Paul Walsh, the Irish Opportunist

I know July 5th falls on a Sunday but if you can, you must make your way to JuJu, 316 - 318 King’s Road, Chelsea, London, SW3 5UH to meet some of the best known social media experts from the US (and the UK). I highly recommend this event and have been asked to help promote it. You have just under 2 days to get a ticket for just £10 20 - which will get you food and drinks!

Who’s coming to town

• Robert Scoble
• Craig Newmark
• Sarah Lacy
• Howard Rheingold
• Meghan Asha
• JD Lasica
• Tom Foremski
• Sarah Austin
• Susan Bratton
• Jeff Saperstein
• Renee Blodgett
• Jim Schuyler

To find out more and to register for the event, visit http://www.eventbrite.com/event/366118069

I sent a tweet this morning to say I was going to do a ‘#followfriday’ for the very first time. A number of people asked me what that meant, so I’ve decided to write a short post to explain.

#followfriday is a way of recommending people you follow, to other users on Twitter. The idea is that those being recommended will gain new followers.

I feel so strongly about my recommendations that I’ve decided to write why I’m recommending them as potential people for you to follow.

People I recommend and why

@Sheetalmmehta (London)

Helping companies to go global, Innovation, Social entrepreneurship, Technology, Investment…

Sheetal is one of the most inspiring people I have ever met. Sheetal is the UK Dealmaker for the UK Trade & Investment. She sits on several advisory panels including Shelter, UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women), Digital Diaspora Network for Africa, and the LSE Alumni Mentoring Committee. Her volunteer work is extensive and she is currently writing a book on Social Venture Capital. One of her most notable accomplishments is her new foundation that enables developing communities to access cutting-edge technology based on a social enterprise model.

@Mikeyfletch (London)

Technology journalist, Events, Networking

Mike is an established business & lifestyle journalist. He’s launched three magazines on behalf of UK publishing house Haymarket Media Group & specialises in marketing, media & live events. He is Contributing Editor for Visit London and also owns a part-share in digital networking company Net.works. Mike is also one of the best connected, if not the best connected person in the entire UK events industry.

@PatPhelan (Cork)

Technology with a bias towards mobile, Connector, Innovation

Pat is the founder and President of Cubic Telecom, a well known disruptor in telephony circles and one of the leading voices of Voice 2.0. Pat has developed a number of unique products for the USA, UK and Irish markets including MAXroam, and is a board member of Global Roaming, a NASDAQ listed company (OTCBB:GRDB). Pat has a genuine passion for connecting people and has been responsible for connecting me with some truely amazing people.

@JackieDanicki (San Francisco)

Marketing (true expert in the use of new tools, techniques and trends such as social and Web 2.0), Connector, Writer

Jackie is an extremely direct person who always speaks her mind. She’s an incredibly insightful marketer which is difficult to come by. Almost every marketer and PR expert think they know how to make best use of Web 2.0 tools and techniques. Jackie does - which is why she’s the Director of Marketing at Qik; one of the most innovative mobile products companies in the world. Like Pat, Jackie has a genuine passion for connecting people and has been responsible for connecting me with some truely amazing people.

@Jobsworth (London)

Technology, Social Enterprise, Innovation, Writer, OpenSource,

JP has  spent most of his life working in the space where finance meets technology, for a number of very large firms. Since 2006 he has worked for BT, as part of BT Design, where he is Head of Innovation and Strategy. He has a passion for how work is changing: the paradigms created by globalisation, disintermediation and the web; the implications of virtualisation, service orientation and commoditisation.  JP is an inspiring speaker and writer, who I admire most for his passion for how technology can be put to good use for the benefit of society.

If you decide to follow any of these great people, or you do already, please feel free to retweet my message - they all deserve to be heard by as many people as possible.

You can also leave a comment with the people you recommend on Twitter.

Twitter has been responsible for my lack of blogging of late, so rather than try to write about all the stuff I’ve been up to over the past couple of weeks, I’ve posted some pictures and a video to help capture the essence of my recent shenanigans.

Pictures taken include the breakfast that Jeff Pulver and I hosted at Kettners with over 90 companies present - it was a great morning but as you can see from the video below, I was a little worse for wear and should never appear in front of a camera that early in the morning. Other pictures were taken at various dinners and of course, the pool shot was in South of France.

Jeff Pulver, Loren Feldman, Pat Phelan Andrew Keen and JP Rangaswami.

Watch this video on 1938media.com. If you want to leave a comment re the video please do so on Loren’s blog as I’ve just ripped it from his site.

Today marks the launch of a startup called Net.works to add to my tiny portfolio. With the dream team Mike Fletcher and Caroline Whitmey (AKA Ms. Bond), we are going to bring structure to the stuff that we do already; networking events which are both fun and practical. Events include Digital Dinners - Robert Loch, Founder of Internet People Dinners, has kindly said we can take over his format. Top Cats, Brainstorming Breakfasts, Retreats and other gatherings to bring likeminded people together.

The team

Little ole me

Mike Fletcher

When it comes to events, this guy has been there, seen them all and bought the t-shirt. For seven years, Mike Fletcher was the editor of Event and RSVP magazines. He is now an established freelance journalist and writer and specialises in experience marketing, live events digital media and consumer lifestyle. Mike is also the Contributing Editor for Visit London so is always the first port of call for anyone looking for a venue, bar or restaurant in the capital. With strong ties to the International Special Events Society and London Launch.com, Mike knows what it takes to get the party started. Fascinating Fact: Mike used to get paid to go clubbing in fancy-dress for his own monthly page in Sky Magazine. Follow Mike on Twitter.

Caroline Whitmey

Adding beauty, a creative flair and a pinch of glamour to the team is Caroline Whitmey. By day, Caroline runs her own high end unique events company, offering indulgent, creative and relaxed experiences for ladies only. With a little black book bulging with contacts from her background in television and media plus Ms Bond’s female client list, our very own Scottish lass will ensure every Net.works event is the right mix of fun and business. Fascinating Fact: Caroline appeared on Blind Date and was asked to make animal noises. She lost to a porn star in hot-pants. Follow Caroline on Twitter.

Check out the new Web site and sign up for upcoming events.

Leave a comment if you’d like us change anything about our current events, or if you’d like to see us add something new and refreshing.

And thank you…

… to the guys at Digi Nut who designed and built the Web site. They were fantastic - very responsive and extremely helpful. Our thanks go especially to Danny Bull at the agency.

Sponsored by the fabulous CampbellHooper

Fancy 3 4 days of fun and focused business in Bordeaux? Picture this -  a stunning 17th century chateau with fine wine, gourmet cuisine, 3 swimming pools and as an added bonus, 23 like minded entrepreneurs, equally buzzing, equally focused and equally driven for success?

No problem.

How it works

As part of Net.works’ calendar of exclusive events, we have launched a three-day business focused jaunt to Bordeaux  for 24 hand picked entrepreneurs - the people who you needed to meet - for 3 4 days in a five star retreat.

We focus: on your business, on helping one another and on looking forward. Success. An invaluable opportunity for you to stand back, speak out and get feedback/advice and direct help. We are delighted to working with Angel’s Den,  Europe’s foremost Angel network. Come find out why 312 Angels came to the site on Christmas Day and how they have funded more deals than all of the rest combined.

We have fun – with 3 4 days of planned themed dinners/breakfasts, plenty of time for you to relax, indulge and build strong relationships . We have planned focused strategies to bring out the best of the best from each of you. It will not be intense – it will not be role play and it will NOT be 60 seconds to talk about yourself. Out with old in with the new.

Our emphasis – creativity, productivity and fun.

You have a ‘Post Retreat Meet’ - It doesn’t stop when the retreat is over. We will ensure you receive post-event help from 2 like minded people.

Your retreat

Put simply – a gem

Situated within an hour from the wonderful towns of Bordeaux and La Rochelle the five-star chateaux is a hidden gem.

• 18 bedrooms
• 13 spacious bathrooms
• 3 equipped kitchens
• Large 30 seat indoor dining room
• Outdoor dining terrace
• Snooker room
• BBQ area
• 3 swimming pools

Dates/Costs/Travel

DATES: Saturday 9th May – Tuesday 12th May

Average cost of future retreats: £749
Cost of THIS retreat: £449

• Flights
• 3 nights accommodation
• 3 course themed meal each night including wine
• Breakfast and lunch each day
• Daily maid service
• A strategic and fun itinerary for a few hours each day to ensure your business goals are met
• Post retreat support

Travel:

Outward
Saturday 9th May 2009
London Luton - Bordeaux
Departure: 13.35 Arrival: 16.20

Return
Tuesday 12th May 2009
Bordeaux – London Luton
Departure: 16.50 Arrival: 17.35.

Coming from elsewhere

If you are unable to fly from London you will be required to organIse your own flights. If this is you then please discount £100 from the total retreat price.

Who’s coming, so far…

Hosted by Net.works
Paul Walsh and Caroline Whitmey.

I will update the list when we know who else is coming.

1. Andre Brown, Founder, Locayta
2. Andrew Bredon, Founder, Deal Checker
3. Bill Morrow, Co-founder, Angels Den
4. Caroline Whitmey, Founder, Ms Bond & Co-founder, Net.works
5. Cedric Sellin, Founder, GenieDB & Angel Investor
6. David Ramm, Partner, Campbell Hooper
7. Duncan Cheatle, Founder of The Supper Club & ThanksTo.com
8. George Berkowski, Founder, WooMe
9. Gina Decio, Membership Manager, Adam Street Private Members Club
10. Lois Cook, Co-founder, Angels Den
11. Malcolm Scovil, Founder, Leap
12. Paul Walsh, Founder, Segala, Net.works & Wubud and Chair, British Interactive Media Association (BIMA)
13. Philip Wilkinson, Founder, Crowdstorm & Angel Investor (Co-founder, Kelkoo)
14. Rob Carter, Partner, CFO by the Day to StartUps
15. Rob Walk, Managing Partner, NovaRising
16. Robert Loch, Founder, Pure Escapes
17. Syd Nadim, Chairman, Prince’s Trust Fund Raising Committee & CEO, Clock
18. Will Jefferies, Managing Director, Maveric Media
19. William Makeower, Founder, Panlogic
20. Nick Bell, Founder, Quick.TV
21. Milo Yiannopoulos, Technology Correspondent, Daily Telegraph/Telegraph Media Group

How to apply

The remaining 5 will be notified by Thursday 16th March at 12 noon.

Please get in touch with Paul Walsh if you’d like to take part paulatsegala.com

About Net.works

Background

Net.works is a new events company I’m launching with my partners in crime; Mike Fletcher, former editor turned freelance journalist and Caroline Whitmey, Founder of Ms Bond. Together we’re launching an events initiative aimed at connecting those people serious about doing business.

Net.works manage regular breakfast and evening social meet-ups, bringing together hard-to-reach innovators from across a wide range of related fields. The company’s goal is to forge stronger relations and encourage greater collaboration between the interactive and digital start-up communities and the worlds of business, finance, media and advertising.

Following on from the hugely successful Top Cats invitation-only events, organised by Paul Walsh and fellow entrepreneur Robert Loch during the past year, Net.works is taking exclusive business networking to the next level.

OpenSoho is an informal meet-up in Soho for people working in the tech & media industries in London. Everyone welcome. It’s not necessary to live or work in the Soho area to join the group or attend the events.

Last month, 200 tickets went in less than 12 hours and this month, 200 disappeared in less than 3 hours! Moreover, the tickets this month were released to my mailing list only. As I promised the mailing list, they’ll always be the first to hear about tickets being released for OpenSoho and all other upcoming events - if you’re not signed up already, why not do it now.

At the time of writing this post, there were 28 tickets left for OpenSoho March - which by the way, falls on St Patrick’s Day. So, it’s compulsory to wear something Irish - even if it’s just something green.

Sponsored by

http://www.voipuser.org/

“VoIP User is the largest open-source voice network. They like to buck the mainstream trend by building interesting applications around VoIP and by using a unique funding model based on revenue generated by calls inbound to its network. VoIP User also have a well-maintained, spam free, forum for discussion about voice technologies and their application.”

Please get in touch if you’d like to sponsor an OpenSoho in the future - paulatwubud.com

What happens if I don’t get a ticket?

If you don’t manage to get a ticket, please don’t email us as there’s way too much admin involved in adding people. We really can’t make exceptions to the rule this month. We might however, run a lottery closer to the time if the demand is high enough. Please leave a comment here if you don’t get a ticket and would like to be entered into the lottery.

Register for OpenSoho now.

The Chateau in the picture is the actual venue we’re going to use.

What could be more fun than a focused business retreat in a stunning 17th century Chateau with 3 swimming pools?!

There’s no point in just having an idea, you need to execute! Two friends launched a new travel company recently called pure escapes, so I decided to take a look at the site to see if it was appropriate to pimp to my Twitter followers - within seconds the site made sense and it got me thinking about how we could organise a business related event at one of their fantastic venues.

So, I’m doing it - all decided in an hour. Actually, I won’t be doing it. ‘We’ will be doing it - it’ll be under the new networking events company I’m setting up with Caroline Whitmey and Mike Fletcher.

The trip is heavily subsidised so we hope it’s accessible to everyone. There’s room for 24 entrepreneurs at a cost of just £449 per person - that includes:

• Flights (from Luton, London - people from other countries are welcome!) £349 if you don’t want to use the flights we’re putting on - this will help those flying from a different country/city
• 3 nights accommodation
• 3 course meal each night including wine. The chef and staff will prepare the meal, serve it and clear away
• Welcome pack of food to cover breakfast and lunches while we are there
• Daily maid service
• Access to likeminded people for 3 days - people who will share ideas and help to resolve real business issues

This is a business retreat that will be fun, creative, productive and unforgettable. It might even end up being the first of many retreats abroad. It doesn’t stop when the retreat is over - you will receive post-event help from at least 2 people to you generate new business.

More about the venue

Within an hour’s drive are the wonderful towns of Bordeaux and La Rochelle. Bordeaux is known for its beauty and historical background, with elegant boulevards and countless boutique cafes.

The interior consists of 18 bedrooms, 13 spacious bathrooms, an intimate salon, a snooker room, 3 equipped kitchens, a large 30 seat indoor dining room or an outdoor dining terrace for those warm evenings, BBQ area and 3 swimming pools.

Our thanks go to pure escapes for subsidising the trip to help make it very accessible to everyone.

Travel itinerary

The flight details are - London Luton to Bordeaux on Saturday 9th May, departing at 13.35 and arriving at 16.20. Returning on Tuesday 12th at 16.50 arriving at 17.35. Transfer - 1 1/4 hour drive to and from the chateau. Attendees flying from a different airport can discount £100 from the total price.

We’re looking for sponsors to help reduce the price per person even further. Please get in touch if you’re interested. Please get in touch if you’re a journalist and would like to cover the story. Don’t we need more of this?

Feel free to leave a comment if you have ideas on how we could run the retreat - even if you don’t want to come. All ideas are most welcome. We already have a bunch of cool people who want in. We even have two potential sponsors already!

To apply for this unique and unrivaled networking opportunity, please email me at paulatsegala.com and provide as much background about yourself as possible.

Sign up to the mailing list if you want to be the first to hear about this, OpenSoho and other cool events in the future.

Sponsored by:

Please get in touch if you’d like to support/sponsor this event - paulatsegala.com

I will continue to update this post as details become available.

[Update: few minutes later... sold out]

We released another 50 tickets last night on account of another event being hosted on the same evening. However, 44 of them were taken up within a couple of hours of me sending out a message to our mailing list. That left just 6.

After twittering about it just 1 minute ago, 2 more went. That leaves just 4. So you need to be fast if you’re to get a ticket for London’s most popular tech event.

Moral of the story? Sign up to the mailing list at http://paulfwalsh.com/events to ensure you hear about this and other upcoming events that might be of interest.

Have fun and good luck with getting a ticket. Get your ticket now

By the time I finished writing this post ALL TICKETS WERE TAKEN - so we’ve just released another 20. HURRY!!

SPONSORED BY:

VIAPOST - http://www.viapost.com/

ViaPost is the Skype of post (Post Over Internet Protocol)…send physical letters direct from your computer at the touch of a button from 27p, including print, stationary, envelope and 2 day delivery. No more stuffing envelopes or licking stamps.

IQ Development - http://iq-development.com

An ideal development house to partner with for delivery of exceptional online solutions.

Always looking for sponsors for this and other events

Please get in touch if you’d like to sponsor this event paul@wubud.com

[Update: all 250 tickets were gone within 12 hours.]

Join us for an informal meet-up in Soho for people working in the tech & media industries in London. Everyone welcome. It’s not necessary to live or work in the Soho area to join the group or attend the events.

With more 300 in attendance at the last one, make sure you don’t miss out.

Join the Facebook group to stay updated.

If you’re on twitter you can also follow @opensoho for updates.

—–

SPONSORED BY:

VIAPOST - http://www.viapost.com/

ViaPost is the Skype of post (Post Over Internet Protocol)…send physical letters direct from your computer at the touch of a button from 27p, including print, stationary, envelope and 2 day delivery. No more stuffing envelopes or licking stamps.

IQ Development - http://iq-development.com

An ideal development house to partner with for delivery of exceptional online solutions.

—-

LOOKING FOR ONE MORE SPONSOR

Please get in touch if you’d like to sponsor this event paul@wubud.com

Thanks to Boring for shooting the video.

Check out the next gathering, sponsored by:

VIAPOST - http://www.viapost.com/

ViaPost is the Skype of post (Post Over Internet Protocol)…send physical letters direct from your computer at the touch of a button from 27p, including print, stationary, envelope and 2 day delivery. No more stuffing envelopes or licking stamps.

http://iq-development.com

An ideal development house to partner with for delivery of exceptional online solutions.

—-

LOOKING FOR ONE MORE SPONSOR

Please get in touch if you’d like to sponsor this event paul@wubud.com