I was running late but not as late as usual and I arrived at IDC’s Web 2.0 Digital Marketplace Conference about 10 minutes late. I walked thru the doors of the meeting room and was taken aback as the room was totally packed and only standing room was available at the back – we are talking 3 persons deep. I estimate more than 250 people were jammed into the small room. Efficient staff quietly moved in more chairs and i was able to sneak into one and start to concentrate on the first speaker.
Mr Patrick Chan, Chief Technology Advisor, Emerging Technologies, IDC Asia/Pacifc (wow fancy telling someone your job title.) Patrick did an excellent presentation on the future of web 2.0 and I was very pleased to see that he included “Virtual Worlds” in his predictions, somehow people don’t align vitrual worlds with web 2.0 yet however it appears IDC is taking a stab at bringing virtual worlds into more minds, and noted that virtual worlds are COMING UP and that people like to have a separate online personality – this is good as long as the online personality is real too. The billions of dollars as is always fore told by IDC in these emerging markets were presented to the audience – no cheers hip hip hoorays – except maybe the silent ones in my head as i sit in the back of the room. CHINA & INDIA were singled out as the leading forces in web 2.0 is Asia, the take away message from IDC is web 2.0 is here to stay and will only get massively bigger for consumers and enterprises alike.
Regarding the Audience, when i walked in I was truly in awe at how IDC had filled the room to overflow but even though i could only see the backs of heads I could tell this was a web 2.0 event like no other that I regularly attend. The event attendees were mature, i don’t think i saw a spiky hairstyle anyway, no fashion victims, these were regular everyday mature technologies managers from enterprises – more later.
Next up was Brad Garlinghouse SVP Communications & Community, Yahoo – Yahoo were the diamond sponsor for the event and Brad discussed the over whelming noise that social media presents (don’t i know it) Of course the solution is YAHOO and how Yahoo is redefining email and services to allow for trusted communications – yes it was a BIG pitch for Yahoo – but they were the diamond sponsors 🙂
Coffee break – food ran out – coffee ran out
Part Two – Along comes a slice of fresh air and i think was the winner of the most popular presenter of the day. Justin Lee Executive Director of E27 Singapore appeared on stage which to my knowledge must be his first major public speaking appointment. After declaring to this very mature audience how young he was (in comparison to those listening to him) he ummmed and arrghed into his entertaining and information packed presentation of how he got to be on stage talking about what he DOES know best Web 2.0. His journeys in Silicon Valley, bringing facebook to Singapore (he did introduce me to facebook and yes i am addicted now) thru to a video on web 2.0 where he bopped his head to the music as the video played and enjoyed the humour the video presented. Many a time the audience giggled as Justin relayed a funny situation. The presentation slides even were fun – but they held immense understanding and value of the web 2.0 scene in Asia – well done Justin except you neglected the Virtual World scene – maybe next time when social media members start moving over to virtual worlds like Twinity it will be in your next speaking engagement 🙂 Local web 2.0 companies like ZOPIM, Ping.sg, SGentreprenuers, yebber, NuffNang and others were presented as was the Hong Kong’s web 2.0 scene which highlighted www.recruit.net Malaysia’s web 2.0 vibrant scene heralded, advertlets which is the most well known blogging advertising network in Malaysia as well as Singapore.
The final presenter is one of Singapore’s Legends Michael Neztley, Practice assistant Professor of Corporate communication, Singapore Management University – Topic Digital Natives, I have previously posted about Digital Natives here and I agree whole heartedly with Micheal on how the world of web 2.0 has changed the youth of today. In a decade or two we will be asking “what are textbooks?” Whilst i listened intently my mind kept interrupting me because I am a marketing person at heart and could not stop thinking how Yahoo the diamond sponsor must be fretting at how many times Micheal said GOOGLE. The other intersting think i noticed is that Michael is getting his students to use the Wetpaint wiki platform – good choice Michael.
Q&A followed and again I give marks to IDC for introducing a concept of the audience being able to write their questions instead of having to get up and ask (which we know is hard) BTW at TDM events we most often provide wireless internet so questions can be sent via notebooks to the event team, its a bit more modern than paper 🙂 Also to be applauded is the man from IE Singapore who is trying to implement blogging and web 2.0 within IE Singapore and asked for an ON THE SPOT solution of how to get it done 🙂 Mr Popular (Justin) seemed to get most of the questions.
Back to the audience, during lunch I spoke with two guests on my table and as i suspected one was an IT Manager from a major print company the other was an IT Consultant. They were both at the event to LEARN more about this WEB 2.0 world. BUT also as expected they weren’t there to find ways of getting millions of people connected (as social media allows) they were there finding out how THEIR circle of influences could collaborate better with web 2.0. I think in this regard the event did not deliver this information. The focus as to be expected was more on the massive communication opportunities that web 2.0 has created. Enterprises on the other hand need to first connect their employees and then their customers and then maybe more.
My overall view of the IDC Web 2.0 Digital Marketplace event is WELL DONE IDC. Enterprise adoption of web 2.0 is critical and this event i am sure sent attendees away with fresh ideas and a percentage of the audience will be searching for solutions and opportunities to embrace the technology.
– Rating 4/5
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