Gidsy Launches “Authentic Experiences” Marketplace for New Yorkers

Gidsy launched its “marketplace for authentic experiences” in New York today (Nov. 10), on the heels of the online company's first opening, last week in Berlin. Gidsy serves as a clearinghouse for organizers and participants of various group activities, which can range from tours to workshops. Anyone can sign up to host a local event and charge attendance fees. Similarly, anyone looking for some unusual group activity in New York can buy a slot in one of the experiences listed by Gidsy, some of which are as far from a guided tour bus as you can imagine.

 

For $100, how about a weekend living off the grid? Brian Jacobs, Gidsy’s head of U.S. operations, has posted invitations to a two-day tech respite in upstate New York that promises “cabin-buildin’, wood choppin' and foraging. Meals, coffee and whiskey included.”

 

If that’s a little too rustic for your taste, Gidsy also has listed a three-hour walking photography tour of New York City  hosted by professional photographer Karen Bell Nov. 30. The sign-up fee is $45.

 

It’s free to create an experience listing. Gidsy design guru Andrew McCarthy also makes it easy, with a four-step process that includes tips for getting the listing seen and booked. “Descriptions are like skirts: They should be long enough to cover the subject but short enough to keep things interesting,” he advised in the Gidsy handbook.

 

Listings must be approved by the Gidsy team before they are posted.

 

Events fall under these categories: architecture, collecting & gathering, history, urban exploring, outdoors & nature, sports, shopping, nightlife, eating and drinking, art & design, arts & crafts, kids and families, music and performance, and photography  & film.

 

Gidsy handles transaction fees, customer support, cancellations and refunds and takes a 10 percent cut of the class fees. The minimum charge for an experience is $5. All payments are funneled through PayPal.

 

Wondering if Gitsy is on its way to your town? "At the moment, we're trying to learn as much as possible from the feedback we get from the community. Based on that feedback, we'll decide where we'll launch next!" Edial Dekker, Gidsy's CEO told TechNewsDaily that TKTK. In the meantime, adventurous spirits can sign up for the Gidsy newsletter to receive updates. The company was started earlier this year by Dekker, his brother Florris, who hail from Amsterdam, and Austrian friend Philipp Wassibauer.