Web 2.0 Expo Archive

Today at the Web 2.0 Expo in NYC, I met with Joshua Levy. Joshua is co-founder and CEO of BeenVerified. NY-based BeenVerified is attempting to move the process of identity verification forward. They provide a way to verify the people you are chatting with on a social network through offering services for HR professionals with candidate background checks.

Here’s Josh to explain how BeenVerified works:

The expo hall opened today at the Web 2.0 Expo at the Javits Center in NYC. I was very much looking forward to meeting and conducting video interviews of tons of Web 2.0 startups and big companies for ya’all. Sadly, after walking up and down every aisle, I came back to the office with 75 photos and 2 videos.

There’s no Google, no Yahoo, Flickr, YouTube, Facebook, MySpace. Friendster is there, but it’s Friendster Asia. There are a good number of hosting companies. As much as I love TripAdvisor, nothing they do is Web 2.0. Microsoft, Salesforce and IBM have large booths, Amazon has a tiny booth for AWS. There are several companies which seem to be looking for developers. I saw Present.ly, Mzing, Twing in the main expo hall which could be some of the only companies that could even be remotely considered Web 2.0.

There is a "long tail pavillion" which means $3k for a tiny, no space to move table. A variety of startups are in that area – if you make it over to the event, those tables are on the far right of the expo hall. Let’s not even talk about the lack of NY-based companies in the main expo hall.

I’ve attended over 100 events at the Javits Center over the last decade and the companies in the expo could have been from 1998, 2001 or now. As I spoke with over 50 people, most echoed my comments. Most of us assume that the cost for a booth much have been too high for startups to afford. But this is the first tech expo I’ve seen in a long time that had no Yahoo or Google presence.

Here are some of the photos and check out the full set on Flickr – the videos will be posted later today.

Here are the Web tech events in NYC for the week of September 15th. Please submit other events to add to the list below. Check out Alley Reporter and NYTechEvents for more events as well. This is the busiest week of the year so pace yourself! And check out the party on Thursday which I am hosting!

Monday

• Social Ad Summit – all day
• Interop – all day
• NextWeb – 6:15pm
• BrandHackers iPhone Advertising – 7pm
• IgniteNYC – 7:15pm

Tuesday

• Interop – all day
• Web 2.0 Expo – all day
• GirlsInTech Launch – 6pm
• Web2NY – 6pm
• TechSetNY – 6pm

Wednesday

• Interop – all day
• Web 2.0 Expo – all day

Thursday

• Interop – all day
• Web 2.0 Expo – all day
• OMMA Global – all day
• Fashion Meeting – 6pm
• Eluma Party – I am hosting this party, awesome Vodka I hear and Flip camera giveaways – email me if you’d like to attend.

Friday

• Interop – all day
• Web 2.0 Expo – all day
• OMMA Global – all day

Last week we launched a giveaway for a full pass to the Web 2.0 Expo here in NYC next month. Today we selected the winner at random and Daryn Nakhuda is the winner. Thanks to everyone who participated and if you are still interested in attending, you can receive $100 off by registering here.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

The Web 2.0 Expo will be held in NYC this year and is just a month away. CN is a media sponsor of the event and I was able to get the O’Reilly team to give me one full conference pass to give away to a CN Reader. If you would like the pass, submit your information and on August 26, 2008 we will pick a winner.

You know CN will be at the event in full force and I look forward to meeting everyone and learning about your products and services. I have some exciting surprises in store for ya’all as well.

Enter Here for the conference pass.

This year the Web 2.0 Expo (our coverage) in San Francisco has been a bit akin to SXSW, but in San Francisco. Last night there were over a dozen announced parties for all attendees, plus a number of more "exclusive" parties. Monday and Tuesday night were similar, tonight promises to be a bit less busy than Wednesday evening but also has a number of Web 2.0 related events and parties. As I stopped by the many parties last night I observed a number of flaws in how many (but not all) of the parties were organized.

So in this post a quick guide to holding a great and business successful party. This is not a guide to having the most fun at a party you hold, rather it is some advice about how to hold an event which furthers your business goals (and probably does not risk negative press on Valleywag).

1. Know your business goal(s) around the party. Why are you throwing a party? A seemingly simple question but one I suspect many don’t ask themselves. Is the party mostly for your team (and perhaps your investors, clients and partners?) If that is the case then it probably shouldn’t be a public party and I would strongly consider not holding it during a conference or event unless that is the only opportunity for the whole team (and/or for your partners, clients and investors to be in town). If, however, your goals are publicity, recruiting, business development/sales then you may indeed be well served by a more publicly announced party. Likely you will still restrict attendance in some manner (conference badge holders, free but required RSVP, flyer/ticket from your booth) which allows you to manage the crowds (to a degree) and keep your party focused.
2. Pick a venue that is appropriate at both the low and high ends of your estimated attendance. Last night many of the parties were in venues which were too small, resulting in events which were packed and generally of limited utility for anyone attending. In contrast  the parties in larger, more appropriately sized venues seemed full even when starting, but accommodated the crowds as they arrived. The ideal venues have multiple bars (if you are serving), easy access to food, and spaces to expand into as the crowd grows (nightclubs with back rooms/VIP sections often are great here.
3. No matter your purpose in throwing the party your employees and brand should be omnipresent. Everyone who attends "your" event (even if co-sponsored with partners) should leave having had an encounter with your brand many times over the evening. Ideally they should have had great conversations with your team, seen your branding around the event, perhaps left with something to remember your brand and the party. Last night at nearly half of the eight parties I stopped by or attended the sponsor’s brand and employees were not present. At many if employees were there I had no way of telling (this is a great time to break out the company schwag or a least train employees on greeting people (and/or to use & enforce the use of nametags)
4. Alcohol is always popular but great parties also have great food. This is almost universally true, even late night parties are enhanced by arranging for food (one party last night arranged for a Taco Truck to be outside). Great food is not terribly hard to arrange for, but does take some local contacts, the right venue, and some thought.
5. Balance the light and noise to your goals for the event. Some parties are about the dancing and mingling, so a great DJ, nightclub lighting and loud music are fine. But many business and trade show related parties are about more than just blowing off steam and celebrating, if you want to recruit, to make business contacts and develop sales or partner leads, then people have to be able to talk with each other, to see each other, to pull others into a conversation and make introductions. This can be as simple as working with the DJ to focus the evening, quieter music early only breaking out the dance grooves and beats as the evening grows later.
6. Offer great, non-alcoholic drink options. Yes people drink and love to drink for free. But many people (myself included) don’t drink all that much or don’t drink heavily when working (and attending business networking events at conferences is or should be for any entrepreneur working). If you offer great options (not just soda or juice for mixed drinks) even people who would often drink likely will slow down. And many people also appreciate the underlying message of moderation – that as a business your event is focused on business, not just on drinking. Often as well you can have creative drinks with alcoholic or non-alcoholic options. I personally love a mojito without the alcohol (fresh mint, lime juice, sugar what’s not to like).

How to have great food on a startup budget.

As an event organizer whether for an evening event or a multiday conference I always focus on having the best possible food for my attendees, very often food is the largest cost at an event I organize, but that said I almost always still manage to feed people very well on less than many events spend to provide not very good food.

1. Great food starts with your choice of venue. Many venues are already serving food (restaurants, bars, hotels) and this typically means you are restricted to food which they provide. So evaluate the venues accordingly, if you wouldn’t eat there regularly it is rarely the case the food they prepare for a party will be very good. One minor exception you can sometimes use – some venues will allow you to bring outside food which they don’t serve. For example a bar that only serves appetizers might allow you to bring in a cake and other dessert items.
2. Ask a venue to stretch a bit. Not completely outside of their comfort zone but see if they can do dishes that are more reflective of the ability of their kitchen than you might typically find at any event (i.e. not just "fried dough" or "meat on a stick").
3. Always have great options for vegetarians and both sweet and savory items. Whether a pre-dinner afternoon mixer, an evening networking event, or a late night party mixing up sweets and savory items is always good. Offering great vegetarian options is both accommodating of many people with a range of dietary restrictions – not just vegetarians but anyone who keeps Kosher or Hallal, many people on diets, or many people with food allergies and a way to stretch your budget.
4. On the issue of allergies have detailed descriptions on signage and well trained servers. Many people have serious food allergies most critical of which is nuts. A side effect of asking a venue to have good signage is often selecting better food and venues. I would avoid any venue that is serving items which were reheated or prepackaged. Well trained servers if you have passed appetizers will be able to answer any questions about the dishes they are serving and will set of professional tone for your event.
5. Costco, while tempting, is easily spotted. If you are holding an event at your own offices or which you are catering yourself (i.e. at a venue which allows you to bring in the food) it is often tempting and seemingly easiest and cheapest to make a massive run to Costco, buy a bunch of bulk packs of veggies, brownies, fruit and assorted other items and call it a party. Far better, I think, is to work with a great, local restaurant or caterer. For not much more in many cases you can get amazing, locally prepared from fresh ingredients food which will impress your guests. If entertaining in a city you are not overly familiar with look for nearby local restaurants, especially ones that take their food seriously without being too expensive. Here in San Francisco many of the smaller restaurants in the Ferry Building which is a local food market emphasizing quality and local, organic items, offer catering. These are places that focus mostly on a lunchtime crowd and can offer great options for a lunch or afternoon event. I’ve ordered boxes of fresh fruits from a local CSA as the afternoon snacks at a conference I ran. Everyone loved the seasonal fruits and local nuts. Healthy, tasty and not, in fact, all that expensive (<$250 for enough food for 150+ people)
6. Think about the format as you select dishes with the caterer. Even if that caterer is in fact yourself, think about the logistics of eating the foods you serve. Ideally most items should take only one hand (though if you must have "meat on a stick" try to make it creative and tastier than the rubber chicken/dried beef all too often seen). Also try to avoid dishes that risk serious mess or frustration while eating – a common failing here is "something on very crunchy bread" which are often served but rarely enjoyed. Another common failure are dishes that require a lot of coordination – salads while tempting often require a plate, utensils and a solid surface on which to eat from. For a standing cocktail party this is often awkward.
7. A bit basic, but think about cleanup. Have strategically placed garbage and recycling bins which are emptied over the course of the evening as needed. Or if mostly a served event, have clearly placed spots for people to leave empty plates and glasses. A few minutes of pre-planning here can avoid the messy clutter all to common at parties. Clutter and mess, in turn, rarely create a forum conducive to business.

These are just a starting point. But a bit of planning and attention can transform your event from a costly waste of money into an event that cements relationships and sparks serious business opportunities.

Shannon Clark is a founding partner at Nearness Function, a new ad network for the publishers of dynamic content which will launch in a few months.

Around the Moscone Center in San Francisco where the Web 2.0 Expo is being held are numerous great spots to help the conference attendee. However there are also even more spots which cater to tourists and convention attendees, that alas do not have great food or service.

So a few suggestions and a local, foodies, guide to SOMA near the Moscone Center.

Spots for Coffee or Tea (not Starbucks)

Samovar Tea – located above the Moscone North is a spot most convention attendees miss. Somovar is a serious tea shop offering a peaceful (if slow – in a good way) alternative to Starbucks. A great place to meet someone for a light, flavorful lunch or an afternoon meeting over tea. The foods and teas are first rate. Food and a pot of tea will run you about $20 a person and is well worth it.

Blue Bottle Cafe – my personal vote for quite possibly the best coffee in the country, not just in San Francisco. Located at 66 Mint St which is just two blocks from the Moscone West, Blue Bottle Cafe offers more than six different ways to have coffee, all amazing and flavorful. From some of the best espresso drinks anywhere (including single origin coffee) to an imported from Japan Siphon Bar the coffee, all of which they roast themselves in Oakland, are prepared with great care and attention to detail. To compliment the coffee they serve a small selection of great foods and desserts and also have a small selection of fine wines and beers. They close relatively early in the evening, but for coffee either in the morning or the afternoon they can’t be beat. I suggest that everyone in town for Web 2.0 Expo get at least one coffee from Blue Bottle while they are here, walk over with a new business contact and impress them with your local knowledge (and if they are not a coffee drinker they have many great alternatives to choose from). One note, taste you drinks before you assume you need either milk or sugar in them – the coffee here is not like anything you have likely had before, the cappuccinos and lattes in particular don’t need anything)

Great places for working dinners

Canton Seafood and Dim Sum – located at the corner of Folsom and Hawthorne, just a few blocks from the Moscone, Canton is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in San Francisco. I had a great dinner there last night in fact, and while there another group of Web 2.0 Expo attendees came in and following my advice had a fantastic 7+ course feast for $22.50 a person complete with salt & pepper crab, Peking Duck and many other dishes. This is Chinese food prepared with great care and attention, with friendly service and great flavors. As usefully for conference attendees Canton is a venue where any size group (and I do mean any size – up to a few hundred though I’d call ahead in that case) can be handled with aplomb and ease. For any group larger than 5 I would suggest getting a fixed price meal which would result in likely more food than you need for a price anyone’s budget (even a bootstrapping entrepreneur) can handle.

Tara – located on 2nd St just below Market Tara is the less well known Thai restaurant on the same block as the more well known Osha (which is also a good option but likely crowded and for San Francisco tech folks a place we end up eating at a bit too often). The food at Tara is good and most of the time it is a bit less crowded and less noisy than the more well known Osha just down the street. If you want to do Osha I suggest their second downtown location on the Embarcadero (4 Embarcadero Center) which is a bit longer of a walk from the Moscone Center but I think offers a slightly nicer space and slightly better food than their 2nd street location.

Straits – and more broadly the restaurants of the Westfield Center. Straits is located on the 4th floor of the Westfield center and is part of the "restaurant collection". The food at Straits is Singaporan which is one of the great, if not well known cuisines of the world. A combination of Asian flavors it has similarities and dishes in common with Indian, Indonesian, Thai, Chinese and many other cuisines of the Asian region. Straits is not a discount restaurant, expect to spend around $20-25 a person for lunch here and more for dinner, but the food is worth it and they can accommodate a large party with ease. For a fast meal, I suggest Out the Door in the basement of the Westfield center which offers Vietnamese food from the same folks who run the world famous Slanted Door restaurant (which I highly recommend but can have a many week wait for a reservation – though worth calling and checking especially for their private room if you have a group). For lunch or dinner however Out the Door offers a great alternative with great food served quickly. The other options at the food court in the basement of the Westfield Center are also great, not typical food court options in the least.

Last minute tech supplies

Apple Store – the San Francisco Apple store is just blocks from the Moscone Center at the corner of Stockton and Market. If you need a power adapter or your Macbook stops working this is where to go.

Central Computer – located at 837 Howard St, just down the block from the Moscone West Central Computer is a great place to know about for the non-Mac attendees. Not the cheapest spot, but if you need a last minute PC part they are just down the street and can solve nearly any PC related computer need.

Hope these help guide you to a few of my favorites in San Francisco. Please add your own suggestions in the comments. There are hundreds of other great options throughout San Francisco and nearby, if you see me at the show feel free to ask for additional suggestions. And watch for my twittered spur of the moment dinners or lunches and feel free to join me!

Shannon Clark is a founding partner at Nearness Function, a new ad network for the publishers of dynamic content which will launch in a few months.