Bootcamps
Conferences
The largest tech conference in Asia (see video for 2012 highlights) is a dazzling and exciting showcase of the latest innovations—exhibitors flaunt their technologies at The Tech Alley, companies that have pitched at the pre-event Satellite events happening around the region go head to head for the Most Promising Startup award and big name investors sit on the panel discussing what may potentially be revolutionary ideas. The latest (and biggest) edition just passed—be sure to attend next year’s, which we expect will have (and be) much more.
Ideas and Networking
Business Rocks
Founder and business networking rockstar Gina Romero says this monthly shindig is “like TED, but with beer”, which it kind of is. After paying an admission fee of $25 (through online registration) that goes straight to the host bar churning out your two standard drinks, you’ll get access to a captive audience of fellow business men plus presentations from industry bigwigs, Pecha Kucha style.
Started in New York by hot-favorite blogger Tina Roth Eisenberg, this free, monthly lecture series recently arrived here looking to catalyze the growth of the local creative community. The first event featured a 20-minute talk from art director and designer Felix Ng, filled with entertaining anecdotes about starting a creative business here—well worth the early start to the day for the brand managers, art directors and marketing professionals in attendance. Since then, the four-strong Creative Mornings team in Singapore has hosted the likes of multidisciplinary artist Dawn Ng, the APAC head of Trendwatching.com Tara Hirebet and kult’s creative director Steve Lawler (see video). Speakers are keen to talk about their beginnings and early challenges so this is definitely the place to be if you’re looking for inspiration of the “blood, sweat and tears” kind.
Since throwing open their doors, the folk at the Joyful Frog Digital Incubator have held an “open house” event every Friday, 5:30pm for entrepreneurs, investors and mentors to meet and talk about everything save for ranting about daily life. There’s usually a good mix of newbies and senior people from the industry attending, making it a good chance to discuss problems, seek solutions and exchange useful contacts. Says CEO Hugh Mason, “Sometimes 20 folk show up and everyone gets to meet; sometimes we get to as many as 200 attendees and it’s a different kind of party but somehow it seems to work.”
You could be just about anyone interested in the startups scene—a reporter (like us), potential founder, hacker, designer, investor, adrenaline addict—and you’d stand to benefit a lot from this massive open house event held islandwide. You usually kick off the day at Blk 71 then move around the CBD area, visiting startup offices, which most likely are on standby with food, drinks and a trunkload of advice. It’s organized by Thelist.sg‘s (our favorite Singapore website for tech events) Kristine Lauria, whose husband Vinnie Lauria is a founding partner of Golden Gate Ventures. We got to visit innovation superstars like Amazon Web Services and Airbnb at their last installment (see video for highlights shot on a GoPro)—consider this one unmissable.
