Carmiya Baskin
Staff Writer
Zab Zab, a new app that connects party-goers with party hosts, is coming to UCSB. Derived from the Polish word zabawa, meaning ‘party’, the app was launched in Poland at the end of last year. Martin Switalski, one of the co-founders of the application, said that it boasted 10,000 users within six months of its launch.
Signing up is simple. Users use their Facebook account to sign up for the app and turn on location services to see events happening near them. Users can also access event details, including number of guests attending, a host rating, price of entry, the distance from their current location, and a short event description. Within 30 minutes of requesting an invitation to an event, users will receive the event’s address and a QR code to be scanned upon arrival.
When asked what makes Zab Zab unique, Switalski noted that it offers a more personalized partying experience compared to larger corporate companies and booking agencies that only host parties at clubs and festivals. Zab Zab is the first app to allow people to quickly create and invite people to an event with the touch of a button. All of its functions are built in, decreasing the amount of time users spend trying to locate parties.
Switalski was inspired to bring Zab Zab to the United States after it became a success in Poland. When he first arrived in Santa Barbara about a month ago, some of his friends at UCSB introduced him to the university’s party culture. Switalski felt that the university’s penchant for parties and Santa Barbara’s natural beauty would make UCSB an ideal place to grow and promote his app.
“When my friends mentioned that Santa Barbara is a party town, I started doing research on the university. I also have friends studying here, so I have a personal connection that will make it easier to set up the app here,” said Switalski. He also has plans for the app that are bigger than just parties, eventually planning to expand to promoting other types of events as well.
Switalski came up with the idea for the app while on a walk. “I saw this really huge house party taking place right next door and I thought, maybe I will go to the host and give them cash so I can get into this party,” said Switalski in an interview with The Bottom Line. After realizing that doing so would potentially be awkward, Switalski began researching applications that would allow guests to get into parties without the embarrassment of initial confrontation.
Switalski found that no apps existed for this purpose in either Europe or America. Filled with ambition and excitement, he set to work, coming up with features for the app and consulting with his IT friends all in one night.
“I couldn’t get the idea out of my head. I just thought this would be the coolest thing ever,” said Switalski. Zab Zab was initially one of his side projects, but as the app gained traction, it became Switalski’s main focus.
Zab Zab gives a phone-centric generation access to a novel partying experience. Opportunities to host parties or become brand ambassadors are currently available (by contacting contact@zabzab.com) as Zab Zab begins to find its footing in Santa Barbara.