Hey, How'd Your Events Site Propel Paranormal Activity To Blockbuster Status, Jordan Glazier?

This innovative social media site used the power of the crowd to help a low-budget horror movie skyrocket to nationwide blockbuster success

By Jennifer Pullinger - November 16, 2009

With more than 13 million registered users, Eventful.com helps people find, create, share, and promote events in their local market. Its main feature is the "Demand It!" service, a social media platform that enables audiences to request events for their local market that are not yet scheduled.

"Most of the presidential candidates including [Barack] Obama and [John] McCain and others used it in the last election cycle to give their supporters the ability to influence where they went on the campaign trail," says Jordan Glazier, Eventful.com's chief executive officer. "We've seen authors use it. We've seen comedians use it. Dane Cook used it recently, where almost 600,000 people demanded him in their markets. The rock band KISS just used it to route their whole North American tour."

On November 11, Ryan Seacrest Productions became the site's latest star client. In a strategic marketing and technology alliance, the radio and television host and producer will use Eventful.com to allow his audience to give input on programming topics, "Demand" celebrity guests, and enter contests and promotions like "Ryan, Rock My Town!" where fans will help choose the location of a free concert from season eight "American Idol" contestants.

But it is a little horror movie that has broken all records -- box office and Eventful.com's own -- that first raised the Web company's profile....