Today TechCrunch’s Mike Arrington and Weblogs founder Jason Calacanis announced their collaboration and partnership on a brand new idea in conferences … “The TechCrunch20″.
This conference will cost the presenter nada … that’s right $0. The creators feel that the big “payola” conferences out there today like DEMO simply cost more than the average, good-to-great startup can afford ($15,000+).
So here’s how they will be different:
“The TechCrunch20 conference will be a two day event, held this fall (more details soon), where twenty hot startups will demo their new products. And they don’t pay a dime to do this.
The startups will be invited based on the recommendation of a committee of expert analysts, entrepreneurs and journalists. Twenty companies will be invited, plus a couple of alternates. If a selected startup isn’t ready to launch ten days or so before the event, they’ll be bumped and one of the alternates will take their place.” ~ TechCrunch
And Calacanis lists further details on his blog:
“The details are being worked out as we speak. Here is what we know so far:
1. It will be in the San Francisco area.
2. We will have around 250 people at the event.
3. 20 companies will present over two days.
4. The event will take place in the fall.
5. We are looking for a location that can fit 250-500 people. We arehoping we can find a a University that would host the event, or an affordable conference center. Any ideas please let me know.
6. We hope to put together an advisory board of people we really respect to suggest companies.” ~ Calacanis
Seems like a pretty cool idea … that I think will work … quite well in fact; so long as they keep the entrance free at a reasonable price.
Mary Furlong (Mary Furlong Associates, founder of ThirdAge.com and SeniorNet), puts on a Boomer and tec start-up conference at Santa Clara University. She teaches there. The venue was very good last year. The auditorium looks like it holds over 500 and it is nice and steep for good seats everywhere with a stage that is professional. Parking is easy and it is easy to get to.