Red Herring

THE BUSINESS OF TECHNOLOGY

Red Herring Americas 2012 Agenda

 Monday, May 21

7:15 – 9:00     Evening Welcome Cocktail & Registration

  • Presenting a Selection of the 2012 Top 100 Europe Winners
Tuesday, May 22

07:15 – 08:00:  Breakfast & Registration

08:00 – 08:30:   Opening Comments, Alex Vieux

08:30 – 9:00        Fireside Chat

9:00 – 9:30          Baby Steps: Early Stage Funding 

In today’s environment, sources of money abound, but you need to stand up and be heard. How do you, as an entrepreneur, get in front of the right venture capitalist without wasting your time? What are they looking for when they sift through 1000 business plans a month?  Is there anything you can do to rise to the top?

9:30– 10:00         David and Goliath: Opening the Door to the Corporates

There is a point when every entrepreneur must step out of the nest and navigate unchartered waters.  On of the most daunting hurdles many face is doing a deal with a large corporate. It is a different culture, different speed and certainly a different set of priorities. How does a private company reach out to the giants? What is their vetting process?  How can they make sure to make a good first impression?

10:00 – 10:30:  Coffee Break

10:30-11:00        Exits Strategies: Lessons Learned

Not very long ago, the bells were tolling for the IPO, but IPOs of companies such as Jive Software, LinkedIn, Zillow, Zynga, and Yelp have the markets singing a different tune. What can we learn from their experience? Yet at the same time, there are far more M&A deals than IPOs. How do you make the right decision, and when should to take the plunge?  What is the right choice for your company?

11:00-11:30        Smoking Mirrors or the Next Big Thing?

VC money is flying at “Internet” companies at the drop of the hat. And for good reason, if you happen to be lucky enough find the harmony among the noise.  Still, there are great companies out there in spaces that might not be as sexy.  Where will the VC money be spent in 2012 and beyond?

11:30-12:00     Fireside Chat

12:30 – 1:30:  Lunch

1:30 – 3:45:  Presentations

3:45 – 4:00:  Coffee Break

4:00 – 6:15 Presentations:

6:00 – 6:30:  Roundtables

7:15 – 9:00     Cocktail & Dinner Party

Wednesday, May 23

07:15 – 08:00:  Breakfast & Registration

08:00 – 08:30:  Opening Comments, Alex Vieux

08:30– 9:00         Keynote Presentation

9:00- 9:30            Going Global

Tech companies routinely expand beyond their homeland.  Even US companies look abroad at some point, be it for markets or manufacturing.  International execution can often give start-ups a competitive edge. How do they achieve that? Four global entrepreneurs will surprise you.

9:30 – 10:00        Smart Money: Finding the Right Financing

There are many ways to fund a company.  Some venture capitalists take the shotgun approach. Others become true partners with their portfolio companies.  Yet there are strong alternatives to traditional institutional money. Where else can an entrepreneur look? How do you make the right decision?

10:00 – 10:30:  Coffee Break

10:30 – 11:00     Big Data: Beyond the Three V’s

Big data is so big that it requires an ecosystem of platforms to address all of the potential opportunities locked in the detailed data. There is not one single answer to the challenge of big data analytics. The combination of a data warehouse platform, analytic platform, and Hadoop provide companies with the right mix of data management and analytics capabilities necessary to create value for the organization. Where is it all going?

11:00 – 11:30     Fireside Chats – Managing Growth

Inflexions point happen at different times and lead start-ups to reconsider how to adapt their execution plans. Companies cross invisible lines with visible effects. How can companies pivot and adapt? Is there a secret sauce or just good old elbow grease?

11:30 – 12:00     Keynote Presentation

12:00 – 1:30:  Lunch

1:30 – 3:45:  Presentations: Red Herring Americas Finalists

3:45 – 4:00:  Coffee Break

4:00 – 6:30:  Presentations: Red Herring Americas Finalists

7:15 – 9:30:  Red Herring 100 Americas Award Ceremony & Dinner