Ali asked for the survey results from the Exchanging Innovations Canadian-style post.
There were 23 respondents. No details were collected about relevancy to the Canadian Innovation Exchange market. Just looking for plain and simple opinion about what people would pay to attend CIX and what else would be valuable. Rick and Alec have provided commentary on the issue. I think the model is upside down, i.e., I’m not sure why as a entrepreneur I should pay to attend for a dog-and-pony show for VCs, I do pay to attend conferences. It really puts the onus on the CIX organizers to provide valuable content and a meaningful conference experience.
Robert and Sean have been listening and have adjusted their pricing for early-stage and later-stage companies.
The registration fee for seed stage companies is now $595, and later stage companies is $995 – this includes your delegate fee, and all presenting costs.
And have provided interesting keynote speakers:
- Dr. Gary S. Lynn, co-author of "Blockbusters: The Five Keys to Developing Great New Products"
- Andreas Stavropoulos, Managing Director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson
The survey comments, included verbatim below, indicate the need for better conference experiences. I keep thinking about how we can improve the experiences of attendees and participants for DemoCamp and other participant-driven events.
Q.1 What is the maximum you would pay as an entrepreneur to attend and present at the Canadian Innovation Exchange?
| Answer | Count | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0 – Free |  |
2 (9%) | ||
| $25 | |
0 (0%) | ||
| $50 | |
2 (9%) | ||
| $100 | |
5 (22%) | ||
| $200 | |
2 (9%) | ||
| $250 | |
2 (9%) | ||
| $400 | |
1 (4%) | ||
| $500 | |
5 (22%) | ||
| $600 | |
2 (9%) | ||
| More than $600 | |
2 (9%) | ||
Q.2 What do you expect in return?
| Answer | Count | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes on stage | |
17 (29%) | ||
| Media coverage – press, blog, other | |
12 (20%) | ||
| 3 Private Venture Meetings | |
10 (17%) | ||
| Free advice | |
9 (15%) | ||
| Private meetings with service providers | |
5 (8%) | ||
| $10,000 Best-in-Show prize | |
3 (5%) | ||
| Discounts | |
2 (3%) | ||
| Free software | |
1 (2%) | ||
Q.3 What else would be valuable?
- Having some ‘connectors’ who will help introduce people with like interests.
- All of the above is great but what really matters is meetings with the right people. Otherwise it’s blind dating.
- Just meeting the right people when we are ready for VC funding and learning the whole process of funding and when it’s a good time to go for funding. We are not ready now for funding now but would like to attend the conference to start meeting ‘qualified’ investors and not people who will drag the process. We are hiring someone to help with the development but hiring a dev is equally important as meeting the right people which I think CIX brings, unfortunately with hiring a dev, cash becomes tight when you are self funding 🙁
- Critical advice from seasoned entrepreneurs with no vested interest
- Simple Exposure
- Allow co-founders to attend for their company presentation! A start-up is a team activity…team work makes the dream work as they say. So limiting the price structure to one founder there is just not the best way to go – even if it involves giving a discount for attending co-founders.
- Not expected but media coverage would be valuable if my project was deemed worthy.
- workshops/tutorials – organized collaboratively through the conference producers and the registered delegates.
- lisitng on CIX website.
- Social aspects
- Proof of value. A proxy is knowing who is participating. Otherwise I’d write it off as a go nowhere boondoggle.