ONLYINPGH ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF PITTSBURGH HAPPENINGS SYSTEM

Revolutionary online tool for finding out what’s happening in the region

PITTSBURGH, PA—Brett Wiewiora, founder and CEO of local tech start-up OnlyinPgh, announced today the launch of the Pittsburgh Happenings System, an unrivaled online tool for discovering new places and things to do in the Pittsburgh region.

“This system is a great resource for showcasing the unique places, sights and local flavor our city has to offer,” said Wiewiora. “It aggregates information from all over the web to bring users a comprehensive view of what’s happening in Pittsburgh.”

Combining an easy-to-use map, feeds of events from dozens of local institutions, and the seamless integration of social networking sites, the Pittsburgh Happenings System is the easiest way for individuals to find out what’s going on in Pittsburgh. It also provides a simple and effective way for businesses and organizations to get the word out about their upcoming events.

“We love using innovative technology to reach new audiences for our events and ultimately, our mission,” said Eric Boerer, Advocacy Director for BikePGH. OnlyinPgh is working with BikePGH to promote BikeFest, a 10-day celebration of bicycling all over the city. BikeFest events are prominently featured on the Pittsburgh Happenings System and the two groups are collaborating on the “Bikin’ in the Burgh Photo Contest” that is running during the event.

Meant to be a resource for everyone in the city, the Pittsburgh Happenings System will be especially useful for newcomers and students who often have a difficult time finding their way around.

“Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods are the core of its strength and uniqueness, but, especially for newcomers and students, finding out about them can be hard,” Wiewiora said. “We want to bring all of what Pittsburgh has to offer to everyone’s fingertips.”

Wiewiora, a Pittsburgh native and alumnus of both Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University, has three goals in launching the system: help residents and visitors find fun things to do; strengthen neighborhood business districts by providing local businesses and organizations an easier method for promoting their places and events; and showcase Pittsburgh as a top destination for having a great time.

“Getting out of the house and taking part in local activities isn’t just about fun,” Wiewiora said. “People coming together builds community, community builds vibrancy and vibrancy creates prosperity.  In other words, being out and about makes Pittsburgh a better place for everyone.”

To use the Pittsburgh Happenings System, all individuals need to do is go to http://onlyinpgh.com and start searching for events. Many events from local businesses and organizations are automatically included in the system, but if a business or organization finds that theirs are not or would like to have their events featured, they can visit http://onlyinpgh.com/feature-my-events/ for details.

Onlyinpgh began in 2009 as a photoblog.  In 2010, the website was chosen as a student probe at Carnegie Mellon University’s Project Olympus and expanded to include information on local businesses and events, and in 2011, Onlyinpgh began development of the Pittsburgh Happenings System. Brett Wiewiora was chosen as the 2011 Anne Lewis Fellow and the 2010 David Lingren Fellow by CMU’s Institute for Social Innovation, and received a 2011 Start-up Commercialization Fellowship from the Kauffman Foundation.

In the future, OnlyinPgh plans on developing a Pittsburgh Happenings System mobile app for smartphones and launching another major product, OnlyinAlytics, which will provide businesses, organizations and event organizers with unprecedented amount of aggregated information about their audience and the ability to reach people who want to hear about upcoming events.

“Think there’s nothing to do in Pittsburgh? Having trouble figuring out where to go on a Friday night? Just head to OnlyinPgh and discover the best-kept secrets of the city,” said Wiewiora.

About OnlyinPgh:

OnlyinPgh seeks to improve the local economy by bridging the information gap between local businesses and consumers.  Our vision is to usher in an era where the online world bolsters neighborhood business districts in creating vibrant communities and strong local economies.

http://onlyinpgh.com

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