im still recovering from web 2.0 after a freeway tire blow out

http://troutgirl.wordpress.com.....-startups/

LiveOps has a CEO from EBay, CTO from Netscape… wonder if Andreessen is involved?

I’ll pay $2,000 dollars if…during the big “Conference”…you get on stage for 10 minutes and demo the release of the “Michael Arrington” action figure…and then give away free purple capes to the first 10 people that visit your booth after the speech. Come on man…I just moved here from 2,000 miles away…I’m eating oatmeal 4 times a day to save money…soon to be launching a site i’ve been working on since August, I read about this conference, I get excited…only to find out you’re asking $2,495 for a ticket. I can’t even eat hamburger twice a week and you’re asking for $3,000 from me.

-make admission free (limited to capacity, of course)
-cover the costs with sponsor contributions (what do these go towards currently, anyway??)
-mike, you make your money for being such an altruist off all the extra ad revenue from your site during your coverage of the event. just make sure to have the best coverage, so everyone else that is there blogging will be sure to link back to you.
-proceed tooting altruistic horn

it’d be a shitton more popular, it’d help out the companies more by building more buzz from people interested in their products for the products (not the dollar signs), improve our education system, and reduce the dependence on foreign oil.

Let me re-iterate: I’m not condemning this at all - and yes, people looking for investments have deep pockets and won’t bat an eyelid - and yes, conferences ‘like’ DEMO are a GREAT idea..

No doubt this will sell out.
But in more ways than one?

Is it for the ‘elite’ only?

Could you possibly justify / breakdown the costs please?

I would love to compare what you are offering against another conferences, like the wonderful Gnomedex (where I first met you) which is proven for 6 six years.

Gnomedex 3 days full at a conference center with food and facilities for $499?

TechCrunch 2.0 for 2 days for $2000?

The funny thing is - most of the same people will be at both, I’d wager.

thx.

I’m really quite flabbergasted at this

Why not setting the deadline by,say, the end of July? That gives you 1 whole month to select the winners and then they have 15 days to put their act together (all candidates should aim for that the moment they submit their application anyway). Also the fact that theyhave to “show it here first” plays against them when the time between the deadline and the event is this long.

PS: I’m not planning to submit anything. I’m thinking for other folks and of course you can do whatever you htink it’s best. I’m just sending some feedback your way.

Take the $2,000 and fund a “2.0 company”. That’s what it costs nowadays, right? Then make something sooo cool that you’ll be selected.

There, now you’re in for free, you’ll show your goodies to the world, and you even have one startup under your wings. All for the prize of one pass

http://www.salesforce.com/events/dreamforce/

Unless of course that you are going to give the chosen startup all the cash you rake in at the door? What is the prize for the winner btw?

I have an idea for you, the winner gets the door money in exchange for 5% of stock which is given to CrunchBank.

oh, well.. I had a look at TC20, interesting and I am in SF atm and would love to come. But I dont think I can afford the 1700+ USD ticket. Is there anyway you can let a student in?
Please email me at d@ liveandbeyond. com , I would really appreciate it!

thanks

http://www.scribd.com/doc/32976/Submission-Form

you can view the form inside the browser without MS word. I converted it to html, but you can view it inside of flashpaper if you’d prefer.

There’s certainly no shortage of high-profile opportunities for startups nowadays.  The creme de la creme is no doubt Demo where 70 startup can pitch, get courted by VC’s and enjoy unprecedented publicity. High profile, professional, and (…