>> BITS & BYTES ~ 6/29/01

Creating an Icon

Building the Second Dimension

>> CYBER SCENE SOCIAL NOTES ~ 6/29/01

In an attempt to help facilitate better networking for new media professionals and "Scenesters," here are some points that will be added during the weeks. They will be archived here.

** Just laid off? Market yourself personally all the time by getting personal business cards made up to hand out to people as you meet them.

TCS Intro ~ 6/29/01

Courtney Pulitzer's Cyber Scene ~ June 29, 2001

>> THIS WEEK
Chamber Dance Theater's debut season
High Marks for The Conference Board
Entertainment Innovators and Tapas
The Cyber Scene in Denver ~ by Suzanne Lainson

>> REGULAR FEATURES
Cyber Scene Social Notes
Shakers and Stirrers
Bits & Bytes

>> SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE
"The Cyber Scene" is published weekly. Subscriptions are free. To
subscribe or unsubscribe: http://www.pulitzer.com/subunsub.html

http://www.ewomp.com/CustomSolutions/cgi-bin/imgclk2.pl?id=P1N1H5R1&sid=161

>> CORPORATE PARTNERS
Sparklist -- Mailing list services
http://SparkLIST.com/

>> UPCOMING EVENTS
www.cocktailswithcourtney.com
July 17th - San Francisco
July 19th - Los Angeles
Limited Sponsorships Available
Contact: courtney@pulitzer.com

>> RECENT PRESS
The New York Observer, June 22, 2001. "In Market Slump, Courtney Pulitzer Kicks Things Up. http://www.observer.com/pages/financial2.asp

Chamber Dance Theater's debut season

Combining intimate dances, instrumental and theater pieces, the Chamber Dance Theater offers a unique evening not found in many places. This contemporary ballet is a close collaboration of dancers and musicians in an intimate setting. The program alternates throughout the evening between touching and sensuous dances and classical musical selections. The extensive expertise of each performer-from the dancers to the musicians to the lighting to the costumes-is overwhelming. And even more impressive is that the company started with a benefit performance just a year ago to get the word out. The Board was so impressed, they charged forward with more pieces, more artists and more performances. Founder, artistic director and choreographer Diane Coburn Bruning brings years of choreographic work at over eleven ballet companies and teaching at over four schools including Juilliard, NYU's Tisch and the Lincoln Center Institute to her current initiative. Current music director of the Parson Dance Company John Mackey (who has also worked with the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, the Joyce Theater and Carnegie Hall) worked with the Chamber Dance Theater as composer and music director-filling out Diane's vision.

Her vision was actualized by dancers whose talents are also seen at dance companies like Les Grand Ballets Canadiens (Nanci Crowley, Jeremy Raia, Victor Quijada), the Atlanta Ballet (John Welker) and the American Ballet Theater and the Royal Swedish Ballet (Griff Braun-who also has founded WeDance.com, Inc.). Musicians hailed from such heralded ensembles as the New York New Music Ensemble and Ensemble Sospeso (Stephen Gosling) and The Elm City Ensemble (Rebecca Patterson). One musician-Christopher Collins Lee-holds five honorary doctorate degrees from foreign institutions in addition to a BFA and MM from Julliard and doctorate from SUNY Stony Brook. He also has received a Guggenheim Grant and Fulbright and plays a violin made in Cremona, Italy by Grancesco Ruggieri in 1680, which once belonged to Leopold Mozart.

If you'd seen the Broadway musical "Annie Get Your Gun" or "Jekyll and Hyde" then you've seen the work of lighting designer Beverly Emmons, who's won seven Tony nominations, won a Tony for lighting in "Amadeus" and is the artistic director of the Lincoln Center Institute, responsible for selecting dance theater and music repertory for students and teachers. Costume designer Holly Hynes worked for noted choreographers like Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins and Christopher Wheeldon.

But what about the pieces, you ask! Well, each one was unique, passionate, compelling and inspiring. Piazzolla Songs and Berceuse were inspired pieces that began the evening's night of theater. Between each dance number were instrumental selections like Gyorgy Ligeti's Devil's Staircase (played by Steve Gosling on piano) and John Corigliano's Sonata for Violin and Piano (played by Gosling and Christopher Lee on violin). Four Men in Suits, a mixed media piece with spoken text and movement was a humorous look at men (and ultimately women too) and the various activities they do during the day (sales calls, hailing taxis, training dogs, sunbathing). Australian-born choreographer with the Australian Ballet Stanton Welch premiered a dance piece, Kisses, that was full of amour, passion and tenderness in its creativity. Diane Coburn Bruning's premiere of Passages was the concluding piece that incited deep emotion in it's sensuous classical ballet mixed with Argentinean tango set to John Mackey's score of classical music with Latin percussion beats.

Afterwards the gala attendees got to enjoy champagne and desserts as we listened to tango music. Of course the real fun was when professional tango dancers announced that we were now going to learn this sexy dance. Ole! My partner, Ken Fisher, a noted arts presenter from Ann Arbor, and I learned our respective steps. I bit into my long-stemmed rose and off we were! The creative passions didn't end on the dance floor though; board members took discarded ballet slippers of the dancers and turned them into new creations. Board member Hilka Klinkenberg, supporter Lina Bryant and intern (and future Yale attendee) Tyler Coburn were among the artists who put their talents into these artful slippers. Among the designers were feathers slippers by Hilka ("Swan Lake"-in white feathers, "Firebird"-in red feathers), seashelled slippers by Hilka ("La Mer") and actual lilies in a pot surrounded by painted slippers ("Lilies" by Lina Byrant). Even a Dolce & Gabbana advertisement were immortalized on slippers by Tyler. The slippers were such a hit for the Silent Auction that this will be a signature item at future galas!

This wonderful group has one performance left in Manhattan-tonight, June 29th at 8:00 PM and then two final performances on July 1st at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough. You can also read a review in Newsday and hear one tomorrow at 5:57 pm on Frances Mason's show on "World of Dance" at WQXR.

The Cyber Scene in Dever ~ by Suzanne Lainson

The last week was so full of tech events that I didn't make it to them all.
The Internet Chamber of Commerce (http://www.icc.org) had its get-together
at the University of Denver on June 26. The following two days were filled with
events at the ITEC trade show at the Colorado Convention Center. Tied in
with that was Via West's (http://www.viawest.net) open house on June 27, which I
did make. It was a great summer affair: hot weather, a tent, a band, good
food, lots of microbrews and great wine. It was the first time I went to a
tech event where a Shirez was served! It was really a nice touch, and I took
advantage of it to the tune of three glasses!

There were hundreds of people there, and many of them were taking the tour
of the co-location facility. Someone (who asked to remain unidentified until
his company can be launched) introduced me to Liz Clarke, an account executive
with ViaWest, and Steve Prather, vice president, network services, there. My
friend raved out the service he was getting from them. They blushed and said
that they treat all their customers, no matter the size, with similar
attention.

Later I ran into Cate Lawrence, president/CEO of Warrior Solutions
(http://www.WarriorSolutions.com/warrior/html/index.html), and Kari Nelson,
president of Recess Active Entertainment (http://www.YourRecess.com/index.html), in the women's bathroom. It felt like a mini-Colorado Internet Keiretsu (http://www.cik.org) meeting, since they
are both on its executive committee. We talked about all sorts of things,
including diversity in Boulder, Cate and Kari's businesses, and the local
music scene. Once we got outside again, Jen Hofmeister and Marissa Peede of
PR/marketing agency LH3 (http://www.lh3.com) said hello. I also talked to
Katie Keene of Zoa TechMedia (http://www.zoatechmedia.com), Deborah
Arhelger, representing the Front Range Forum for Women Entrepreneurs
(http://www.fwe.org), and Bryan Griffin of Gigamind. I also talked to Jim
Hill, co-founder and CTO of CaptureLogic (http://www.capturelogic.com),
about the recent activity in VC funding.

The party was over at seven, and many of the people I talked to were off to
do other things. Kari was going to a TiE-Rockies (http://www.tie-rockies.org)
gathering. This month's meeting was held in a private box at Coors Field -
with a great view of the matchup between the Colorado Rockies and the San
Diego Padres. Steve Swoboda (who, as CFO, is overseeing the last days of
Ereo), and Mike Gellman and Brandon Shevin of SpireMedia
(http://www.SpireMedia.com) all mentioned that they were off to a party
celebrating the opening of Hapa's Cherry Creek sushi restaurant. I was
tempted to join them, but I had already made plans to hear Wendy Woo
(http://www.wendywoo.com) at the Rock Bottom Brewery. She doesn't perform
solo all that often, so I try to catch her whenever she does.

I wasn't disappointed by my choice. Wendy, a great blues artist,  played for
two hours: everything from her own stuff to Billie Holiday, Bill Withers,
Bonnie Raitt and the Allman Brothers. A well-dressed, middle-aged man (the
only one in the crowd wearing a suit) requested something from Janis Joplin,
and she obliged. Later she introduced me to Scott Davies, drummer for Opie
Gone Bad (http://www.opiegonebad.com). (I'm not sure if there are any other
local cross-band romances going on, but I'll nominate them for Denver's
power couple of rock.) The Colorado Avalanche came up in the conversation, and
Wendy mentioned that she attended the Stanley Cup celebration party. For
those of you who don't know about these things, Opie Gone Bad has been
adopted by the Avs -- lead singer Jake Schroeder does the national anthem at
every home game.

I didn't get home to Boulder until after midnight, so I missed some early
morning events the next day. The Colorado Software and Internet Association
(http://www.coloradosoftware.org) and the  Grassroots Initiative
(http://www.grassrootsinitiative.com) were hosting several panels at the
ITECH show. Among the local tech celebs they had pulled together to speak
about the state of Colorado's business, education and quality of life
environment were Brad Feld, partner, Softbank Venture Capital; Paul
Berberian, CEO, Raindance Communications (formerly Evoke); and Jared Polis,
founder of BlueMountain.com and ProFlowers.

I did make it to Ernst & Young's Rocky Mountain Region Entrepreneur of the
Year (http://www.ey.com) awards that evening at the Adam's Mark Hotel, a
black tie optional event. I pulled into the parking garage and rode up the
elevator with a handsome fellow. He was in a business suit rather than a
tux, so I wasn't immediately sure we were headed in the same direction. As we
exchanged comments about which floor buttons to push, I figured out he was
going to the banquet as well. But only later, when I saw photos of the
judges, did I realize that my elevator companion had been Pete Coors,
chairman/CEO of Coors. I guess I haven't been paying enough attention to
those Coors commercials.

Since this wasn't really a tech crowd, I wasn't familiar with most of the
people there. I did recognize Rick Patch, partner with Sequel Venture
Partners (http://www.sequelvc.com), who was decked out in tails. We chatted
at the bar for a minute about his new fund, Sequel Limited Partnership III,
before he took off to deliver his drinks. I spotted Frieda Krinksy,
president of tech consulting firm Krinsky & Company, who I know from the Rockies
Venture Club and other events. We talked until she needed to say hello to
her home builder. And I said hello to Kathy Simon, director of the University of
Colorado's Deming Center for Entrepreneurship (http://bus.colorado.edu/centers/entrep/home.htm). With her was Mary Banks, director of career services at CU's business school, and Mary's husband,
Estes, a former pro football player who has been to the Super Bowl. He
mentioned that he had been talking to some New York-based investment banks
about his latest business venture.

Inside the dining area, I found myself at the media table. I don't mind
talking to other writers, but it means less detailed event coverage because
I'm not meeting attendees. David Milstead of the Rocky Mountain News
(http://www.rockymountainnews.com), Neil Simpson of Ernst & Young, and I
spent most of the evening talking about the quality of financial reporting.
We were in agreement that many reporters don't have the financial and/or
economic background to properly evaluate the stories they cover. (Of course,
among the three of us, there were two people with econ degrees and one
accountant. No J-school graduates there to defend themselves.)

The entertainment was provided by Liam Harnley's CelticFusion, which was
"Riverdance meets Stomp." Since I like tap dancing, I enjoyed it. As for the
award ceremonies, the highlight was the kids. There were three finalists in
the Young Entrepreneur category. And I was surprised to see that some of the
adult award winners were nearly moved to tears. The tech-related winners
were: (Emerging) Steve Volk, president & CEO, Dataplay, Boulder; (Health
Sciences) Gerald Hogue, president, Optx, Denver; (Services) Michael Morgan,
president & CEO, StarTek, Greeley; (Software & Internet Solutions) J. Ralph
Armijo, president & CEO, Navidec, Greenwood Village; and (Technology &
Communications) Gerald Van Eeckhout, CEO, ACT Teleconferencing, Golden.

Lessons From the World's Oldest Profession ~ by Tery Spataro

Las Vegas, Nevada - Lately the online adult entertainment industry has received attention from the press on the profitability of their Internet business practices. I wondered what it is that the adult entertainment industry is doing differently from the mainstream Internet. It was curiosity that brought me to Las Vegas for the Internext Conference, as well as an invitation from Stephanie Schwab, CEO of Erotigo. I had some interesting preconceived ideas as to what I would see on the trade floor, and understandably a little nervous for it was my first time.

As we registered for the event I took note of the backdrop of adult entertainment industry banners and flags which surrounded us. In sharp contrast, the people staffing the registration booths were old enough to be my grandmother. I wondered what they were thinking.

June 26th was the opening of the conference. The registration line was long with both suits and polo shirts intertwined. They didn't look much different than Internet attendees to Internet World conferences. I did not see a single gold-chained-leisure-suit wearer with a bad hairpiece. As you entered the conference you were greeted by cheerleaders who pushed conference take-away goodies at you. As we entered the floor Stephanie told me this was her third conference and she had many stories to tell about the first two. She bated me with intriguing tales of all night parties, swinger clubs, photo shoots and pole dancers. So, if you pardon the pun, I was very excited. We circled around the conference trade floor looking for the pole dancers, bed displays, and other outrageous things you don't find at the mainstream Internet conferences. Of course girls--beautiful well-constructed girls--were everywhere! And then of course there were the boys too--handsome and well built.

CLICK FOR THE FULL STORY:
http://www.thecyberscene.com/cgi-bin/show.cgi?city=newyork&issue=current#3

By Tery Spataro, president of Mind Arrays, tery@mindarrays.com

Lessons From the World’s Oldest Profession

By: Tery Spataro, president of Mind Arrays, tery@mindarrays.com

Las Vegas, Nevada – Lately the online adult entertainment industry has received attention from the press on the profitability of their Internet business practices. I wondered what it is that the adult entertainment industry is doing differently from the mainstream Internet. It was curiosity that brought me to Las Vegas for the Internext Conference, as well as an invitation from Stephanie Schwab, CEO of Erotigo. I had some interesting preconceived ideas as to what I would see on the trade floor, and understandably a little nervous for it was my first time.

As we registered for the event I took note of the backdrop of adult entertainment industry banners and flags which surrounded us. In sharp contrast, the people staffing the registration booths were old enough to be my grandmother.  I wondered what they were thinking.

June 26^th was the opening of the conference. The registration line was long with both suits and polo shirts intertwined. They didn’t look much different than Internet attendees to Internet World conferences.  I did not see a single gold-chained-leisure-suit wearer with a bad hairpiece. As you entered the conference you were greeted by cheerleaders who pushed conference take-away goodies at you. As we entered the floor Stephanie told me this was her third conference and she had many stories to tell about the first two. She bated me with intriguing tales of all night parties, swinger clubs, photo shoots and pole dancers. So, if you pardon the pun, I was very excited. We circled around the conference trade floor looking for the pole dancers, bed displays, and other outrageous things you don’t find at the mainstream Internet conferences. Of course girls--beautiful well-constructed girls--were everywhere! And then of course there were the boys too--handsome and well built.

That afternoon we attended a seminar titled, “Women On The Net”, moderated by Fred Lane, author of “Obscene Profits: The Entrepreneurs of Pornography in the Cyber Age” (Routledge 2000). Strong, smart advice came from key women entrepreneurs of the adult entertainment industry, which consisted of famed

Danni Ashe (Danni’s Hardrive); Jane Duvall (Jane’s Guide); Holly Moss (Igallery

marketing and sales VP) and Phyllis Heppenstall (PeeKay, Inc.). The audience asked some very straightforward questions about women getting started in the business. Much to my surprise, the percentage of women business owners in the industry is 30%. Legal issues were discussed. The panelist urged everyone from the industry to get involved with legal issues and government. One curious male attendee asked “how do you treat the models?” Response from the panel as well as the audience was “you treat the models with RESPECT! Duh!” After the panel ended I caught up with Jane Duvall of Jane’s Guide who suggested that “men need to experience what women experience” and gave detailed instructions on how men should do it. It would be inappropriate for me to print exactly what Jane suggested in this mainstream article, but if you would like to know you could email me directly.

The mainstream web could learn a lot from adult web industry’s affiliate programs. Wasteland CEO Colin Rowntree, IGallery president Scott Schalin, Python CEO David van der Poel and Vivid Video marketing VP David  Schlesinger gave great advice on affiliate programs.  They described the four main types of affiliate programs: flat pay out, click through, recurring and revenue sharing. All agreed that revenue sharing is the road to increased usage, signup, and more profit! Average customer retention in the adult industry is 2-6 months there are few dollars used to re-market to existing customers. Also, panelists noted that there’s no such thing as “free” in this industry--it’s all about hooking-in and keeping turned-on for as long as the content is good and the services function.

Other panels discussed legal issues. This industry wants to stay around for a long time so it’s respecting the many complex laws that deal with pornography. EACH state has it’s own laws; if you are thinking about getting into the business, you should understand the legal issues of the state you choose to do business in as well as with.  Most importantly: find a great lawyer that really understands the business.

Internext concluded with the Player’s Ball party at Venetian’s CK Club. The theme was “Pimp and Ho” which extended to the expected dress code. Not having the wardrobe that would fit either scenario, I decided my elegant Tracy Faith dress and Donna Karen heels made me look more like an aspiring madam than hooker or pimp. We had VIP passes, yet the wait in line was an hour and half. I spent that time head-turning at the wide variety of theme costumes. My favorite was the young man dressed in full white pimp suit with wide brim hat and cane to match ala the 1970’s.  The doors opened and we were ushered into the club and waited another hour for Snoop Doggy Dog to perform. The costume party was fun and entertaining.

And after three full days and nights of the conference (although in Vegas there is no such thing as day or night) did I see any pole dancers? Did I see outrageous displays of sexual exploitation? Amazingly, NO! After a while of being exposed I became desensitized. There was nothing that left a lasting impression and to be honest I was a little bored. But I have to admit, the most shocking revelation was in fact, The Business was all about business and all about the bottom line…Profitability!

Bits & Bytes ~ 6/22/01

Start Your Weekend

Globix Gets Sued

TV Shopping on the Rise

SpireMedia Climbs the World Trade Center

ADV ~ Courtney Pulitzer Creations Press Services

Get the attention of old and new media with a creative and effective press release. Courtney Pulitzer Creations is now offering press writing services to its network of friends in growing and emerging businesses. Create press statements that are unique and can garner media attention and publicity. For more information and rates, contact gina@pulitzer.com

>> CYBER SCENE SOCIAL NOTES ~ 6/22/01

In an attempt to help facilitate better networking for new media professionals and "Scenesters," here are some points that will be added during the weeks. They will be archived here.

** After meeting someone and getting their business card, making a few notes about the person or your conversation aids follow up.

Bouchard For the City!

The beauty of work and life today is that you can have many different careers, start them at different times in your life and have (for the most part) an equal shot at succeeding with each. A perfect example of this is Michelle Bouchard, who has created careers in technology marketing, real estate development, the theater and now politics. A first-time politician running on the Republican/Independent ticket for the Chelsea/SoHo district, Michelle says she cares deeply about the city and some of the major issues it's facing. Currently she's focusing on issues surrounding education, the environment, sanitation and development. But Michelle is mainly concerned with the issues residents feel are important. On Thursday, June 21st, the first of a monthly series of cocktail parties was held in the palatial-feeling, Upper West Side apartment of Darby Townsend. I chatted for a bit with Campaign Attorney James Andrews, and caught up a bit with RealityIQ's Bizdev VP Jared Carney. Web Mortar's Justin Model and more than 50 other professionally-minded Michelle supporters came to hear her speech, raise a glass in her honor and even network among themselves. www.electbouchard.com

TCS Intro ~ 6/22/01

Courtney Pulitzer's Cyber Scene ~ June 22, 2001

>> THIS WEEK
Eco-Salon draws environmentally-minded entrepreneurs
Bouchard For the City!
FAM Tour Wrap-up
Hamptons Hoops
Tavern Brawl and Flush Flatiron ~ by Gina M. Larson

The Cyber Scene in Denver ~ by Suzanne Lainson

>> REGULAR FEATURES
Cyber Scene Social Notes
Shakers and Stirrers
Bits & Bytes

>> SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE
"The Cyber Scene" is published weekly. Subscriptions are free. To
subscribe or unsubscribe: http://www.pulitzer.com/subunsub.html

http://www.ewomp.com/CustomSolutions/cgi-bin/imgclk2.pl?id=P1N1H5R1&sid=161

>> CORPORATE PARTNERS
Sparklist -- Mailing list services
http://SparkLIST.com/

Baldwin Communications -- Connectivity/Hosting
http://www.baldcom.net

>> UPCOMING EVENTS
www.cocktailswithcourtney.com
July 17th - San Francisco
July 19th - Los Angeles
Limited Sponsorships Available
Contact: courtney@pulitzer.com

>> RECENT PRESS
The New York Observer, June 22, 2001. "In Market Slump, Courtney Pulitzer Kicks Things Up. http://www.observer.com/pages/financial2.asp

Entertainment Innovators and Tapas

Helena's Tapas Bar on Lafayette Street drew a small but enthusiastic group of media professionals at the first Entertainment Innovators Association gathering for tapas, drinks and compelling conversations. The small, informal gathering was just like the original breakfast that lead to the creation of the EIA list. Diana Laskaris, who started the mailing list as a forum for people interested in all areas of entertainment and communications, reported that (as usual) a good time was had by all and the conversational topics ranged dramatically. There were a lot of different conversations going on at once, including discussions of rethinking copyright law, publishing on the Net versus traditional publishing, Arthur C. Clarke and Sri Lanka, cold fusion, space elevators, how great Amazon and eBay are, the development of online gaming, whether or not we actually have anything resembling privacy any longer, sword swallowing, what is fun about Las Vegas, serendipity, the Mermaid parade, AIBO, product placement, good & bad advertising, tivo & replayTV, individuality vs. the collective and more! The fried artichokes got a lot of praise and afterwards, a handful headed over to a nearby bookstore and continued chatting about things like Napster, Open Source, negativland, Copyright's Highway (by Paul Goldstein), what makes a book good, why would anyone call Anne Frank's Diary "summer reading" and why doesn't anyone seem to carry Pen World magazine! Anyone interested in talking about the future of media, sharing new insights or discoveries or imagining the possibilities for entertainment in its present and emerging forms, can join the discussion by sending a blank email to: EIA_list-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

High Marks for The Conference Board

The results are in and The Conference Board's "2001 E-Commerce Conference: Profitability and Sustainability for the B-to-B and B-to-C Business Models" was such a well-done event that it's receiving The Cyber Scene's official "Gold Star" award in the conference category. Conference Program Director and NYU Stern Graduate School of Business Professor of Marketing Al Lieberman was a gracious host and excellent moderator who fielded questions from the floor with aplomb and panache.

All the speakers were excellent, informative and enthusiastic in each of their respective panels and fields of expertise. Mastercard International Electronic Commerce & Emerging Technologies and Corporate Payment Solutions VP Philip Philliou divulged information on his company's global technology cards. He also revealed that B2B business makes up about 4 percent of the US market right now and is even smaller in Europe. Citibank VP and Director Electronic Bill Presentment & Payment (B2C) Nancy Goodman went through new scenarios for online bill paying, pros and cons of different payment methods, and coming attractions in this arena. Currently 8 million households are paying bills online, but there are major improvements that could be made to improve the entire process for consumers and merchants.

Barry Felder, partner and head of litigation at Brown Raysman, Millstein Felder & Steiner, spoke on the issue of privacy. He told us that few of us consider privacy issues in the same breath as cookies -- just seven of 1,000 Internet users reject them at sites they visit. Felder also conveyed that there are no general federal or state privacy laws concerning cookies. The laws that do exist, such as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Electronic Communications Act and the Wiretap Act, are for specific sectors. He raised a basic question: Should there be a broader legislation or would that infringe on 1st Amendment rights? There are some proposed bills coming up, including the Online Privacy Protection Act of 2001, the Consumer Online Privacy, and Disclosure Act and the Consumer Internet Privacy Enhancement Act.

NowDocs, Inc. Director of Business Development Bosy Colak spoke on the topic of "Utilizing the Web to Streamline Operations and Minimize the Cost of Supplies." United Messaging Chairman and Founder Stephen Layne provided a history on B-to-B and B-to-C models in his talk on "Which Business Models Work and Which Ones Don't." The end result was that a big market for B-to-B still exists; the surface has only been scratched. Multimedia Live's Founder, President & CEO Ken Burke's white paper on "Intelligent Customer Service: Improving Your Online Customer Interactions" was packed with information and solutions for businesses to become profitable.

At the cocktail party that followed, the hors d'oeuvres were divine and the wine flowed in rivers. We chatted with Union Pacific Railroad Industrial Products Director Robert Toy, Standard & Poor's Market Development SVP Sarah Hammann, BlueCross BlueShield of Florida's Advertising & Market Communications Susan McKindles and Aetna's Strategic Planning e.Aetna Services & Programs Director Dorothy Paleologos. Everyone said they thought it was the best conference they'd been to in a long time. And they all seemed to enjoy themselves immensely. Hurrah! Finally a conference that delivered impact with information - and kept attendees happy.

Eco-Salon draws environmentally-minded entrepreneurs

With summer officially here, dot-commers and non-commers alike are making their annual excursions out to such meccas as the beach, campgrounds and the countryside. Now, more than ever, we are aware of nature and all its beauty. And dovetailing with the beauty of nature, the Natural Resources Defense Council's Environmental Entrepreneurs hosted its first New York Eco-Salon on June 20 at Techspace on University Place.

Among the digerati amassed were Mark Stahlman; Starvest Partners' Jeanne Sullivan and Rachel Masters; NYC Economic Development Corporation's Jean Dellacorte; Agile Industries' Elizabeth Talerman; and Annotate.net's Brian Flynn. Wilson McHenry Company's Leeann Lavin; Innovest's John Cusack and GoTo.com's Julie Greenhouse came to check out E2 and its initiatives. "Green" entrepreneurs Green Order's Andrew Shapiro and Ecos Techonologies' Nicholas Eisenberger brought some friends. Morfeo Media Erik Akhund and City Council candidate Michelle Bouchard came to meet attendees like Tiga Technology's Zachary Bayer and NY Eco-Salon Founder John Sullivan. Techspace's Debra Larson, Bruce Bockman and Rob McQueen were the gracious hosts who donated the space and greeted guests.

After a delicious cloth-bag lunch of wrap sandwiches, terra chips and a divine pecan bar, provided by the NRDC, guests were escorted downstairs to hear the speakers. Sybase Founder, E2 Founder and NRDC Trustee Bob Epstein spoke first and provided a bit of background on this organization. He introduced NRDC President and Founder John Adams, who told us of the organization’s early days – its founding in 1970 and its early efforts, which helped produce environmental policies that are today so vital and intertwined in our society. Without further ado, John introduced the featured speaker -- NRDC Senior Attorney Bobby Kennedy.

Kennedy gave us a rousing tale of NRDC's role in the establishment of vital and groundbreaking laws for our nation and the environment. He spoke about how nations that participated in the first Earth Day in 1970 are the nations that are far more advanced ecologically. Those never having experienced an Earth Day are suffering -- Vietnam, parts of the former Soviet Union and Japan. He spoke of the importance of automobiles standards that regulate vehicles for 40 miles to the gallon, and explained how oil prices would be closer to $5 per gallon without U.S. subsidies. Kennedy waxed poetic about the beauty of our land and the importance of preserving it for our children – not allowing it to be raped by miners, loggers and other developers). He cited the importance of finding God in Nature and about all the other ways in which Nature inspires and fulfills us.

Rising Tide Studios CEO Jason Calacanis moderated questions from the audience and guests like Goldman Sachs' Larry Linden; Astrology Is, Inc.'s Yvonne Morabito; Mindarrays Tery Spataro, Masur & Associates' Steve Masur and TSX Ventures' Stephen Nordahl who received further explanations on environmental initiatives.

The Cyber Scene in Denver ~ by Suzanne Lainson

I attended First Tuesday on June 19, (which, of course, was not the first

Tuesday in June). But never mind, it was a great party, as usual. According

to one news report, over 800 people were in attendance. It was back at

Brooklyn's, which is a perfect place to hold such an event. It's a two-level club

next to the Pepsi Center. While the local newspapers are running

stories about telecom layoffs and commercial real estate gluts, this was a

very upbeat crowd. I even did a reality check with Dilpreet Jammu, senior

manager, business and service integration, for Nortel Networks

(http://www.nortel.com), figuring that if anyone had reason to be gloomy it would

be him. Nope. His demeanor hasn't changed in the six months I have known

him.

As I walked from the parking into the building, I ran into my friends from Holme

Roberts & Owen (http://www.hro.com) -- Mark Weakley, Suzy Thevenet and

Linda Wackwitz. Mark wanted to tell me that a client, Lefthand Networks

(http://www.lefthandnetworks.com), has been moving right along with its VC

funding. On a related note, Boulder-based Sequel Venture Partners

(http://www.sequelvc.com), one of the investors in Lefthand, just announced

that it has closed its third limited partnership, Sequel Limited Partnership

III, providing it with $180 million for venture investment. Sequel has done some

heavy-hitting investing in such companies as MatchLogic, XCare.net, DataPlay, Finali,

netLibrary, Requisite Technology, Myogen, Allos Therapeutics, HighGround

Systems, Zight and ServiceMagic. Another investment is Petroleum Place

(http://www.petroleumplace.com), which I recently profiled for eMileHigh

(http://www.emilehigh.com/news/viewnews.asp?alt=100001325&author=Lainson).

Rick Patch, a partner at Sequel, is quoted in a recent Upside article

(http://www.upside.com/texis/mvm/money/story?id=3b30e5e01) on investment in

Colorado. Even though it was written by an "outsider," it's a good

description of life here in the state.

Once I got inside First Tuesday, I didn't do as much circulating as I do at these

events because I was trying to figure out how to eat a plate full of

Mexican food without utensils. It couldn't be done. As I juggled my plate

and napkins, I chatted with Yvonne Lynott from Lynott & Associates, a

PR and marketing firm based in Niwot. She introduced me to a client, Linda

Bush, CEO of SafeRent (http://www.saferent.com), which has gotten more than

$21 million in funding, most recently $13 million in a third round. Linda

said that even more investors want in; she was in talks with one

group just that week.

Yvonne, who also serves as an advisor to the Colorado Technology Incubator

(http://www.btionline.org), and I spent time talking about local singers. We

had both caught Sally Taylor (http://www.sallytaylor.com) on Saturday at the

party releasing her latest CD. Sally, the daughter of James and Carly Taylor,

lives in Boulder when she isn't touring. Sally is very cute as she plays to her fans,

generally a group of equally attractive 20-something women friends.

And then I was raving to Yvonne about Wendy Woo (http://www.wendywoo.com),

whose CD launch party I attended in Boulder on Sunday. I was so impressed

with her latest recording effort, Ecolalia, that I have purchased multiple

copies to pass out to friends. The CD features Wendy singing and playing acoustic

guitar, and her father reading his poetry. It’s very Boulder, which means it's

much more folky than her live performances and not to everyone's taste. Her

live performances are skewed heavily toward blues ("Down and Dirty" happens

to be a signature piece). She'll be opening for Karla Bonoff in Boulder July

5 and for Sophie B. Hawkins in Denver on July 9. If you want to hire some live

music for an event, I highly recommend her. She told me that about a month ago

that she was flown out to Oklahoma to play for a private party after someone heard

her at an outdoor concert in Denver. She'll be spending the summer working on a new

CD and playing local clubs. In the fall or winter, she will most likely begin a national tour.

Speaking of music, First Tuesday attendee Alex Teitz, editor-of chief of

FEMMUSIC (http://www.femmusic.com), told me that his site was included in a new book

for songwriters.

Brad Spirrison, managing editor of eMileHigh (http://www.emilehigh.com), was

there taking pictures. Erika Brown from netGoddess (http://netgoddess.com)

was also there. And I spotted Deborah Arhelger from the Front Range Forum

for Women Entrepreneurs (http://www.fwe.org). (We also saw each other later

in the week at an outdoor Woo concert in Boulder -- hey, when times get

tough, there's always lots of live music around the area.). Spire guys Mike Gellman and

Brandon Shevin were making the rounds. As sponsors, they had a table upstairs. I also saw

Jack Mason and Mike Usery of EnergyWindow (http://www.energywindow.com), a company I

profiled for eMileHigh (http://www.emilehigh.com/news/viewnews.asp?alt=100001282&author=Lainson).

Tavern Brawl and Flush Flatiron ~ by Gina M. Larson

Jim Sosnicky's gang on the Great American Bar Tour turned the Tavern on the Green into just another, well, tavern. The party started with all the high-brow fan fare that one would expect at the famous Central Park destination, but quickly turned into a Western bar-brawl scene as one of the guests disgusted with the service, flung her cocktail towards her waitress. The bare-shouldered bar server quickly challenged the guest to a bitch-slapping contest out in the garden. Jim tried desperately to keep the peace between the managers, staff and rest of the guests in attendance last night. Next week, the gang gets bounced to Brooklyn. www.broadwayjim.com

Further downtown, a tamer time was going on at Twirl. In the mirror-magnified club I found Michael Abramson, publisher of Flatiron Magazine was relaxed and carefree. The reason: unlike his fellow peers in the media, Abramson said he is feeling flush from the growing number of advertisers in his six-year old magazine. Kristie Macris, editor of the publication said the event was also a fun way to kick-off summer in the city and a new issue. Charlie Liu and Chris Lekazhik from Mediavest were just there to listen to the grooves of DJ Pink Panther, who was doing his job of cajoling guests onto the floor.

Hamptons Hoops

The Hampton Hoops proved its prowess at flexing its marketing muscle at their annual kick-off event on Tuesday. The gala was held in the penthouse suite of the fabulous new Hudson Hotel. While the evening may have had an athletic bent by nature, it didn't draw out even one sneaker-shoed sporto amongst the well-dressed crowd who sipped on martinis on the breathtaking patio protected by an ivy-covered tarp. Mary Lampe, executive director and COO of the Cardiovascual Research Foundation, didn't seem to mind the merry smoking crowd of hipsters, and was happy that her organization was chosen as the beneficiary of this year's Hamptons Hoops games. Gregg Oehler, president of Oehler Media, and Jim Sosnicky, from Silicon Alley Reporter were also amongst the partygoers who were working the room of bare-shouldered ladies and deeply bronzed men. Smirnoff Ice provided many of the refreshments, while DJ Jared Dietch took guests on an old-school jaunt through Rap's classics. 

ADV ~ NYNMA Town Hall

NYNMA presents, "NYNMA's Town Hall Meeting: Now What?" Thurs., Jul. 12, 5:30
PM registration; 6:30 panel. Listen and be heard! This isn't just another event where Alley moguls peer into a crystal ball and spew Industry jargon. This time, YOU drive the content! Come stand on your soapbox and tell us your thoughts. Which industry issues are important to you? What are the long-term prospects for Silicon Alley? How do we use the skills gained over the last five years to develop next generation technologies? Come participate with moderator David Kirkpatrick, FORTUNE Magazine and panelists Kyle Shannon, Agency.com, Kevin Werbach, Release 1.0, and Bob Friedman, AOL TV - and a whole host of Alley people you want to be around in the audience. E-mail the topics you want addressed to . NYNMA Members FREE if you
pre-register by 7/10. To pre-register and for details:

FAM Tour Wrap-up

Saturday morning was the final farewell for participants of the Pennsylvania FAM Tour. After spending eight days traveling together, the goodbyes were both a sad and welcome event. During the course of our travels, our group became linked by the shared experiences that only come from a grueling adventure such as a road-trip. Thrown together, we formed friendships as we shared meals, conversations and a few small calamities along the way.

The Tour, which is a semi-annual event for travel writers, broke tradition by inviting members of the business press on the trek across the Keystone State. Scott Henry, Jeff Webster and Mark Horner from Bozell Kamstra, the state's PR agency for economic development and tourism, did a fine job planning and orchestrating the week. Holly Rys, Rick Dunlap and Rose Mape from the Department of Community and Economic Development for the State of Pennsylvania made sure that all our questions were answered and our needs fulfilled.

Business journalists - including myself, Rick Risemberg of the New Colonist, Nancy Fitzgerald of Scholastic, real estate writer Steve Viuker and Kristen Weiben, a reporter in training at the University of Wisconsin - saw a slightly different side of Pennsylvania than our companion travel writers. Our goal was to see how Pennsylvania is transforming its old industry base and beatifying its cities to create an attractive place to which businesses will to form the emerging markets of the future. 

Our first day was spent learning how the state's ivy-league university is participating in that vision. With the help of Tony Sorentino, marketing manager of Economic Development for the University of Pennsylvania, we were shuttled around the University of Pennsylvania and its urban campus, looking at incubators that foster the budding businesses of the university's grads and the remarkable facelift West Philly is receiving. Campus stores are being opened around the town, luxury loft spaces are being built in former factory spaces, and a new grocery store that puts New York City bodegas to shame has just been opened.

But West Philadelphia isn't the only part of the city being revitalized. Since the Republican convention in 2000, Market Street and the Old District have become the home of several new trendy bars and restaurants. And on a Monday night, the bistros in Rittenhouse Square were bustling with body-enhanced beauties and their muscle-pumped admirers. The city, which has always been a hotbed of fine restaurants, seems to have its own version of Steve Hansen, whose title is being disputed by Stephen Starr and Neil Stein. Starr recently added two new restaurants to his repertoire of four: Pod, a futuristic Japanese sushi cafe, and Alma de Cuba, a Havana-inspired hideaway on Walnut Street. Stein, the owner who once turned away the president for not reserving early enough at his other establishment, Striped Bass, just added a fifth eatery. Avenue B is a nouveau Italian restaurant that sits right on Broad Street, Philly's answer to Broadway.

On Tuesday, the tour headed out of the cosmopolitan comforts of Philadelphia and pushed into the steel-heart of the state. The first stop was Lehigh University. Kenneth Smith, Richard Sause and Mark Erikson showed us how the college is also trying to cajole grads into staying and working in the area. Besides its plans to build a more exciting city for its students by incorporating the campus into the main streets of the city, the university is also creating several business development and cultural programs for its students and town residents. Our group also had time to meet with Wayne Barz, the manger for Ben Franklin Technology Partners. The incubator, which is 15 years old, is state funded and recognized nationally for its business model. Barz said that the average resident stays about five years, a much longer maturation time than most dot.com incubators allow.

On Wednesday, the tour regrouped and traveled deeper into Pennsylvania's backwoods to York, Pa. The first stop was the Harley Davidson factory, where we saw a terrifying array of long and short mullets, and watched the coveted bikes being born from thin slabs of steel. Pfaltzgraff was the second stop. Fran Polk, the media representative for the pottery empire, was kind enough to host a catered lunch for the group. After we ate, he guided us around the factory to watch how the stoneware was born from clay out of the kiln.

The next stop on the itinerary was the battlefields of Gettysburg. I would have personally preferred to be left behind to wander the cute antique stores that lined the Main Streets of the town, but I saddled up and hoisted myself upon Torro, a broken down horse that bounced me across the sun-drenched fields for two hours. The day left most of us tired and not particularly fresh, but we boarded the vans for a three-hour trek to the Nemacolin Resort and Spa.

The Parisian-styled resort, owned by lumber tycoon Joseph Hardy, provided us with a welcome respite after the fog-filled mountain roads we traveled across. The 1,500-acre grounds boast a full-service spa, complete with signature treatments, a $10 million art collection, various French bistros and even a PGA-rated golf course.

Unfortunately our time at the resort was short. Thursday the team broke out into adventure groups. My destination: white-water rafting. Six of us put our faith into Mike McCarty, our leather-skinned river guide, for a trip down the Youghiogheny. Water-logged and sunburned, we returned to the resort only to quickly bathe and be escorted to dinner, where we were the guests of Joseph Hardy himself. Mr. Hardy gave the perfect "God Bless America" speech, which referenced the resort his riches bought, and then treated us to a luscious buffet of such country basics as BBQ chicken and potato salad.

Now, some of you may be wondering what white-water rafting and horseback riding have to do with a business trip. The mix of business and pleasure gave us a wonderful opportunity to see how the state, which already boasts rich natural resources and history, offers a superior quality of life for young professionals and growing businesses.

The final full day was back to business. The first stop on our route was Marconi, the British telecom equipment company whose American headquarters building is infamous for its strange, angled buildings, and another quick stop at Carnegie Learning, an educational software developer. Afterwards, it was on to more sightseeing: the Andy Warhol museum, Carnegie Mellon's campus, and a trip to the new PNC park to catch a Pirate's game. Dennis Yablonsky, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse, joined us in the press box, where he chatted with me about the mission of the consortium and the market for digital multimedia in Pittsburgh. While the catered fete added panache to the ball game, the real thrill was watching the Pirate's win it in their hometown.

The fire-works at the game's end were a symbolic way to finish our final night on the FAM Tour. While many of the journalists and reporters are bringing home their own stories and adventures, the important thing for our readers to remember is that there is a whole network of businesses, universities, programs and people outside our backyard. Tap into it.

Shakers & Stirrers and Bits & Bytes

Razorfish Names New Strategist
Razorfish Grabs a Coke
Quantum Invests in Praxid
Postal Service Goes Green
Blue Wave Flowing Fast
Livening up the Airspace
Razorfish and HBO Launch Site for Band of Brothers
Motorola Pauses
Webby Awards Rolls out the Red Carpet

The Week in Review

This week was filled with panels and parties, once again indicating that as the thermometer increases, so do the parties at least for the beginning of the summer months. On Monday, June 11, the New York Software Industry Association hosted a compelling conversation with Dr. James Hendler, co-author with Tim Berners-Lee of the May 2001 Scientific American article "The Semantic Web.

Two nights later, Thurston Smith, Vittoria Frua and supporters of the film "StartupNYC.com" were a part of the NY International Independent Film and Video Festival awards ceremony at Lot 61. Having won the Best Original Documentary category, there was much celebration and many martinis being served up. I chatted with filmmaker Austin Hill and Getty Images’ avid Editor William W. Gastelum. Karen Benedict, a model with Ford Models 12 + division, is in a new documentary (Curve-film.com) Thurston is working on a film that will premiere before Fashion Week at the Anthology Film Archives. Wednesday night was benefit night with the Montana Mafia Theater Company’s romantic comedy "Next Right." The company designated 100 percent of its ticket sales to @ngelwish.org. @nglewish grants wishes to children living with HIV/AIDS.

Publisher's Note ~ NY "Landmarks"

A sign of the times? NY landmark, for better or for worse Billy's Topless has undergone yet another transformation. After a Guiliani ruling, they changed their name to Billy Stopless, in an attempt to mask their true purpose. And in just the last few weeks, it has been gutted, painted and resurfaced as the Empire City Bagel! What a schmear!

TCS Intro ~ 6/15/01

Courtney Pulitzer's Cyber Scene ~ June 15, 2001

>> THIS WEEK
The Week in Review
3 million square feet -- going fast!
Space, Views, Cocktails -- a perfect summer kickoff
The Famous FAM Tour ~ by Gina M. Larson
Doing Business With Mexico ~ An E-Wired Future ~ by Mary Dawne Arden

The Cyber Scene in Denver ~ by Suzanne Lainson
The Cyber Scene in Los Angeles ~ by

>> REGULAR FEATURES
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Contact: courtney@pulitzer.com

>> PUBLISHER'S NOTE

A sign of the times? NY landmark, for better or for worse Billy's Topless has undergone yet another transformation. After a Guiliani ruling, they changed their name to Billy Stopless, in an attempt to mask their true purpose. And in just the last few weeks, it has been gutted, painted and resurfaced as the Empire City Bagel! What a schmear!

Space, Views, Cocktails -- a perfect summer kickoff

The June Cocktails with Courtney event was a departure from previous ones in a few respects. Normally we host them in an upscale restaurant or lounge. This month, we decided to take advantage of the gloriously spacious loft condominiums available at The Carl Fischer Building on. Instead of heavy, leather chairs and plush, velvet sofas, guests mingled around a raw concrete space with, of course, the signature confetti strewn about. This time, though, I threw caution to the wind as handful after handful of big, colorful confetti landed onto the floors and tables! Guests enjoyed an unlimited supply of Beef Wellington, zucchini and crudite. Desserts of chocolate brownies and strawberries dipped in chocolate followed. The wine and Bombay Sapphire flowed like honey.

Usually our large draw leaves some people feeling cramped in typically NYC-sized venues. But this 8,000-square-foot floor comfortably held our guests. And those who wanted to escape for a bit took a cocktail up to the roof deck for stunning views of the north, south, east and west. DJ Johnny Danger soothed harried and hot souls with some fine Sinatra selections and then mixed it up with equally hot 80s tunes.

The Carl Fischer Building, once a landmark for its sheet music publishing houses and signature music-note clock on the building’s side has been transformed into a new landmark building with high-speed Internet connections, huge creative loft arrangements and full-service building amenities. From music publishing to broadband living, the Carl Fischer Building offered a perfect setting for the creatively, technically and financially-savvy guests who came on Thursday’s Cocktails with Courtney.

3 million square feet--going fast!

It’s hard to believe, but DUMBO is almost entirely owned by David Walentas and his son, Jed. In the 1980s they saw this huge amount of space available in Brooklyn and snatched it up from the Helmsleys. Now, two decades later, they’re making a pretty penny from their original $6-per-square-foot property by developing it into one of the cities largest tech communities. It is so large that many of the 700 people who attended the DUMBO Summer Cocktail Party on June 14th were company principals from Manhattan coming to check out this burgeoning neighborhood. The buzz and curiosity about the neighborhood is significant and due in part to Two Trees Management’s ability to bring in high-tech tenants. Of course it doesn’t hurt that there are a number of trendy restaurants in the area. The cocktail party was held at Kino. Even Jacques Torres, the former executive chef of Le Cirque who has made desserts for the Pope and the last four presidents, has set up a chocolate factory in the hood! The monthly cocktail party for the Downtown Brooklyn Connected hosts "Broadband Brooklyn Bar Nights" will be at another trendy spot.

The Cyber Scene in Denver ~ by Suzanne Lainson

On June 14 I attended the Colorado Internet Keiretsu (http://www.cik.org) meeting, this time held on a patio at the Westminster Westin. The main attraction was go-kart racing provided by The Inside Lane (http://www.theinsidelane.com). Nearly everyone signed up to try it.

Among the 100-200 people in attendance, there were a number of familiar faces: Scott Price of CustomerCentrix (http://www.customercentrix.com), Ty Bohannon of eBusiness Strategies (http://www.ebusiness-strategies.com), Alan Kaplan of clickPlay (http://www.clickplay.com), Julie Jacobs of PHD Management Group (http://www.juliejacobs.com), Mark Weakley of Holme Roberts & Owens (http://www.hro.com), and David Hieb of Namewise. Dan Lubar of dataDistributions told me that he is putting together a book for McGraw-Hill's "Demystified" series on wireless text messaging.

Mike Gellman of SpireMedia (http://www.spiremedia.com) was there. His company has been generating some news lately. First, a site they designed for an electronic music duo known as "I am the World Trade Center" (http://www.iamluxe.com/worldtrade) has been selected as a Flash Film Festival finalist at Flashforward2001  (http://flashforward2001.com/flash/index_flash.html). They are in the experimental Flash category and would welcome votes at http://www.flashforward2001.com/ny/films/. Then the Denver Post noted that last week's Hot as Hell party got a little rowdy toward the end. You know you've hit the local big leagues when local business reporters take the time to mention your party carousing.

I also collected cards from some people who were new to me: Patrick Crowe of Kamper Crowe Development/Design, Rick Brotherton of Brotherton Strategic Branding & Design (http://www.brotherton.com), and Paul Dal Pozzo of Aquabox Design (http://www.aquaboxdesign.com).

I spent most of the evening talking to Yvonne Lynott of PR and marketing company Lynott & Associates and Robert Hensley, who runs the Internet marketing consulting firm Infront Webworks (http://www.infront.com) in Colorado Springs. Since collectively we had ties to a number of different Colorado towns (e.g., Trinidad, Silver Cliff, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Boulder), we swapped Colorado stories and compared notes on what we knew about each community.

On Friday June 15 I attended a conference on "Mexico's Revolution under President Fox," presented by LATGO (Latin America Trade and Technology Group) (http://www.LATGO.com) and Greenberg Traurig (http://www.gtamreicas.com). LATGO, under the leadership of President/CEO Fernando Barrutia Franco and COO Benjamin Gochman, has been bringing top Mexican business leaders to Colorado to strengthen ties between the two areas. I sat in on several sessions and this is what I picked up:

Mexico ranks just behind Japan and Canada in terms of receiving exports from Colorado companies.

Yeidckol Polevnsky Gurwitz, National Vice Chairman of CANACINTRA (Mexico's National Association of Manufacturers) noted that Mexico has been a closed society. The country's high interest rates discourage R&D investments and therefore Mexican companies are looking for outside sources of funding.

Some tips from Benjamin Aguilera, a lawyer with Greenberg Traurig in Phoenix: Attention and sensitivity must be paid to cultural differences. While you can conduct business in English, Spanish is important for developing rapport, conducting negotiations, and doing legal documentation. You should pay attention to Mexican laws, take them seriously, and get advice from people who know about them. You need a visa to do business in Mexico. Trained manpower for whatever you need is available in Mexico.

James Brancheau, with consulting firm Gartner Solista (http://www.solista.com/main.html), anticipates that mobile and wireless will be big in developing areas which lack traditional telecom infrastructure. As part of his presentation, he displayed an elaborate convergence chart.

Lunch was being held in two locations, downstairs, and also at the University Club. I wasn't sure which one I was supposed to attend, so I was advised to keep things simple and stay put. This gave me the chance to sit with Suzy Thevenet of Holme Roberts & Owen, who, I found out, not only handles legal matters for emerging business, but is fluent in Spanish. Also at the table was Rosalia Cruz from Internet Commerce & Communications (http://www.iccx.net) who was telling us that her company is setting up web resources and directories for Latinos in various communities around the U.S. Later in the day I talked to Elsa Saavedra of Saavedra Consulting, who facilitates communication between American and Latin American businesses, and Olga Maria Martinez, whose company, American Industries (http:www.alig.com), helps Americans set up factories and offices in Mexico. I also met Jim Bye, a partner in HRO's Denver office.

Then there was a cocktail reception hour and I headed home.

The Famous FAM Tour ~ by Gina M. Larson

Journalists from trade and business publications are trolling the state of Pennsylvania this week to see the forward thinking companies, new attractions and economic development projects that are pulling the state to our South away from its heritage of steel and lumber and forging a new future for its economy.

A group of ten reporters -- including yours truly -- gathered on Sunday night in Philadelphia at the new Parisian-styled Sofitel to kick off the eight-day trip. New media representatives such as Robert Fisher from Frommers.com and Rick Risemberg from the Newcolonist.com are also part of the group, which has kept a frenetic pace schmoozing with city engineers, university professors and CEOs.

Of course, the tour isn't all business. Monday night's hand-shaking event was held at the sophisticated Opus 251 restaurant housed in Philadelphia's old Rittenhouse Square. Michele Sharon from the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and Anthony Pipitone from The Center City District came out that night to share some sumptuous cuisine at the former Arts Alliance building which still plays host to art installations upstairs.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with the help of its PR group, Bozell Worldwide in Pittsburgh, orchestrated the tour, which is snaking its way through various cities from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. So while the traveling is taking a toll on this Cyber Scene correspondent, a full report of the destinations and highlights will be available here next week exclusively. Stay tuned.

Shakers & Stirrers -and- Bits & Bytes ~ 6/11/01

>> SHAKERS & STIRRERS
"Check out the site for the latest in who's movin' and shakin'!
For the whole scoop, go to:
http://www.thecyberscene.com/newyork/index.shtml"

Perlman Pledges Allegiance

>> BITS & BYTES
Send your news to: news@TheCyberScene.com
For the whole story, go to http://www.thecyberscene.com

Share, Share, That's Fair
Quantum Invests in Cellmania

The Cyber Scene in Los Angeles ~ by Kyrsten Johnson

The Layoff Lounge - May 30, 2001

This month out, the Layoff Lounge moved east to Pasadena. It was a great night for it, and the venue was in the 'basement bar and lounge' of Domenico's near Old Town. When I entered (a little late!), all eyes were on the speaker. The crowd was smaller than their other events, so I could

quickly locate the driving team behind the Layoff Lounge, Kelly Perdew and Jeremy Grocke, and asked them how things were going so far. They told me the smaller crowd was to be expected on this side of the city, but enough people had asked for an event out here, so they kindly obliged. They also told me that the Layoff Lounge has expanded well beyond California, and now they have monthly events in eight cities across the country, with hopes of launching three or four more during summer. They were both leaving for events the next day, and already had 500 RSVPs in anticipation of Thursday's San Jose event! I gave them my congratulations and attempted to give an ear to the speaker at the back of the room.

The speaker was Adam Miller, president of CyberU. He provided some very practical career-search advice to the crowd. He spoke briefly about how the industry got to this (low) point in the economy, where we could go from here, and how to look for the right job. He recommended that people find a career they really enjoy, not just'a job.' He also gave some sound advice on how to get an interview at a firm, how to research that firm and some salary-negotiation tips.

After Mr. Miller was done speaking, there was a break before the Karma Club started. So, I took the opportunity to talk with other attendees about why there were at the event. I met David Samuels of Blue Acumen who was looking for a 'New Biz Guru,' an entrepreneur who would be willing to help them build their integrated communications agency. They've been around since 1999, but are about to relaunch their site and company. David said he came to the event to see how it differed from the west side events, and to find out what types of backgrounds the attendees came from. He made a few connections that night, so I hope one of them panned out for him.

I also met two designer/directors looking for work, Suzanne Vasaeli and Merrilyn Romen. Suzanne is a freelancer on interactive web projects, and Merrilyn has her own company (www.mromen.com) that is focused on the entertainment and fashion industry. She told me she'd been to the last event at Westwood and really enjoyed the Karma Club and wanted to experience that again here. At that moment, Jeremy stepped up to the mic and told everyone to get ready to start the Club, so I was about to find out what it was all about!

Karma Club was Jeremy's brainchild based on late 90s dating practices where you would go to a venue and sit at a chair to interview a prospective mate for 30 seconds, then move one chair over and interview the next person. reat idea for networking, huh!? It’s like "speed dating meets job fair meets networking." Ten or so people choose a table littered with 'Post-it' note pads. Once the moderator starts the clock, you introduce yourself and why you're there (job, employee, partnership, etc.) The others at your table may have job leads or contacts that could help you. They jot it down on a 'Post it' note and hand it to you. This takes place in less than a minute. Then the next person speaks and you jot down leads for them! It was a fun idea, and a practical one too because it gets people actively communicating with each other; no more walking around and trying to read nametags! Also, the tables at this event were separated by industry focus, so you could really meet people of your interest. The tables were labeled as Business Development & Strategy, Operations & Finance, Marketing Strategy and Technology.

I sat at the Business table and heard from participants. Right after the first person, a self-employed consultant, gave his spiel, three people handed him 'Post-it' notes full of contacts. I decided to join in, and after introducing myself I received two notes of contacts! There was time to switch tables after a while, so you could really cover a lot of ground. The only people who were a bit disappointed by this scenario were the two women I met earlier, because they were the only creatively-focused people there. Most of the attendees fell into the four other groups I mentioned above, but Jeremy and Kelly tried to round up some other designer-types to talk with. In all, it was a very fun idea and well executed.

The sponsors of the event were Headhunter.net and UBS PaineWebber. Jeremy told me they had just signed a deal with Headhunter, whereby Headhunter sends city-based Layoff Lounge meeting notices to its job-seeker database before each event -- a great promotional deal for both companies and the seekers. Although I don't need a job, I hope to keep on attending and reporting on these meetings because the Layoff Lounge team is a very nice group of guys and they are exceptionally good at organizing their events!

The next meeting will be in the OC area on June 19th at Newport Beach, and the next LA event is TBD. See their site at www.layofflounge.com for more info.

ADV ~ Layoff Lounge

The Layoff Lounge is a nationwide, on and offline professional networking and career education company focused on delivering results to job seekers, employers and recruiters. Job seekers, employers and recruiters interested in learning more about The Layoff Lounge events can visit www.layofflounge.com.

ADV ~ NYC Venture Capital Conference

Attend the official 6th Annual New York City Venture Capital Conference & Showcase. July 8-10, Marriott Marquis Times Square.
The Premier Venture Capital event in New York City—Where the World Does Business! New format: 22 VC panels on SWAT tactics for your business; 40 elevator pitches; 8 advisory board panels. Over 100 VC speakers and business leaders from around the world!
Call 1-212-832-7334, email info@nycventureconference.com, or visit http://www.nycventureconference.com to register, exhibit, present, or sponsor. Presented by the New York City Economic Development Corporation with the New York Venture Group.

ADV ~ Chamber Dance

The Chamber Dance Project is a collaboration of gutsy, emotional, sensuous contemporary ballet and chamber music performed in an intimate setting. Their debut season, including two world-premiere ballets, will be performed
June 27th – 29th at the Marymount Manhattan Theater in New York City. Tickets for the opening night benefit and post-performance Tango Party on the 27th are $100. Performances on the 28th and 29th are $22. An outdoor family matinee ($15) and evening champagne and dessert benefit ($100) will
also be held at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Westchester on July 1st. To order tickets call (212) 626-9057.

Shakers & Stirrers and Bits & Bytes

Alternet.org Leads Internet Insurgence
CATA Finds Its Voice

The Cyber Scene in Denver ~ by Suzanne Lainson

The Colorado Internet Keiretsu (http://www.cik.org) had another one of its roundtables on June 7, again at Softbank's (http://www.sbvc.com) offices in Superior. This one, presented by Derek Scruggs (http://www.derekscruggs.com) as on email marketing. Derek had been with MessageMedia, but now works as an email consultant and a "satellite entrepreneur" at Softbank. As if that weren’t enough, he is also starting up Commercial Email Network.

Derek began his presentation by talking about 1-to-1 marketing, which involves identifying, differentiating and interacting with customers before customizing messages to them.

In order to identify those customers, he recommends that you start by asking for email addresses at every opportunity. Put this request on point-of-purchase materials, on direct-mail postcards, on billing statements and on order-fulfillment forms. You can also ask for those addresses when offering collateral materials (such as white papers), as well as in your "on hold" phone voice-overs, and in online and print ads.

If you choose to obtain names from a list broker, find out how they obtain email addresses. In order to protect yourself if the list is bad or misdirected, make sure the broker sends the messages for you. That way, the broker will be the offending party if the list turns out to be a spam list. Conversely, if you have developed your own email list, don't rent it to brokers because that reduces its value to you. If you want to share your list with other companies, it is better to create your own branded opt-in program that customers can choose to join.

Derek recommends that you put an opt-in form on your home page, rather than on a separate page. That way, visitors can easily sign up to receive email from you. And when they opt-in, ask if they prefer emails to come to them as text, HTML or rich media. Give them a choice of frequencies (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally), and make sure that the emails you send clearly indicate who is sending them and why.

When you make an initial contact with customers, ask them for a minimal amount of information. You can collect more as time goes on. Remember that customers want something from you, so make sure you deliver value with every message. Make opt-outs a simple process, and ask customers to recommend their friends to you. But don’t assume that you have those friends' permission to market to them.

Once you know how to contact your customers, there are ways to differentiate them, such as clickstream tracking, transaction analysis, and collaborative filtering. But a lot can be learned simply by asking them. Then once you know them, you can create dynamic messages which reflect their individual interests. Baby Center, for example, collects email addresses and due dates. Then it can target messages based on the stage of pregnancy and beyond. It doesn't bother to ask for income or location because those are unnecessary pieces of information.

There are many opportunities to individualize messages: offers, branding, banner ads, URL links and core content. Test everything you can.

Derek also displayed a massive chart showing all the various factors that should be considered when doing email marketing – a complex task that you’re better off outsourcing to specialists. You can find that chart, "The E-mail production cycle," along with the rest of Derek’s presentation at http://www.derekscruggs.com/cik/cik_email.ppt.

Like the last roundtable, the event boasted a full house. Among those in attendance were Softbank gurus Brad and Dan Feld, Jon Otsuki from GVLabs, Carl Kalin from the Jedi Group (http://www.jedigroup.com), Bernice German from Peak Achievement (http://www.peakachievementinc.com), Scott Price from CustomerCentrix (http://www.customercentrix.com), David Tabor from Tabor Interactive (http://www.taborinteractive.com), and John Dick from Cooperative Data Products (http://www.coopdataproducts.com).

Given that this meeting started at 8 a.m., the coffee, bagels, juice and muffins were a nice touch.

On June 8, creative agency SpireMedia (http://www.spiremedia.com) and cross media art and engineering firm Goog (http://www.googdesign.com) held their "Hot as Hell" party at the Goog Studios. This was a must-go party. I was told that more than 800 people had RSVPed. Spire Director of Marketing and Business Development Brandon Shevin seemed relieved that they didn't all arrive at once. Instead, people came in a steady stream throughout evening: first the after-work crowd, then the early evening crowd, then the party people. There were very few couples; most came by themselves or with friends.

Upon arrival, we picked out name tags from a big bowl. Well, you can't really call them name tags, since they didn't have our names. They were more like identifiers. Everyone was pawing through them to find a tag that fit. I took "I am defined by this tag." Someone else had "I'm horny." Another, who happened to be black, wore "I like white people." I also spotted one guy wearing "I like meat" and another with "Your father pays for my apartment."

Since no one had name tags, I could only note the familiar faces. Billion-dollar man Jared Polis (he founded and sold BlueMountain.com) made an appearance. Erika Brown, founder of NetGoddess (http://wwwnetgoddess.com) was there. So was the above-mentioned Derek Scruggs, who remembered me from his presentation the day before. There were assorted Spire folks, including President Paul Schrank, Vice President of Sales and Marketing Doug Meer, V.J. Patel and Brett Madden. CEO Mike Gellman introduced me to one of his best friends, someone from Chipotle Mexican Grill (http://www.chipotle.com). I think Mike said his friend was the marketing director. I didn't catch the name, and he didn't have a business card. But he did give me a card for a free burrito! Also in attendance were Donna Crafton, Jen Hofmeister and Marissa Peede of LH3 (http://www.lh3.com). I had a long talk about energy and the environment with Curtis Hart of 2c1h.com (http://www.2c1h.com).

Mike wrote on the invitation that the porta potties would be ready – and they were. If there were real bathrooms in the place, I didn't see any. The building was semi-industrial, with offices in the front and machine tools in the back. Mike also promised 12 DJs. Since there were two music stations, I presume the various DJs took turns throughout the evening, though I didn't attempt to keep track.

Lots of sushi and lots of vodka and beer kept our mouths busy. But no one was drinking to excess, at least not while I was there during the first half of the evening. And I was looking for displays of decadence. I had a conversation with an actress named Sarah about that. We decided that Denver's cowtown roots were probably too deep for the city to ever become truly decadent.

I suspect, however, that things got much livelier after I left. Around 9 p.m., it was getting to be wall-to-wall people. I even spotted a few costumes. Someone arrived in a tutu, and I caught one group with shaved heads, leather and chains (I'm guessing they were a group of DJs). Then I spent some time outside talking to Brad Spirrison, managing editor of eMileHigh (http://www.emilehigh.com), and Jon Fetzer, co-founder/VP of TamTam (http://www.tamtam.com).

Around 9:30 p.m., I went back in for one more tour. That’s when I ran into a wall of sound and decided that the decibel level had hit my pain limit. It was time for me to head back to Boulder. But I left knowing that, in true Spire fashion, this party was hitting its stride and the energy level was cranking up.

I stopped in at Boulder's Central Park on June 12 to catch Kari Nelson's Play for Life event (http://www.YourRecess.com/index.html). I wasn't sure what I would find or be coerced into doing, but it was fun. There was a test-your-strength carnival attraction where you had to ring the bell by slamming down a mallet. I was terrible at it. Then Kari and I rode around on a tandem bike that seated us side by side, rather front to back. If you pedal together, you go in a straight line. If only one of you pedals, you pivot. (I can see its potential for team-building exercises.) There was also a group of attractive jocks batting around enormous balloon-like balls. Several others were racing each other on the bungee run. The program will be happening all summer on Tuesday evenings and Wednesdays at noon. Each week will feature different activities and themes. A number of people brought their kids, so it looks like it might be a good way to combine business networking and family time.

Doing Business With Mexico ~ An E-Wired Future ~ by Mary Dawne Arden

On June 7, 2001 at the Plaza Hotel ballroom in New York City Julio Cesar Margain, COO for a dynamic and comprehensive online initiative of the Mexican Government and Chief of Staff for The Ministry of Transportation and Communications, gave an inspirational presentation to the United States - Mexico Chamber of Commerce. It is a New On-Line Communications System connecting Mexico to the World. This new initiative? Sistema -Mexico

President Fox has chosen the perfect person to lead Sistema e-Mexico. Dr. Margain holds Degrees in Astrophysics, Philosophy, and Systems Management from MIT, and Artificial Intelligence among many others. He has been a Professor of Cybernetics, Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Mathematics, History of Technology and many other advanced sciences. He has been Director of IT for Banco de Mexico, Aeromexico and many Government and Business projects too numerous to name here

Margain is a brilliant visionary who has the experience and ability to bring President Fox’s vision of a completely wired nation into REALITY. President Vincente Fox of Mexico is convinced that in order for Mexico to overcome the enormous socio-economic contrasts that exist among its regions, it is necessary to connect the country at all levels, offering the same access and opportunities to all of those who live in Mexico. To achieve this goal President Fox has launched an on-line system that will connect all of Mexico.

This Sistema e-Mexico will connect Mexico at the Federal, Regional, State and Municipal levels. It will make Mexico a completely WIRED Nation. It will create the Portal e-Mexico that will open its doors to the world. It will offer unlimited business opportunities in e-commerce, telecommunications infrastructure and software development.

The Mexican Government wants to support and encourage any companies that want to take advantage of this incredible opportunity to become part of this new e-Mexico that is unfolding today and will bring Mexico into the position of a major player in the international business and technology world. For more information please go to the Website listed below or contact the U.S. Mexico Chamber of Commerce. http://www.e-mexico.gob.mx/