Link to original article

Social networking event attracts local developers and designers

What does it take to hatch three fledging companies in three days? For the creative minds that took part in a social networking event called 54Hours, it turned out to be one room, a whiteboard and a lot of entrepreneurs with big ideas.

The event attracted local software developers and designers to the Delta Brunswick in Saint John, where they were given the opportunity to pitch their vision of a unique software product.

There was one catch however: they had 54 hours to develop it.

Budding entrepreneurs turned the hotel conference room at the Delta into an impromptu research lab, with whiteboards, laptops and software blueprints burying the room's six tables.

"There was a lot of energy in the room from start to finish," said Jeff Roach, executive director of Propel ICT.

Roach checked in on each team's progress regularly throughout the week. He quickly found himself besieged by emails and text messages from various group members, each updating him on new ideas and concepts.

Robert Foley, a participant who works in quality assurance for a software development firm in Fredericton, described the work area as "organized chaos."

The concept for 54Hours was originally devised as a method of social networking for local talent. It was the brainchild of Jason Richard, president of Saint John-based Xentient Solutions, and Michael Wilcott, contract project manager for xwave.

"We've wanted to put together something like this for quite a while," said Wilcott, who said interest in the event exceeded his expectations. "About 30 people turned out Friday night. Before the event it felt almost as if we were throwing a house party, where you're worried about if anyone is going to show up."

Wilcott gave the attendees a quick two-minute introduction before allowing budding entrepreneurs to make their own business pitches. Once the pitches were done, people chose which idea they liked best and broke off into their own groups.

"I pitched something of my own but it didn't quite take off with the crowd," said Wilcott. He ended up joining another team, Karmundi, who are currently doing work on a web-based game.

Four teams were originally formed Friday night, with one quickly calling it quits after they decided they didn't have the right skill sets to go ahead. The remaining groups hammered away on their ideas for up to 14 hours a day on Saturday and Sunday.

"We only took a break to watch the hockey game," said Foley, who pitched an idea called GeoCure. His group's software is designed to monitor social networking sites for potential outbreaks of disease, and report the trends locally.

Once the teams got started, the drive to develop a marketable product quickly led to many group members getting addicted.

"One of my employees called me after he was supposed to do web work during the weekend," Roach said.

"He told me, 'Listen, Jeff, can we delay it until Monday? Because I'm really into this.'"

The event wrapped up Sunday evening when the three teams were required to make their individual product pitches. Rather than having winners, champagne corks were popped to celebrate the event's success.

According to Wilcott, all three teams are continuing to work on their individual companies in their spare time. One group, Karmundi, already has a website and Twitter account set up.

The event went on to spawn attention in both Moncton and Fredericton, where people contacted the organizers and asked if they planned to bring similar workshops there.

"We're hoping to have something ready in one of those cities for September," Wilcott said. "We just need to take a bit of a break first."