Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in event management but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Eugene Shestopal, CEO of Poptopuk Limited, located in Gateshead, England, UK.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Poptop is a go-to destination for extraordinary private party experiences. If you plan a 30th birthday, wedding, Christmas party, or summer party for your colleagues - we have thousands of food, drinks, and entertainment party experiences. Big or small events - we have next-level party ideas for all :)

Our platform provides a curated selection of party experiences from trusted event service suppliers and only with us you can see live pricing & availability for all experiences in our catalogue.

Tell us about yourself

I used to organise events for about ten years when I came up with the "party planning platform" idea. My friends always asked me to help them throw a private party, book a DJ, arrange catering, help to find a bartender, and what struck me - this should not be that complicated in the 21st century! My main driver since day one was to make throwing a great party as easy as possible so people could spend more quality time together.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

We are the go-to party planning platform in the UK with more than 5,000 of suppliers and more than 14,000 of parties booked with us every year. We are also the first event planning marketplace. which allowed instant booking technology for this market. Instead of "requesting quotes" directly from suppliers or on other platforms you can just enter your event details and browse experiences from our catalogue with live pricing & availability.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Your business is your baby. You don't really have weekends, holidays, vacations, days off. If you want to succeed, you need to do it 100%. Good days, bad days, cost of living crisis, global pandemic - you need to stay on top of the situation every single day. Even now, I am submitting this interview at 10 pm instead of watching a nice movie or a show :)

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Choose something you truly believe in and something you can commit to for at least several years of hard work.
  2. Have fun. Not every day is going to be fun, but your business is a big part of your life, so spend this time well.
  3. Surround yourself with people, who inspire you to be better, to achieve better results and to go beyond possible.

You can connect with Eugene Shestopal:

Website: https://www.poptop.uk.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poptopuk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poptopeventsuk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugene-shestopal-66785438/

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