Enterprise Nation

In the early 2000’s, I would make an annual pilgrimage to a conference in the US called Real Time. It was hosted by top American business magazine, Fast Company, and it provided all the wisdom and inspiration I needed for the year. Unfortunately, Real Time is no more and I’ve been searching for something similar ever since.

In Real Time

Why did I take on the expense and take out the time to attend this annual event?

Location – Real Time was always held in a top location; Miami, San Diego to name but two. The venue hotels were exquisite so the trip doubled as a holiday!

Programme – the speakers were nothing short of amazing. Through attending Real Time events, I heard great people speak like Seth Godin, Tim Sanders, Bill Strickland (a particular favourite) and Elliot Spitzer (who was great at the time but has since fallen from grace)

I remember it like it was yesterday. As they spoke, I would sit like an excited child making notes and taking it all in. There was still so much left to learn about business and the commercial world.

Real Time’rs – the hundreds of people who attended were also inspirational. Few came from the UK, it was mainly a US audience but everyone was working on something exciting and what they felt would be ‘the next big thing’ – the energy was palpable over the 2 days of this grand, business love-in.

But Real Time came to an end. Fast Company was sold and the events were discontinued. I was a sad Brit that day.

Life after Real Time

I haven’t though stopped the search for something that resembles Real Time; an event you can attend each year that informs, inspires and feels like a family gathering.

Picnic

So I was delighted to see in 2006 news of Picnic – a new event to be held in Amsterdam that had a shockingly good line-up of speakers including the founders of Second Life and Craigs List.

I went. I participated. I came home.

The design, branding and layout of Picnic is fantastic (and I’m going back again this year to do some market research ..more on that in a minute) but there was a certain something missing. Maybe my expectations were too high.

Nonetheless it was a special weekend that I’ll not forget.

Carson Systems

Like that excited child of the early 2000’s, I got excited again in 2007 when I spotted a Carson Systems Event called the Future of Online Advertising. It was held in Gotham City Hall in New York so I packed my bags again and went off in search of my replacement Real Time.

The event was good. Solid speakers, an attentive audience and all happening in the heart of NYC. But again, it lacked that little dose of magic. 

Real Life

So after all this travelling, watching, waiting, hoping, I’ve come to a conclusion. I’m not going to re-discover Real Time unless I create it myself.

So, I’m starting work on planning a first Enterprise Nation event. An event that brings together our three themes of business, lifestyle and technology and is for anyone starting and growing a business from home. More news will follow later in the year but I hope it will become to others what Real Time was to me. – Emma Jones
 

• A broken page at Real Time :-( 
• Picnic
• Carson Systems