A VC - Latest Comments in Conferences

Re: Conferences

Shreenath — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:34:10 -0000

Try adding movies to that one too - it get's to be quite a crazy week!
I did "crash" a few do's in 05 during college and met some great startup/early-stagers as well as Yahoo/Goog execs. In fact, I recall playing pool with Eric Case from twitter; doubt he'll remember me now though! Indeed, sxsw is quite a rush and a great atmosphere! Thanks for a neat post.

Re: Conferences

Doug Kersten — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:50:59 -0000

Prokofy seems to be implying you are paid to give your talks? Is that correct? My impression was that the majority of lectures/presentations you give are at no, or little, cost. I am not finding fault either way, just curious.

Re: Conferences

Doug Kersten — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:43:40 -0000

BIL looks cool! I always learn good stuff on Fred's blog!

Re: Conferences

Doug Kersten — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:35:00 -0000

So you'll invite me? Be warned, I am not in the TED "in" crowd. And if yes, you'll send me a free ticket? I am not yet wealthy or renowned so refusal would indicate elitism, yes? The online videos/content are great but they are a bit like MIT Courseware. I learn something but the real advantage is spending the time in the environment, with the people you are learning with and learning from.

To me the most interesting, and least talked about, factor of success is the early part. Where the guy/girl seems uninteresting to outsiders but has the capability and wherewithal to change the world. It is actually more important to invite these people to TED as members of the audience. They are the true instigators of change.

Re: Conferences

SimiH — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:47:50 -0000

Regarding the insider/outsider angle - I have definitely noticed that so many people with new ideas get locked out of the very conferences that should be fostering such work.
I work for an organization that helps social entrepreneurs get their projects off the ground, and for several years we've tried to get a booth at a major yearly conference to publicize what we're up to, reach new people, and of course attract the interest of potential investors. Unfortunately, booths cost $1000, so we'd try and mooch a few feet off someone else's booth or carry stuff around with us to pass out.

Essentially, only the rich organizations that are already well known can further promote themselves and get more PR. The small fledgling organizations doing cool stuff, which are looking to build community or gain investor interest, have nowhere to display what they're up to - they haul around boxes of pamphlets handing them out as they are able. This is so counterintuitive! I want to know what's new and exciting - not about that 100 year old dinosaur organization that needs to seriously revamp its mission and strategy.

This year, for the first time, we ponied up for a booth, to publicize info about us and about some of the entrepreneurs we've helped launch projects. (Does this mean we're part of the establishment?) Was it effective? It did help - we got a lot of interest. Will we do it again next year? Probably, but with a whole new strategy. It's a great networking opportunity for us and our entrepreneurs, even if it is pricey. That said, we would never rely on a conference for all or even most networking - small meetings are much more effective, especially when both parties aren't trying to remember the hundred other people they already met over the past 2 days.

Re: Conferences

feargallkenny — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:37:10 -0000

Great article Fred. On the price front, I agree that a lot of these conferences exclude the most interesting up and coming folks. I saw an interesting approach to pricing with the NY entrepreneur week conference next week - http://nyew.org/ Note the different prices depending on the revenues of your company on the right hand side of the home page.

Re: Conferences

fredwilson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:14:03 -0000

I don't mind being pitched. I like it. As long as it is short and sweet and doesn't dominate my time when others want to do the same thing

Re: Conferences

jmarbach — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:13:05 -0000

Fred, I agree with your argument on too much emphasis is being put on attending high priced events. First, the events are largely bad business practices because the fees are outrageous and often times ROI is not even thought about when planning attendance for industry events. Second, the content from the events is largely published throughout the various social streams, making any education aspect almost worthless.

One question: Do so called "power" VC's such as yourself see an annoyance in attending conferences due to potential endless pitches from "outsiders" looking for an opportunity?

Re: Conferences

fredwilson — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:28:21 -0000

I don't know. I try to ignore him and mostly do

Re: Conferences

Prokofy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:25:45 -0000

Well, I'm not an insider as you are, Fred, and see these people more as just an audience member.
Valley Wag was often really nastily grotequely mean and unfair. I rarely enjoyed it. Whereas Loren just feels more on target to me. But this could be a coastal thing.

Did Loren make a puppet of you?

Re: Conferences

fredwilson — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:23:50 -0000

I loved it when valleywag took shots at me because it was all in good fun

I don't think loren is a nice guy

Re: Conferences

Prokofy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:18:24 -0000

I never saw him put you in his sites but I have tuned in rather late I guess (2 years ago). Yes, he can be mean-spirited. But he is talented and he has some comedy genius there.

Tell me one other person in your Digital Beltway town that *satirizes* you guys, Fred. There is no Saturday Night Live of Silicon Valley/Alley. Especially now that Valley Wag is gone. Such satire is much needed.

Re: Conferences

fredwilson — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:16:21 -0000

Wrong. He hates me and baits me. But I ignore him because he's a mean spirted jealous guy with no talent

Re: Conferences

Prokofy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:13:20 -0000

Well, I don't think somebody who channels Lennie Bruce should be labelled "a troll".

This clip for example is pure genius, the "A List Works Harder Than You Do"
http://www.1938media.com/fo...

And how about a conference with no laptops or Twitter for a change? It took Loren to put that together:
http://radar.oreilly.com/20...

And Loren's critique of Shel Israel, while it became mean-spirited at times, was also brilliant.

Fortunately, he's never turned his sites on you, Fred!

Re: Conferences

fredwilson — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:04:49 -0000

They are a hack. Twitter can and will do better

Re: Conferences

fredwilson — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:02:09 -0000

Loren is a troll. He should go broke for the crap he puts out

Re: Conferences

Prokofy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:09:36 -0000

I wish you could blog on this. I don't get hashtags. They seem stupid, in fact. They are heavily overused, and I submit that people never go back to look at them, ever (like their delicious bookmarks). What does a hashtag do that a search word doesn't? I'm not getting this, and would like to be convinced.

Re: Conferences

Prokofy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:08:01 -0000

Actually you highlight what is sort of unpleasant about these conferences and why people don't go to them, despite the interesting speakers and content.

And that's the frat boy atmosphere of all-night drinking. If you aren't a drinker, or at least, not an all-night drinker, and you don't want to drink with your Twitter friends (the reason they are on Twitter, and not in your real life in person), then these conferences seem like they are filled with a lot of hungover fanboyz.

Re: Conferences

Prokofy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:05:33 -0000

It's actually not as immersive as you think -- but immersion isn't such a terrible thing.

Continuous partial attention becomes easier with Second Life, it's like a "holding pen" for links, notes, contacts, ideas, prototypes -- it's one window among many you might have open.

Also, SL has been thinned out lately to make it more like the Web and they are redoing the whole viewer for 2010, something that might make older users like me unhappy but is supposed to make it easier for more casual use.

Re: Conferences

Prokofy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:01:39 -0000

The problem with the "Free" business model you promote is that it truly doesn't get the bills paid for anybody who isn't on the lecture circuit...getting fees promoting the concept of "Free" as you do.

For the rest of us, there has to be a means of getting costs covered. For a lot of organizations, especialy various start-ups, blogs, etc. power conferences are a significant form of revenue. They can charge $500-1000 a pop. For example I totally support the idea that 1938 media had recently to have a conference here in NYC for $450 with a lot of the stars but also open to the public. I want Loren Feldman and people like him to be paid for their hard work of putting out commentary, comedy, etc. It is content; he has to be paid for it. Giving away freebies is a good loss leader; it's not a full-blown business model.

Having wealthy friends fund your fellows program merely helps them get mindshare, it isn't any more democratic as a result.

Re: Conferences

Prokofy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:56:29 -0000

Please do go on holding that grudge, which seemingly isn't characteristic of you as you are normally sunny in character.

And hold it because symbolically, you can then represent many of us who will never, ever in our lives go to TED, either because it's too expensive or due to other commitments or because we're just not smart and cool enough. Yet these issues require intellectual engagement and there must be ways to engage without having to go to these power parties as you so aptly called them. It's fine to have power parties in a free capitalist society, I'm all for that even if I don't get invited but I want some people to boycott them on principle as you are doing, too.

Re: Conferences

Prokofy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:54:31 -0000

Excellent post. Power parties indeed. Localvore is really the way to go with conferences, absolutely and for everything else there is Second Life which even exists behind a firewall for corporations now.

Re: Conferences

fredwilson — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:54:07 -0000

Meetup.com is one of our portfolio companies and scott is so right that people must take their relationships into the real world

Re: Conferences

fredwilson — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:27:11 -0000

Meetup.com is one of our portfolio companies and scott is so right that people must take their relationships into the real world

Re: Conferences

Dave Hendricks — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:29:18 -0000

I find that local mixers with smaller groups are my favorite. I went to a cocktail meetup held by the Internet OldTimers Foundation this week (I'm a member) that didn't cost anything. It was great.

I met a bunch of folks who I've read about and some who I had done business with in the past. Then I met a bunch of folks who I've never heard of or met and learned about what they were doing.

I had a couple of glasses of wine, met some new people and then walked across the street on got on my commuter train home. Three hours very well spent, especially when compared to flying to San Diego or god forbid Hawaii.

Spend all the time you want in front of your screen, in social media, etc. It balances things out to meet in person. I've been to D and lots of other conferences. I like them, but agree with some of the posters here that these events can be 'echo chambers' that reinforce the status quo.

Some friends of mine are starting their own meetups. Their thing is called the 'Wednesday Group" and they currently run an event on Wednesday nights in NY for the interactive crowd. They are moving to a sponsorship model.

I liked Jason Calacanis' events on 18th street in the late 90s. I met a lot of great folks there.

The point of my rambling post is that I agree with Fred for the most part. Choose your time out of the office well and you will be rewarded.