The decline of trade shows has invigorated an exciting online event concept known as webinars. Webinars are live online presentations in which a speaker provides analysis or a tutorial on a variety of topics. One can get a sample of what I mean by checking out Jupitermedia's future webinars.

What are the economics? There are two keys to making the webinar business economically viable. The first is having in-house speakers that will attract both advertisers and online attendees. Second is having the ability to promote the offering inexpensively.

Jupitermedia is fortunate on both counts. First, we own JupiterResearch which has over 40 research analysts who are ideally suited to making webinar presentations on myriad subjects. Second, we have 160 Web sites and and an equal number of email newsletters in which we can run ads (at no cost) promoting upcoming webinars. Thus our cost is essentially connectivity to link up the several hundred attendees we attract to each webinar.

One other factor: qualifying the attendees. On virtually any topic we cover with our webinars we can obtain 400 or more prospective attendees. However we require attendees to qualify by answering up to 12 questions. Applications are vetted and about 60% of the applicants are accepted. Accepted attendees agree in advance to allow us to provide their contact information to the sponsor.

The last piece of the puzzle is selling the sponsorships. We are fortunate once again to have a cracker-jack sales person who does most of the selling for this service. One sponsor position is sold for each webinar --- the cost ranges from $12,500 to $25,000 depending on the topic.

In less than two years this business has blossomed so that revenues are now running at a run-rate of about $1 million annually and growing rapidly. The future is bright for Jupiter webinars and for webinars in general.

Webinars in coming years will thrive as more and more companies place larger portions of their promotion budgets into this category. And as broadband expands, we can expect webinars to evolve with exciting new delivery formats.