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![\"MIKE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4360150_web1_260706-new-app-0115.jpg\")
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MIKE DEAL \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
Stephen Hua, local nightlife entrepreneur and event promoter, has launched Hostly, a new app designed to connect people in real life while promoting local businesses.<\/p>\n
Now, Hua is helping people make connections via a new app.<\/p>\n
The 46-year-old launched Hostly in the spring. The app is designed to help people connect through real-life experiences and events. The platform allows users to both create and discover events happening in their community, making it easy to meet new people and make plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe people are lonelier than ever, although we\u2019re really connected (online),\u201d Hua said.<\/p>\n
\u201c(That\u2019s) definitely a problem and there\u2019s definitely a demand for finding things to do in real life and meeting up with people \u2026 We kind of solved that problem with Hostly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Currently only available in Winnipeg, Hostly allows users to browse local events based on their interests. They can also create events, share the details and decide who joins.<\/p>\n
For example, if a user has extra tickets for a Winnipeg Sea Bears basketball game, they can create an event on Hostly, share the details with their friends and choose which friends to take after people express interest.<\/p>\n
Or, if a user wants to attend a concert but has no one to go with, they can create an event on Hostly and find someone \u2014 it could be a friend or it could be a stranger \u2014 who is also a fan of that band and would like someone to go to the concert with.<\/p>\n
Additionally, local restaurants, bars and venues can use the app to promote themselves and drive business on days when activity is usually slower.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s actually a one-two punch,\u201d Hua said. \u201cNot only are we bringing people together to find things to do, (but) we\u2019re also then promoting businesses as venues to host these events.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s worked for Bar Italia, said Rhea Collison, managing partner at the Corydon Avenue mainstay.<\/p>\n
Collison promotes Bar Italia on Hostly, and at least three people have chosen to host their events at the business as a result \u2014 including a group that met during the recent FIFA World Cup to watch one of Mexico\u2019s games.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been fantastic because it just brings extra business to my establishment,\u201d Collison said. \u201cA regular (was the event organizer) in one of the cases, but another time for sure it was someone who had not been here before. So for me, that\u2019s a huge opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Collison believes in Hostly so much that she\u2019s invested in the app.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something that works and I want to get behind it,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing else really like it out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hua and his investors have spent around $500,000 to build and launch Hostly. The company employs about a dozen people and the app currently has more than 2,000 users.<\/p>\n
The company\u2019s goal, Hua said, is to reach 10,000 downloads and 3,000 active users in Winnipeg by November. Once that goal is reached, Hostly will pursue another investment round and launch the app in a second city \u2014 either Calgary or Edmonton.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you can scale this to one other city, you can scale it to a thousand cities,\u201d Hua said. \u201cOnce we get proof of concept and (launch) in Alberta, then we\u2019re going to be able to expand into the U.S. right away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n
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The app is currently free to use.<\/p>\n
Hostly has \u201ca really good monetization model,\u201d Hua said, though he didn\u2019t give specific details. <\/p>\n
Eventually, businesses will be charged a fee to use the app, and individual users will have the option to upgrade to premium plans with special perks.<\/p>\n
Hua said he loves being around people and playing a role in their stories. \u201cI want to be a part of your highlight reel.\u201d<\/p>\n
aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n
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Aaron Epp Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. Read more about Aaron<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Aaron produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Reporter
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