ePatient Connections 2009

Controversy and Exploration at the ePatient Connections 2009 conference!  I e-xperienced both aspects at the conference when ListenLogic attended its first ePatient conference on the 26th and 27th of October 2009.  Plus all the coffee I could drink.

ListenLogic came as a team of three.  First thing I noted, besides how cold it was (a smart way to keep everyone awake) was the layout.  The speaker’s stage, the round tables, the sponsors’ booths (ListenLogic, Klick, Red Nucleus, Avantera), and the tutor stations were all inside the ball room.  Everyone together!  One big happy group of friends -by the end of the conference everyone really was either friended, connected, or linked.  Regarding the setup though, it made for a productive event, with everything the conference had to offer all in one room, except for the coffee of course (but everyone knew where that was anyway).

A highly produced conference, this gathering was one for all ages and personalities.  All sorts of tweeters and youtubers attended -everyone had a desire to learn about e-health, to e-xplore it and understand how to be a part of it in the future.  Short presentations -10 minutes is plenty of time to say what you need to say – kept everyone alert and regular coffee (so many things to keep people alert) breaks allowed good circulation throughout the day.

Controversy over PHRMA and FDA disagreements became a stream of open-minded and productive discussions.  Some progress at the least.  Maybe not as much as everyone had hoped on particular topics.

One complaint!  Social media conferences attract social media users.  During presentations, way too many people were too focused on their gadgets and not focused enough on what the presenters had to say.  This is coming from a generation Y’er, it’s no longer an age thing.  Be a part of whatever is happening in the e-world, but please don’t forget to listen…

-Andy

Two Conferences!

ListenLogic will be attending two exciting upcoming conferences next week!

1. iMedia’s Breakthrough Summit – October 25-28, 2009 in Henderson, Nevada

This summit is a big opportunity for ListenLogic to get some great exposure in the industry. From their site: “iMedia’s Breakthrough Summit delivers a mix of great content focused on exploring the issues and opportunities in emerging digital platforms and applications presented within a deliberately designed collaborative schedule.”

2. ePatient Connections 2009 – October 26-27, 2009 in Philadelphia, PA

As ListenLogic has the perfect listening platform for any company in the pharmaceutical industry, this eHealth conference will surely help us make the right connections.  From their site: “Reach empowered, digital health consumers with innovative eMarketing and social media E-Patient Connections 2009 is the one conference you need to attend to make sense of the radical changes taking place in health marketing.”

Angel Venture Fair 2009

A week ago, on Tuesday, April 7th, ListenLogic attended The 11th Annual Angel Venture Fair (AVF) at the Union League (quite an elegant venue, I must say) in Philadelphia, PA.  The fair is organized every year by the Private Investors Forum (PIF), “a non-profit consortium of accredited private investors and angel investor groups in the Min-Atlantic region.”

About 35 companies were in attendance this year with 24 chosen to present throughout the day.  Selection of these companies was determined following the AVF’s Selection Day on February 24th.  ListenLogic was picked to be one of the companies presenting at the fair.  One of the benefits that came along with being a presenter was a free coaching session with Michele Masterfano Marketing, Inc. (website mm:m).  Michele provided us with some excellent feedback about our presentation. Thank you, Michele!  Mark presented once in the morning and once in the afternoon.  With each company presenting twice, investors don’t miss out on anything due to scheduling conflicts.

All companies were given exhibit space in the main hall with one table each.  We set up our logo and screen-shot posters along with two laptops for demos (there was WiFi, of course).  I brought my camera, but forgot to take a picture of our display… next time!

The event was great!  Well-run and very professional.  Lots of interested investors and diverse start-ups… high-tech, low-tech, no-tech!  We had someone manning our table at all times, ready to answer questions, exchange info, or do a quick demo of our impressive product.  Every conversation we had at AVF contributes to the progression of ListenLogic.  Thoughtful networking and open growth adds value!

Other highlights of the event include: bagels for breakfast; wraps for lunch; casual cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres to end the day; cameraman Mark (?) who was filming and conducting interviews with various AVF guests (including myself!); Fountainhead Networks reps, Ed and Jess, who also caught bits of the event on video; and Congressman Joe Sestak’s comments on the present state of the economy and the role of small businesses – quote: “The real stimulus is you.”  After his talk he took questions from the audience – a nice guy to take the time to come speak at the event!

But it’s not just an event!  AVF is a three-month long process with benefits that can extend far into the future for successful companies.  ListenLogic feels proud and privileged to be a part of AVF 2009.  We’ve been able to make and maintain some fantastic contacts in all parts of the industry by participating.

Thank you to Valerie Gaydos (Executive Director of AVF), Richard Levin (Chairman of PIF) and everyone else who make AVF possible… the executive planning committee, the application judges, the presentation judges, and the event volunteers all listed here!

AVF Fact: “More than 75% of all companies presenting at the Angel Venture Fair received some sort of financing from angels since April 2007.”

- Gail

1st Annual Entrepreneur Expo – Philly Style

ListenLogic was one of the 40-some exhibitors at The Entrepreneur Expo last night at the Science Center in Philadelphia.  The event was presented by Philly Startup Leaders, Inc. and was quite a success!  Hundreds of people stopped by during the 6pm – 9pm event time to browse all the ambitious and exciting ventures of Philly’s entrepreneurs.

Who’s Coming? ListenLogic is! Thanks to Gloria Bell of Red Stapler Consulting, who did most of the logistics, we were featured on The Expo’s website prior to the event.  Check it out!

Table #10! ListenLogic arrived early and grabbed some prime real estate in the exhibit hall, a bleak and empty, drywall-exposed room that quickly turned into a high-energy and crowded, temporary incubator buzzing with chatter as guests began filling up the aisles. I think the event’s high attendance demonstrates the city’s interest in and support of local entreprenuership (I’m sure the $0.00 price helped, too).

Need more business cards! I quickly ran out of business cards as more and more curious individuals stopped by our booth. What attracted them? I have a few ideas… our awesome posters (props to LTL Prints), our awesome name/logo (we got compliments on both!), and/or our awesome selves (that would be Mark, Brian, and I, thank you very much).

“WOW! That’s really cool.” The majority of people who visited the ListenLogic table didn’t just grab a card and jet.  No sir! They stuck around for an average of 3 minutes and 23.7 seconds (this is a guesstimate) talking with us and viewing our “slick” demo, which was LIVE since the hall had speedy WiFi!  I got some great facial expressions and initial reactions in response to our powerful and easy-to-use listening tool.

“This is the best idea I’ve seen all night!” True story! That’s a direct quote from one of our visitors, who talked to Brian. And he didn’t even know him! Promise! And promising! Last night was truly encouraging for us here at ListenLogic.  I mean, we knew we had something pretty great, but you never really know until you throw it to the public and let them chew on it for a bit.  ListenLogic is proving to be quite tasty.

So here’s a big THANK YOU to everyone who stopped by at The Expo… your feedback and support is always appreciated.

Until next time, keep on listening.

- Gail