Wonder

Research Outline

Prepared for Ethan R. | Delivered May 30, 2020

Best Platforms for Organizing Online Events

Goals

To understand the competitive landscape of online platforms for organizing events by identifying the best platforms for organizing small scale/mom-and-pop online events, like game nights, yoga classes, cooking classes, cocktail hours, etc., including details about their websites, how (if at all) they handle payments, and whether they have their own video conferencing software.

Early Findings

COVID-19 has led to increased demand for video conferencing platforms like Google Hangouts Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom, which continue to witness rising downloads globally.
Most of these video conferencing platforms support many individuals and functionalities, and only a few are designed for small teams and businesses.
Examples such as ZmURL rely on Zoom's proprietary software and Stream Club, which runs proprietary video conferencing software.
In-depth analyses of the two examples indicate that both platforms also help users make money when people join their virtual meetings. The earnings start from as low as $4.99 on Stream Club.
ZmURL is free for free events but not paid events; however, it is offering free events for paid events during COVID-19 quarantine. Ordinarily, the company charges 2.9% + 30c for credit processing.
Review sites like Capterra, G2.com, and Source Forge feature several examples of virtual events platforms like Skype for Business, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Adobe Connect, etc.; however, these platforms need thorough examinations to ascertain whether they support small or large teams or both.