Ferrentino @robfig @wardchristianj Temy Mancusi-Ungaro @bussjon Franck Negro Michael Hartwig Eiji Uda Jimmy Barens Luis Baptista-Coelho Eric Kohut Jesse Katz @amin Amin Makhani @lizwalton @jonathankennell Jason LaFollette Kevin Caffrey @_maxdshaw. I'll forever cherish working with all of you and the thousands of other yexters through the years. Yext has a bright future and I'm grateful for our long standing Chairman and current CEO Michael Walrath for guiding the ship. I'm hopeful many of Yext's customers and partners will see this - It's been a privilege serving all of you through the years. Finally, a huge thank you to my incredible wife and #1 Yexter Jessica Distelburger. Her unwavering love and support has made all this possible. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Onward, bd

@tojulius If you’re doing no code I hope you aren’t raising capital with venture scale expectations

If you are building a startup in events, don’t start anything that challenges current players. Build exclusively with AI in mind. No code. To really win there should be no support needed. Easy to build from prompt to complex registration flows. This is how you win.

@AvaThompson @seobrien @heymehul @vkhosla As counter intuitive as this may be I think being a parent founder helps me with burnout. I’m forced to take a break each evening, do wholesome activities on the weekends. Pre-kids I never took a break, no bueno re burnout

I’ve observed this too and agree. However, for entrepreneurs seeking work-life balance, it’s important to find strategies that prevent feeling overwhelmed or burnt out. We’re all wired differently, so it’s crucial to discover what works for each individual. A potential solution for them could be setting clear boundaries and allocating time for relaxation and personal interests. This can help maintain enthusiasm for work while ensuring personal well-being.

Unfortunately too many founders don’t understand this process. We have had a lot of debates where we disagree and then I encourage you to do do what you decide is right.

@nickgraynews @tojulius Thanks Julius and hi Nick!! Check out the site I hope it’s a helpful search experience and I can reach out directly too!

@tojulius @DHoppenot this looks REALLY cool! just followed her and exploring the site now thanks Julius

Austin event space: venue maybe needed Dec 7 & 8 for 35 people. Budget $12k Any suggestions? Have checked Peerspace Need 6 small rooms for breakout groups to hold 4-8 people seated in circles Plus large common / lounge space where we can also do lunch and dinner

@tojulius @jasonlk I think this logic is a stretch for most events. The events need to be able to justify the immense cost of adding virtual through revenue generation or marketing metrics.

@jasonlk DEI is the fastest growing topic in the industry by far. Lack of a virtual component of sorts will be seen as lack of inclusivity towards those who cannot be there. Maybe not now. But very soon. Still planning two events.

Hybrid events is about planning two events with one budget. Convince me otherwise.

@tojulius Everyone I know in that position knows full well there are interested acquirers and doesn’t want to sell (yet)

Last week I spoke to 4 people actively seeking to buy events. If you have an ebidta of over $1M, get in touch.

@tojulius So many different approaches - it’s good, let’s get more new players in.

Event tech map - 2023 edition Available in pdf with clickable links. Comment if you want a copy.

@tojulius Moi

Who’s coming to #imex ?

@jbrod @PrimaryVC @fredwilson @nihalmehta @stevenjr76 @wesleybarrow @healeycypher That’s my “let’s take a photo for @howard” face

The @PrimaryVC Summit was, quite simply, one of the best tech events I’ve ever been to. An extraordinary group of Founders, Investors, and Journalists in a great venue with exceptional content, a tight schedule, and a @fredwilson mic drop for the ages. Pitch perfect! [chef kiss emoji]

@tojulius Yeah, I guess I think an event as influential as Dreamforce or JPM in January could alleviate that perceived risk. We’ll see.

@DHoppenot I don’t think it is about one event being successful anymore. If planners perceive risk (no matter how real the risk is) they are not going to select it unless they have to. Tech events are not going anywhere but other type of events are.

Really feel for all the bad rap San Francisco is getting as a destination for events. The people are amazing, the airport is top notch. I hope they can turn it around as I love to come here for events.

@tojulius What are the good trend pieces we should be reading

If you see an event trend piece with DEI or Sustainability listed, run away. These are not trends. Stop tokenizing crucial industry issues.

@tojulius @thevendry_ Lol we’ll start with product reviews (g2 reference)

@DHoppenot @thevendry_ Oh dear, employee reviews?! I am getting my popcorn ready.

Next time you are selecting an eventtech tool for your event, check out G2 AND Glassdoor. Seeing how companies treat employees will tell you a lot about how they will manage your relationship.

@howard @zaidrmn Honestly I’ve either told people about the demo or showed it to them at least five times today.

We gave @zaidrmn of Flexbase preview access to Magic Minutes and, with his permission, we're sharing his review.

@tojulius Axios has bad sources

In its 10-Q filing to SEC, Ringcentral disclosed the terms of Hopin acquisition. Here are the details:

@tojulius See ya there 😎

I keep telling my clients again and again. If you are not at #imex you don’t exist for the event industry. No matter what theory you have, I have been around this show for over 12 years. I know. And I have a feeling Vegas will be the biggest.

@agfinn @tojulius Actual question: is the place that virtual events landed all that different from pre pandemic livestreams and webinars? Like, did we just rename those virtual events?

@tojulius Long-term, I like that virtual events are becoming normalized as part of the marketing portfolio. Virtual is not going away. Crappy pandemic-style events are.

The news has landed. Hopin has sold its events assets to RingCentral. This is the final chapter of the most incredible story event technology has ever seen. It feels like yesterday when Hopin was making waves, raising $1B during the pandemic. Johnny Boufarhat, the CEO and founder, was a regular guest on CNBC, and the stories of his direct fundraising style resonated in Silicon Valley. Fast forward to IMEX 2021, where I was on-site with the Hopin team. It was clear: Hopin was running the show in the technology section. The Hopin revolution was taking webinars to the next level, transforming them into virtual events, and winning over the budgets of marketing teams who had always been skeptical about events. Then things started to change. The pandemic eased, and with it began Hopin’s gradual descent. Layoffs came in waves due to the fierce competition and the fading market for virtual events. Then came the repositioning and the launch of Sessions and Project C, targeting community building. A new player enters eventtech RingCentral’s intentions are clear: they want a bigger slice of the virtual events pie. It is difficult to imagine the value of the transaction. Let’s referesh our memory, Hopin was once valued at $7.75B. Interestingly, Sequoia Capital, a past investor in RingCentral, also had a hand in Hopin’s Series B, which makes this outcome more than a coincidence. What’s Next? Streamyard is now able to fly solo. Hopin will be absorbed by a new brand. Virtual events are becoming part of the enterprise suite. Zoom and Webex are leading that movement. Platforms like Hubilo, Rainfocus, and Bizzabo are shifting gears to in-person events, re- joining the ranks of Cvent and Stova in the enterprise and mid-market sectors. There was a time when some of the brightest minds in in-person event technology were part of Hopin’s team. Imagine the seismic shift that could have brought to the event tech ecosystem. But playing the ‘what if’ game is pointless. This has undoubtedly been an incredible story to follow and be part of

@tojulius Is there only one eventech company that could afford such ads?

One of the worst decisions big eventtech brands can do is creating high budget TV ads. All planners perceive: - more expensive - not approachable Showing up matters more than showing off.

@tojulius @themiceblog Saw @JakePoses walk by in soho today. Didn’t have time to say hi!

@themiceblog It seems like it.

Spoke to the LinkedIn team about their event product. Interesting updates coming.