-Originally posted on TINC Magazine-
Tech Cocktail's events are considered the must-attend events in the tech scene. Our feature profiles this powerhouse of both news and events.
TINC: Since 2006, how has Tech Cocktail's event attendance and following grown?
Since beginning in 2006 in Chicago, Tech Cocktail has expanded to over 20 cities in the US and beyond (including Barcelona and Vancouver) picking up thousands of readers and followers along the way. In many cities we're often looking for larger venues as our local following grows.
TINC: What are common challenges you see with the tech community and getting startups off the ground? How does your firm work to assist businesses with these problems?
Just because someone has a great idea or starts to build something, doesn't mean they know how to get it off the ground, meet the right people or get traction. Tech Cocktail provides online resources for hopeful-entrepreneurs and provides complimentary exhibit space at events where startups can get feedback from the community, meet other entrepreneurs and industry professionals and get the exposure they need. Another common problem is that startups often don't know how to describe or pitch their product to someone. Offering them complimentary space to demo their product in front of people really helps them refine their pitch and sometimes their entire product offering.
TINC: What makes Tech Cocktail? How is your tech scene coverage different from the other guys?
We are a literal cocktail of tech news and information for the true tech enthusiast. We look at all the different components - from inspiration to how-to's, interviews, reviews, videos, etc. In terms of what makes us different, we consider ourselves a friend of the entrepreneur. That doesn't always mean giving a positive review, but we want to give everyone a chance and give constructive feedback. We're not going to rip apart a startup. We're also looking more broadly at tech communities across the country, looking to uncover and shine a light on startups in areas that don't get much attention (See Boise, Baltimore, Minneapolis, San Diego and others) as well as the hotspots. We also believe that it's all about the journey. If you're not having fun, why are you doing it? Starting a company is long, hard work so you have to have laugh along the way - that's a big part of our mission - to bring an element of fun to everything we do.
TINC: How many employees do you have on board right now?
We have a growing group with core team of about 6-8 people and a network of about 30+ contributors.
TINC: Who holds your top executive level positions? Why those roles?
Frank Gruber, CEO, Jen Consalvo, COO These roles are important for leadership and operations and on the content side they are curating the content that is produced on TechCocktail.com as executive editors.
TINC: When planning events for Chicago tech companies, what do you want the participating companies and audience members to derive from the events?
- Jen Consalvo, COO and Frank Gruber, CEO
For our mixer events, we want them to get experience, feedback, contacts and exposure. These events are great practice for early-stage startups to refine their pitch as they pitch their product to hundreds of people, but 1-1, so they immediately see what resonates with the person in front of them. They often get great feedback from the audience as they hear questions, suggestions, etc. We've had many startups tell us about the great contacts they've made that have resulted in new team-mates, partners, advertisers, investors, etc. And obviously, the exposure is critical to a young company trying to make it! They often get written about more once they've been featured at a Tech Cocktail event or on TechCocktail.com. We've had startups not only get blogged about, but then get attention in the traditional press like newspapers and television. For our conferences, we want them to learn - to really listen to the anecdotes and lessons from experienced entrepreneurs and professionals who share their past experiences, knowledge and life lessons with our audiences.
TINC: Tech Cocktail hosts events in Chicago, DC, Boston, etc. -- in what city is Tech Cocktail's headquarters? Where did it all begin?
Tech Cocktail began in Chicago and now the team is mostly situated in Chicago and DC. Part of our team is also in Boulder, and we have contributors all over the country (and growing!).
TINC: What are some of the logistical challenges of hosting events in multiple cities? What kinds of measures are taken to ensure they are successful events for all the companies that participate?
Well, when you're hosting multiple events each month in multiple cities you can imagine the sheer amount of logistics involved, from the venues to the sponsors to the startups - it's just a lot to manage. We work with local communities to ensure we're reaching the right audience.
TINC: Where do you see the Startup movement heading over the next decade? Are there any trends right now that are particularly interesting to the contributors at Tech Cocktail?
Right now the startup scene across the country is hotter than ever. There are more resources and support networks available to anyone and everyone than ever before. The incubator/accelerator trend is an interesting one that we're following closely as it will likely continue in the coming years.
