{Ask the Techxperts} The Business and Events of @OatWorks

First of all, please tell our readers about Oatworks – what is the company all about?
Oatworks is The Power of Oats. Bottled. We produce a line of oat and fruit smoothies, which provide the goodness of two bowls of oatmeal in every bottle. It’s the most convenient and most delicious way to enjoy the incredible benefits of oatmeal every day. And the best part is that there’s no cooking and no lumpy bits!

What were the 3 keys to getting the company off the ground – where did you invest your time?
Lots of great companies have started either in the garage or in the kitchen and we were one of those that spent a lot of time creating our first products in the kitchen. It was really important to us to create smoothies that were both genuinely healthy and great-tasting. In addition, we wanted our smoothies to be completely smooth. Oatmeal in a bottle doesn’t sound so appealing but as anyone who’s enjoyed a bottle of Oatworks will tell you, our smoothies are lump-free and totally delicious.

We also invested plenty of hours in choosing the right name for the company. We hope it’s going to be our name for a long time, so we wanted to get it right. Why did we choose Oatworks? Because Oats Work…

Finally, we took time to hire the right people. Whether a company is getting off the ground or has revenues of several billion dollars, its people are everything. But that’s even more true in a smaller organization, where teamwork has such an important role to play. We have a great team here at Oatworks and that gives us a great chance of being successful.

How do you use events to expand the reach of your brand?
Events are very important to us. They give us an opportunity to engage with our consumers. That’s hugely valuable, because it allows us to tell our story and get consumers to experience Oatworks. Sampling demos, for example, are particularly helpful in overcoming any preconceptions consumers may have about the taste or texture of an oat-based smoothie. The feedback we receive from consumers at events is essential in helping us shape our brand and our products. Events also allow us to associate our brand with certain types of consumers and their associated lifestyle choices. This helps to build our brand equity and enables our consumers to identify more closely with our philosophy and image.

What is the coolest use of technology you’ve ever done for your brand or events?
Being able to post pictures from events as they happen is incredibly cool. We already take this sort of technology for granted but it’s incredible when you think about it that you can communicate with fans who aren’t at that event and make them feel part of it.

Finally, what is your favorite app?
I am regular user of WhatsApp. It’s incredibly useful for staying in touch with family and friends around the world.

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David Peters is the founder and CEO of Oatworks, a brand of oat-based drinks designed for busy, health-conscious people. After a career in investment banking at Morgan Stanley and Barclays Capital, Peters left the world of finance to focus on his passion for a healthy lifestyle. He furthered his knowledge about the incredibly beneficial properties of oats while running Biovelop, a Swedish start-up, and, having developed an oat-based smoothie in his kitchen at home, decided to create a company that would bring the power of oats to a wider audience. Now living and working between New York and London, Peters is a proud oat advocate, healthy foodie and avid runner.

Liz King Caruso

Liz King Caruso is an Event Strategist, Consultant and Speaker. As CEO of Liz King Events and techsytalk, she has helped countless thought leaders grow their audience and sell their products through in-person, virtual & hybrid events. Liz is a big-picture person – passionate about tying events into an overall sales and marketing strategy and being efficient at every point of the process. Technology is her niche and she’s obsessed with helping organizations of every size leverage technology to produce more engaging and seamless event experiences. In addition to her client work, Liz connects & educates her industry colleagues through platforms she has built – techsytalk GLOBAL, the techsytalk community & IGNITE Consulting program. Liz has been featured as Eventex’s 50 Most Innovative Virtual Meeting Planners, Successful Meetings list of 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry, Top 5 Women in Event Tech, amongst other awards.