Most of the team will be in San Francisco today preparing for the Crunchies at 7:30 pm. We’ll have light news coverage and a couple of updates throughout the day around the ceremony and party afterwards (we’re still trying to fit yet more people in based on the fire codes – we’re adding tickets to inventory here as we can) and we’ll likely give away a free pair of tickets in the early afternoon.
We have a lot of surprises in store…and yes, we are almost certainly going to be able to live stream the event on the participating blogs (VentureBeat, ReadWriteWeb and GigaOm) with technology and support provided by Mogulus.
Stay tuned…
For those of you coming: Be at the Herbst Theater by 7 pm. Directions are linked on the right sidebar, here.
..and the winners are…?
Good luck to all the finalists.
Have any particular purpose this event?
Its tough to get nominated but if you do the exposure is great. I’ve been watching this for a while and its basically a way to get your name out for the community. The community being VCs and other tech blogs. The exposure is great but the effort is huge.
I tried it for my site but its tough to compete with some of the marketing machines out there. You can always embedd a Crunchie vote thingy in your site but it messed with my look and feel too much. Crunchies, “Please make the vote widget more appealing and less in your face.” I want to be nominated but I also like my users.
Didn’t blend well with the look of: http://www.arkayne.com
Other than that there is always next year.
Gotta love the trophy – one of the best around.
Just need some tearful company crushing acceptant speeches and you’ll be away…
It would be ideal that these events were made to support a cause in common. For example, the collected thing in the sale of tickets can be donated to a non-profit organization.
guatemalanadoption.info/
The profits of tonight’s award show will go to benefit the Michael Arrington Vacation Foundation. Conrats to all involved.
Stop attacking Micheal! He is free to do whatever he wants with his money! He worked his ass off for his check and now hes reaping the benefits. So what if others starve? They didn’t start Techcrunch. He has no obligation to donate money whatsoever.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
This is a self-serving promotion that serves no purpose beyond propping up Techcrunch.
I thought most readers here wouldn’t go for such….
Maybe you guys need to just park your asses on some other blog. Free speech is one thing, but to stand in one man’s back yard and do this is foolish. If you did that real time in my back yard, I knock your ass off.
So where are the after-parties?
This is one of a handful posts I’ve ever made on any blog, but I have to hand it to you Michael: the design of that award is really, really great.
Am I right interpreting it as /2001: A Space Odyssey/ meets ?
I want that on a t-shirt.
about the thousands of small startups that were led to believe that these awards were about promoting small startups, only to be stiffed after spamming their users, family, friends etc. to vote for them.
It was a real eye opener the sheer amount of negative comments that followed after the announcement of the finalists (which were all deleted) in response to what amounted to a had picked group of those on the catwalk. The vast majority of ‘finalists’ are funded, have been around for years and really don’t fall under the term startup to which these awards were pitched.
If you had been clear up front MA this would haven’t have back fired as it evidently has with a mass boycott of the event so much so your now giving away the tickets.
Is it a cereal?
no, it’s a startup award event.
Michael Arrington: Countdown To Crunchies Tonight
Jonnie@13: Is it a cereal?
Michael Arrington: no, it’s a startup award event.
And the winner gets that cool award – wow!
The first thing that came to my mind when I saw that Award.. “Code Monkey” by Jonathan Coulton
I’m pretty sure most of the traveled internet peeps have at least heard of him. I suggest a listen.
Wish I could go to the Crunchies. Alas I am stuck in Minneapolis at an Uplink Facility. Hope it goes great!
Michael, my CTO got into an accident this morning!!! Is it possible for me to get my other colleague to take his place instead? I understand there are no transfers but it would be awesome if you’ll allow my other colleague to come!
Don’t understand why people are so quick to jump to negative conclusions about people’s motives. I’d like to remind people of all of the wonderful things that TechCrunch has done for this community. If one is not involved in event planning it is difficult to know just how much effort is required to complete an event of this nature.
A reminder: “The Crunchies is a collaboration project between GigaOm, Read/WriteWeb, VentureBeat and TechCrunch. Best of all, the internet community is invited to choose who wins. Twenty award winners will be announced live at the ceremony at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco on January 18, 2008 at 7:30 pm. $10 from each ticket sold will be donated to the American Heart Association.”
Let’s see now … 839 tickets sold with $10 each donation … that means $8,390 donation to the American Heart Association. Not a bad night’s work!
That’s a huge gift in the present economy.
Thanks, Michael. Keep up the good work!
everett – you need to email tanya at techcrunch about that asap.
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Pinehead -
“Do you really think that GigaOm R/W Web, VentureBeat and TC sat around and said, “Gee, what’s the best way that we can give back to the community that has supported us all these years?””
Yes, actually, that is exactly what we did.
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Pinehead – other than trolling, what are you doing to help startups, or anyone?
Great answer Mike.
Way to dodge the question.
I’m deleting your comments. This kind of negativity doesn’t do anyone any good. If you don’t like the event, don’t go. Don’t like the blog, get off it. Leave those of us who want to celebrate startups and donate $10k to the american heart association to our blissful ignorance.
Mike, can you please make the address for the theater easier to find?
monkeys on the mind again, eh Michael?
aandarian – see last sentence of post above (which i just added)
what if we’re late?? will the doors close on us?