ABCey’s Startup Monday: Otto

Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on, or have worked with in the past & would like to share with friends and followers of ABCey Events! Today’s Startup Monday highlights Otto, a technology- based truck that enables self-driving.

About Otto

If you happen to see a commercial truck with no driver, this may be the new startup Otto! This new technology allows drivers to take a break from the road and let the truck do all the driving. Truck drivers now have the ability to eat lunch or even take a nap on long haul drives!

The development of this technology continues to increase as the need for freight steadily rises. With the shortage of truck drivers, this self driving device will help the trucking industry with their deliveries. These deliveries provide events with the necessary goods needed such as chairs and tables. Without this delivery, the event may not go as planned as people would not have anywhere to sit!

Last year, Otto had it’s first successful shipment using the technology of the self-driving truck with delivering 50,000 Budweiser beers and I mean, who doesn’t love beer?

Another great characteristic of Otto, is that they are always looking to enhance their transportation network. The modern technology is advancing at a rapid speed, as they desire to fulfill their mission.

We love that Otto wants to always take new approaches to better the future, just like ABCey Events!

Are you interested in Otto? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter!

Startup Monday: Lyft

Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on or have worked with in the past & would like to share with friends and followers of ABCey Events.

The life of an event planner can be really hectic at times. On top of all the meetings, to-do lists and site visits, we are often on the go. The only difficult thing about traveling, especially in San Francisco, is finding a great, affordable way to get to your destination. Thankfully Lyft is here to help!

Lyft is quickly rising up to be a successful startup founded on a simple idea. Their goal is to set up everyday car owners with people who need rides. Lyft is great because it does not require users to flag down cars or call a taxi company. Instead, it simplifies everything through it’s mobile application where users can create an account and add their personal credit card information. They can then link to their Facebook or LinkedIn accounts.

Once a ride is requested, it show users a picture of the driver, but also of the car that will be picking them up. Cars usually have a hot pink mustache attached to the front, so that they’ll be easy to spot! Once the car arrives, passengers are encouraged to sit in the passenger seat to help build a reputation with the driver. At the end of the ride, donations are suggested but not mandatory.

There are a few other ride-sharing companies out there, such as Uber, however there are some major differences. Lyft is said to be more laid back with a fleet of compact cars, and drivers are even said to give their passengers a fist-bump when they first get in! Uber on the other hand is more reserved (passengers sit in the backseat). Lyft drivers can receive donations whereas Uber automatically adds a 20% tip.

Next time we do a site visit, we will definitely give Lyft a try. It would also be great for our event attendees, since we all know how limited parking is in San Francisco. What do you think about this ride-sharing service? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter!

ABCey Events: Highlight Videos FromThroughout the Years!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so a video must be worth millions! ABCey has gathered 6 of our favorite videos from past events that we’d love to share!

1. Brit + Co |Re:Make | October 4th-5th, 2013 | Fort Mason Festival Pavillion | Whether it’s related to making a recipe, an outfit, a craft, or an app, today’s generation is re-inventing what it means to “make.” On October 5th, Brit+Co hosted their first RE:MAKE event, the ultimate conference for the maker generation!

2. Black Jet | SF Launch Party | February 14th, 2013 | Union Square| On Valentine’s Day, ABCey had the pleasure of producing the BlackJet San Francisco Launch Party. If you’re not familiar with BlackJet, think of it as the “Uber for Private Jets.” It’s an online service and phone app that connects travelers with the reliability and convenience of a private jet with prices close to that of premium commercial carriers!

3. SpiderOak Presents: Penetralia 2013 | February 25th, 2013 | Bluxome St. Winery| We are very excited to have produced this innovative INVITE ONLY event, hosted by SpiderOak and Silent Circle; two great companies that are passionate about privacy in the Internet Age. It was an interactive event to think about, understand and discuss the evolution of privacy and technology. It ran on the 1st day of the RSA Conference that was held at the Moscone Center on February 25th-March 1st.

4. Razorfish | December 10th, 2012 | Mighty| ABCey Events helped Razorfish celebrate the holidays with a casino themed bash! Razorfish is one of the world’s largest interactive agencies, providing services to its clients in the realms of digital advertising and content creation, media buying, strategic counsel, analytics, technology and user experience.

5. Skinceuticals/L’Oreal | February 24th- March 3rd, 2012 | San Francisco & Los Angeles| ABCey Events produced and managed an 8-day PR and Media Event here in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Skincueticals/ L’Oreal hosted 10 of the top editors from major publications in China such as Elle, Marie, Claire, Vogue, Bazaar and Femina. We worked closely with the L’Oreal NYC team to coordinate air travel, hotels, transportation, meetings,private dinners, activities/tours, and helped them get into the hottest restaurants that both these cities had to offer!

6. BoxTone’s INspired Tour and Launch party for World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) | Sunday, June 9th, 2010 | Mezzanine| This event, hosted by BoxTone in conjunction with the Apple Developers Conference showcased a mod style museum explaining the history of Apple technology, including the original working Apple 1 & 2 computers.

Which video was your favorite? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

BlackJet SF Launch Event Recap

On Valentine’s Day, ABCey had the pleasure of producing the BlackJet San Francisco Launch Party in Union Square! If you’re not familiar with BlackJet, think of it as the “Uber for Private Jets.” It’s an online service and phone app that connects travelers with the reliability and convenience of a private jet with prices close to that of premium commercial carriers.

To view the entire BlackJet SF Launch photo gallery, click here! Or, to view our Aviation themed Digital Photobooth gallery, click here!

With a line winding down the red carpet and around the corner from Union Square before the event even started, it’s safe to say that attendees were very excited about BlackJet’s San Francisco launch. The first 1,000 people to arrive were given a free membership with companion seat –a coveted gift, seeing as the service is currently invite only and memberships are worth a whopping $2,500!

After receiving their sleek black membership card and vacation-reminiscent Hawaiian lei, guests had the opportunity to take a picture with the beautiful Sky Angels in front of the BlackJet logo or at the aviation-inspired Snapfiesta photobooth. DJ David Carvalho kept the crowd pumped with excitement while guests anxiously awaited the announcement of the Las Vegas trip winners; two of which were picked from radio station contests, one that was picked from a drawing done that day. The lucky winners were sent off to Vegas via Uber that very evening to enjoy their 3 night stay at the Bellagio and their $1,000 cash…all part of the GrandPrize win!

ABCey was live tweeting during the entire event and any posts & pictures using #BlackJetSFLaunch showed up on our Twitter Feed projected on a giant LCD in the middle of Union Square. A big Thank You to CEO and COO, Dean Rotchin and Joe Grimes for partnering with ABCey to kick off BlackJet’s new SF service route. Some of the key investors and co-founders such as Garrett Camp, Shervin Pishevar, and Steve Jang also came out for the event and took part in the fun. Thanks to all for coming!

Let us know what you thought of our event in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!

BlackJet San Francisco Launch Event

You heard it here first!! Tomorrow (aka Valentine’s Day), ABCey Events will have the pleasure of producing BlackJet’s San Francisco Launch Event celebrating their new direct service route connecting San Francisco with Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas.

BlackJet, already dubbed the “Uber for Private Jets” is an online service and phone app that connects travelers with the reliability and convenience of a private jet experience at prices commensurate with premium commercial carriers. Recently featured in TechCrunch, BlackJet aims to revolutionize private and charter air travel to become “the world’s cheapest, easiest way to book private jet service.” The startup is backed by Garrett Camp, founding CEO of StumbleUpon and co-founder of Uber, and has an all-star list of investors including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, First Round Capital, Shervin Pishevar, SV Angel, Ashton Kutcher, Guy Oseary, Tim Ferriss, Steve Jang and more.

Thursday’s launch will feature a $6M Giveaway including 1,000 comped memberships (first 1,000 to arrive) with a complimentary companion seat to any BlackJet destination. One lucky Grand Prize winner will receive Roundtrip Private Jet Seat Service to Las Vegas for two leaving just post contest on Thursday and returning on Sunday. The winners will also be comped a 3 nights stay at the acclaimed Bellagio hotel along with $1000 in cash. How’s that for a Valentine’s Day gift for your special someone? Local SF fave dj David Carvalho will playing some lunchtime beats, so come on down and get your free membership along with your photo taken in our aviation themed digital photobooth!

BlackJet is currently invite-only, but ABCey has got the hookup – you can login to their site with the code forbesvip300. What do you think of BlackJet? Let us know if we’ll be seeing you at the launch in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!