Andrew Garcia is frustrated. When VCs go to events, he says, they look up — at the people and at the venue. And where the eyes go, the money follows. But what about all those tables and linens or the lighting or even the faux tree decor? Where did all that come from, huh?
Garcia and cofounder Erik Dreyer are the guys behind GoodShuffle — a 14th Street NW-based company that’s trying to bring the events planning industry into the 21st century in a significant way.
Think about it this way. You’re planning a wedding and you need some stuff — a tent, tables, chairs, linens, thematic decor and the like. Where do you go? Well, of course there are a lot of events rental companies. But according to Garcia and Dreyer, very few of these companies have a robust online presence, so you’re probably left calling around, trying to track down the right size tent that’s available on your day and at a good price.
To Garcia and Dreyer, this seems ridiculous. Which is where GoodShuffle comes in — an online marketplace where events rental companies can list their inventory and event organizers (professional or DIY) can browse, select, book and pay for what they need. Professional event organizers are the target users at the rental side of the marketplace, but GoodShuffle is increasingly catering to DIYers with tools that help you decide, for example, what tent you need and a sort of Pinterest-like “inspiration” section.
“We’re doing exactly what OpenTable did for their industry,” Garcia told Technical.ly. That is — centralizing an experience.
This wasn’t always GoodShuffle’s focus. Garcia and Dreyer both went to the University of Texas in Austin, but met in D.C. and became “drinking buddies” (Dreyer’s words) long before there was a company. And then there was the company’s first incarnation — a marketplace for peer-to-peer lending of household stuff within a neighborhood. Then came the pivot to events rentals because, well, people aren’t so used to borrowing stuff from neighbors online and changing human behavior is hard and expensive (preach ?).
Event rentals, in contrast, is an existing market, albeit one that’s not primed for the internet age. In other words, the perfect niche for a startup like GoodShuffle. And indeed, Garcia and Dreyer say, things are going well with the new model. The duo quit their other jobs in July 2015 and have been full steam ahead on this project since then.
Dreyer told Technical.ly that there’s been significant excitement from both sides of the marketplace — the renters and the suppliers — because a tool like GoodShuffle can save time and boost business. For now GoodShuffle is only available in the DMV area, but he sees a future where they expand (there’s already user interest, he said).
Still, outside of the direct beneficiaries of such a marketplace, it can be easy to feel forgotten or overlooked. “Tents, tables and linens aren’t sexy,” Dreyer said. This, too, is the source of Garcia’s frustration — a sense that the company is poised to grow, waiting for someone to look down.
Think about that at your next event.
Before you go...
Please consider supporting Technical.ly to keep our independent journalism strong. Unlike most business-focused media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational support.
3 ways to support our work:- Contribute to the Journalism Fund. Charitable giving ensures our information remains free and accessible for residents to discover workforce programs and entrepreneurship pathways. This includes philanthropic grants and individual tax-deductible donations from readers like you.
- Use our Preferred Partners. Our directory of vetted providers offers high-quality recommendations for services our readers need, and each referral supports our journalism.
- Use our services. If you need entrepreneurs and tech leaders to buy your services, are seeking technologists to hire or want more professionals to know about your ecosystem, Technical.ly has the biggest and most engaged audience in the mid-Atlantic. We help companies tell their stories and answer big questions to meet and serve our community.
Join our growing Slack community
Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!