Question
My background is web development I know I can assemble a solution (i.e. WordPress / Gravity Forms / Stripe, etc) yet I want to go for simplicity / practicality and, ideally, point the organizers to a solution that offers additional value (time tracking integration, perhaps, etc).
I'm considering EventBrite as a baseline.
Answer
I think that Eventbrite is your best solution. It's simple to use from an organizer and user perspective, and there's little fuss in taking payments. No reason to get fancier.
