It's similar to what we do. At AMI, we're really a service extension of an ASP. Specifically, we license Certain Software's Register 123 and StarCite's RegWeb. Our client doesn't need to pay the license fee or go through all the training. They just call up and we make it happen. We set up our pricing as a combination of what you would expect from an ASP and what you would expect from an old-school registration services company. We have a transaction-based model that includes the registration site and e-marketing set up.

When do you see costs falling?

They already are. Transaction costs are lower now, especially as companies provide service along with transactions. They see money they can make on the service side, so they are willing to cut their transaction costs. Competition is forcing these companies to bid on jobs that they never would have before.

What advice do you have for meeting professionals as they get started with online registration?

Define your terms. Make sure your vendor spells out, for example, how it defines a transaction — is it per registrant or per visit to the registration site? That is, does a change to a registration count as a new transaction? How are seat licenses counted? How are financial transactions charged? How much service and training will you get? Are you charged for every call to the help desk?

What Do You Need from Your Vendor?

What services are you expecting from your online registration provider? Are you looking for a system for a simple one-off meeting or a robust registration solution to integrate with your enterprise systems? Do you need e-marketing support? Air booking capabilities? Credit card processing? Know your needs before you go shopping for a vendor. Here's a list of potential services to consider:

• Customized Web registration site
• Web links to meeting and destination information
• Integration with an online travel booking system
• Integration with a housing service
• Integration with meeting management applications
• Call center services/customer service calls
• Manual entry of mail and fax registrations
• On-site registration support
• Online credit card processing
• Roommate matching
• Pre-meeting e-mail marketing
• Compliance with ADA standards for the visually impaired
• Different forms for different kinds of attendees
• Attendee database retained for future events
• Registration for breakouts and meals in addition to meeting registration
• Confirmation letters
• Electronic reminders
• Survey development and distribution
• Reports:
  Attendee lists
  Payment collection reports
  Session registration reports
  Housing and transportation reports
• Custom report builder
• Name badges
• Online training
• In-person training

The Players

Today's top online registration providers. But don't blink.

• Acteva

  San Francisco

• Attendee Management Inc.

  Wimberley, Texas

• BlueSkyz Inc.

  Stevensville, Md.

• Certain Software (Register123)

  San Francisco

• Cvent

  Arlington, Va.

• eMeetingsOnline

  Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

• E-ventCentral.com

  Los Angeles

• Event Ready (formerly Registration Unlimited)

  Rocklin, Calif.

• EventRebels.com

  Ellicott City, Md.

• RegOnline

  Boulder, Colo.

• SeeUthere Technologies

  Santa Clara, Calif.

• StarCite Inc. (RegWeb and b-there)

  Philadelphia

• The Registration Assistant

  Austin, Texas

• WebRegPro

  Carmichael, Calif.

• Peopleware

  Bellevue, Wash.

• Isis Corp. (GoldReg)

  Oakland, N.J.

• Amlink (Events Pro)

• Brisbane, Australia