More on the conference

Michael Gartenberg | February 05, 2003, 09:46 AM

I’m starting to get some feedback on the conference. Lots of folks like the idea of what we’re doing. We’re getting lots of suggestions and ideas. That’s great. We want the energy and the ideas flowing to us as much as possible. We probably won’t get to do it all but we’re going to try.

We’re excited about what we’re doing and spending a lot of time thinking about how we will make this relevant. If you’re reading this, I want to see you in November. There are a lot of questions about what a conference serves in this day and age. Marc Canter asks me why he should go and tells me we need “some disruptive attitude” That’s cool, I like attitude. I respond that if we can’t make it relevant to him, we’re not hitting the mark.

Comdex ceased to be a place of innovation where things could get done. But that doesn’t mean that things don’t need to get done. A lot can be done online but nothing beats face to face. Weblogs and email and the web are great and powerful tools for communication and collaboration but there's a shared experience element to getting together smart people in a room, diving into issues, coming to an understanding of shared needs and creating the alliances to bring a vision to reality.

No one can go it alone to deliver the kinds of things the industry is poised to deliver. I want to see the possibilities up close and not just not on my screen. I want to play with technology, kick the tires. Hear new ideas from people who are experts and will inspire new ideas. Perhaps share some knowledge I have. I want to have a few meals with people I can learn from. Maybe have a few drinks to. I can't get that in cyberspace. I can't get that real world either in one place. Yet. We’re going to make it happen in November at the Mandalay Bay :)