The 4th annual DEMOgala technology conference featured more than 100 speakers on 25 different panels discussing the newest trends in technology including the major theme for the conference: Deconstruction – Reconstruction: How startups and incumbents are leveraging disruptive technologies to take advantage of a changing world.
Available panels included everything from mobile applications, online gaming, travel, video's effect on web commerce, social networking, corporate use of Second Life, innovation and music, how mashups are expanding markets, new trends in finance, healthcare IT; and how national CEOs have raised millions by creating new markets through disruptive technologies.
Breakfast was kicked off with Michael Moe, author of "Finding the Next Starbucks." Back in 1992, Moe a stock analyst, predicted that a humble Seattle coffee company would become a long-term superstar. Since then he's made similar great calls in high technology and other sectors, earning a reputation as one of today's most insightful market experts. Michale shared how winners like Dell, eBay, and Home Depot could have been spotted in their start-up phase, how they've been disruptive (yet predictable), and how small companies become future giants.
For the lunch keynote we herd from many Colorado disrupters including Antoine Toffa, CEO, VideoBloom; Bob Ogdon, CEO, Swiftpage; Dan Daugherty, CEO, RentMarketer.com; Craig Smith, CEO, ServiceMagic.com; Rick Patch, CEO, LifePics; Jeffery Powers, CEO, Flux Capacity; and John Raeder, CEO, IQ Navigator. All shared how they are using disruptive technology to change the landscape within their industry and fields.
The Dinner Keynote was headed up by representatives from Google, Sun Microsystems, and Microsoft. These companies, once tiny upstarts based on the West Coast, have all changed the way we live our daily lives. They shared different strategies of how they have grown and embraced innovation as a business model and culture.