“It’s like a mini-Davos.”
That’s the way one leading venture capitalist describes Xconomy’s Napa Summit. And while he is perhaps a bit effusive, we do believe our annual retreat in wine country is something special. Maybe you can judge for yourself.
We are just two weeks away from Napa Summit 2015, which will take place on June 1 and 2. And there is still time for you to request your invitation to our most exclusive event of the year. Just write to us at Napa15@xconomy.com. Tell us a bit about yourself, and what you do.
You can see the full speaker lineup, agenda, and other details on our Napa Summit event site. But I’ll be doing chats on investing trends—and strategies for dealing with them—with both Dave McClure of 500 Startups and Scott Sandell of NEA, outgoing chairman of the National Venture Capital Association.
Beyond that, some highlights include a session with computer legend Gordon Bell on the increasing ability to capture everything digitally, and a chat between Siri co-inventor Dag Kittlaus and Microsoft EVP for technology and research Harry Shum on the future of AI. Long Tail author Chris Anderson will tell us about his drone company, 3D Robotics, and even give us a lunchtime demo.
For those interested in the frontier of genomics and health, we have Stephen Quake of Stanford and Jennifer Doudna from UC Berkeley, whose discoveries on gene editing are drawing headlines. We even have special Deep Dive sessions—a bit more up close and personal than the plenary talks—on Connected Cars, The Future of Money (think bitcoin to Apple Pay), and Does the Internet of Things Matter in Consumer Services?
With all that and more in store, I think I can safely say that the fourth incarnation of The Napa Summit: The Xconomy Retreat on the Economy, Jobs, and Growth is shaping up to be the best yet. Not only are the speakers off the charts, the guest list is, too.
It all starts the evening of Monday, June 1, with a winery tour, tasting, and dinner at Silver Oak Cellars (the picture is what will await you when you walk into the dining room—be prepared to drink some great wine!). Then it continues the next morning with the summit itself at the nearby Villagio Inn & Spa. Registration is $1,495, which includes the dinner and breakfast and lunch the next day, with discounts for startups and government/non-profits (lodging and travel are separate).
After it’s all over, you can head back to the Bay Area, or stay on for more wine! This year at our post-event reception we will be sampling some wines from Ackerman Family Vineyards, owned by venture capitalist Bob Ackerman of Allegis Capital.
Again, you can find more the details here. We have just a few attendee spots remaining—and if you would like an invitation to this event, we’d love to hear from you at Napa2015@xconomy.com.
