Taking your show on road? Econference saves you trip

BOULDER — After hustling through 21 road shows in 15 days, David Haar thought, “There’s got to be a better way.” Exhausted from the travel and hassle of such a hectic schedule, Haar began to brainstorm.

He and a co-worker from Map Info, a high-tech solutions provider in Troy, N.Y., came up with an idea over a few beers: Why not avoid the time and cost of traveling and do road show presentations over the Internet, using software such as Microsoft’s PowerPoint?

After searching the Net for a company that could produce online seminars, Haar found Boulder-based Econference, and it’s been a match made in heaven ever since.

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Formed in 1997, Econference aims to “offer a variety of technologies for people to collaborate online,” says Nathan Bieck, operations director for the firm.

Econference uses software from companies like Placeware, Mshow, Contigo, and Net Podium to allow users to put data and voice together for a multi-media event over the Internet.

Unlike an audio-only conference call, participants on an “econference” log into a Web site and can view slides and other visuals that previously they only could see by going in person to a seminar.

They are usually connected to presenters by telephone, too, which allows for question and

answer sessions and a more human touch.

The online seminar saves thousands in travel costs, and in the case of firms like Map Info, allows companies to reach customers that would never be able to attend a road show.

Companies can afford to travel to major cities, like New York and Los Angeles, to do

road shows. But they often can’t cost-justify travel to Kansas City or Troy because not enough people attend events in smaller cities to make travel worthwhile, according to Haar.

Online seminars, Bieck says, cost between $40 and $70 per participant per hour, including an audio connection to the conference.

Econference’s goal, he says, is to be a “one-stop shop when you use us, not only are you going to get the technology and services, but you’re going to get this one point of contact.”

When a customer contacts Econference to set up an online event, a staffer will determine what technology will work best for what the customer wants to do. The “showmaster,” as Bieck calls him, makes sure all parts of the seminar come together, including e-mail invitations to the event, reminders, thank-yous and technical support.

That’s a big plus of working with Econference, Haar says. “They’re successful because of their attention to detail, their standards of quality … I have a tremendous comfort knowing that Econference handles my customer with an incredibly high level of respect.”

Bieck believes the market opportunity for Econference is huge, “in the billions by 2004,” and his company has big plans to capitalize on that growth. The company, with $600,000 in revenue in 1999, expects close to $1 million this year. Its eight-person staff is growing, and it’s hoping for $10 million in venture capital for expansion.

Econference divides events into three main categories. First are external events such as investor relations meetings or press announcements. Second are internal events, like training

or sales meetings. And third is distance training for universities and other learning institutions, sometimes called “distance learning.”

And to hear Haar tell it, the sky is the limit for Econference. His online seminar program at Map Info has taken him off the road but at the same time has put him into many more places and in front of a lot more customers.

“The seminar program has scaled us up especially,” says Haar. “We probably put as much time, energy and money behind online seminars as we ever did behind road shows, we just probably talk to 15 billion times more people.”

Map Info holds several online seminars a week through Econference. “Time and time again,” says Haar, “when I host a seminar, I get back to my desk, and I cannot believe I just spoke to 100 people and I’m back at work already. Without leaving my desk, I spoke to people from Alaska, California, Nebraska, New York and Florida.”