Welcome to the first post for the ‘Be Seated’ project. Over the coming weeks we hope to share with you the process of how ‘Be Seated’ has developed in our quest to produce a unique and relevant social network service.
What is ‘Be Seated’?
Be Seated is a new social network platform that gives users a space to discuss and share opinions on venues. Its value lies in user-generated responses to venues and the quality of the experience at the venue (rather than the performance itself).
For example; Mr.Bigwig has purchased a ticket for a big sporting event. Mr.Bigwig gets to the venue, excited and eager to enjoy the game. Only to find…
… their view completely obstructed. ‘Be Seated’ will rectify this nightmarish scenario by allowing users to upload their thoughts, feelings and complaints about venues and what spoils or enhances their experience. Users of Be Seated can be suitably warned of the drawbacks and positives of specific seats or venues by other Be Seated users. Users through ‘Be Seated’ can also report on other intangible aspects of the venue experience, not just views, for instance the quality of sound, atmosphere, quality of food, staff quality, building safety, etc.
There are additional social aspects to ‘Be Seated’ that could be introduced to the project over the coming weeks. Event lists, user-benefits for the most active patrons and contributors to the site, the ability to virtually assign yourself a seat and to see where others are sitting, etc.
Why is it relevant?
Tickets for events are not cheap and nobody wants to shell out high fees and have a disappointing experience.
In addition, we are blessed with a number of venues that house all sorts of different events. In our lifetime, from city to city we may visit hundreds of venues in locations we do not call home. It’s hard to find out critical information that could influence our decision to attend events and also how the event could best be enjoyed. An online community joined by a social network could become invaluable in us getting the most out of the entertainment choices and the live experience.
We have seen sites such as TripAdvisor become very popular and influential in the hotel industry, ‘Be Seated’ has a place in the social network market to be the #1 source and platform for users to connect over events and venues.
Why is it original?
A prominent Social Network themed by events, and specifically venues, has yet to emerge. Given the popularity of live events there is suitable interest in developing a social network aimed at this area.
The idea around discussing and sharing specific seat information traces back to sites such as SeatGuru; which allows users to discuss the best seat on specific flights. ‘Be Seated’ extends this concept to allow more user contributions and to more varied venues.