Admission Fee Required: Collection, Processing, and Ticketing in Online Events

A couple of years ago we were attending a web conferencing gathering hosted by a vendor for its end-users and partners. At the end of a presentation, we asked the question, "Are you developing any features in your web conferencing technology to allow your content-providing customers to accept online payments for their web-based events?" ...The presenter looked befuddled and didn't say much. We then quickly followed up with, "Is anyone in the audience collecting and processing online payments for people to attend web-based events?" Again, silence. We were shocked that no one was planning on selling tickets to online events. That was two years ago.

A version 2 feature of EventSpan in Q3 of this year will be the collection and processing of online payments, integrated to any web conferencing vendor's offering. We're announcing this long-planned, core feature today principally because the market is starting to buzz about it. Indeed, webinar consultant Ken Molay is now surveying web conferencing vendors who are planning to add such services.

Our analogy is this: Marriott provides rooms - infrastructure - for seminars, but it doesn't promote to and collect money from the people attending them. The content providers, promoters, and publishers do this. We think in the long term, the same thing will happen in the web conferencing space. If the on-location event search/sharing sites - some with huge VC investments - are any indication, EventSpan.com is on the right path in the virtual, online event space.