Afficient (www.afficient.com), a new event registration application service provider, offers event organizers a "hassle-free registration service," says Laura Fischer, marketing manager. Founded as an online service for registering athletes for sporting events, Afficient charges a fee per transaction (for event registration) and small setup fees to create a Web site for the event.

"Our service is seamless and in the background," says Fischer. "We offer confidentiality, security, and customer support, including very quick response time." For Ernst & Young, for example, Afficient developed an event portal, assisted in Web design, and developed an online event registration system for a seminar just 30 days away.