The function and film industries took heavy blows during the pandemic, and Cape Town brothers Blanche and Louis Franken are doing their best to revive them with a project they describe as the Airbnb of events.
Their company connects the owners of properties with people looking for a venue, whether it’s to host a party, hold a meeting or shoot a movie. Venues on offer range from castles to villas and high-end homes.
The Frankens say Everyspace is the right concept at the right time as fears about social distancing recede and people seek out opportunities to make an extra buck after the financial knocks inflicted by the pandemic.
The brothers are in the right place, with South Africa — and particularly Cape Town — a firm favourite for international film shoots and advertisements.
Ordinary South Africans — big on celebrations and exhausted by cabin fever — are also finding themselves short of function venues after mass closures during Covid.
But while things are slowly getting back to normal and spaces are filling up, activity is nowhere near pre-pandemic levels.
So the Franken brothers put their heads together, determined to make the best of a bleak situation, and used their experience to bolster their concept.
The FM spoke to Blanche about the thought process behind Everyspace. “The best ideas come when you have the background,” he says. “We came in with a balanced, problem-solving approach. We identified the problems and what was needed to fix those problems.”
Franken, who studied film at Afda, saw how frustrated moviemakers became when they couldn’t find suitable locations. “There was no structure as to venue availability and accessibility, and brokers were asking huge fees,” he says.
In 2018, he and Louis started Filmspace, aimed at the movie industry, and spent 18 months building their site before it went live. But this was only the beginning.
“Mid-Covid we realised there was a demand from other avenues as well. We tweaked Filmspace to expand our offering and rebranded to Everyspace. We now cater for the everyday person as well as for on-demand spaces,” says Franken.
Our primary aim is to find that hidden gem, perfect for your event or occasion
— Blanche Franken
Within three months, they had 500 residential and commercial listings. “We were very pleased. It takes a lot of work to build people’s trust,” says Franken.
“For years the film industry especially had been following the same pattern that lacked innovation. But they were accustomed to doing things that way, so we had to build that trust.”
People from all walks of life can list their properties for a variety of uses. And it seems there’s no limit to the events in need of venues, which include bridal showers, conferences, photo shoots, rooftop parties and weddings.
“Filming requests are still predominant, but there is huge interest in venues that offer other functions. There are also loads of spaces on the site where people can even book an hourly rate for things like meetings,” Franken says.
The site, launched five months ago, lists 1,100 residential, commercial and studio properties. “Our primary aim is to find that hidden gem, perfect for your event or occasion.”
Prices are quoted upfront, accompanied by images and availability dates. “We simply provide the listings. Owners and interested parties work out the logistics of the bookings between themselves,” says Franken.
“This enables clients to get the opportunity to host the perfect event and to tailor it to their specific needs. Hosts are well versed in associated legislation for the renting out of their spaces, such as permits where required, so there’s very little room for a mess-up.”
The company is based in Cape Town and has a presence in Gauteng. “We are looking at plans to expand in the future. We are very patriotic and want to spread our services with a pan-African focus.”
Property owners who believe they have something special to offer can earn as much as R14,000 a day from the film industry.
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