Triangle-based TechMedia has renamed its Southeast Venture Conference to the Fusion Conference, with the first event flying under the new name set for June 7-8, 2017 in Washington, DC. WRAL Techwire conducted a question and answer session with Eric Gregg, who heads TechMedia with partner Scott Hedrick, to talk about the name change and the first Fusion event in June.
Why make the change in direction? why the fusion name?
Gregg: Investment capital is more mobile than ever as investors look for great opportunities and successful startups are increasingly bringing in top talent that may not be located within walls of their HQ office. We looked to follow those trends and dissolve our own geography constraints as we expand from the Southeast Venture Conference into Fusion. With Fusion, we are looking to bring together top flight growth companies and combine that with smart investment capital…so in combining of fusing those worlds together, the name fell into place. This year, we’re also bringing in a strong strategy component for those operating in the digital world – with leading experts discussing the latest trends and best practices in areas like digital marketing strategy and many other company growth initiatives.
Do you believe this event will still appeal to entrepreneurs and startups looking for exposure and funding? please explain:
Gregg: Certainly, that’s the root of the event. Outside of networking with investors from around the US and fellow entrepreneurs, there is even more content that can help entrepreneurs plot both their fundraising and organization growth strategies from top flight speakers.
Why pick DC area as the venue? will future events move around as it has in the past?
Gregg: DC is super accessible and central for east coast attendees, has easy access for those coming from other parts of the country and is a short hop for venture capital coming from New York and Boston. Obviously, it’s just a short flight or reasonable drive from the Triangle as well. We may continue to move the event around, we’ll evaluate after this year.
What are the top 3 or 4 reasons why you believe investors, startups and wannabee entrepreneurs should attend?
Gregg: At the end of the day, this event is about forging new relationships among those driving the digital and capital ecosystem. Beyond that, there will be some phenomenal speakers that are bringing both inspirational and insightful content to the lineup…iconic folks like Seth Godin and leading venture and tech brands. For those who are thinking about getting into the startup world, face to face connections are essential and whether it’s this event or other similar events – they need to put themselves out there to build those relationships that are going to be key for success. This event has so much packed into a short time frame for minimal cost.
There are also further discounts available for qualifying startups as our goal is to make this event accessible to everyone, not just those companies who have already obtained funding.
How will startup and presenting companies be selected? when does process begin?
Gregg: We’re in the process now of hand selecting presenting companies. While the selection committee does consider companies from a variety of sectors, the presenters will primarily be from digital economy – software, martech, ecommerce, mobile, cloud, etc. Presenters will range from seed stage to later stage pre-IPO companies. At the end of the day, we’re looking for the next superstars in their respective industry that are going to really get the audience excited to see what they are working on.
The deadline to submit to be a presenter is May 5th.
How will startup and presenting companies be selected? when does process begin?
Gregg: We’re in the process now of hand selecting presenting companies. While the selection committee does consider companies from a variety of sectors, the presenters will primarily be from digital economy – software, martech, ecommerce, mobile, cloud, etc. Presenters will range from seed stage to later stage pre-IPO companies. At the end of the day, we’re looking for the next superstars in their respective industry that are going to really get the audience excited to see what they are working on. The deadline to submit to be a presenter is May 5th. Applicants can simply send over a short executive summary or other company brief to present@techmediaco.com
This year’s Fusion event in DC features some names familiar to those who attended previous SEVC conferences, such as best selling business author Seth Godin, ChannelAdvisor founder and former CEO, Scot Wingo, and its usual linup of speakers from top digital brands and investors, including Facebook, Google, airbnb, Forbes, intel, Uber, Andreessen Horowiz, Microsoft and many more.
Fusion event info
