November 26, 2008 by jack petrie.

CresaPartners is hosting the New York Software Industry Association’s (”NYSIA”) Sales & Marketing Special Interest Group’s December 3rd, 2008  presentation on Networking Excellence.  The event will take place from 8-10AM on Wednesday, December 3rd at 100 Park Avenue, 24th Floor.  The event is free for NYSIA members and $5.00 for non-members.  To register online, visit www.nysia.org.

A Facilitated Networking Event

More structured than a networking mixer, more comfortable than speed networking, and more hands-on than a seminar, this lively and fun event facilitated by networking expert Liz Lynch offers a unique opportunity to learn important techniques and practice them first hand while having meaningful interactions with fellow participants.

Discover and apply the foundational skills that all successful networkers know:

• How to increase your value and be seen as a go-to resource
• How to ask for what you want without putting people off
• How to become a connector

Plus, get guided instructions on how to develop a clear elevator pitch to use throughout the event, and specific action steps to make follow up afterwards a breeze. You’ll leave with REAL connections, not just contacts.

About Liz Lynch

Liz Lynch is the founder of the Center for Networking Excellence and the author of the book “Smart Networking: Attract a Following in Person and Online”.  She is a sought-after speaker and top business networking strategist whose products, programs and seminars help entrepreneurs and professionals get clients, build their businesses and accelerate their careers through networking.  Liz also runs a successful strategy and business development consulting firm, Liz Lynch Ltd., which she has grown exclusively through networking, no cold calling required!  Before pursuing an entrepreneurial path, Liz earned an engineering degree from UC Berkeley, an MBA from Stanford University and worked at Goldman Sachs, Disney, Booz Allen & Hamilton and Time Warner.

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September 4, 2008 by jack petrie.

CresaPartners will host the September 10th New York Software Industry Association’s (NYSIA) Sales & Marketing Special Interest Group (SIG) discussion on Web 2.0 Marketing.  The event will take place from 7:30-9:30AM at 100 Park Avenue on the 24th Floor.  Registrations are now being accepted at www.nysia.org.

Marketing in the Web 2.0 Era

Over the past few years, social networking, search engine marketing, blogs, wikis, software-as-a-service, collaborative computing and web communities have grown tremendously.  These new technologies are changing many of the rules and companies with all sorts of business models have arisen to capitalize on emerging trends -but all have not been successful.  What separates the winners from the losers?  In this discussion, we will uncover how marketing has (and hasn’t) changed in an era of accelerated technological innovation.  Despite all the hype of Web 2.0, business is still all about finding customers, giving them what they want and building long-term relationships.  Companies that forget the fundamentals as they pursue the latest fads will not survive in the long-term.

About David Shiang

David A. Shiang is Vice President of Infrastructure and eBusiness Software Consulting at IDC. He has more than twenty-five years of information technology marketing and management consulting experience.  He has an MBA in management from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and an undergraduate degree from MIT and was a Danforth Graduate Fellow in English at the University of California, Berkeley.

About IDC

IDC is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. More than 1000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries worldwide. For more than 44 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world’s leading technology media, research, and events company.

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July 3, 2008 by jack petrie.

Media Buying 2.0

The July 23rd, 2008 iBreakfast will present Media Buying 2.0, a look at emerging trends in digital media. With the rise of new technologies, better targeting and newmarketing channels, the tides of media buying are changing. Media is more
intelligent and available in more varieties. Even television advertising is undergoing significant changes. What are the top agencies doing to take advantage of these new technologies and trends? Find out on July 23rd.

Introducing a New Host

Richie Hecker, will moderate the panel discussion, assisting Alan Brody, who has embarked on a book tour to promote his amazing new book and music project, White Shaka Boy (press release and articles to follow). Speakers will include Morpheus Media’s Adam Broitman and Ogilvy Interactive’s Benjamin Ezrick.

Renowned Speaker Lineup

Adam Broitman, Director of Emerging and Creative Strategy at Morpheus Media
Adam keeps his finger on the pulse of emerging media channels in order to devise creative strategies that leverage technology and add value to brand initiatives. He’s a freelance writer/speaker for iMedia Connection and authors the media blog, amediacirc.us. Adam holds a B.A, in English from Queens College as well as an M.A. in Media Studies and a certificate in media management from The New School
University.

Benjamin Ezrick, Sr. Strategist, Digital Innovation at Ogilvy Interactive
Benjamin Ezrick is responsible for the application of emerging technologies, such as gaming, mobile and advanced television at Ogilvy Interactive. He is determined to deliver television advertisers the measurability and accountability that they have found online. In a first for the industry,Benjamin managed a television campaign implemented, tracked and optimized over the Internet. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in International Relations.

About the Corporate Sponsors

ContextWeb
ContextWeb, Inc. provides high-precision, real-time contextual advertising solutions guaranteed to maximize the results and impact of online advertising. ContextWeb’s patent-pending technology is the industry’s only real-time and fully-automated solution that can serve contextually relevant advertisements to the most motivated potential customer in as little as 20 milliseconds. ContextWeb was founded in 2000 and is based in New York.

CresaPartners
CresaPartners LLC is an international corporate real estate advisory firm that exclusively represents tenants/space users and specializes in the delivery of fully integrated real estate services. The firm is headquartered in Boston and provides service in 35 countries and more than 125 cities. CresaPartners’ mission is to provide customized solutions exclusively for tenants/corporate space users by offering fully integrated services that align their real estate with their business plans, delivering maximum cost savings and exceeding expectations.

The Deal - Tech Confidential
The Tech Confidential Network unites the leading voices from around the Internet on the topics of high-tech startups, venture capital and investment exits. Bloggers and publishers that want to expand their readership and monetize their content are encouraged to apply to join the Tech Confidential Network.

LiveAdMaker
LiveAdMaker is an end-to-end technology that builds entire marketing campaigns across all forms of media in a series of simple selections and then delivers the ads to market in record time. Everyday, leading brands such as Intel, Sprint, AARP, GM and Century 21 all rely on LiveAdMaker to create and deliver thousands of ads to market.

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February 13, 2008 by jack petrie.

AlwaysOn On Media Conference Overview

I recently attended the AlwaysOn OnMedia conference (see photo) held in NYC at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in NYC on January 28th-30th. I was impressed by the continuous lineup of panel discussions featuring technology and new media CEO’s and their investors. I also enjoyed the overall quality of the business concepts and content in the presentations as well as the escalating sense of a tech/new media community developing in NYC. Here’s the lowdown on some other upcoming events:

Upcoming iBreakfast Alert

On February 27^th, CresaPartners will cosponsor and host the iBreakfast on “Web Video: Monetizaton Challenges & Opportunities”. The event will feature a panel discussion with Bryan Thatcher of Empressr; Marcien Jenckes, CEO of Voxant; and John Lumpkin of Heavy Media.

Web Video is everywhere - it is one of the fastest growing uses of the Internet and it is spilling over to mobile. But can this visual cornucopia generate profit? Three great companies tell us how they are doing it - or expect to do it.

About Empressr

Empressr is the first Ajax/Flash-based Web-enabled application that allows you to create, manage, publish, and share presentations online. Empressr is developed by Fusebox to answer the limitations of existing presentation applications – namely, if streaming video and Flash are more dynamic ways to present important information, then why shouldn’t businesses and individuals be able to include them in presentations? The result is an application so innovative, it will revolutionize the way presentations are created.

About Voxant/Marcien Jenckes

Voxant is building a network that delivers unparalleled licensed

content, advertising and syndication services to the millions of Web sites and

niche communities that comprise the Web. Voxant’s 20,000+ Web publisher

affiliates have access to the Web’s largest, most diverse selection of free,

high quality, fully licensed news and information for their Web sites and

blogs. Voxant provides full monetization while maintaining control over

content integrity, quality and branding for more than 250 content providers.

Voxant is backed by SoftBank Capital, Longworth Venture Partners and Court

Square Ventures.  For more information, please visit www.voxant.com.

Voxant announced earlier this year that Internet industry veteran Marcien Jenckes has been named Chief Executive Officer.  As CEO, Jenckes will provide

strategic direction as Voxant continues its aggressive growth, solidifying its

position as the world’s largest online syndication network. Before joining Voxant, Jenckes served as Senior Vice President of Messaging Community, Voice at AOL, and was responsible for launching AOL’s free web services and online network, which attracts more than 100 million monthly visitors. Prior to AOL, Jenckes worked at McKinsey and Company in Washington DC, as a member of their Media & Technology practice.  Jenckes holds an MBA from Darden at the University of Virginia, and a BA in Economics and Political Science from New York University.

About Heavy/John Lumpkin

Heavy.com is one of the web’s leading consumer video companies and the leader for 18-34 year old males. Heavy combines its own unique original programming with those of its users to create an environment where you can control and even participate in your own personal video experience. Heavy’s original programming staples include “Superficial Friends,” “Kung Fu Jimmy Chow,” “The Massive Mating Game,” “The Burly Sports Show,” and “Behind the Music that Sucks.” John Lumpkin is a fomer publisher at Stuff.

iBreakfast Update

Other recent iBreakfast events included:

January 31, 2008 - Web 2.0 NY - The Monetizing Conference

This conference focused on the many paths successful Web 2.0 companies have taken to turn relationships into dollars.

December 19, 2007 iBreakfast - New Opportunities with TV and Mobile Ads

After the great Tech Company Land Grab on Madison Ave. the advertising world has become highly digitized. What does this mean for the industry - especially with TV-Web Advertising integration and the emerging world of Mobile Advertising?

November 28, 2007 iBreakfast - Monetizing the the Web 2.0

This event looked at advertising from the perspective of Google, which has been dramatically extending its footprint on Madison Avenue and looking for new ways to reach people through mobile advertising.

Following this breakfast, a full report has been made available, featuring an inside look at Google’s inventions that reveals the depth of their technology and how the company is poised to challenge incumbents in publishing, telecommunications, and other market sectors. The 266-page study Google Version 2.0: The Calculating Predator is now available. For more information visit www.ibreakfast.com.

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October 31, 2007 by jack petrie.

Congressman Weiner Luncheon

On Monday, October 29th, NYSIA and Information Builders hosted a luncheon featuring Congressman Anthony Weiner’s speech on Entrepreneurial Growth in New York City.

Congressman Weiner discussed how New York City’s economic future will impact the technology sector and emphasized three points: 1) Government recognizes a need to help medium-sized businesses offset the high costs of doing business in NYC and the primary vehicle for that assistance is in the form of tax incentives; 2) Net Neutrality is necessary regulation to insure ongoing growth and opportunity; and 3) Immigration is of paramount importance to both the tech sector and the continued thriving of New York City.

New York Software Industry Association Monthly Meeting

Jack Petrie, SVP of CresaPartners will be among the panelists at the New York Software Industry Association’s (”NYSIA” www.nysia.org) November Monthly Meeting featuring a Two Hour Startup Bootcamp: The Faster Fast Track! The bootcamp will be held at JPMorgan Chase’s offices at 277 Park Avenue on the 17th Floor. The other panelists include Paul S. Ellis, Partner at Scarola Ellis LLP; Ed Golud, President of Revenue Accelerators; Erik K. Grimmelmann, Chief Architect of Send Word Now Communications Inc.; Warren Haber, Jr., Managing Partner of Crossbar Capital and Michael Lopez, CPA at Amper Politziner & Mattia.

NYSIA Sales & Marketing SIG

The following morning, CresaPartners will be hosting the November 7th, 2007 New York Software Industry Association’s Sales & Marketing SIG Panel Discussion on Selling to the CIO, featuring Edward I. Golod of Revenue Accelerators and Michael Minelli of Partnering With the CIO.

Revenue Accelerators - Ed Golod

Mr. Golod has 25 years of in-field sales leadership using value to build high-tech consultative sales engines. He has “hunted” over $210M in new business selling to Sr. executives in the Fortune 100. A thought leader and writer in value-based consultative selling for Sr. level relationships, he has studied over 500+ software firms to develop a new style of Business case selling to mentor high tech sales teams. Along with his deep knowledge in Enterprise software, Infrastructure, and Networks, Mr. Golod’s ability to rapidly “understand” complex IT businesses and processes is of high value to his clients.

Partnering with the CIO - Michael Minelli

Michael Minelli is a successful sales professional and client advisor. He manages clients for SAS Institute, the largest privately owned software company in the world. Michael worked with C-level executives and their teams to analyze, diagnose and transform current information and data challenges into value-based solution opportunities for CRM, Financial Management, Performance Management, IT Management and Supply Chain Intelligence. His most recent engagements have been with clients such as Time Inc., Cablevision, Foxwoods, Scholastic, Major League Baseball, S&P and Sony.

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October 26, 2007 by jack petrie.

Israeli Tech Breakfast Series

I recently attended the Israeli Tech Breakfast Series’ October 11th, 2007 Breakfast discussion of Web 2.0 Israeli Innovation & Investment held at The Harvard Club and hosted by Loeb & Loeb LLP.

All-Star Panel

The panel discussion was moderated by Loeb & Loeb LLC’s Lloyd Rothenberg and featured LivePerson’s President & CFO, Tim Bixby; Crossbar Capital Managing Partner Charlie Federman; Pando Networks’ Co-Founder & CFO, Yaron Samid; and Yissum Technology Transfer Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s CEO, Nava Swersky.

Israel’s Technology Boom

The panel’s consensus was that Israel’s technology companies are rapidly becoming global, and not purely Israeli companies. Additionally, as the rest of the world adopts a global perspective, other countries are taking a page from Israel’s historical playbook by marketing to the globe.

What are some of the reasons for Israel’s booming technology sector?

• Comraderie - the social network in Israel is tighter by virtue of the country’s size, education system and military requirements;
• Technical Expertise - Israel’s top engineering talent provides original and innovative solutions for early-stage development;
• Persistence - Israeli entrepreneurs don’t give up easily.

So, why come to NYC?

What does New York offer to these companies that they can’t find in Israel:

1. Access to media and financial markets and customers,
2. Human factors - desire to pursue the “American dream”,
3. Greater opportunity (for success).

The follow-up event in The Security Breakfast Series NY will be a breakfast on November 1, 2007 discussing Public Transportation Investing in Homeland Security and Innovation at The Harvard Club from 8AM-9:30AM.

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October 25, 2007 by jack petrie.

CresaPartners recently cohosted the October 10th, 2007 iBreakfast’s Venture Capital Outlook featuring Idealab & First Round Capital’s Howard Morgan, New York Angels & Rose Tech Ventures’ David Rose and Newforth Partners’ Robert Hoffer.

Rose Buds

Rose began by observing that there are relative few truly new concepts, but offered some personal platitudes he invokes in making investment decisions:

Invest in the jockey, not the horse - this is commonly heard from venture capitalists and Rose suggests that it is rarely about the business plan. All business plans are bound to change and the successful entrepreneur must be adaptable.

The venture concept must be scalable - monetizing purely content plays is difficult as people want free content. An advertising model must be scalable. The best models are “platforms” which allow the company to scale and offer other services besides content.

Additionally, the venture concept must be monetizable and saleable.

M&A Perspective

Hoffer’s forte is investing in the “Digital Media Value Chain” and he suggested that the mpeg4 will drive all future media. Hoffer emphasized that in the current climate, limited partners returns come from merger & acquisition activities rather than from successful initial public offerings. He suggested that the last money “in” to an investment provides the greatest opportunity for returns and suggested that the valuation process can be a competitive tactic by investors to minimize the position of early investors.

Idealab’s Ideas

Howard Morgan discussed the two stages of venture capital investing: 1) too early and 2) way too early. (In fact, he writes a blog on the topic, titled www.waytooearly.com). Morgan looks for the six “P’s” from a venture investment opportunity: 1) people, 2) product, 3) plan, 4) profits, 5) passion and 6) persistence. Morgan also emphasized the important distinction between product users and product customers.

Future Bets

As far as trends for the future, some of the concepts discussed included:

• The office of the future - technology will take the place of travel;
• The concept of the “living room” - doesn’t exist any longer;
• Second World-type virtual domains and avatars will continue to grow;
• Radio - is on the rebound and growth will be driven by podcasting;
• Movies - can’t compete with video game new releases.

All in all, another great discussion organized and moderated by Alan Brody of iBreakfast. See you next month!

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October 4, 2007 by jack petrie.

That was the overlying message expressed during the October 3rd, New York Software Industry Association’s (”NYSIA”) Sales & Marketing Special Interest Group’s panel discussion on differentiation, hosted by CresaPartners.

Differentiation as a Process

Each of the three panelists addressed a different segment of the differentiation process, with Great Jakes Marketing Company’s Rob Algeri tackling value definition, Sales Optimization Group’s Ron Hubsher focusing on sales efficiency and iPolipo’s Rajesh Setty discussing building lasting relationships.

Algeri emphasized identifying your company’s core differentiating value prior to communicating it to the marketplace. By accomplishing this, the implementation of the marketing becomes merely a matter of execution.

Hubsher discussed defining the ideal (or “un-ideal”) customer first, followed by the combination of focused targeting and a superior sales effort. Hubsher was adamant that companies should NEVER cut prices, as buyers purchase value and risk, not on price.

Setty presented his concept of building lasting relationships and developing depth of relationship as a differentiating factor. Just like the shampoo instructions (lather, rinse, repeat), his formula is simple: introduce yourself, repeat, and continue for the rest of your life.

A Business Case Approach to Enterprise Sales

Next month’s NYSIA Sales & Marketing SIG Event take place on Wednesday, November 7th from 8-10AM at CresaPartners, 100 Park Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY. A panel featuring Michael Minnelli of SAS Institute and Mike Barlow of Cumulus Partners, coauthors of the book, Partnering with the CIO, will join Edward Golod of Revenue Accelerators to discuss ways to improve deal flow and closure rates using a business case approach to enterprise sales.

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September 27, 2007 by jack petrie.

CresaPartners will cosponsor and host the October 10th, 2007 iBreakfast panel discussion on “Where are Venture Capitalists Placing their Bets Today?” Panelists include Dr. Howard Morgan of Idealab & First Round Capital and David S. Rose of NY Angels & Rose Tech Ventures.

Monetizing Web 2.0

As we enter the next of stage of the Internet Economy, Digital Media and Web 2.0 Social Media are everywhere. So where are we headed now? You can get a very good idea by looking over the shoulder of Investors to see where they are focusing their interests. Understanding what Investors are thinking can make a big difference in where you take you company. So join us for the next iBreakfast season on monetizing Web 2.0.

First Round Capital/Idealab - Dr. Howard Morgan

Dr. Howard Morgan has more than 25 years of experience serving as a mentor, advisor and investor in entrepreneurial ventures. He is a partner with First Round Capital and began working with Idealab in 1997 becoming Vice Chairman in 2000. He is also President and Founder of the Arca Group, Inc., a consulting and venture capital investment firm specializing in the areas of computer and communications technologies. Howard was also a professor of decision sciences at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a professor of computer science at the Moore School at the University of Pennsylvania who received his Ph.D. in operations research from Cornell University and his B.S. from the City University of New York.

New York Angels/Rose Tech Ventures - David S. Rose

David S. Rose heads New York Angels and Rose TechVentures. He is an entrepreneurial executive and investor with extensive experience in high technology and communications, venture investments, finance and government.He was named by Inc. magazine to the 1998 Inc 500 list as CEO of one of the fastest growing private companies in America. Red Herring magazine has described him as “a patriarch of New York’s Silicon Alley” for his early leadership in developing the city’s high technology corridor and Crain’s New York Business named him one of the City’s 25 most influential technology executives. Mr. Rose has a B.A. from Yale University and an M.B.A. in Finance from Columbia University Business School.

Program Details

The program will consist of breakfast and networking, followed by the panel discussion and will conclude with a question-and-answer period and closing remarks. It will be held from 7:30-10AM at CresaPartners, 100 Park Avenue (40th-41st Streets), 24th Floor, New York, NY.

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September 27, 2007 by jack petrie.

CresaPartners will host the New York Software Industry Association’s Sales & Marketing Special Interest Group’s October 3rd, 2007 panel discussion on “How to Differentiate Yourself in the Marketplace”.

Two Esteemed Experts

The panel will consist of two experts on sales and marketing: Rajesh Setty, President of Suggestica and Robert Algeri, President of Great Jakes Marketing Company. The topics for discussion will include: Increasing Return on Investment for an Interaction or “ROII”, Improving Likeability, Selecting a Niche Market, Why do Customers Buy? and What Differentiates You and Your Firm?

The ability to differentiate your business always seems obvious. However, what is it that you make available to the marketplace that no other company can claim to replicate? In what way are you transforming the lives of customers?

Come hear experts in the disciplines of sales and marketing talk about how they get their clients to convey a message of uniqueness. Learn methods and techniques for uncommoditizing your business.

Suggestica - Rajesh Setty

Rajesh Setty is a serial entrepreneur, investor and author. Currently, he serves as the president of Suggestica, a company that powers vertical discovery engines. He also serves as the chairman of iPolipo, a company that aims to make scheduling simple.

Rajesh Setty began entrepreneurial life the old fashioned way—by failing hard. Settyhas built company divisions, led teams and took on challenges with unabashed enthusiasm. His first venture in United States (co-founded in late 2000) — CIGNEX Technologies, grew 250% every year, without external funding during his first five years of leadership.

Rajesh has also written and published seven books, including his latest book “Beyond Code” (foreword by Tom Peters) which was published in late 2005. Rajesh maintains a blog called Life Beyond Code (http://blog.lifebeyondcode.com) and speaks at conferences and companies in US and India on wide ranging topics that include Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Personal Branding and Living a Life Beyond Code.

Great Lakes Marketing Company - Robert Algeri

Robert is a partner at Great Jakes Marketing Company, a marketing communications firm that crafts marketing strategies and creates marketing materials like websites, brochures, logos and strategic mail campaigns. The company specializes in serving the marketing needs of mid-sized business-to-business companies.

Robert is responsible for all aspects of business development and operations. However, his primary responsibility is to ensure that Great Jakes consistently exceeds the expectations of its clients. Robert currently sits on the Steering Committee of the Business Development Network, a highly selective group of business professionals. Additionally, he has held various board positions at the New York Legal Marketing Association, including Information Officer.

Program Details

The program will consist of breakfast and networking, followed by the panel discussion and will conclude with a question-and-answer period and closing remarks. It will be held from 8-10AM at CresaPartners, 100 Park Avenue (40th-41st Streets), 24th Floor, New York, NY.

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