ad-tech day one (more stuff 5:00pm PT)

SAN FRANCISCO...

Still coming live from California at the Ad-Tech conference. The exhibit hall was filled with about 80% search marketing companies and 20% of content aggregators. The most interesting companies are the ones that create social media outlets for individual organizations.

I am sitting right now in the afternoon keynote session. Bob Davis of Highland Capital Partners says that the real money is to be made through advertising - not through big payouts like YouTube and MySpace.

So I guess he is saying that we have passed the wild west stage of hype and big money flying around. We are entering the 2.0 world of real profitability and sustainable business models.

Bob also says that if you can build an audience - you can sell it. He says that relative to audience - online advertising is relatively small. He says that the web as a medium has spread wider, deeper, and farther than any other media ever in the history of the world.

Tony Perkins, CEO of AlwaysOn Network says that we should look at Web 3.0. He says it is the instant messaging generation (26 and younger) do more texting than emailing. The value propositions of the internet have been shown by the young people.

Web 1.0 was using web one-way as a broadcast
Web 2.0 is an experiment in two-way communications and connectivity

Bob Davis says the internet has changed the way we do everything. He says that the internet is not revolutionary - it is evolutionary. He says that web 3.0 will learn how to reduce the clutter and make the online experience better.

Tony challenges the panelists to give him something new and cool about the internet.

Bob Davis says that there is no big leap.

Tony says 62% of content that the average 21 year old accesses online is produced by someone they know. He says that is a huge shift.

Gene DeRose says that that stuff is not really content - it is more about communication.

It was mentioned that companies will actually make their own media for distribution.

Tony asks how many on the panel are on social media networks - only Bob Davis raised his hand.

The panelists said that stuff that failed 10 years ago online is ripe for success now.

In Japan has 20 megabits per second - some people have 40 megabits per second. What happens when that is streamed to a hand-held device? Our media will be so integrated into our lives - we won't be able to tell.

The next big thing will be built for the new generation (26 and younger) - just like MySpace and YouTube.

Tony Perkins says that the next been players will be the ones who let go of their content and not try to control all this stuff.

Bob Davis says the power of the internet is the voice it has given to people all over the world as never before.

China is skipping the PC and is going straight to cell phones for internet connections.

The session just ended. Good panel discussion.

I am heading to the Ad-Tech award party tonight. Free food, Circe De Sole performance, and the award show. should be fun.