Zoom launches new marketplace to charge for virtual events
Between work meetings, kids' lessons, and chatting with friends and family, most people are feeling Zoom fatigue. But the videoconferencing company hopes folks will log on for a few more hours to take advantage of its new online events platform and marketplace.
The public beta for OnZoom launched Wednesday with a slew of free and paid online events that cover everything from education and entertainment to health and home.
"We were humbled and inspired by all of the amazing ways the world adapted to a literal shutdown of in-person events amid COVID-19," product manager Aleks Swerdlow wrote in a blog announcement. "When business owners, entrepreneurs, and organizations of all sizes had to find some way—any way—to stay the course and continue providing services to their customers, many turned to Zoom. OnZoom simplifies that experience."
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An extension of the company's unified communications platform, OnZoom lets paid users create, host, and monetize virtual events like fitness classes, concerts, improv shows, and drawing lessons. List and sell tickets, share and promote events, and reach new global audiences of up to 1,000 attendees.
Participants, meanwhile, can search for events, gift tickets, donate to nonprofits, and favorite, share, and rate experiences. OnZoom's current offerings range in price from free to $50, depending on duration, subject, and presenter.
Airbnb in April introduced a similar system of virtual activities, allowing hosts to keep earning and users to keep learning during the coronavirus pandemic. Airbnb Online Experiences invites folks to meditate with Buddhist monks, visit the dogs of Chernobyl, and cook with a Moroccan family—from the comfort of your home.
