Demo '06 prep doesn't go without a hitch

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the hall tonight. That's how tight a ship they run." Indeed, Demo is famous for its strict rules. Besides the 6-minute presentation limit, there's also a prohibition on PowerPoint slides, and even on the language that can be used. Bridges explains that he and Turpin had to get permission to use the phrase "what the hell" in their demonstration.

In any case, Bridges seems eager to get things moving so he can be ready for the onstage run-through. It is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., after which, he said, he plans to hit Demo's welcome cocktail party. But, he's informed, the cocktail party is only supposed to last until 7 p.m.

"This is cutting severely into my drinking," he joked. "That's OK. I'm on the clock until tomorrow morning, and then it's all easy-peasy."

Later, Bridges and Turpin are onstage in the hotel's ballroom, getting ready for their final rehearsal. All around them are technicians walking to and fro--some who appear to be helping the two get ready, others who are busy with other tasks.

At a table a few yards from the stage, another company is getting ready for its own final trial. Its executives and marketing types circle around. They're still discussing strategy for their demonstration Tuesday.

Onstage at 6:36 p.m., Turpin begins talking. He doesn't seem to notice the technicians still walking around the stage, the people talking in the front row, and the steady changing of the house lights.

In fact, it's hard to tell that this is the same presentation Turpin was trying to practice just three hours earlier, when he was struggling with his lines. Now, in fact, he looks like he's got them down cold.

Granted, Turpin is a little stiff--something that isn't helped by the fact that he's leaning on a cane to support his recently broken leg--but what matters is that he looks like he knows what he's doing.

Behind him, Bridges is controlling the computers, and it looks like things are working. The screens that are supposed to come up are, the graphics that are supposed to appear do so, and the tool set he's supposed to show off is available. This is all an improvement.

Finally, Turpin wraps up his demonstration. Immediately, a couple of technicians come up to him and Bridges, and make suggestions for the morning: where to stand, things to do with the computers. Even as they're talking, the lights are rapidly changing; the house music comes on and then goes away; and on the other side of the stage, the next company launches into its presentation.

But for Turpin, Bridges and Multiverse, months of sweat and preparation are nearly over. At 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, the two are scheduled to show off their platform to a room of people, many of whom likely know nothing about what they're talking.

Their challenge is to be interesting enough to lure reporters and investors to come see them on the Demo show floor later in the day.

What's unknown is whether the technology Demo provides--the network, the lighting and so forth--will work as planned. In previous Demos, it sometimes hasn't. Regardless, companies like Multiverse have to be ready to make their case.

And for Turpin and Bridges, they won't have an answer to the question of "How did it go" until 10:26 a.m. Tuesday.

[ebrandel]

It'd be interesting to attend

I don't know if I could handle presenting in such a format, but attending Demo would be very interesting. Lots of (hopefully) good ideas, presented very quickly. No time for marketing lingo and extraneous crap.