We’ve all been there: we need to book somewhere to gather – be it a work meeting or a party with friends – and we don’t have the time nor energy to trawl Google or ring about the place. Enter Venue Scanner, founded by East Londoner Rebecca Kelly.
Rebecca’s courage and tenacity to think outside the box, and get things done, is deep-rooted. As a 12-year-old facing unidentified learning difficulties at school, she felt unsupported by her teachers. Her father, however, had a different approach: encouraging Rebecca to “prove them all wrong and go on to do whatever you want.” For Rebecca this, she says, prompted a “wave of determination” – one that has flowed through the rest of her career.
Working as a digital marketer, Rebecca experienced the challenge of finding and hiring meeting venues, and sought a solution. Inspired by other apps that make life just that bit easier, including Skycanner, Booking and AirBnb, she set about making event booking just as effortless. And so, six years ago, Venue Scanner was born, after Rebecca quit her job and built up a multi-person team.
Her ever-present determination from childhood not only helped create the company, but also guided her through the unprecedented challenges that lay ahead. Such as when Venue Scanner’s business dropped by as much as 95% during the Covid-19 pandemic, when people no longer needed event space. Rebecca rode that difficult wave “up and down,” and today Venue Scanner is four-times bigger than it was pre-pandemic – and continues to is grow, and flow.