Insights

Virtual Conferences: Moving Forward

One of the niceties’ of building a tech company in the southeast is the friendly competition we have between the various regions. CED Venture Connect and Venture Atlanta both claim to host “the largest gathering of venture investors in the southeast” and truth be told they are both fairly large regional conferences,both really important and both really good at introducing investors who invest in the southeast and southeast companies looking for investors. 

Impacts Of COVID-19

COVID has of course dramatically changed the way conferences are hosted. It is difficult finding ways to showcase the companies and facilitate connections. Of course, the missing elements the virtual world hasn’t replaced (at least not yet) are the chance encounters, or the opportunistic meetings when people with similar interests are suddenly elbow to elbow in the coffee line, lunch tale or drink cart.

Upcoming Venture Atlanta

Like every other big event,this year Venture Atlanta will be a live online event from October 21-22, 2020. Venture Atlanta Live Online is not a webinar or another video call but rather a streaming live event for two days of immersive experiences and opportunities to connect. The team at VA is comparing the upcoming Venture Atlanta to your favorite morning show, Apple’s live product releases, and even stand-up comedy streaming on Netflix. It sounds like an experience you don’t want to miss.

Help Raise North Carolina’s Profile

While super-regional events like Venture Atlanta are collaborative, they are also competition. Last year, less than ten NC-based tech companies were on stage. This year we need to show up with a lot more (it would be nice to see fifty). Given that we average almost 200 companies closing venture funding every year, this really should not be hard and a great way to show the rest of the southeast why North Carolina is a great place to start and grow a business. Apply now

If you are raising money now, or plan to raise anytime in the next 6 months, this is a must attend event in the southeast. Applications are being accepted through August 28 and companies will be notified of selection on September 18, with a public announcement on September 28.  Venture Atlanta is seeking companies in all stages to apply, from very early stage to growth, from Texas to DC. There are a number of benefits this year, check them out and don’t miss the deadline!