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An MBA over the Weekend: TiEcon

"Spend a weekend with us and get a mini-MBA," say the organizers of TiEcon 2001.

Since a full-fledged MBA at a top-notch institution may cost a small fortune, the TiEcon organizers feel their upcoming convention is the best way to meet businesspeople and learn the ins and outs of management and finance -- at a small price.

With the dot-com carnage in full swing over the last few months, it's easy to see why they've taken to education.

"The market is a reflection of human behaviour," The IndUS Entrepreneurs president Kailash Joshi said recently. "There's been a gross overreaction to a new way of doing business, [namely] e-commerce.

"There have been a lot of victims and the emergence of entrepreneurs -- many of whom were not ready. This is a frenzy that fed in all directions."

The rise and fall of the dot-com industry is a main reason for selecting the theme "Back to Basics".

"We have been discussing TiEcon for the last year," noted Bakul Joshi, a former TiE monthly event chairperson and TiE charter member.

"The change in circumstances also helps," he said about the 2001 theme. "It particularly helps in examining revenue models and business practices."

The flagship TiE event will be held on June 23 and 24 in Santa Clara, California. Over 200 volunteers have been meeting every week for the last few months to discuss the various logistics involved.

Once again, there's an impressive list of keynote speakers: John Chambers, CEO and president of Cisco Systems; Carly Fiorina, CEO, president and chairman of Hewlett-Packard; and Vivek Ranadive, founder, chairman and CEO of TIBCO Software.

Last year, former Harvard Business School professor Amar Bhide, Sycamore Networks co-founder Desh Deshpande and Netscape co-founder Jim Clark were the keynote speakers.

The confirmed list of speakers is equally impressive: University of California, Berkeley, Business School Dean Laura Tyson; former CEO of VeriFone Hatim Tyabji; Keynote Systems CEO Umang Gupta; Arzoo CEO Sabeer Bhatia and University of Michigan at Ann Arbor business professor C K Prahalad.

"This really is the most important TiEcon as we will discuss creation of sustainable enterprises," said Vish Mishra, the company showcase chair for TiEcon 2001.

"There's been a surge of innovation and a huge number of people will be looking for a second opportunity," he continued. "All the talent and expertise of entrepreneurs under one roof will help get that education for others."

As TiE president, Joshi's goals are clear: beat last year's record attendance of 2,000 and put together an A-class conference.

"We create our own challenges," he said. "The company showcase has to double. There has to be an innovative way to line up speakers. Attendance is a major challenge."

"We cannot take TiEcon for granted," Joshi noted. "People need to be aware and we need to deliver."

TiE organizers expect almost 3,000 attendees this year. A larger facility has also been rented -- the Santa Clara Convention Centre, close to the Westin, where many attendees will be put up.

In addition to the impressive list of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and executives, TiE will also provide some entertainment. Singer Bali Brahmbhatt will perform during the banquet. So will Pakistani comedian Moin Akhtar.

"The banquet is our way of giving back to the community... it's designed for networking," Bakul Joshi said.

TiE organizers will keep a close eye on the fabled startup showcase, where firms such as Webex were first discovered. More than 100 companies were selected carefully to showcase themselves at the event.

"There are all sorts of companies -- network, wireless, semiconductors...," Joshi said. "We have them under one roof and showcase them, hassle free!"

(Register for TiEcon 2001 at www.tie.org Fees are $345 for members, $395 for non-members and $100 for students before May 16. Costs increase $50 for members and non-members after the early-bird deadline; $25 increase for students.)

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