Call it a startup sandwich: The Launch Festival kicks off the week while SXSW finishes it off. Other events include a conference at Columbia Business School and a speed networking session lets you join in without leaving your dorm room. Then, American Idol launches a new voting app and Martha Stewart takes the stand, again…This week’s notable news and startup events for young treps:
1. The Launch Festival: Chock full of presentations, demonstrations, mentorship opportunities and cash prizes, the Launch Festival is one of the startup world’s biggest events. Mint, Yammer, Red Beacon, and others won awards at the conference. The event is officially sold out, but you can still join the wait list. (San Francisco, March 4 – 6)
2. BRITE ’13: Hosted by Columbia University’s business school, BRITE ’13 convenes thought leaders from business, technology, media and marketing to discuss the question: How can today’s organizations reshape their companies with today’s big ideas in mind? (New York City, March 4 – 5)
3. American Idol gets ‘appified:’ Viewers can expect to vote up to 50 times for their favorite contestant(s) online through a new American Idol app that’ll launch this week. Fox’s waning, but still popular, singing show also recently introduced audience tweets into its broadcast known as the “fan meter.”
4. Speak up, speak out: Entrepreneurs — often more than most — need to possess serious communication skills. After all, if you don’t tell the world about your business, no one else will, right? This workshop aims to help you communicate more effectively, give dynamic and engaging presentations, and teach you tricks for how to boost your performance. (NYC, March 6)
5. Dorm-room networking event: The Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization is hosting a digital ‘speed networking’ event that’s being billed as a unique opportunity for college treps to meet-like minded students from across the country without ever needing to leave the dorm. (Online, March 6 at 7pm CT)
6. Martha takes the stand: Martha Stewart is expected to take the stand this week in a case that pits the beleaguered department store J.C. Penney against its rival Macy’s. Penney plans to open Martha Stewart mini ships in its stores, but Macy’s claims to have an exclusive right to sell some of Martha Stewart branded products including bedding and cookware.
7. SXSW Interactive Festival: Hardly needing an introduction, SXSW is rapidly becoming the startup/cultural event of the year. Part arts festival, part expo, part startup incubator, “South by” — as the cool kids call it — has something for everyone. If previous years offer any idea of what to expect, there will surely be plentiful brand and startup debuts, as well as networking opportunities. (Austin, Texas, March 8 – 17)
8. Political theater: Congress failed to make a deal on the $85 billion across-the-board spending cuts — known as the sequester in politician parlance last week — but let’s see if they can agree to avert a government shut down this week. The government’s spending authority is expected to expire at the end of March. The Republican-led House is expected to move a budget resolution through the chamber this week.
