Startups can point to the future

This morning I’ll be heading over to attend Startup Riot, a one-day conference in Atlanta (put on by my friend @sanjay and fellow Shotputter) where 50 startups get three minutes each to pitch their business to hundreds of venture capitalists, angel investors, other entrepreneurs and the media. Here’s a quick little video about Startup Riot:

Startup Riot is one of those experiences that anyone in marketing should attend at least once.  In fact, I wrote a blog post last year about why I was attending Startup Riot and the list largely still applies.

Next week I’ll be heading out to San Francisco (you know, the Atlanta of the West Coast ;) for The Launch Conference, a similar model to Startup Riot where 40 startups will present their companies to a similar group of people.  I’ll be attending more conferences like this in 2011 (including SXSW) and earlier this year I attended CES.  All so that I can sit back and try to envision where things are heading.  So I can come back with new ideas on where things are headed, like this.

If you didn’t get a chance to go to Startup Riot this year, make a calendar note for next year so you don’t forget.  It’s an experience I’m quite certain you’ll get a lot out of.