Event Vesta Puts Fun, Networking in Easy View

Omaha, Nebraska – Shining a spotlight on local events and bringing people together is the driving force behind Event Vesta, an online service founded by co-founders Andrew Prystai and Billy Martin.

“We were inspired to start Event Vesta due to my time on the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Council,” Prystai says. “Through that volunteer role, I saw just how disjointed the events industry is – even with large players involved. More importantly, I learned how important events are to our community.

“So many events hosted by small businesses or local nonprofits can be key contributors to ensuring their futures,” he says. “I also saw how important local events are for individuals, as they help people make new friends, strengthen existing relationships and overall ensure Omaha isn’t just a city for them but a home.”

Though Event Vesta began in 2019 as a local service, it has expanded to working with events across the country.

“We help with localized event organization promotion, like a focused PR agency, for non-profits and for-profits alike – working with any event that’s open to the public,” Prystai says. “It’s free to list events on our website and mobile app, where community members can find events and experiences from concerts, sporting events and fundraisers to things you can do daily like local public parks or happy hours.”

Empowering entrepreneurial businesses such as Event Vesta is a mission of SourceLink Nebraska, a statewide platform that connects entrepreneurs and business owners to resources that help start, scale or accelerate businesses. The Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) serves as the host for the program.

Scott Asmus, SourceLink Nebraska Network Builder, says Event Vesta “is a great example of the energy surrounding entrepreneurship in Nebraska. Andrew found a need in the events industry and built a business around addressing the gap. He has the focus and fortitude required to build a successful business. I am excited to see what the future holds for Event Vesta and Andrew.”

A native Omahan, Prystai says online resources like Event Vesta and SourceLink Nebraska are natural partners for disseminating valuable information.

“SourceLink Nebraska, the NBDC, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and DoSpace along with Event Vesta work together to benefit the community as a whole,” he says. “We disseminate public information, as it was sometimes hard to find before we all came along.”

Prystai says navigating the COVID-19 pandemic has been the greatest challenge for his business. “Being in the events industry, we were impacted very heavily, and it was a true test to pivot our company to make the necessary decisions to survive,” he says.

“While we’ve come out on the other side stronger than when we entered COVID,” Prystai says, “nothing could have prepared me for the strategic decisions we had to make quickly, and the emotional toll navigating a nightmare scenario like the one we encountered.”

Asmus says he had the opportunity to meet Prystai early in the development of SourceLink Nebraska. “Our conversation helped to reinforce how important resource connections are to entrepreneurs and business owners in Nebraska,” he says.

“The SourceLink Nebraska team serves Nebraska entrepreneurs and business owners like Andrew every day, by providing clear access to resources and one-on-one support,” Asmus says. “SourceLink Nebraska strives to help entrepreneurs and business owners find the right resources at the right time.”

Prystai says SourceLink Nebraska’s mission of making entrepreneurs aware of what the state offers in support and resources can help new businesses and small businesses achieve success.

“In particular, I think SourceLink Nebraska does a great job bringing together all of the non-profit, governmental and education programs that we have to take advantage of in Nebraska,” he says.

“These programs are some of the best available to a small business owner like myself, but until SourceLink, you would usually only hear about these types of programs through events or recommendations from other entrepreneurs,” he says. “It’s great that now there’s one place to point people to.”