Blackbird 2.0 takes flight

Blackbird is an online platform that lets anyone plan great events. It is also a testament to the entrepreneurial tenacity of its founder, Laura Vaughn.

Rapid Growth first wrote about the startup in 2014. Since then, Vaughn has methodically built the business, always listening to her customers in order to build a better product. It was also through the product development process that she received a significant boost; Vaughn was able to attract a software development firm, Collective Idea, to come along as both an investor and development team. The addition moved the technology forward and helped Vaughn get to where she is today: the launch of the new and improved Blackbird. 

"The journey has been long,” Vaughn says. “Anyone who knows me knows that I have been talking about this product for years. It takes a significant amount of time to figure out how to get customers, then more time to start learning from them. Finally, it takes time to line up the best resources to make the ideal product for them. I'd be lying if I said it's been easy."

Vaughn says the new release (Blackbird 2.0) is designed for any type of event and for anyone to use.
 
"If you're planning a book tour, lobster boil, conference, or anything in between, Blackbird is an easy way to make a great looking registration page that looks as impressive as your event is sure to be,” she explains.

She says the site has several great features for event planners that help through the entire planning and promotion process.
 
"Blackbird can help them sell tickets, offer discount codes, and send email invitations that come with built-in reminders so everyone knows when and where to show up."

Besides new features, Vaughn has redesigned the pricing model.
 
"Our new pricing is also exciting,” she says. “Events cost $39 to publish, whether you have five people coming or 500. If you're selling tickets to your event, publishing is free — we take a small transaction fee for each ticket sold to your event."

Vaughn and her supporters recently had a launch celebration at Start Garden.
 
"Continuing to see a need and desire for what we were building really drove me to keep working on it and looking for the right resources,” she says. “Now that we've reached this milestone Blackbird 2.0 release, I'm really glad we spent that time listening to our customers and gathering feedback."

To learn more about Blackbird, you can visit their site here.

Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor