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EntConnect 2010

Early Registration is open for EntConnect 2010! Dates are March 25-28, 2010. EntConnect 2010 Registration See the discounts below for early registration.

2009 Schedule

You may find the 2009 Conference Schedule here

EntConnect - Denver, CO - March 26th - 29th, 2009

Each attendee had a chance to win a 1.5 TB HP Media Vault Pro!

The HP Media Vault can backup all your important data. Check out the specifications of this amazing product. The HP Media Vault is perfect for small businesses and home users who need to protect critical files and other data on their PCs and want a central location to share files across the network. It even lets you stream your videos, music, and photos to any room in your home with it's built-in media server.

Note to Linux enthusiasts: This device is very hackable.

Some other lucky winners will take home their own Picture Keepers to make sure you never lose your irreplaceable digital photos!

Learn. Share. Grow. Experience something different in a conference...

... join a unique group of thought leaders and entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurial Connections (EntConnect)

At EntConnect, you'll have a great opportunity to meet people who run their own companies. You will learn and share personal successes. Just as important, you'll learn about other's failures and how to avoid them.

You will connect with new customers, suppliers, partners, mentors, and friends -- many who share your challenges and dreams.

Maybe you own your own company... or hope to one day. Previous attendees always rave about the value of learning from each other. You'll make networking contacts whose expertise you can draw on throughout the year.

Need a single word to describe EntConnect? Serendipity. You'll discover something you're not expecting. Why?

Because EntConnect is unique -- it's not a giant, formal, white-washed conference with two dozen talking heads. It builds on a rich history and a focus that has been honed since 1992. You will enjoy a unique "unconference" and "open conference" experience. You help set the agenda. You help pick the topics that interest you and you will even have an opportunity to present a topic, if you like. We always leave room in the schedule for impromptu discussions inspired by the audience members.

The conference runs from Friday evening until Sunday early afternoon. There is great a mixture of:

  • Formal sessions -- speakers share ideas and spark discussion
  • Informal/open sessions -- a chance for you to network with new friends and share ideas in small groups
  • After hours events -- both informative and fun; some held at the hotel bar and some in the meeting room
  • Relaxing encounters -- structured, optional events that provide fun and chill time

Part of the fun of EntConnect is building the agenda around the attendee's needs. Here is an outline of the 2009 agenda which gives you an idea of how the conference is structured:

  • Thursday March 26th:
    • 7:15 AM Optional ski outing (details at right)
    • 7:30 PM Après-ski (details at right)
  • Friday March 27th:
    • Optional events (details at right)
    • 8:00 p.m. dinner at a Dino's Italian restaurant. (Cost will be around $15-25 per person.)
  • Saturday March 28th:
    • Conference presentations and mini trade show from 9am - 6pm
    • 6pm-8:00pm: Form up into like-minded groups and head out to dinner at a nearby restaurant
    • Conference presentation 8:00pm - 9:30pm
    • Saturday 9:30pm-?: Texas Hold 'em poker tournament -- back by popular demand! Assorted beers and great conversations until the last of us head off to bed.
  • Sunday March 29th:
    • Conference 9am - 2pm
    • Optional: Late, informal lunch 2pm-4pm

What are the topics at the conference? What will I learn? We're always open and flexible on the conference content. Check out the 2008 Schedule for an example of the kinds of the topics and speakers you'll find at EntConnect.

A partial list of 2009 speakers/topics include:

Bill French of Myst Technology will give two talks, one on Twitter, and why it will surpass Facebook in importance and another talk on SlimeGate (perimeter defense from slimy hackers and comment spammers) .

Nathan Seidle of SparkFun Electronics will tell us about his recent tour of China's manufacturing sector, along with how to source products from Chinese companies.

Patty Coldwater of TMR Direct will talk about selling service in a tight economy - a case study.

Dave Shaver of Corepoint Health will enlighten us on the importance of storytelling when building your marketing message.

Dr. Albert Bartlett - "Sustainability 101: Arithmetic, Population and Energy"

Bill Gates will be attending and letting us in on what he learned at Microsoft last year.

Along with these industry luminaries, there will be many more topics of discussion, such as the emerging concept of open source hardware, developing products using virtual teams, replacing high school with the school of entrepreneurship, renewable energy opportunities for entrepreneurs, and many others.

If you have a presentation you'd like to make to the group, or a request for a topic you'd like to hear this year, please contact John Gaudio.

In summary: EntConnect is not a fancy conference with highly paid speakers. Rather it's a group of like-minded entrepreneurs who love getting together, learning from one another, and having a great time in the process.  Please join us.

PS: Your conference registration is backed by our Ultimate EntConnect Guarantee:

You will be completely delighted with EntConnect or your entire registration fee will be refunded.

PPS: Registration links are at the top right of this page. Conference rate and hotel information is below.

Investing in the EntConnect Conference

You've made a wise choice to invest in your future by attending the EntConnect conference. Past attendees universally say that the event has amazingly high value -- the registration fees are low.
 
The investment for the conference registration fee is $299 for the entire weekend. There are some pay-as-you-go additional costs for optional events such as the outtings and dinner on Friday. And of course you'll pay for your hotel room as needed.
 
We love fresh ideas and inspiring young entrepreneurs so much we offer a discounted rate of $149 to anyone under the age of 21.
 
Your conference registration is backed by our Ultimate EntConnect Guarantee:
 
You will be completely delighted with EntConnect or your entire registration fee will be refunded.
 
 
Registration Fee Regular Rate Student Rate
Early Bird Rate (on or before Feb 28th, 2010) $199 $99
Regular Conference Rate $299 $149
  
Register on-line with a major credit card or PayPal. You may also pay by check by using the "Will Call" option during registration.
 

Hotel Information

Sheraton Denver West
360 Union Blvd.
Lakewood, CO  80228

303-987-2000 or

800-525-3966

Click here for a map and directions to the hotel

We generally negotiate a very attractive room rate. For example for the 2009 conference, it was just $79.00 per night, single or double occupancy!

Easy Registration

Your conference registration is backed by our Ultimate EntConnect Guarantee:
 
You will be completely delighted with EntConnect or your entire registration fee will be refunded.
 
Two simple steps: Register for the 2010 conference and then reserve your hotel room. Rate details are given at left.
1) Register for the 2010 conference: 

2) Reserve your room at the Sheraton Denver West by calling 303-987-2000 or 800-525-3966. Rates are $79 per night, single or double occupancy. Make sure when you call to tell them you're attending the EntConnect Conference to get this rate.    Occasionally there is some confusion in the reservation department, so if they tell you they're out of rooms for the conference, please ask them to talk with either Kimberly, or Laurie in sales and catering.  If there's still a problem, please call John Gaudio at  303-870-1044.

Optional Pre-Conference Events Thursday: Ski and Après-ski

If you're a skier and would like to make a few turns before the conference kicks off, please join us for a great pre-EntConnect activitiy on Thursday, March 26th. Skiers will gather at 7:15 a.m. the Sheraton Denver West hotel lobby. We will carpool up to one of Colorado's famous ski resorts for a delightful day of skiing and then reconvene back at the Sheraton in the evening.

Skier or not, please consider joining us for Après-ski in the bar of the Sheraton Denver West hotel, at 7:30 PM Thursday.

Optional Pre-Conference Events Friday: (Meet at Hotel around 10:00 AM. )

Before the official conference kicks off Friday night, we have several activities for Friday including high performance go-cart racing and trap shooting. We will begin the fun late morning and return to the hotel late afternoon.

We are still working on the details of these optional events. Please check back for more details as they become available.

Here is the proposed agenda for Friday:

  • Breakfast: 8:00 a.m. (at hotel restaurant)
  • Racing: (Canceled due to blizzard)  11:00 a.m. (leave hotel at 10:15 a.m.)(map)
  • Lunch: 12:30 p.m. (meet at hotel)
  • Shooting: (Canceled due to blizzard.  We went to the Wings Over the Rockies Museum instead.) 2:00 p.m. (map)
  • Social Hour 6:00 p.m. or earlier (hotel bar)
  • Dinner: 8:00 p.m. (leave hotel at 7:45 p.m.) at Dino's Italian Restaurant, 10040 W. Colfax Ave, Denver (map)

Contact Information

John Gaudio can normally be reached at his office.  303-933-4497.  If your need is urgent try John's cell phone, 303-870-1044.   To send John a check, his mailing address is:

John Gaudio
P.O. Box 620338
Littleton, CO 80162

If you have any questions about registration, you may also contact Lee Devlin at 970-978-6188.

2010 Conference

March 25-28, 2010

Please Put it on Your Calendar Now

The EntConnect Conference is typically the last weekend in March, unless that happens to be Easter Weekend.

Come meet new people, learn, ski, and have fun. March 25-28, 2010.



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