Busy bride launches a party planning startup

ENVYTATIONS IS A NEW ONLINE PLATFORM CREATED BY MANCHESTER ENTREPRENEUR EMILY BROCKLEHURST

MANCHESTER-BASED tech startup Envytations is planning to revolutionise the events world by taking its invitation platform global.

Combining smart analytics which tracks guest responses and invite opens, Envytations is a new online platform designed to take the stress out of party and event planning.

By sending professionally designed digital invitations straight to guests’ inboxes the platform helps reduce invitation costs without compromising on design.

Created by Manchester-based entrepreneur, Emily Brocklehurst, Envytations enables anyone organising an event or throwing a party to be in control of guest numbers to reduce party planning stress.

The site also includes a new chatroom feature which allows guests to discuss the event. From children’s parties to large venues, Envytations can scale to any guests’ requirements.

Emily, 37, came up with the idea for Envytations while planning her own wedding and found that chasing guests became a chore.

She said: “More and more people are using paperless invites for events. It’s estimated that up to 10 per cent of wedding invites are now sent online.

“When I was planning my own wedding I felt the frustration of not being in control and wanted to create something interactive that was also a cost effective and eco-friendly alternative to paper.”

To use Envytations, users simply register for the service before customising their invites and adding details about the event.

They have the opportunity to upload their contacts and send invites to guests who receive a personalised animated e-invite straight to their inbox. Guests can then RSVP and their responses sent back to a database on the Envytations site.

Emily said: “Digital invites offer significant savings over paper invites while also offering instant feedback and visibility which is so important in today’s real-time analytics-driven information society.

“We have already had such a great response from individuals planning parties that we are moving into corporate events and are already talking to businesses about this.”

To support the development, Emily joined Entrepreneurial Spark Powered by NatWest, based in their office in Hardman Boulevard.