Problem

Amazing events happen every day. But if you live in a small city, major shows are often out of reach. And it’s quite challenging to discover them before you plan your next vacation.

While many apps show events in any city you enter, what if you’re searching for an event worthy of a dedicated trip and have no idea where or when it will take place?

Proposed idea

Wannasee is an app that helps you discover must-see cultural events worldwide and then builds your trip around them.

Unlike typical aggregators, Wannasee doesn’t require you to enter a city or date. You can search globally or receive tailored notifications. Powered by AI, it sources events from top museums, galleries, theatres, and concert venues.

Once you save events, Wannasee identifies overlapping dates and suggests optimised itineraries. Trip planning made effortless and efficient!

Idea validation

To test the concept, I built a custom GPT that lets users explore art exhibitions worth traveling for using free-form input — anything from countries to artists or genres. By default, it suggests the best week-long trip unless the user specifies a different timeframe. Shared on social media, the tool attracted ~500 active users over a few weeks and received highly positive feedback for its ease of use and relevance.

Target audience

The app is designed for frequent travellers, European residents or visitors, especially millennials, who are passionate about art and design and who prioritise experiences over cost. They prefer simplicity and convenience in planning and value fresh insights and unexpected discoveries.

Top trends in the behaviour of travelling millennials

1. Solo Travel: More people are traveling alone, especially in countries like China, Australia, and the UK.
2. In-Destination Activities: Travelers are choosing destinations based on specific events or seasonal activities, planning them before booking flights and accommodations.
3. Pop Culture Influence: Movies and festivals are inspiring travel choices, leading to themed tours and experiences.
4. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): Social media drives the desire for “insta-worthy” experiences shared online.

Solution discovery

Although music events attract a wider audience, the MVP focuses on art and design enthusiasts. This narrower niche allows for a more tailored experience that meets their specific needs. Also, exhibitions tend to run for several months — ideal for testing the itinerary optimisation algorithm.

Based on survey insights, I defined key user tasks and reframed them using the Jobs to be Done methodology. Managing FOMO on a global scale has never been easier:

Jobs to be done

• 🔍  When I’m at home or traveling, I want to find top events happening worldwide or nearby, so I never miss out.
• ✈️  When planning a trip, I want to know when and where to go to catch all my saved events.
• 🏛️  Before visiting, I want quick access to hours, directions, and ways to skip the line.
• ✅  After my trip, I want to review events I attended and relive the highlights.

Hi-fidelity prototype

1. Onboarding and discovery

Users begin with a brief, engaging intro. They can set their interests during onboarding or later in their profile. They can also save events and follow museums, artists, or topics.

Based on this, the Discover tab offers a personalised feed with curated and AI-generated event lists. Search, filters, and sorting make browsing fast and easy.

2. Optimising itineraries

The My Trips tab groups saved events by city and suggests optimal trip dates as well as destinations. Users can adjust plans, add new places, and view details like venue hours and directions.

3. Profile management

The Profile tab lets users edit preferences, manage notifications, and review trip and event history. They can also manage their followed museums, artists, and topics.

4.Marketing templates

To support the launch, I designed Instagram templates and App Store visuals to highlight upcoming events and boost installs.

MVP and expansion

The MVP focuses on art and design events to target a specific, engaged audience and test itinerary features. Initial rollout in Europe makes sense due to:

1. High mobility: 75% of Europeans traveled in 2023, supported by a dense and accessible transport system without borders or visa constraints.
2. World-class museums: Major tourist attractions across the continent.
3. Event centralisation: Big events are concentrated in major cities, requiring travel.
4. Lower urbanisation: Only 30% of Europeans live in cities over 1 million.

Monetisation options

1. Subscription & in-app purchases to unlock additional features, like trip planning.
2. Ticket sales via partnerships with ticket aggregators and travel services.
3. Sponsored content to promote events on the platform.

Expansion & pivot opportunities

1. Event Diversity: Expand to music festivals, concerts, conferences, film festivals, and more.
2. Going Global: The US, with 87% preferring domestic travel, presents strong growth potential.
3. Cross-Platform Support: Starting with mobile web, then expanding to desktop and native apps.