Ross Dawson

Ross Dawson, Future Exploration Network: Interview

March 21, 2009 By Des Walsh

To wrap up from the various interviews with speakers and workshop facilitators I’ve been posting here from the recent Enterprise 2.0 Executive Forum, I’m pleased to be able to post this interview with the event’s instigator, impresario, convenor and chairman of proceedings, Ross Dawson, CEO of Future Exploration Network.

This interview was done just after the formalities concluded for the day.

At the event blog, Ross has reported in detail on coverage of the event. A few key posts are:

Presentations at Enterprise 2.0 Executive Forum – part 1

Presentations at Enterprise 2.0 Executive Forum – part 2

Presentations at Enterprise 2.0 Executive Forum – part 3

Several slide presentations from the day are embedded on the site and there are links to others.

There is also a post summarizing the Future Exploration Network report released on the day, Implementing Enterprise 2.0. I hope to get around to doing a review of the report here soon. My immediate reaction on a first, admittedly quick read was that this report will be a boon for many executives, consultants and others working in the Enterprise 2.0 space. I certainly intend to put my copy to good use!

Filed Under: Business, Enterprise 2.0, Social Media, Web 2.0 Tagged With: E2EF, Enterprise 2.0, Future Exploration Network, Ross Dawson, Sydney, Web 2.0

Enterprise 2.0 Executive Forum With Coveritlive

February 23, 2009 By Des Walsh

On Tuesday, February 24th (Sydney time), I’ll be blogging live from the Enterprise 2.0 Executive Forum (E2EF) in Sydney.

It’s ambitious, perhaps even a little rash, to promise this, because on previous efforts to do live blogging form conferences I have struck a few challenges, including getting the technology right.

I’m confident that this time I’m better prepared. I’m even taking a power cord so that I have a better chance of getting through the day without battery problems.

Topics for the day include:

Implementation: practical guidance on how to build a case and drive value creation
Governance and policies: managing risks and benefits
Business value: how to drive efficiency , productivity and innovation
Mobile participation: how mobile workflow is increasing productivity
Social networks: policies for Facebook and implementing internal social networks
Managing change: supporting collaboration and user adoption

I’m using Coveritlive. I’ve seen it used by others to very good effect. According to the instructions on the Coveritlive site, a view window should pop up when you Click Here

Enterprise 2.0 Executive Forum

I certainly don’t expect to provide anything like full coverage of the event, but I am taking a Flip camera and plan to get some instant interviews from speakers and others and post some or all of those here.

You can read more about the Enterprise 2.0 Executive Forum here.

Filed Under: Enterprise 2.0, Events, Social networking, Web 2.0 Tagged With: CoverItLive, E2EF, Enterprise 2.0, executive forum, Luna Park, Ross Dawson, Sydney

Ross Dawson’s Stimulus Package: Enterprise 2.0 Executive Forum 09

February 4, 2009 By Des Walsh

A one-day event in Sydney on February 24 provides a great opportunity for anyone wanting to get a handle on the current state of play with Web 2.0 in the enterprise, together with some informed prognostications for the year ahead.

It’s timely. The holidays are over, Australia Day has been and gone, the kids are back at school and it’s time to stack the beach towels and get serious about dealing with the R word.

Prime Minister Rudd and Treasurer Swan – still an unlikely duo even, for all the spin we’ve had telling us they are mates – were not being tardy last night, doing their Santa Rings Twice number, throwing great bundles of dosh at banks, businesses and even the employed who don’t have enough of it to get themselves and the kids to Disneyland this year. See PM Kevin Rudd goes for broke with $42bn stimulus package.

If that helps save some jobs I’m not complaining, but I’m wondering what longer term solutions there are for people and businesses.

As in, something to do with technology.

For starters, futurist, Web 2.0 maven and general tech enthusiast Ross Dawson and his Future Exploration Network are offering, in their Enterprise 2.0 Executive Forum, a package which looks to me as if it is geared to working not just for immediate stimulus but for long term productivity and profitability.

The tag line is “Implementing web technologies to transform organisations”.

Outcomes? The event website’s promise is:

Participants will leave the Forum with the latest global insights into creating value with Enterprise 2.0, as well as the Implementing Enterprise 2.0 Report: a clear roadmap for successful implementation and building competitive advantage.

Going by previous Future Exploration Network (FEN) events I’ve attended, including the Enterprise 2.0 Executive Forum this time last year, also at Luna Park in Sydney, there should be a good blend of:

knowledgeable presenters doing their thing
lively discussion and idea-sharing via the participant roundtable sessions (eat fast or you won’t get a word in)
live blogging
lots of tweeting

I’ll be there, blogging it – and tweeting it.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Enterprise 2.0, Future Exploration Network, Kevin Rudd PM, recession, Ross Dawson, stimulus package, Twitter, Web 2.0

Future of Media 2008 Reports

July 16, 2008 By Des Walsh

As per my previous post, yesterday was the day for the Future of Media Summit 2008, held courtesy of a video linkup simultaneously in Sydney and Silicon Valley.

Event originator and organiser Ross Dawson has a “quick review” on the Summit blog and includes some links to reports of some of the discussions. On the same blog you will find reports of several discussions held during the day.

Brad Howarth was there and blogging live. Unlike my less than successful efforts a couple of times to live blog a conference, Brad’s posts from the event exemplify his journalist’s skill to live blog in complete sentences and nicely balanced paragraphs. He has three posts up, starting with Live From the Future of Media Summit 2008 and with clear links to Parts 2 and 3.

Seth Yates has an informative post at TechNation with his Future of Media Summary. Like Brad, Seth quotes Mark Pesce’s encapsulating observation that “there is a transition from time-based aggregation to salience-based aggregation, based on reputation and relationships.” I admit I had to read it twice to get it: now I like it and I expect I will be quoting it from time to time.

Ben Barren posted “live from a distance”, with characteristic whimsicality and a couple of barbs for the “syd 2.0 suit brigade”. His participation was courtesy of a couple of live streams which I could not get to work on the eee PC I’m relying on at present.

Gavin Heaton has an initial brief summary and includes some interesting observations on the activity during the day on the unofficial “back channel” on Twitter. You can read through the Twitsearch/Summize record of that conversation or collection of conversations clustered around the #fom tag. If you have the patience: I found the process of clicking back, page by page, to read the comment stream, somewhat tedious and not immensely rewarding. It was more interesting and not so taxing to keep an eye on the Twitstream during the day.

With hindsight, I wish I had picked up earlier on Gavin Heaton’s mention that he was using the CoverItLive tool to track the day’s discussions. He has just posted, about 30 minutes ago, his CoverItLive stream. Fascinating! One comment of Gavin’s that jumped out at me was

(Ross Dawson) … is talking convergence. I still think that “convergence” is not about technology but the convergence of business models. To me it is a new B2C — a merging of the B2B and B2C — Brand2Community.

As for CoverItLive, I recall that I tried to use it when it first appeared, but without much joy. Just had another look and have signed up for an account. Maybe I’ll give live blogging at events another go!