It is the start of the second day of the Web 2.0 Expo here in San Francisco, and I am looking forward to hearing more from many of today’s Internet leaders, entrepreneurs, and assorted creatures of the Web.  There are more than 11,000 people here from all over the world, and they are hungry to learn, share, create, and generate new business.

There has been a lot of industry debate and accusations of over-hyping surrounding the term, “Web 2.0,” which seems to obfuscate the issue even more, but suffice to say that it serves to describe the continuing evolution of web applications for the purpose of greater online collaboration and sharing. Call it what you will, all I care about is the fact that there is some very cool stuff out there that is making our lives easier and richer.

Yesterday, I attended a session on “Building Web 2.0: Next-generation Web Platforms,” and one of the hot topics was the need for increased understanding between networks and the applications that run through them. How much does the network need to know? Well, that prompted a question from the audience regarding net neutrality and the conversation went elsewhere.

The other topic the panel really focused on was the future of networks and whether businesses in the future really need to build their own. There are huge infrastructure costs that new and existing businesses must support, and in many cases it is only required for occasional spikes. This led perfectly into the keynote speech by Jeff Bezos from Amazon. Instead of focusing on the Long Tail of products or his side space project, he discussed Amazon’s web services, which he described as a service that eliminates many of the “fixed costs and fixed burdens” for entrepreneurs. His analogy was something to the effect of why build the bar when you just want one drink.

I attended another session on User Generated Content and Privacy with Lauren Gelman, who is the associate director of Stanford Law School’s Center for Internet and Society (CIS), and then a session on tagging with Thomas Vander Wal, which must have had more than 500 people in attendance. It was basically an overview, but I was hoping to gather any useful information that would help us with clients for whom we have build tag-based systems.

The Expo Hall Booth Crawl was absolutely packed, but it was tolerable because there was a lot of great new technology to learn about and every so often you could fill up on wine or beer at one of the booths. I also of course had to grab myself a web 2.0 t-shirt, which naturally says, “Web 2.0 is”….followed by a blank space you can fill in with an indelible marker. There were so many different businesses there. Some were very focused on improving business operations with new easier-to-use applications like Apollo, and others were focused on users and building a substantial subscriber base…

So, more to come, but in the interim I am headed off to hear what Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google has to say in, “Conversations with John Battelle.”

Several team members from Twelve Horses attended the Reno-Tahoe Young Professional Network (YPN) Launch Party, which was held at 210 North in downtown Reno, Nevada on Thursday, April 5th.

Check out a little video of the event.

There were more than 500 people in attendance, and the party featured dancers, flame throwers, and a fashion show. The organizers and volunteers of the event did a great job, and a special shout out goes to the Board.

• Erin Kuo – President
• Nick Butler - Vice President
• Erin Lankowsky – Treasurer
• Dominic Brunetti – Secretary
• Malena Satre - Finance/Development Committee Chair
• Stephani Foust - Event Marketing Committee Chair
• Bryan Landaburu - Creative & Website Committee Chair
• John Sande IV - Member at large
• Jesse Jenkins - Member at large
• Stacey Crowley - Member at Large
• Michael Pennington - Chamber of Commerce Liaison
• Michael Thomas - EDAWN Liaison

Why is all of this important to Twelve Horses? We have done a few blog posts on the mission of YPN, which in short is, “to cultivate an informed and involved young professional community in the Truckee Meadows in order to retain and attract young and diverse talent.”

Reno is undergoing a fantastic renaissance in regards to redevelopment and repositioning as, not just the historical gaming town of old, but as a vibrant city offering a plethora of community events and cultural activities.

Of course, this is especially exciting for Twelve Horses because the evolution of Reno that is occurring attracts new people to the area and helps with our recruiting efforts for our corporate headquarters.

If Reno’s close proximity to Lake Tahoe and more than a dozen world-class ski resorts isn’t enough for you, then maybe you should come check out everything else that is going on. You will be pleasantly surprised.

This week I had the pleasure of reviewing one of the graduate business plans for the 3rd Annual Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Business Plan Competition. The event is organized by the Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NCET), and it is Nevada’s only statewide collegiate awards program in which graduate and undergraduate students compete for cash awards in excess of $110,000.

I am glad that I only agreed to review one because it took a considerable amount of time to do so. I approached the judging process very seriously because I know how hard the students worked on them and what it could mean if they won. The plans were scored on many different components including:

• Their ability to provide a stand-alone overview of the plan
• Vision, History, Current Status, Strategy, Goals, Mission and Objectives for the business
• Features and Benefits and Competitive Advantages
• Marketing and Competitive Analysis
• Operating Strategies
• Critical Risks
• Cash Flow, Income Statement, and Balance Sheet
• Funds Required/Used
• Offering that clearly articulates the proposal/terms to investors

I was required to make comments on each category, and I did not my best to provide as much feedback as possible. Even for those students that did not make it to the finals, I think it is an invaluable process and one that should serve them well into the future. It is exciting to see an organization like NCET empowering the future entrepreneurs of Nevada.

New this year is the Lieutenant Governor Award, which is a $10,000 cash prize that is split between a graduate and undergraduate team that employs clean, renewable, or efficient energy technologies and services. Growing the renewable energy industry in Nevada means big dollars for the state, as well as a great means of weaning this country off of non-renewable resources.

The winners of the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup and the Lt. Governor’s Awards will be announced on April 26 at the Awards Gala at the Siena Hotel Spa Casino in Reno. The events begin at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception, followed by dinner and the awards at 6:30 p.m.

Governor Jim Gibbons, the Gala’s Guest of Honor, will be joined by Lt. Governor Brian Krolicki, Master of Ceremonies, and Patty Wade, Event Chair.

RSVP for the event here.

tags: reno, nevada, center, for, entrepreneurship, and, technology, Donald, W., Reynolds, Governor’s, Cup, awards, competition

Friday, I had the opportunity to attend my first social networking event in Salt Lake City. The Utah Tech Spotlight has been formed to allow professionals in technology to get together once a month to talk tech. This month, they invited Josh Coates, Founder and CEO of Berkley Data Systems, creator of Mozy Online Backup. Josh was a very energetic and dynamic speaker and I enjoyed his quick 20 minute discussion of how Berkley Data Systems ended up in Salt Lake City and where the company is headed.

I was also pleased to meet a few Utah bloggers like Phil, Laura, and Matt. Of course we talked a lot about Twitter - isn’t everyone - as well as a potential Utah Bloggers Conference that Phil is getting started.

It was a fun event. Check out the few photos I took here.

Since becoming a founding member of the Reno-Tahoe Young Professionals (YPN) and witnessing first-hand the growing base of regulars at the monthly events, I’ve been curious to peek in on the already established social networking group in Sin City. The Vegas Young Professionals (VYP) are in no way affiliated to the YPN, however there are definite synergies at play between the two networking groups.

The VYP is the young professionals’ connection to the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce (LVCC) and membership in VYP includes direct access to all of the LVCC events including their monthly luncheons and all of their business-centric programs. I had a chance drop in on one of the VYP’s members only events, a Fusion Mixer touted as a chance to network in some of Vegas’ choicest venues. This mixer was held at The Verandah at the Vegas Four Seasons a couple of Wednesday’s ago on March 21st. And, as a guest of a member I was able to sneak my way in for a review.

The venue space was a little narrow at first glance, but the close quarters, hor’devours and wine served its purpose, as this was definitely a great place to meet and greet with ease. This attendee was pleasantly surprised with the welcome reception I received from everyone in attendance especially the coordinators and officers of the organization. With the overall variety of businesses in and around Vegas, opportunities to mingle and network with young professionals in those fields is a rare find.

Usually, networking groups are limited to an industry (American Marketing Association (AMA), Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Mortgage Brokers, etc.), so the VYP is unique in its category. If you are a young professional in-town or in the area, the VYP group is a definite recommend. You can check out their future events at http://www.vegasyp.com.

Even though I’ve been a member for awhile, I attended my first Young Professional Network (YPN) event on Tuesday. It was hosted at a Toll Brothers model home out in Somersett. The home is literally a $1,000,000 home. It was a unique setting for a social networking meeting.

It was refreshing to go to a networking event and see a new roster of attendees. Many were people I know but don’t usually see out and about, and there were even more that I hadn’t met before. I invited my wife which I don’t usually do. She doesn’t usually have fun at business networking events, so I spare her the practice. But seeing as she is going to be a young professional soon, I thought she might have fun at a YPN event. I think she was surprised to see a few people she knew and overall she enjoyed herself.

The group seems to be rolling along. Michael Thomas started by sharing EDAWN’s involvement with the group and then each board member presented on their respective areas. I saw frequent glances at Michael from the board and got the gist that he is a great mentor and advisor for them.

All the members seemed really jazzed about the launch party on April 5th. It will be hosted at 210 North and sounds like a lot of fun. I know I will be there (Upcoming.org listing).

Technorati Tags: EDAWN, Event, Michael Thomas, Somersett, Upcoming, YPN

It’s official. The BIG CHEESE has taken his personal brand to another level. Not only has David LaPlante gained control over his domain by going from davidlaplante.typepad.com to davidlaplante.com, but he has also improved the originality and visual appeal of his design. He did it with the flexibility of Wordpress, which is empowering so many people and businesses in the realm of self-expression and sharing of information.

It is going to be difficult not to sound like I am kissing up to the boss, but know this, he wouldn’t want me to do this post. If I know him well enough, he will never be fully satisfied with it, and he will continue to tweak the navigation, the plugins, the design, and basically anything you can think of. Meanwhile, I am letting you know about it.

What is the impression you get upon visiting David’s blog? For one, you can certainly get a sense of what is important to him - social marketing, branding, entrepreneurship, family, skiing, Reno, Nevada, Tahoe, to name a few. Secondly, you get the impression that this is no ordinary CEO of a successful company with a global base of customers. He is not hiding behind the corporate veil. He is actively engaging the online community, sharing his ideas, and demonstrating his personality. He is inviting people to interact with him. He is building his network and seeking knowledge.

When I first started working at Twelve Horses there was no company blog. David actively encouraged its creation and even offered Twelve Horses’ servers and expertise if employees wanted to start their own. Since then, many employees have entered the blogosphere and have grown their networks, their knowledge-base, and their sense of themselves.

I for one feel that blogging is and will continue to play a significant role in the development of my life. I am constantly learning, and it’s really cool to have a CEO that will come into your office and show you a brand new widget, plugin, or social networking application like Twitter that he has found. The only irritating part is that I have a hard time finding them before he does.

To advise clients on the use of new technologies we have to be using them ourselves. We have to practice what we preach. It is why the environment at Twelve Horses is one of constant learning, collaboration, and change. And it is not specific to one department or set of employees. It is everyone, including the CEO.

So there you have it. Add David’s blog to your RSS Aggregator, bookmark it, remember it, do whatever you do to keep organized, because I suspect he has a few things to say in the days to come.

tags: David LaPlante, Twelve Horses, blog, social, networking, brand, Reno, Tahoe, Nevada

This morning, I had the pleasure of attending EDAWN’s Morning Business Buzz. Besides for the wonderful networking opportunity to catch those that usually get missed due to hectic schedules, I’m always amazed at the number of new faces that pop up at Reno events. This morning’s keynote speaker was Lt. Governor - and Horse Power podcast alum - Brian Krolicki.

Lt. Governor Krolicki discussed many items he’s excited about concerning Nevada including the possibility of getting the 2018 winter Olympics. Apparently, Northern Nevada has equal chances with Denver and the decision might be decided based off who gets the 2016 summer Olympics.

He also discussed Nevada’s opportunities to take advantage of clean energy initiatives and becoming the hub to the Pacific Rim. Nevada’s geographical position makes it ideal for businesses looking to break in to Western America. The crux of his presentation was around a public/private partnership that would see some state funds invested into private businesses with the goal of making money for the state in the long run. This money would not be from taxpayers, but I fear going to into detail as I don’t want to do injustice to the plan by getting facts wrong.

Technorati Tags: Brian Krolicki, EDAWN, Olympics

Robert and I have talked about changing the Horse Power Podcast from audio to video. Currently, we record the podcast on an Edirol 4-channel portable recorder with an internal hard drive. It mixes up to four mics into one track. Yesterday, I went out and bought a Sony DCR-SR80 hard drive based video camera (I say “I,” but Twelve Horses paid for it). We also purchased a directional shotgun mic for it for better sound quality.

The camera is pretty sweet. Every time you hit record, it creates a separate MPEG-2 file on the hard drive. When you connect it to your computer, it shows up like an external hard drive. You can simply drag the clips you want from the camera to the computer. It’s very similar to shooting video on most digital still camera. Last night, I shot a 43 second clip of my kids, dragged it to my desktop, and then uploaded it directly to YouTube. What could be easier?

We are recorded a podcast today with Laurian Dixon who spoke last night at the local AIGA event. For this episode, we are going to use both the Edirol and the video camera. If the video turns out good enough, we’ll use that. Otherwise, it will be our last audio only podcast. On Tuesday, I’m going to Salt Lake City to meet with our team. I will be handing off the Edirol to Steve Spencer, President of Twelve Horses, who will use it for a new community event he’s created down there called the Utah Tech Spotlight.

I also want to use the video camera to create videos of community events we frequent. I think it will be awesome to draw attention to how much really goes on in this town from a social networking standpoint.

Technorati Tags: Sony, AIGA, Video Podcast, Laurian Dixon, EDIROL, Horse Power, YouTube, Podcast

This video does a fantastic job showing what is so exciting and promising about the current iteration of the web. To me, what is more exciting, is that this is only the second iteration (web 2.0). I can’t wait to see - and participate in - what comes next.