Blogs

Forgive me, I am trying out a new blog style - short and sweet instead of verbose and pithy.  There is much to report on the Annual Meeting front, and there is no reason to make these blogs any longer than they need be.  I mean, seriously, I can't see any reason to ramble on, paragraph after paragraph, about all the new and exciting elements we've built in to the Annual Meeting this year that I am sure you will appreciate.  I just really need to focus on the highlights - just touch on them lightly and move on.  Short and sweet.  How am I doing so far?

Overall satisfaction with last year's meeting was at an all time high - so said the after-meeting surveys.  So we've brought back a few elements that people really seemed to enjoy– the Venture Forum, Texas Hold’em Tournament, Roundtable Plenary Session, Fireside Chat, and even the open 2^nd day afternoon, to name a few.  OK, short and sweet:

-  Fireside Chat (Wed 3/14, 6pm) will feature NASA Chief Techology Officer Joe Parrish discussing the technology advances in the space program and their applications to every day life.  20 minute presentation + 20 minute Q&A.  Visually stunning.

-  IP Rountable (Thurs 3/15, 9am) will feature USPTO director David Kappos, WIPO director general Francis Gurry, and Microsoft general manager for worldwide IP John Weresh.  Focus is the ever changing patent landscape.

-  Venture Forum (Fri 3/16, 2pm) will feature 2 separate venture pitch competitions (one physical sciences/IT, and one biotech), followed by a VC panel discussion.  cash prizes to each of the winning companies - results announced at the closing reception.

-  Texas Hold'em Tournament (Fri 3/16, 3pm) - yes, i know this is not Vegas, but the darn thing was insanely popular - both as a activity and as a networking event, and so we are expanding the field, so all of you who signed up late last year and had no seat can get in more easily this year.