The Cyber Scene in San Diego ~ by Lilia Phleger Benjamin

San Diego's largest networking event, the Big eSchmooze, kicked off our meet-n-greet season after a rather quiet summer. Held August 23rd at the Torrey Pines glider port on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, attendees early enough were treated to the sight of paragliders surfing the air currents.

The mood going in to this much anticipated event was similar to that of a rave or house party…long lines of cars with people ready to party! Those who came without sensible shoes were dismayed to find themselves dusty and a bit winded after the long trek in from the dirt parking lot that seemed to go on for acres. Luckily I had a walking partner, Nicole Cramer of EyeTracking, Inc. http://www.eyetracking.com/, a San Diego based company that provides eyetracking services for website usability and market research studies.

We parted ways once we reached the entry gate, and I checked in with Joanne Gavalec, the marketing director at the San Diego Regional Technology Alliance http://www.sdrta.org/. The Big eSchmooze is the SDRTA's baby, and they put it on twice a year with solid support from the sponsors, media, and patrons. In fact, if you want to see some fun pictures of the event and get an idea of the turnout, check out the over a hundred pictures on the Fresh News site http://www.freshnews.com/ taken by editor Larry St. John.