As a wave of national pride washes across Canada, many event organizers are rethinking the platforms they use to manage ticket sales. For years, this space has been dominated by large U.S.-based services, but a growing number of Canadian organizers say those tools don’t always meet the unique demands of running events north of the border.
“We used to host events and were disappointed by expensive, hard-to-use ticketing services that did not cater to our event’s needs. That’s why we created Simpli Events,” said Owen Stafford, co-founder of Simpli Events.
Simpli Events, a homegrown ticketing platform, announced it has surpassed $1 million in transactions by mid-2025 and over 100 thousand tickets sold, positioning itself as a rising local alternative to major U.S.-based platforms like Eventbrite.
Built with Canadian event organizers in mind, Simpli Events offers a streamlined system for managing and selling tickets to everything from local events to large-scale community festivals. What sets it apart is its lower fees, a Canada-first approach, and live, local customer service — features the founders state many Canadian organizers feel are missing from the larger, international platforms.
The Canada First advantage
Simpli Events’ growth might mirror a broader trend in Canada’s tech sector, where startups offering locally tailored SaaS tools are steadily gaining ground on international giants. And it’s more than just national pride. This shift reflects real differences in how Canadian customers think about the products and services they use, and what earns their trust.
"We noticed that while features and pricing are important, Canadian event organizers truly value real personal connection and trust. And that's why we focus on building relations with our customers and grow alongside our customers."
A focus on collaboration
Simpli Events offers personalized one-on-one customer support, working closely with organizers to meet their unique needs in ways larger competitors often can’t.
“Canadian organizers want to know they can get a real person on the phone or by email when it matters rather than a chatbot,” said Stafford. “That one-to-one support isn’t a bonus here, it’s expected.”
The company says it plans to continue expanding its presence across the country, aiming to become the go-to choice for Canadian organizers seeking a more tailored, affordable event management solution.