Below is my latest article written for MidwestBusiness.com.
Over the last couple years, Frank Gruber and Eric Olson have brought together the technology communities in various cities with their mixer TECH cocktail. They started their first event in Chicago and have quickly grown to hold events in Boston; Boulder, Colo.; and Washington, D.C.
In May 2008, they expanded their idea and held their first TECH cocktail conference in Chicago. Their work has been recognized by the Illinois Information Technology Association (ITA) by winning the prestigious CityLIGHTS Award. Here is their story.
MidwestBusiness.com: What was your reason for organizing the first TECH cocktail event?
TECH cocktail: We saw that the Chicago technology community was fragmented and there was a need for something to bring everyone together. After thinking about what could reduce the fragmentation of the community, we came up with TECH cocktail and started planning the first one that same day.
While we went back and forth on the name for a bit, we eventually decided that TECH cocktail fit well since we were looking to create a “cocktail of tech people”. At our first event in July 2006, we expected a few-dozen guests. We were delighted when we had more than 200 guests arrive. After the first event, we decided to have additional events in Chicago. The rest is history.
MB: How has TECH cocktail grown beyond your initial vision?
TC: Our initial vision was simply to get 50 people in a room and show off some of the start-ups from the local area via demonstrations at the event. We immediately grew beyond that initial vision with the first event.
Since then, TECH cocktail has continued to grow to about 600 people per Chicago event. Another instance is the growth of TECH cocktail to other cities. Though we certainly didn’t think TECH cocktail would go beyond Chicago when we started it, now we are in a handful of cities in the U.S. The brand is becoming more well known each and every day.
MB: What is your long-term vision for TECH cocktail?
TC: Our long-term vision for TECH cocktail follows our mission.
We want to bring TECH cocktail events to communities where there are interesting technology companies being built but where people don’t really know each other and the companies the city is producing aren’t getting the attention they deserve from the media. We are currently thinking through a couple models that will allow us to continue to expand TECH cocktail in this manner.
MB: What does TECH cocktail provide that other technology events and community organizations lack?
TC: The key to TECH cocktail is that the event is very open and loose. We think communities need that openness to get things jump-started.
There are good reasons to apply various levels of structure to events, but considering what we wanted to do with TECH cocktail, openness was crucial. If we added too much structure to the event, the outcome would be very different. Our goal is to offer a comfortable and fun environment for sharing and interacting with the local tech community on your own terms.
MB: Do you feel Chicago and other underserved technology communities lack good networking opportunities? If so, why?
TC: We do feel that some communities lack good networking opportunities while others may have too many.
For example, San Francisco may have too many while other cities (like Chicago a few years back) may have too few. We are not sure why some communities have too few networking opportunities. It may simply be because networking events take a lot of time and effort to organize and no one has decided to step up to make one happen.
MB: What impact have you noticed that TECH cocktail has had on the communities it has served?
TC: Chicago (being our flagship city) is probably the best example of what TECH cocktail does for communities. TECH cocktail – along with other top-notch events like BarCamp, the TiE events and others – has brought the community closer together.
People in the technology community in Chicago now know each other. This leads to more companies being founded, more ideas being shared and generally a better tech community. Washington, D.C. and other communities we have brought TECH cocktail to have also evolved in the same way.
Demonstrating at TECH cocktail has also helped a few start-ups meet their first investors and even their potential acquirers. Would those deals have been done without TECH cocktail? Who knows, but it’s good to see that people are having an easier time making the connections they need to get to the next level. If they get to the next level and others do as well, then the community as a whole will begin to step up.
We also offer an opportunity for more established businesses to support the TECH cocktail community while also growing their businesses. ChicagoMicro is a great example of a company that has served the TECH cocktail audience and has done well in the process.
MB: What other plans do you have in the works for TECH cocktail?
TC: There isn’t anything groundbreaking to share in terms of new ideas. We’re just trying to think through a couple ways we can keep TECH cocktail moving forward while lessening the burden on us (after all, we have day jobs!). We certainly want to keep bringing TECH cocktail wherever it’s needed so we can continue to help people.
MB: Why do you feel that networking is important for the technology community?
TC: Networking is important for any community whether it be technology, retail or anything else.
Knowing people in one’s industry (and outside one’s industry) is important for a number of reasons. Knowing more people allows you to stay up to date on current trends, to learn new things and mentor each other, to share and refine ideas with others, etc. People need to work together to solve big problems. Networking is crucial to getting the right people working together.
MB: How has networking affected you personally and professionally?
TC: We have enjoyed helping people in the local technology communities we serve. We never really think of it as networking (per se).
We feel that networking isn’t about handing out your business card to a bunch of people. It’s about helping others. When you focus on helping others, what typically emerges are long-lasting relationships that will create value on both sides for many years. These relationships are what we try to build.
In terms of how we have been affected, let’s just say we have made some great friends and have been able to share ideas and work with them. That’s all we can really ask for. Having a lot of top-notch people around with whom you can share your passions is an incredible thing.
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