By Dan Aceto

Staff Writer

It’s Saturday night, and you haven’t a clue what’s going on around town beyond movies at the local theater.

So what do you do? 

Three former Scarborough High School graduates may have just the answer.
Chris Ledue, Justin Winfret and Jordan Chase have created Eventtap.com, a website that allows users to find events in and around town, as they’re happening.

While other event-planning websites typically rely on calendar-like systems to display upcoming events, Eventtap shows event listings continually updated in real time. Users who log onto the site will find things happening in town at the same instant.

Chase, who programmed and designed the site, said the idea came to him out of necessity or, as he likes to put it, from his own boredom.

“One day I was sitting around the house wondering what was going on around town. I wanted to get out and do something and thought, ‘what if there was something on the Internet that could tell us what’s going on right now?’ Not later, not next week, but what’s going on at this very moment?” Chase said.

After searching online and finding nothing that offered the immediacy he wanted, Chase took matters into his own hands and built a website. 

“I only knew basic coding to begin with, but I thought it was such a good idea that I took the opportunity to get my feet wet and figure out how to do all of this stuff. So I hit the books and learned as much as I could to make the website a reality,” Chase said. 

Chase, who has practiced web development since middle school, does have some experience, however. In 2003 he won the first Maine Student Web Design awards and two years later created the logo for Scarborough’s 350^th anniversary. 

Chase said his goal with Eventtap is to stimulate the local economy by providing a service that brings communities together.

“My hope is that it just grows to the point where it is sustainable and people are using it,” Chase said. 

He said the website is “kind of like a ‘Twitter’ for events.” It allows an entire community to post, share and find events going on around them at any given time.

“There are other event sites out there, but nothing in real time. Which is a huge difference,” Chase said.

Like Twitter, listings for the site are reliant upon user activity and require them to log in to share events. To increase the amount of content available, the site also employs Web data-extracting software to search other event sites on the Internet and post things happening in areas where fewer users post events. 

Registration for the site is free and new users can also register using Facebook accounts.

Since the site was launched in June, it has listed more than 7,000 events in the Northeast ranging from concert listings to drink specials to photography classes, with new cities and additions added daily.

While Chase primarily deals with all issues related to site programming, Ledue and Winfret have been in charge of marketing. Since the launch the two have approached many businesses in Greater Portland about becoming regular contributors to the site. 

“The website is essentially another avenue for small businesses to relate to consumers,” Winfret said.

Ledue agreed and said the service is an invaluable tool in today’s economy.

“When it comes to budgeting, one of the first things many businesses cut is advertising. What our site offers is a free way for businesses to get the word out on what is going on,” Ledue said. 

Ledue said the Internet is a “limitless market” and that from an aesthetic point of view, Eventtap is appealing for both businesses and users because of its simple layout.

“It is what it is,” Ledue said. “We’re not a billboard site and there’s not a lot of clutter. People like going to a website where the developers aren’t trying to just make money, they’re trying to provide a good service.”

Chase couldn’t agree more. 

“Simplicity is key on the Internet. We strive to make the site as convenient, easy to use and accessible as possible to anyone.”

Ledue said the team is continually striving to improve service and one of the most beneficial aspects of the site has been feedback from users. Although the site does not currently generate revenue from advertising, Ledue said he hopes to offer businesses the option of having events specially featured for a small price.

“Even if we don’t become rich and famous, as long as we succeed in providing a good service that’s all that really matters,” Ledue said.

One of the site’s latest advancements is the addition of a mobile application that allows users to connect via cell phones and access listings while they’re on the go. Winfret said the feature is especially useful for people who may already be out and looking for someplace to go to without having to visit multiple websites.

“Our goal is to have anybody, anywhere, find or share anything they want to do,” Winfret said.

That might even mean international recognition. This year, Chase entered Eventtap into the “Webby Awards,” an annual competition from the International Academy of Digitial Arts and Sciences that honors excellence on the Internet in more than 100 categories.

For three college graduates with full time jobs, however, maintaining a functioning website is no easy task.

“I can’t really quantify how much time I spend on the site,” said Chase. “Sometimes I work on it well into the night and lose a lot of sleep, but I know it will be worth it eventually.”

To find events happening around you, visit: www.eventtap.com

Staff Writer Dan Aceto can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 237.