Over the past 30 days, I’ve been corralling a about 80 companies into the DEMO 2008 program.
Now let me be the first to say that being invited — and accepting an invitation — to DEMO is a high hurdle for a young company, and it’s particularly tough for an unfunded startup. First, companies have to bring a significant and market-impacting product to the table. Every company and product is screened by either me or Guidewire Group analyst Carla Thompson, and ultimately I have final say and personally issue the invitation to the event. Once invited, the company is also required to pay a hefty fee to participate. A lot has been written about this practice. Some think that it’s wrong to ask a company to effectively cover the cost of its participation in the conference.
DEMO is a major production, executed with a level of professionalism not found at many executive conferences. In fact, I’d say only the Wall Street Journal’s D:All Things Digital even comes close. The fee DEMO charges participating companies allows us to create the best possible environment for a product launch. It allows us to invite the most engaged media from the most influential outlets. It insures that each and every on stage demonstration comes off flawlessly.
And let’s be honest: the fee – $18,500 – is a line in the sand. It separates real, viable, growth-minded companies from slap-dash startups and amateur entrepreneurs.
Let me also say that this fee is no secret. Read the rest of this entry »
