Oliver Marks was kind of enough to come by the TechWeb office and do a brief interview with me about the Launch Pad program for Collaboration 2.0 on ZDNet. I’ve re-posted his post below, and you can find the full story on ZDNet here.

If you’re an Enterprise 2.0 entrepreneur, you’ve got until August 30 to Twitter pitch #e2conf-lp Paige Finkelman of the US Enterprise 2.0 Conference your ‘Launch Pad’ contest entry for consideration by the jury (which includes me), and broader audience votes.

The contest, to be held at the West Coast US edition of the show in November, is open to all Enterprise 2.0 vendors of any size that have launched or announced something new in 2010.

Paige spells things out above and you can find more details on the E2.0 blog, with rules and key dates listed on the official Launch Pad site.

Innovation is the lifeblood of any space, and you may find yourself on stage with Paige in November if your Enterprise 2.0 offering makes it to the finals, providing you with valuable exposure.

The concept of a Twitter pitch is a powerful one: simply send a tweet containing the hash tag #e2conf-lp and your contest entry from your Twitter account to get into the running.

Here’s a video archive of past finalists…I’m looking forward to seeing the new crop of entries and ideas…

Thanks again Oliver!

All that stands between you and presenting on the Enterprise 2.0 Santa Clara keynote stage is one Tweet. A mere 140 characters.

One week remains for enterprise 2.0 / collaboration vendors to Twitter pitch #e2conf-lp and tell the E2.0 team and Launch Pad Jury what you’re up to in 2010. The Launch Pad contest is open to all enterprise 2.0 companies - big or small - that have released or announced something new in 2010. A new product, a new version, a new partnership or integration point - so long as the announcement was made this year, it counts.

You can find more info on the E2.0 blog, and rules and key dates are listed on the official Launch Pad site.

Craft those 140 characters carefully and let her rip! Twitter Round 1 closes on Monday, August 30th. Looking forward to your submission, and best of luck with the contest!

Are you an enterprise 2.0 company up to something cool in 2010? Launch Pad wants to know about it. The Launch Pad contest has been a part of the Enterprise 2.0 Conference for many years, providing a platform for innovation to shine on the keynote stage.

Who qualifies?

The contest is open to all enterprise 2.0 companies - big or small - that have released or announced something new in 2010. A new product, a new version, a new partnership or integration point - so long as the announcement was made this year, it counts.

How do I enter?

Well, things start off rather simply. Beginning August 9th, 2010, you have until August 30th, 2010 to make your Twitter pitch to the Launch Pad hashtag: #e2conf-lp. We want to hear, in 140 characters or less, what makes you Launch Pad worthy.

Then what?

After Twitter submissions close on August 30th, myself and the esteemed Enterprise 2.0 Launch Pad Jury will vet the entries and choose our 8 favorite. Those 8 will then be asked to create a 3 minute video demoing their product. We’ll open up a community vote on September 20th, 2010. The four videos with the most votes will be asked to demo on the keynote stage at Enterprise 2.0 Santa Clara on November 10th, 2010. The contest culminates with a live audience vote to select the Launch Pad winner. More info on rules and key dates here.

Any cool prizes?

Of course. In addition to the exposure our Launch Pad qualifiers receive with their involvement in the program, our Final Four receive a special publicity package to help get as much buzz as possible out of the contest.

To get a taste of what our previous winners have submitted, take a peek at our video archive.

Looking forward to your Tweets starting August 9th!

What a week!

Boasting out largest conference program to date - with over 100 speakers and 60 sessions - Enterprise 2.0 Boston 2010 seriously rocked.  I want to take a moment to look back over the week and highlight some of the awesomeness.

Let’s not forget:

• You can check out all the keynotes on E2TV (simply register and you’re all set)
• Our very own Alex Dunne played paparazzi throughout the event - check out his photos here
• You can download all the presos from our keynoters & sponsored sessions here
• Over 65 pieces of news & coverage came out of the event, and 100 members of the press and media attended the show
• Press releases, including exhibitor announcements, rolled out strongly throughout the week

Phew.

Bring on E2 Santa Clara - mark your calendars for November 8 - 11, 2010.

It’s great seeing the #e2conf stream come alive - folks are pouring into the Westin Boston Waterfront from all around the globe to gather at Enterprise 2.0 with one common objective: to listen, learn and share their stories about collaboration in business.

Just as Enterprise 2.0 brings together like minded E2.0 adopters from all parts of the world, the World Cup 2010 in South Africa simultaneously has fans glued to their screens to support their talented countrymen play the beautiful game. Good news for all you soccer fans at Enterprise 2.0 - the Westin has set up a massive screen for the games in the Lobby, and you can grab a schedule from the Concierge (I’ve already snagged mine).

Tomorrow the conference begins at 8:30 am with workshops running till 4:15 pm, and afterwards we have a special program taking place on Monday night starting at 4:30 pm called Evening in the Cloud.

For all you #e2conf veterans, Evening in the Cloud will be a familiar program as this is our 3rd year doing it in Boston. Each year the format has changed slightly, and this year the topic is Which Collaboration Backbone is Right for You?

David Berlind will open the program with a 30 minute overview of the cloud collaboration market, the major players in the market, and touch on why the market is changing so rapidly. After his overview, Sean Poulley from IBM will provide a 15 to 20 minute demo of LotusLive Online Collaboration Services, and then join Bill McNee, Founder and CEO of Saugatuck Technology and Yuvi Kochar, Vice President of Technology / Chief Technology Officer of The Washington Post Company for an hour long discussion about choosing one’s cloud collaboration partner.

Panel Moderator:
David Berlind
Chief Content Officer, TechWeb

Panelist:
Yuvi Kochar
Vice President – Technology, Chief Technology Officer, The Washington Post Company

Panelist:
William S. McNee
Founder and CEO, Saugatuck Technology

Panelist:
Sean Poulley
Vice President, LotusLive Online Collaboration Services

After the panel concludes, a cocktail reception will begin and the audience will have a change to grab a drink, mingle with the panelists and get a closer looks at LotusLive. Evening in the Cloud is open to all registered Enterprise 2.0 attendees. Look forward to seeing you tomorrow night!

Premier Sponsor

Just a mere weekend away from Enterprise 2.0 Boston 2010, the E2 team is heads down, focused on last minute details, and very excited about the show next week. It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work and we can’t wait to see the finished product in action.

Believe it or not, we’re now in our 6th year in Boston.  The event has made significant strides and we expect Boston 2010 to seriously rock - some highlights include:

• a stellar keynote lineup
• tons of exhibitors on the show floor
• 100 members of the media ready to cover the event
• deep dive workshops on Monday
• and don’t forget, our Attendee Party, sponsored by IBM, is on a BOAT

Despite all of these awesome highlights, the thing I’m most excited about this year is our involvement with NSTAR’s Walk for Children’s Hospital Boston.

Continue Reading »

The E2.0 community has spoken! Having survived the Twitter pitch, Jury selection and community vote, these four companies will demo live on stage at Enterprise 2.0 Boston on June 16, 2010.

Please help me in congratulating the Enterprise 2.0 Boston 2010 Launch Pad Final Four.

1. Baydin Inc.

2. Doodle

3. InnovationCast

4. MindQuilt

Ding ding. Round 2 is upon us…

The Jury has chosen their 8 favorite submissions, our entrants churned out videos with lightning speed and now it’s time for the Enterprise 2.0 community to vote for their favorite.

The four companies with the most votes will be crowned the Final Four and move on to the final round to present live on the keynote stage at the Enterprise 2.0 Conference on June 16th in Boston, MA.

Make it count - one email per vote - cast it here.

The clock is ticking and today is the last chance to submit for the Enterprise 2.0 Boston Launch Pad.

What do I have to do?

Not much. Just Tweet to #e2conf-lp and tell us in 140 characters or less why you deserve to present at Launch Pad.

What makes me Launch Pad worthy?

If you’re launching a new product, recently formed a new partnership, are sporting a new integration point or have added a new feature between January 1 and December 31, 2010, we welcome your Tweet. It can be a peek behind the kimono of future announcements or something your company just recently rolled out.  We also require that your company is in the Enterprise 2.0 space. Here’s a brief list of the types of technologies we consider E2.0.

Does it cost anything to enter?

Nope. There’s no fee to enter and if you make it to the Final Four, you’ll get the chance to demo in front of a live audience on the keynote stage.  Check out some footage from the Enterprise 2.0 San Francisco Launch Pad last November to get a taste of what the live contest feels like.

You’ve got till end of day today to Tweet to #e2conf-lp - good luck!

Calling all E2.0 vendors!

You have 4 more days to get your Launch Pad Tweets in - we’ll close submissions end of day on Monday, April 19th.

You’ve probably been working hard and polishing those 140 characters to get them just right. To enter simply Tweet to #e2conf-lp. After the 19th, our Jury will chose their 8 favorite Tweets and if selected, you’ll move on to the next video round.

What’s in it for you?

• Opportunity to demo live on the E2.0 Boston keynote stage on June 16. 2010
• A Publicity Package that includes lots of PR love
• Final Four branding around the Launch Pad program
• The fame & glory of being crowned the E2.0 Boston 2010 Launch Pad Winner!

More information on key dates can be found on the official Launch Pad website. Best of luck to everyone submitting!