Planners and suppliers say that associations' use of Web-based conferencing, particularly for distance learning programs, is on the rise. "A lot of our users are nonprofits, associations, and even government organizations," says David Hastie, Microsoft Live Meeting lead product manager. "Any organization that has geographically dispersed people who need to collaborate is a potential client." Hastie says that associations, which often have decentralized memberships, are a growing market for Web meetings. Basic prices for Microsoft Live Meeting start at around 35 cents per minute per user.Rendi Williams, director of e-learning for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New York City, has been working with Web conferencing tools since November 2002. Currently a user of Microsoft Live Meeting for educational programs for police officers and veterinarians, she says Web conferencing is "very cost effective. We realized that if we eliminated two meetings, each with five people who needed to travel, this tool would pay for itself. And we've already passed that point."