My friend and former client Gibu Thomas over at Sharpcast has been in start up launch mode and has invested a fair portion of his company's resources in presenting at some of the major tech conferences. Most of us know that people pay to go to these top tier industry schmoozes and companies pay to present.
Wat most people do not realize is the chasm of difference that goes into the production. Some producers, such as DEMO, go through agony to select the best possible companies and guide them toward making the best possible presentations. Others, apparently including Web 2.0, seem more intent in getting the money and letting the companies flounder through an experience that would make Kafka wince.
Gibu has a long and passionate post of the differences in his personal experience. Any tech entrepreneur should read it. Any conference attendee should read it and keep it in mind while watching some company founder struggle against the demon of shoddy production at their own financial expense. Mostly, producers should read this and be called upon the carpet for it.
I spent years covering conferences for Conferenza, one of the best resources on the topic. This was among our hot buttons, getting us on the dirt list with many producers for pointing out their shoddy preparation of presenting companies and we lauded Chris Shipley and DEMO for precisely the same reason.
For producers, there is not that significant a cost for building quality in. All three of your communities deserve it.
