We’re really pleased to have a slew of disruption-minded companies from around the Xconomy network lined up for our 5X5: Five Cities, Five Big Tech Ideas conference this Wednesday afternoon in downtown Boston. But that’s just the main event—there’s a lot more going on after the speakers strut their stuff.
For the first time, Xconomy is hosting a demo area so that some of the presenters, and a few special guests, can show off their wares up close and personal—and in most cases for you, the audience, to interact with. All told, a half dozen demonstrations are confirmed for the extensive networking session after the event.
Here’s a short summary of the demos you will see:
Avaya: Flare desktop video and collaboration system
Duo Security: mobile security system
peerTransfer: low-cost international money transfer and payments
Pixability: online video editing and marketing
Prysm: laser phosphor display
Turnstone: Campfire collection of furniture designed to foster collaboration and innovation
(Nuclear energy startup TerraPower, one of the five main presenters, will not be giving a demo—and probably won’t for a few more years, but you’ll see why .)
The demos will cap a fantastic afternoon of on-stage presentations. Entrepreneur evangelist Bill Warner will kick things off with a short keynote on How to Build Your Startup From the Heart. The main 5×5 program will then feature one company representing each of Xconomy’s five cities: Kiva Systems (warehouse robotics, Boston), On-Ramp Wireless (wireless grid monitoring, San Diego), TerraPower (nuclear power, Seattle), Arbor Networks (Internet security, Detroit) and CarWoo (online car buying, San Francisco).
Along the way, you will also hear short “burst” talks from five other promising startups: FashionPlaytes, peerTransfer, Pixability, Prysm, and Duo Security. Finally, just before the networking session and demos, Ethernet co-inventor, venture capitalist, and sharp-witted innovation pundit Bob Metcalfe will provide summary observations and commentary in an address he good-naturedly calls the “Terminal Keynote.” (Metcalfe is moving to Austin to become Professor of Innovation at the University of Texas.)
For more information and to register, please go here.
All those who register for 5×5 at the regular ticket rate will get a free copy of Practically Radical from Fast Company co-founder and Xconomy board member Bill Taylor once it’s released on January 4, 2011. Just buy a regularly priced ticket, and we’ll send you an e-mail with more details.
Hope to see you at the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology on Wednesday!