The May Report: 1/13/2011: At long last, an exit for Smart Signal, an Argonne firm and one backed by TLC — company sold to GE; FeeFinders, fka TransFS, gets $1.6MM from a bunch of firms including OCA, Sandbox, HPA, and i2A; Melanie Adcock on YouTube as the #2 Search engine & SEMPO’s event at Google’s offices; Rahm spotted lunching at Capital Grill yesterday; Happy 19th birthday HAL, born in Champaign-Urbana January 12, 1992; Is Dash Mob toes up?; Thornton on Nourie; After six years of holding her tongue, no mas: Candy Renwall speaks out on the ITA and defends the CSA against what appears to Ron May (an opinion Terry, not a statement o fact) to have been a slur by Terry Howerton by way of puppet Ed Domain; Groupon goes to Super Bowl; The Art Institute is selling off valuable works of art

The May Report January 13th, 2011

Editor and publisher: ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com, www.themayreport.com , 773-525-3944.

Assistant editor: Melanie Adcock, iPHONE: 312-259-0610, melanie_adcock@msn.com

If you missed an article, go here: www.tmronline.com/A55951/tmrarticles.nsf/vwFullNewsletter
___________________________
**********************************************
GP Ventures is focused on M&A advisory services for technology companies. GPV has a wide range of industry contacts and experience, both national and international.

2010 has been a great year in terms of activity and it appears that 2011 will continue this trend. I will look forward to talking to you about your strategic goals.

Current projects include:

*Acquisition Programs in the fields of IT Services and Printed Circuit Boards (bare boards)

*Sell-Side Program for 40 Million euro Fiber Optics Company

*Business Development program for Japanese electronics distributor seeking new products in the fields of semiconductors and electronics

*Strategic Partner search for US “Green” device charger manufacturer and Canadian application mapping software firm.

Contact GPV to discuss a program for your technology company.

Tom Kastner
GP Ventures
847-431-3993
mail@gp-ventures.com

GP Ventures : M&A Advisory Services for high technology companies in Electronics, Equipment, IT services, Software, PCBs, Defense, Distribution
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Scoop section:

– Groupon Heads to the Super Bowl
– An important message from Fermilab Director Pier Oddone
– FeeFighters Raises $1.6 Million In Funding fka TransFS gets $1.6MM from Sandbox Industries, OCA Ventures, i2a Fund and Hyde Park Angels, 500Startups and Arizona Bay Technology Partners
– At long last, a liquidity event for a Churchwell firm with a long history coming out of Argonne: GE Intelligent Platforms Acquires SmartSignal Corporation
– Thornton on Nourie’s departure from the Kansas Bioscience Authority
– Fast Company: Internet Tax: Good for Drained State Coffers or Bad for Business?, by David Zax
– Hyde Park Angels on why the increases in the Illinois Corporate and Personal Income Tax and the initiation of the internet retailer tax is a bad thing
– Server Farm Realty to Develop Downtown Chicago Data Center Property
– Is YouTube the #2 Search Engine?, by Melanie Adcock
– Google Sempo (Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization) Networking event, by Melanie Adcock
– Bob Tripathy has a small event coming up where local Chicago SEO group has invited him to speak. Here is the meetup page
– Briefly noted, by Ron May
– At long last, after six years of silence, Candy Renwall is speaking publicly and on the record against slurs against both her and the CSA from people we know well followed by Ron May on his discussions with Dick Reck
– Ophelia Smith: RESPONSE: The Party Plate with Cup and its competition
– Gerard Perez asks where the info. is on what Jan Koe told Ron re: Ted Turner screwing some local MCI investors

1. EVENTS

1a. C3/CanDo Dinner Thur 13 January
1b. Tuesday, January 18: Jan 18 Meeting: Recapping the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (Section 48D)
1c. Wednesday, January 19: BNC TechPitch: SoleSearch, Truehive, and ReadyPing
1d. Thursday, January 20: midVentures invites you to midVentures DESIGN+DEVELOP Series
1e. Weekly Announcements of the IIT Stuart Knapp Entrepreneurship Center
1f. Tuesday, January 18: CCMA Announces Sustainability Action Planning Meeting
1g. Wednesday, January 26: January Saper Law seminar: Can I Do That Online? Copyright Law and Online Posting

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The Scoop section:
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Groupon Heads to the Super Bowl

Subject: Groupon Heads to the Super Bowl
Date: 1/10/2011 11:13:52 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: melanie_adcock@msn.com
To: ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com

Groupon Heads to the Super Bowl

January 10, 2011

By Kris Ashton

The word is out. Groupon is heading for the Super Bowl. Well for some pre-game ad spots at least. Ad spots for the game itself, which have cost as much as $3 million in the past, were sold out by October. Sources say this is just part of a larger TV campaign as Groupon ventures into more traditional forms of advertising, the very industry it works so hard to lure businesses away from.

While any influx of advertising cash is good news for television, local stations may be concerned that by helping Groupon gain greater exposer they are only assisting the completion in stealing away their own advertising revenues.

It’s a decisive shift in marketing strategy for the Chicago-based company, which has been among the best case studies for the power of word-of-mouth marketing, having grown in 2010 from one country to 35, with nearly 400 million subscribers. But a little over two years into its existence, it seems Groupon thinks that “tell a friend” isn’t enough to grow as quickly as it intends. As of last week, Groupon said it’s not yet ready to comment on any of its marketing plans. And agencies declined to speak with Ad Age as well.

But Rob Solomon, president and chief operating officer at Groupon, in November suggested to Ad Age the company was nearing a point where it felt it was time to begin experimenting with what’s now typically referred to as traditional advertising – TV, print, radio, outdoor billboards – to maintain momentum. Said Mr. Solomon: “The next level of extending the brand is traditional offline media and techniques to build the brand. If you look at the great iconic brands that have been built on the internet, they all go through that transition, and I think we’ll go through a similar progression.”

Could it be that with LivingSocial’s plan to use its Amazon millions and take over Groupon’s number one stop in the industry or the fact that Google may be set on revenge for Groupon’s rebuff of their recent $6 billion offer have the coupon king setting up to do battle?

Source: adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=148096
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An important message from Fermilab Director Pier Oddone

From: “Charles Stack, MPH”
Sender: “Charles Stack, MPH”
Subject: FW: An important message from Fermilab Director Pier Oddone
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:44:02 -0600
To: “ron@themayreport.com”

Hi, Ron! This email from Dr. Oddone was very disappointing to receive, and I see that all the local papers (including Crain’s) are covering the Fermilab story now.

I’m hoping that Fermilab will continue to find new revenues in the future, it is truly a gem in Illinois! I had the pleasure to work with Fermilab in the early 1980′s, when we were trying to land the superconducting supercollider project at this location.

The website for the lab is www.fnal.gov and I invite MayReport readers to visit the lab sometime, it is a fascinating experience.

Best, Chuck

Charles R. Stack, MPH
Vice President
Constant Compliance Inc.
140 South Dearborn Street
Suite 411
Chicago, Illinois 60603 USA
Cell phone (630) 841-8706
Fax (312) 782-0936
Website: www.2Ci.com/

Begin forwarded message:

From: Fermilab Today
Date: January 10, 2011 1:28:04 PM CST
To: allhands@fnal.gov, fermilabtoday@fnal.gov
Subject: An important message from Fermilab Director Pier Oddone

To the Fermilab community:

Today we received the news (www.fnal.gov/pub/today/Tevatron-brinkman-to-shochet.pdf) that we will not receive funding for the proposed Tevatron extension and consequently the Tevatron will close at the end of FY2011 as was previously planned. The present budgetary climate did not permit DOE to secure the additional funds needed to run the Tevatron for three more years as recommended by the High Energy Physics Advisory Panel.

We plan to run the Tevatron this year and extract all the physics results we can. The Tevatron has exceeded all expectations. The life of this legendary machine has been marked by historic discoveries made possible by its innovative accelerator and detector technologies. The experience developed during its operation has also immensely helped the development of the LHC accelerator and detectors. Fermilab is and will remain a very strong part of the LHC program and will continue to pursue physics at the high-energy frontier together with our collaborators at CERN.

The Office of Science is committed to maintain our laboratory as a world leader for particle physics research. We have its strong support to develop into the foremost laboratory at the Intensity Frontier with new neutrino experiments NOvA, MicroBooNE and the Long Base Line Neutrino Experiment (LBNE); the muon-to-electron conversion experiment (Mu2e); and ongoing experiments MINOS, MINERvA and MiniBooNE. Underlying our Intensity Frontier program we have the Office of Science’s support for the development of Project X. In addition we have leading programs at the Cosmic Frontier with the Dark Energy Survey, the dark-matter experiments CDMS and COUPP, and Pierre Auger. While we would have liked to run the Tevatron for three more years, our life going forward is full of promising projects and great opportunities for major discoveries.

– Fermilab Director Pier Oddone
_________________________________
FeeFighters Raises $1.6 Million In Funding fka TransFS gets $1.6MM from Sandbox Industries, OCA Ventures, i2a Fund and Hyde Park Angels, 500Startups and Arizona Bay Technology Partners

Subject: FeeFighters Raises $1.6 Million In Funding
Date: 1/12/2011 10:47:23 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: melanie_adcock@msn.com
To: ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com

FeeFighters Raises $1.6 Million In Funding

by FRANK GRUBER on JANUARY 12, 2011

techco.tl/g2n8Ue

We are excited to hear the news today that Chicago-based startup FeeFighters (formerly TransFS) has raised a round of funding from Sandbox Industries, OCA Ventures, i2a Fund and Hyde Park Angels, 500Startups and Arizona Bay Technology Partners that totals $1.6 million dollars. We expect FeeFighters to use the money to continue to expand and market the product that helps small businesses compare credit-card processors.

We have been following FeeFighters along for awhile now since they were formerly TransFS. TransFS was a showcased startup at one of our classic Tech Cocktail Chicago mixer events back in February 2008. We also covered FeeFighters previously as they were part of the first class to come out of the Chicago-based seed incubator Excelerate Labs. Congrats to FeeFighters and we look forward to following their entrepreneurial journey.
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At long last, a liquidity event for a Churchwell firm with a long history coming out of Argonne: GE Intelligent Platforms Acquires SmartSignal Corporation

GE Intelligent Platforms Acquires SmartSignal Corporation
Predictive diagnostics and analytics solution company broadens GE’s software capabilities used to maximize the performance of critical equipment in Power Generation and Oil & Gas industries

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GE Intelligent Platforms today announced that it has completed the acquisition of SmartSignal, a privately-held, analytics software company based in Lisle, Illinois. SmartSignal specializes in providing Remote Monitoring & Diagnostics solutions to the Power Generation, Oil & Gas and other industrial sectors. SmartSignal is a leading provider of predictive diagnostic software and monitoring services used to anticipate, prevent, and avoid equipment failure. The company has more than 40 product and technology patents, and has won more than 25 awards for product excellence.

“The acquisition of SmartSignal shows our commitment to continue investing in GE Intelligent Platforms’ Software & Services business, and will serve as an important catalyst to rapidly expand the capabilities of our Operational Intelligence platform,” said Maryrose Sylvester, President & CEO for GE Intelligent Platforms. “SmartSignal is a recognized leader and innovator with technology that detects looming equipment problems early and with confidence. This acquisition complements GE’s existing capabilities in diagnostics and equipment analytics, and gives us the ability to cover a much wider range of asset types and equipment manufacturers for our customers.”

“With GE’s commitment to solving difficult challenges in today’s business environment,” said Jim Gagnard, President & CEO of SmartSignal, “we believe our solution can help provide a holistic approach to Operational Intelligence across many industries no matter what type of equipment the customer is trying to manage.”

SmartSignal detects and identifies abnormal equipment behavior and provides exception-based notifications of developing problems along with diagnoses and prioritizations. Its solutions are device-agnostic and are found on equipment from GE, Siemens, Rolls Royce, Alstom, Flowserve, Waukesha, Byron Jackson, Cooper-Bessemer, and others.

“The integration of SmartSignal’s proven monitoring and diagnostic technologies will play a significant role in delivering on GE Intelligent Platforms’ vision of providing comprehensive Operational Intelligence solutions to customers,” said Erik Udstuen, Vice President of Software & Services for GE Intelligent Platforms. “It is a proven Remote Monitoring & Diagnostics solution that aligns nicely with the Proficy® architecture to help customers address availability and efficiency challenges in a robust way. The SmartSignal team also brings tremendous domain expertise in predictive diagnostics that aligns very well with GE’s key vertical industries.”

Proficy is an example of how GE’s $4 billion-a-year software and solutions services businesses are helping customers improve productivity.

For more information: www.ge-ip.com

www.smartsignal.com

About GE Intelligent Platforms

GE Intelligent Platforms is an experienced high-performance technology company and a global provider of software, hardware, services, and expertise in automation and embedded computing. We offer a unique foundation of agile and reliable technology providing customers a sustainable competitive advantage in the industries they serve, including energy, water, consumer packaged goods, government & defense, and telecommunications. GE Intelligent Platforms is headquartered in Charlottesville, VA. For more information, visit www.ge-ip.com.

Proficy is a registered trademark of GE Intelligent Platforms. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
____________________________________
Thornton on Nourie’s departure from the Kansas Bioscience Authority

Subject: FW: Fact Checking for The May Report
Date: 1/12/2011 8:53:22 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: melanie_adcock@msn.com
To: ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com

Subject: Re: Fact Checking for The May Report
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:06:23 -0500
From: thornton@kansasbioauthority.org
To: melanie_adcock@msn.com

Melanie,

Cary resigned in late August to spend more time with his family. He was commuting to Kansas weekly and obviously he and his family live in Chicago. I can appreciate his circumstances and wish he and his family the very best.

Regards and happy new year,

Tom

——————————————————————————–
From: Melanie Adcock
To: Tom Thornton
Sent: Wed Dec 22 17:49:49 2010
Subject: Fact Checking for The May Report

Hi there, My name is Melanie Adcock and I am the Assistant Editor for The May Report. I’m contacting you because we heard some interesting information about Nourie. We heard via anonymous message that he is gone from your company and in Chicago again. Do you have any comments on this? If so it would be much appreciated to get your insight. Ron publishes all mail he receives into The May Report and many of the notes we get don’t reflect our personal views. It’s a tough aspect of the report so anything you can provide in terms of factual info would be greatly appreciated by us, the readers and the Midwest Tech Community at large. Again, thank you for your assistance.

Kind regards,

Melanie

Melanie Adcock
Assistant Editor of The May Report
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/melanieadcock
Cell: 312-259-0610
E-Mail: melanie_adcock@msn.com
The May Report Facebook Page: on.fb.me/TheMayReport
Visit The May Report Archives: bit.ly/TheMayReportArchives
Subscribe to The May Report: bit.ly/TheMayReportSubscribe
____________________________________
Fast Company: Internet Tax: Good for Drained State Coffers or Bad for Business?, by David Zax

www.fastcompany.com/1714986/illinois-lawmakers-approve-internet-tax

Internet Tax: Good for Drained State Coffers or Bad for Business?
BY David Zax Fri Jan 7, 2011
A new Illinois tax would apply to large online retailers like Amazon who do business with affiliates in the state. But local businesses are up in arms, claiming it will hurt their bottom line and lead to the loss of jobs, without raising significant revenue.

Illinois lawmakers have approved something called the Internet Tax Bill, which, if signed by Governor Pat Quinn, would levy taxes on Internet purchases, reports Internet Retailer. The governor has 60 days to act on the bill that the General Assembly has passed on to him; if he signs, it will go into effect July 1.

The tax is a way of going after companies like Amazon.com or Overstock.com, which, though not based in Illinois, do business there through local affiliates. There’s a convoluted history to this tax. In Illinois, for years, residents were already supposed to be keeping track of their Internet purchases and paying a 6.25% “use tax” on them. But few people were even aware such a tax existed, and no one was enforcing it. Last month, Illinois offered “amnesty” over these unpaid taxes up through December 31, 2010–but it did so largely to raise awareness of the fact that Illinois residents were supposed to be paying the tax in the first place.

The new Internet Tax Bill would obligate Internet retailers to collect the use tax themselves. “The bill treats online merchants more like bricks-and-mortar merchants,” a spokesman for one of the Democrats backing the bill, state Senate president John Cullerton, told Internet Retailer.

But the small Illinois businesses who partner with giants like Amazon and Overstock are up in arms about the proposed bill. CouponCabin.com today put out a plaintive press release with the sub-headline: “Internet Affiliate Jobs Will Be Lost; No Revenue Gained for State.” CouponCabin.com is an online clearing house for coupons; at the time of this writing, for instance, the site contained a coupon offering free shipping on most Amazon.com orders of $25 or more. By clicking on that coupon, it directs you to Amazon.com, having “activated” the coupon for you en route. CouponCabin then gets a small cut of the sale.

But CouponCabin worries that with the new tax (or new tax enforcement), Amazon or others will just sever relationships with Illinois affiliates, something it says has happened in New York, Colorado, North Carolina, and Rhode Island, which have passed similar laws. “We hope the State will see that this bill will fail to achieve its revenue-raising goal,” said Scott Kluth, founder and president of the Chicago-based company, “and instead cause drastic hardship for small businesses like ours.”

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Eric Grimm No one wants to talk about how outdated tax, laws have enabled Amazon and other “tax-free” companies to marquee local businesses that must pay sales tax — taxes that support local services and local jobs. Why should a local business be punished by price advantages to billion dollar companies that kill local jobs and sales?
Eric GrimmYesterday 07:59 PMReplyReport abuse

Louann Oravec Bad for business. Want money; cut the daggon overpriced politicians paychecks. No more freaking automatic pay raises.
Louann Oravec01/07/2011 10:42 PM
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Hyde Park Angels on why the increases in the Illinois Corporate and Personal Income Tax and the initiation of the internet retailer tax is a bad thing

Subject: Hyde Park Angels – Advancing Growth Opportunities
Date: 1/12/2011 9:39:56 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: jrcarter@me.com

blog.hydeparkangels.com/

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jan 12 Illinois Corporate and Personal Income Tax Increase
Hyde Park Angels isn’t a political organization. We are neutral when it comes to political parties. Our mission is to find, fund, mentor, and create a climate for entrepreneurial start up companies in the midwest. We will continue to passionately pursue that goal.

We disagree with the Illinois General Assembly, and Governor Quinn’s choice of significantly raising not only personal income taxes 67% to 5%, but are similarly disappointed in the decision to raise corporate rates to an all in rate of 9.2%. We also disagree with the recently passed internet sales tax of 6.5% that has caused Amazon and Overstock to pull out of partnerships with Illinois entrepreneurs. HPA is not alone, as other business organizations, and opinion leaders from the political right and left agree with us.

In a very tough economic environment with high jobless rate, many people are turning to entrepreneurship to sustain an income. HPA is here to support them. Illinois government officials have shown by their actions that they are not concerned with them. They have just made our job much more difficult, and increased the hurdle rates for Illinois companies. Competition doesn’t exist in a vacuum and end at the state line. It’s international, even for the companies we support.

Not only do we work closely with entrepreneurs, but we bridge the gap for them and work upstream with venture capitalists. After speaking with some VC’s, we have discovered that they are locating their businesses out of Illinois. Today, the newly elected governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker said that they would be cooking up incentive plans for businesses to move across the northern border up to Wisconsin. Indiana governor Mitch Daniels said that Indiana already had a financial edge over Illinois, and this extreme tax hike will only benefit Indiana even more. We will continue to keep an eye on this, and remind everyone, our mission is to invest and fund companies in the midwest-not just Chicago.

While most of our companies are pre-revenue, and don’t worry too much about taxes, they pay very close attention to the business climate in which they choose to grow. The expectation is that someday they will grow large enough to employ lots of people and pay a lot of corporate income taxes. Expectations for the future drive decision making today. We would strongly urge the Illinois General Assembly to rescind their tax increase, and read University of Chicago Nobel Prize recipient Robert Lucas macroeconomic work on how people make decisions based on expectations.
_________________________________
Server Farm Realty to Develop Downtown Chicago Data Center Property

Subject: Server Farm Realty to Develop Downtown Chicago Data Center Property
Date: 1/11/2011 8:01:03 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: tatvshow@yahoo.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
CC: melanie_adcock@msn.com

Server Farm Realty to Develop Downtown Chicago Data Center Property
Server Farm Realty Has Closed on Chicago Property

CHICAGO–(1-11-2011)–Server Farm Realty, Inc. (SFRI) has completed the purchase of 840 S. Canal St. in Chicago. The year-end transaction of the eight-story, 443,446 SF building located in downtown Chicago will be one of the largest data center developments in the Midwest.

“Chicago is one of the hottest data center markets in the United States”
The property was originally built with an extremely robust infrastructure to support manufacturing for General Electric, but was repurposed over the years as a check-processing and back-up operations site for two of Chicago’s most prominent financial institutions. In the continued evolution of this unique asset, SFRI will be realigning the site’s 38 MW of power and 250 lbs/SF of floor loading to support a state-of-the-art data center and trading floor space, which will be available September 2011.

The site’s strategic location – its proximity to low latency fiber connecting the downtown central business and trading district – is part of a purposeful design that serves the needs of prospective customers.

“Chicago is one of the hottest data center markets in the United States,” said SFRI President and Chief Executive Officer Avner Papouchado. “We picked this location for its ability to deliver unmatched power density, high speed connectivity and a time-to-market that is currently unavailable anywhere else in the Chicago market.”

The facility will deliver the highest levels of reliability and efficiency to the critical needs of Chicago’s 60 Fortune 1000 companies, 28 Fortune 500 companies, 12 Financial Times Global 500 companies, 10 Fortune Global 500 companies, and 400 other major corporations.

The facility will feature 3.6 MW of critical load on each of its five data center floors with an N+1 concurrently maintainable electrical infrastructure powered by 20 2.5-MW generators housed in a dedicated exterior building. The data center is currently accessible via numerous carriers (AT&T, Verizon, AboveNet, 360 Networks, Cogent, CFN, Fiberlink, Level 3, CenturyLink/Qwest, and Zayo) and 3 separate substations that will be delivering 38 MW of total power. The building also features 80,000 SF of trading space with redundant power of up to 30 W/SF and amenities for a top line trading operation.

The concept of purposeful design is synonymous with Server Farm Realty’s parent company, Red Sea Group, which has developed over 7 million SF worldwide valued at an estimated $3 billion in construction since 1965. Server Farm Realty provides complete flexibility in lease options from shell to server-ready leases and anything in between. The company is also capable of building custom solutions on an as-needed basis.

SFRI has appointed CB Richard Ellis’ Chad Freese and Aaron Kulick to serve as the exclusive marketing agents for the site.

Bruce Eric Montgomery
Executive Producer & Host
Technology Access Television
200 S. Wacker Drive, 15th Floor
Chicago, IL 60606-5865
(312) 725-8601
tatvshow@yahoo.com
www.tatv.org
www.twitter.com/techaccesstv
www.facebook.com/brucemontgomery
____________________________________
Is YouTube the #2 Search Engine?, by Melanie Adcock

Subject: Is YouTube the #2 Search Engine? & Google Sempo (Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization) Networking event
Date: 1/10/2011 11:04:28 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: melanie_adcock@msn.com
To: ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com

We had to sign a waiver to get into this event awhile back submit the wiring to Google for approval prior to running the article. Many thanks to Bob Tripathy for helping us with this process. -Melanie

What does it mean when people say YouTube is the #2 Search Engine? YouTube’s spot as the #2 Search Engine is not breaking news. It has held this distinction since Dec. 2008 according to comScore’s US Search Rankings Report bit.ly/e6EpHF, plus Google has owned YouTube since Nov. 14, 2006. Though this stat is widely distributed in many lectures and talks on Social Media and Search Engine Optimization, it still surprises me. I am surprised because YouTube isn’t trying to be a search engine. YouTube is not listed in many search engine directories because it categorized as a user-generated video site. You would expect Yahoo! or Bing to take the second place spot or even some of the older ones still in existence from the late 90′s. In a recent web post of 2010 search engines bit.ly/g2qWRy YouTube is not listed because it is not a traditional search engine. A blog called Altsearch.com created by Charles Knight documented search engines as they were discovered and found 4,000 real search engines on the web today. The blog was discontinued because he thought he’d pretty much found them all. So, where exactly are people getting this information?

ComScore’s Press Release for October 2010′s Total Core Search Ranking bit.ly/f73Guk does not mention YouTube and the report included this description:

“Total Core Search” is based on the five major search engines, including partner searches, cross-channel searches and contextual searches. Searches for mapping, local directory, and user-generated video sites that are not on the core domain of the five search engines are not included in these numbers.”

However, in comScore’s April 2010 Expanded Search query report, bit.ly/fTnqoT Youtube is listed just after Google sites and Google for the most number total U.S. searches clearly putting YouTube in second place after Google and ahead of Yahoo!in that set of statistics. Like I said, it’s difficult to understand the numbers because YouTube is both owned by Google and is not considered to be one of the five major search engines. Instead it falls under the category of user-generated videos sites. In comScore’s recent press release on online video rankings bit.ly/eficl3 YouTube isn’t listed in the rankings but they indicate Google sites is the number one ranked site because of YouTube. Here are some other interesting tidbits they included in that report:

-Google sites, driven mostly by YouTube videos, had the largest number of unique viewers of internet video content in the U.S. in October of 2010 with 146.3 million unique viewers.

-Americans viewed more than 4.6 billion video ads in October, with Hulu generating the highest number of video ad impressions at a record 1.1 billion.

-The duration of the average online content video was 5.0 minutes, while the average online video ad was 0.4 minutes.

-Video ads accounted for 12.8 percent of all videos viewed and 1.2 percent of all minutes spent viewing video online.

So is YouTube really the Number Two Search Engine? I guess it depends on how you define Search Engine and which stats you are reading. It seems all of these video searches and video ads are slowly chipping away at the institution we now call Television. When can I throw out my T.V.? I can’t wait until it’s obsolete.
__________________________________
Google Sempo (Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization) Networking event, by Melanie Adcock

After a successful cocktail party at the Search Engine Strategy Conference Sempo recently held another event in the offices of Google in late October. There were about 105 or so in attendance for a panel discussion that focused not so much on Google but rather on the effective use of YouTube as a social media channel and the #2 Search Engine. Panelists included:

Bob Tripathi, Sears formerly at Discover Financial – Moderator

Brian Tschoepe, Google/Youtube

Rodney Robinson, Currently at Facebook, formerly worked at Google

Ryan Peterson, Associate Director at MindShare

Here are some of the juicy tidbits I scrawled down on paper from the discussion that unfolded:

Rodney Robinson said everyone’s search is different because what’s relevant and recent pops up first in a Facebook search. He spoke about the importance of integrating search with social.

The point of these efforts is to Generate in store traffic, create buzz among friends online, and build loyalty. In beta form right now is Facebook questions where you can get answers from Second and Third degree friends.

Rodney Robinson also said that B2C communication on Facebook is better right now than B2B, but says B2B is untapped and the cost of entry is free. He suggested starting small and targeting ads to the right people.

Skittles was given as an example of a website that integrates seamlessly with their Facebook page and leverages open APIs.

Ryan Peterson said Mindshare’s SEM approach to search is integrated and key word search is king. He broke down search into 3 categories: Paid Search, Organic Search, and Social.

He said feeding universal search is important and getting content in as many places as possible like news, wikis, blogs, and videos and leveraging social assets with site links is important.

Brian Tschoepe gave a lot of compelling insight, shared several slides and what follows are some highlights from the helpful tips he and the others shared:

**Interesting YouTube Facts:

-YouTube now has promoted videos.

-A Branded Channel on YouTube will cause a 17% increase in google search results. Promoting YouTube video assets is important.

-YouTube is part of the Google display network. Promoting traffic with the display network is important.

-YouTube is the #1 online video site and the #2 search engine. Every day 46.2 years of video are consumed on YouTube.

-Every video autoshared gets 7 new sessions on YouTube.

-The best early indicator that a video might go viral is when it gets embedded on a popular blog.

-YouTube is central to social video distribution. The strategy is upload your video to YouTube and share everywhere else.

-The 4 core user behaviors on YouTube are Start, Discover, Watch, and engage. The search behavior is more searching for general content and high traffic key words.

-To promote video ads you want to buy key words for related ads and search for key words in the related video segments.

-YouTube insights enables you to compare your video to the attention received by the average video. You can export the data.

**To optimize your brand’s YouTube channel:

-Engage and upload high quality videos as frequently as possible.

-Share the video uploads on Twitter and the other social media sites.

-Allow embedding so that others can distribute for you.

-Use consistently well written descriptions, titles and tags. Use descriptive tags.

-Use YouTube insights to learn the most commonly used words and use those words.

-Add annotations, captions, and subtitles to your video.

-Make sure you choose the right channel type so you users can find you.

-If you have a service create videos that teach people how to do something. Be relevant and accessible.

-Use key words that link back to your site.

**What do you do when the conversation turns sour?

-FB page for Nutella was given as example

-Be a part of the conversation, don’t control it, but add to it.

-Be there to listen and be willing to admit that you’re not always right

-Be the expert on a branded YouTube Channel. Start, build, and nurture over time.

-The best thing to do is to be loud and be the expert. Respond if it doesn’t fizzle out.
__________________________________
Bob Tripathy has a small event coming up where local Chicago SEO group has invited him to speak. Here is the meetup page –

www.meetup.com/chicago-seo/calendar/15760034/

Managing SEO-PPC In-House: Challenges, Tips, and Trends for 2011

Jan 15

Sat 10:00 AM

Location

Digital Bootcamp

25 W Hubbard Street

2nd Floor

Chicago, IL 60654

312-245-2900

Who’s coming?

29 People Interested in SEO

31 spots left – RSVP deadline: January 14, 2011 10:00 AM

Who’s hosting?

pauline and Scott

PLEASE NOTE: I NEED 3 PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER FOR 15-MINUTE SHIFTS TO GREET AND OPEN THE DOOR FOR MEMBERS AT STREET LEVEL from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. if you are interested, please contact me directly and DO NOT just hit “REPLY” to this message.

TOPIC: Managing SEO in-house at mid- to large-sized organizations can pose many challenges. Once the company decides to start SEO in-house, what’s next? In this session you’ll learn what you’ll need to do in order to manage a successful in-house SEO program that runs smoothly and successfully. There are many groups involved in SEO besides the subject matter experts and if you are responsible for SEO, you need to learn and implement these tactics that will increase the productivity and reduce the frustrations you face on a regular basis. In this “weekend learning” session we will also look at ideas on integrating SEO with your PPC program.

SPEAKER: Bob Tripathi is with Sears Holdings as marketing manager, responsible for all digital marketing initiatives including SEO, paid search, social media, and other digital channels. Prior to Sears, Bob spent a number of years with Discover Financial Services as in-house search marketing strategist, managing enterprise-wide organic search and paid campaign strategy. Bob specializes in setting online search marketing strategies and building SEO best practices into the workflow of large organizations. Bob has more than seven years of hands-on experience in SEO and managing PPC campaigns in both B2B and B2C industries. Over the years, he has worked with businesses of all sizes, helping them generate revenues and achieve positive ROI with search engine marketing. Bob has a B.A. in international business and marketing from Eckerd College in Florida. He is a co-founder of SEMPO Chicago Working Group and also serves on the in-house search committee at SEMPO. Bob also does training on In-House SEO and other topics at www.instantetr...

Mr. Tripathi will also be a speaker at the upcoming SES New York March 21st to 25th 2001. Please go to www.searchengi... for more details.

Additional questions for Bob, Brian, and Rodney:

-When is the next Sempo event? What will the event focus on?

-Anything else that you would like to add to this article?

Please let me know of any corrections or errors. Thank you so much for doing this and let us know if we can help in any way to promote future SEMPO events.

Helpful Search related companies mentioned:

This moment- Content distribution site. www.thismoment.com/

Omniture- www.omniture.com/en/
_____________________________________
Briefly noted, by Ron May

1. I have not forgotten the ITA critique, the response to Ed Domain’s Top 30 list, the year end awards, etc.

2. Dash Mob is out of biz, Kathryn Born told me. Why we don’t know. They were funded by Sandbox if I have that right.

3. The stock price of Sears Holdings jumped 7% a couple of days ago. This is a firm to watch! Uki Lucas, Ariel Randolph, Nicole Duhoski (spelling?) and many others are there developing games and mobile appps. I have a press release that links the two.

4. Happy birthday, HAL. Yesterday, January 12, 2011, was HAL’s 19th birthday. Remember HAL from 2011 Space Odyssey? A great movie with iconic scenes, the ape throwing the disk and the end with the old man.

HAL was born in 1992, according to A. C. Clark in Champaign-Urbana.

If you don’t know, HAL got his name from IBM.

5. Check out this interesting article about how major art museums are doing what is called “deaccessioning” if I have that right. They are selling off valuable art works by Picasso, and many others to generate revenue. But the art museum association (AAM) which is supposed to be transparent is anything but, kind of like the ITA and other tech organizations locally.

www.artsjournal.com/realcleararts/2011/01/two-pending-deaccessions.html

6. Thanks to David Culver, Andy Nadler and Bob B. for the thank you note and the check. They paid us for ads in the report promoting their event Funding Feeding Frenzy on December 8th.

I was not expecting to be paid since we ran the ads on an “affiliate” basis in exchange for press passes. So thank you and Bob, you sent the note and the check to the wrong address but thanks to Darren Stern, it made its way to us.:-)

7.. Rahm is introducing his own version of the Dream Act today. Not a surprise to me. He was seen eating lunch yesterday, January 12th, by Bill Anthony at the Capital Grill Restaurant with eight mostly Hispanic gents, well dressed says Anthony. And they were speaking to themselves in Spanish as they left. This was at about 1:30pm.

8. Melanie is sitting on news about Fig1 for you and she knows we don’t sit on scoops. So, I am sure that by Friday morning she will tell us.

9. Charlie Rose conducted a good interview with Jack Dorsey a few nights ago, one of three founders of Twitter along with Biz Stone and Greg Evans (is that correct?) I’l have more on the interview.

10. Chicago has been named by the BBC as the most corrupt city. The program aired on January 7th on NPR.

www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/worldagenda/2010/12/101206_worldagenda_oiling_the_machine.shtml

Uncovering corruption in Chicago
Presenter Steve Edwards recording Oiling the Machine in Chicago, US, for Assignment

Presenter Steve Edwards recording Oiling the Machine in Chicago, US, for Assignment

Assignment producer Michael Gallagher describes his visit with presenter Steve Edwards to the US’s Windy City as part of the BBC’s Extreme World season, to find out why it is routinely at the centre of political corruption storms.

Fixing interviews for a programme about Windy City politicians was never going to be the easiest task.

Our presenter Steve Edwards, from the BBC’s Chicago partner station WBEZ, was sharing the burden and advising on some of the more difficult bids.

“This one will be best coming from you rather than me. They’ll likely be more interested in talking to bigger media outfits.”

Others, we discovered, were more discriminating still.

“It won’t happen,” said Rahm Emanuel’s press officer, flatly. “For now Rahm’s only doing local TV – nobody else. End of story.”

Emanuel, the former White House Chief of Staff, and current mayoral candidate, was not going to waste a moment talking to listeners who couldn’t vote for him in the upcoming election.
Silver Shovel

Laski candidly related the tricks of his erstwhile trade – how to alter absentee ballots, how to vote multiple times and even how to appropriate the votes of the recently deceased.

Assignment producer Michael Gallagher

So far, so bad. And all this was before I’d had a chance to even mention the subject of our documentary – why have Chicago politicians proved to be so corrupt over the years?

I daren’t think how tough it might have been had we opened the phone calls with that line.

To be fair, some people were happy to talk. And, curiously, they often turned out to be the ones who, by their own admission, had taken part in the city’s political corruption – or ‘graft’ as it’s known.

Former alderman (city council member) Ambrosio Medrano took cash whilst in office from a man called John Christopher, an FBI mole who was part of Operation Silver Shovel, a major Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into political corruption in Chicago during the 1990s.

Activities from union corruption to drug trafficking and organised crime were uncovered and led to the convictions of 18 individuals. Christopher recorded more than 1,100 illegal transactions, including bribes, money laundering and drug deals. He made cash payments or other bribes to city officials in exchange for help in obtaining work and city contracts.
Farcical scene
Chicago city trucking programmes have been embroiled in corruption in the past

Chicago city trucking programmes have been embroiled in corruption in the past

Surely, this was a chapter of his life that Medrano would not want to revisit?

“Sure, no problem. Let’s meet at the cafe on the corner of 18th and Bishop in the 25th Ward,” he told me.

All he gave me as his contact was a telephone number. I was convinced that he wouldn’t show.

I was wrong. We did the interview on a nearby street corner, our recording punctuated, appropriately enough, by police sirens.

“He says he’d like to put me on a retainer for $1,000 a week. He pulls out an envelope and says here, I’d like you to have this,” recalls Ambrosio, who insists that he strenuously refused the offer.

A farcical scene then ensued in which the envelope was pushed back and forth repeatedly across his desk.

“Finally, I take it,” he concedes.

He continued to meet the man a number of times before the FBI showed their hand and arrested him.
Rough and tumble

We met with another former official who has served time, Jim Laski. In 2006 the former city clerk was sentenced to 24 months in prison for accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes and obstructing justice, as part of the Hired Truck Program scandal.

Laski candidly related the tricks of his erstwhile trade – how to alter absentee ballots, how to vote multiple times and even how to appropriate the votes of the recently deceased.

This interview took a matter of minutes to fix over the phone.

It’s difficult to infer anything definite from these variable responses to our interview requests, but two thoughts come to mind.
Chicago city skyline

Chicago city skyline

Firstly, Chicago politicians, operating in one of America’s most rough and tumble political neighbourhoods, are ruthlessly pragmatic and know exactly what they want to achieve out of a media request. There has to be some political advantage in it for them.

Secondly, those who have crossed the line – though often contrite – may see less need to remain silent about their wrongdoing than counterparts elsewhere, thanks to Chicago’s public attitude to ‘graft’.
Fast Eddies

It is a city where corruption has been around for decades.

So much so that, as one interviewee told us: “We like our crooks, our fast Eddies, and we find them entertaining.”

So it’s “What’s in it for me?” on the one hand, “You’ve got to admire their audacity” on the other.

Making Oiling the Machine added up to a rather instructive introduction to Chicago’s political culture.
______________________________________
At long last, after six years of silence, Candy Renwall is speaking publicly and on the record against slurs against both her and the CSA from people we know well followed by Ron May on his discussions with Dick Reck

Subject: Exclamation Point FYI
Date: 1/12/2011 2:04:45 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: crenwall@techbuspart.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com

Hi RM: Figured since I’ve come out of hiding after long silence, and I have such a good advocate in you and others, might as well do it up right! One of my board member friends (contrary to what Terry/others mite think, I have many yet from all my assns.!!), thought you’d like to have this in your pocket.

Larry Henderson, who’s quote is below, was one of my chairman at AeA (now Tech America) – in light of the new Internet tax disaster, below is timely. He was a VP reporting directly to Mike Birck at Tellabs. We remain friends, colleagues all these years later. So I guess based on this validation, I NEVER did, nor would I, leave any organization in a state of ruin or whatever aspersions were cast…and it is on Linked In btw. You can use below as you see fit, pls leave above ‘tween you and me — don’t need/want to defend myself anymore…over and done with all that.

“Candace is one of the great treasures and advocates in the Midwest for information technology. Few professionals have her excellence in people management, marketing, professional networking, IT and leadership. Her leadership assisted numerous firms from Motorola, Tellabs, Ameritech and Dukane in marketing and investor relations. As a former Board member of AEA, we thank her and owe her a debt.”

Candace M. Renwall, CEO

Technology Business Partners, Inc.

847-540-9252 (O)

847-909-8010 (M)

920-295-4206 (WI O)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Subject: RE: Dick, this is about my ITA question. The other questions will follow.
Date: 1/3/2011 7:20:27 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: crenwall@techbuspart.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com

Ron, tx so much for the calls, the email below. I’ve chosen to remove myself from the debates/discussions about CSA and ITA – both for personal and professional reasons, it was the right thing to do.

However, you’re absolutely correct regarding the disappointing portrayal of/comments about CSA – I cannot let that go without comment. What is forgotten, and not unexpected due to realities of time passing, different faces/places and selective recall, is most regional IT/software associations were still reeling from post-9/11 and all that unfolded/impacted industry/technology in its aftermath. Many did not make it – the ones that did either merged with other local tech organizations or, as was in the majority of the cases, became full-fledged technology councils/associations. I lost count of how many moved to the latter model – a model which includes significant reallocation of resources toward local, regional and national legislative advocacy, alignment/collaboration with other national technology organizations, greater representation/products/services for all sizes/types of technology companies, not just entrepreneurial…I could go on and on.

It can be debated by any and all for years and years to come (and since it’s been 5 years since my departure, seems this will be the case), but I stand by the fact that CSA was poised to seize a unique opportunity in a tech landscape that needed broader and deeper technology services, advocacy and programs to move the region into the long-sought after, exclusive company, of the Silicon Valley’s, Mass 128′s. One need look no further than the numerous software association’s that changed direction and now themselves stand as recognized “tech hubs” and command respect as the leading voice for tech in their respect states. Whether I should have been the one to lead this change apparently continues to evoke debate – it’s not something I care, nor need to, defend or address.

That said, the board and team that took the leadership roles at ITA post my tenure as CSA’s chief executive appear to have done a terrific job in serving the members tied to the mission and the structure they chose to follow. When I look back on my 7 years at CSA, I continue to marvel at all that I learned and what a great gift it was for me to work with some of the best software/IT executives our region has ever produced – many were my board members during those years, and some remain on ITA’s board today. I’ve gone on to consult/manage/speak to other association/non-profit executives and boards in the company I started 5 years ago, helping them deal successfully with the tremendous, unprecedented challenges all non-profits and membership organizations face today. Thanks to my years at CSA, managing through good times and bad, the portfolio of knowledge, skills and experience I possess today continue to serve me and my clients very well. For that, I owe a long overdue debt of gratitude to all those I had the honor of working for and with at CSA.

Thanks again, Ron, for being my advocate – the irony can’t escape us, eh??!! Warm regards, Candace

Candace M. Renwall, CEO

Technology Business Partners, Inc.

847-540-9252 (O)

847-909-8010 (M)

920-295-4206 (WI O)
__________________________________
May here. I have heard Terry Howerton disparage and deride both Candy Renwall and Dick Reck directly to me (some of it was taped and he knew I was taping him) and others who go way back with the CSA and the organizations before it. Hearing it from Terry, nothing was going on here in Chicagoland before he came from Kansas City (where he was effectively ridden out of town) to save the day.

The words that started this shoot out appeared in Ed Domain’s Top 30 Tech firms and organizations for 2010 and his #10.

This is from a note I sent to Dick Reck and I forwarded it to Candy Renwall as well as calling her. Above is her response from January 3rd. This is important because Ed does not mention that he got the wording from Terry I. Howerton II even though I think it is obvious that he did. Two reasons. Ed was not around it 2004 and that remark is similar to things Howerton has said since he fashions himself a savior of sorts. Second, I just don’t think Ed is that bright or that good of a writer. Sorry, Ed, but that’s how I see it.

++++++++++++++++

To quote from Ed Domain’s entry for #10:

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Illinois Technology Association (ITA)â€¨Formed by Terry Howerton when the Chicago tech community was a smoldering ruin of chaos and the name Filipowski was held in equal parts awe and anger, Fred Hoch built what has become a pillar of the Chicago Tech Community.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The words that bother me, Dick, are “a smoldering ruin of chaos” which I suspect came directly from Terry’s mouth to Ed Domain’s ears and Ed dutifully repeated them.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++

May again.

But Dick took issue with my reading of what Ed “wrote..” He responded:
+++++++++++++++++++++
Perhaps I misunderstood what you were saying yesterday on the phone. I thought your point was that the opening sentence misrepresented what was going on in the organization now called the ITA at the time Terry became involved. In essence, I thought your question was if it was a fair statement to say that the organization was “a smoldering ruin of chaos.”

I don’t believe that is what the statement says. It says that the Chicago tech community (emphasis added) was a smoldering ruin of chaos, not the organization.

That is a whole different kettle of fish. Since I have been involved in the Chicago tech community for a very long time, I would have to say that the tech community here has had an ebb and flow over the decades. I’m not sure why anyone would call it a smoldering ruin of chaos, we just have the Chicago version of this community. The various organizations that have existed over the years, several of which have found their way into what is now the ITA, have each had their own impact on the tech community.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

May again. Dick, technically you are correct, but I know what I know and I have our buddy Howerton on tape ripping the CSA which he maintains had no connection to the ITA and you and Candy and others.

Dick is well aware of the history of all the organizations and their fundamental continuity. This is evolution, not revolution.

On December 24th, Dick also wrote this paragraph in response to our three hour plus discussion:
++++++++++++++++++++++++
As to the impact of the Chicago High Tech Association, which formed, at least in part, as a result of the study Mayor Byrne sponsored; the Illinois Software Association and Center, which formed, at least in part as a result of the study Governor Thompson sponsored (these two organizations merged and eventually became the Chicago Software Association and ultimately the Illinois IT Association which now is called the ITA); the Illinois Coalition, which formed, at least in part, as a result of the failure of Illinois to land the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) and eventually split into two organizations, one of which was the Illinois Technology Development Alliance, one cannot argue that there have been numerous benefits derived by so many hundreds of entrepreneurs who make up the Chicago tech community. These entities, all of which fed into what is now the ITA, have helped many succeed at a higher level in this community.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++

May again. When Howerton told me that the ITA has no connection to the CSA, I looked it up and most of the board members at that time overlapped with the CSA board members.

You the reader can decide for yourself. Is Ed writing that on his own? Did Terry have any input? And is what Ed wrote a not so veiled reference to the CSA and Renwall?
_________________________________
Ophelia Smith: RESPONSE: The Party Plate with Cup and its competition

From: Ophelia Smith
Subject: RESPONSE: The Party Plate with Cup and its competition
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 16:08:42 -0800 (PST)
To: nkhot@relyservices.com, len_bland@conceptequity.com, ron@themayreport.com, dcarman@BNChicago.org

Gentlemen, thank you so much for showing and expressing interest in The Party Plate. As mentioned in our presentation, there are other party plates that have a similar concept as The Party Plate, but The Party Plate is by far the most economical, has a better design structure, and is a more comfortable plate to maneuver and manipulate. The competitors’ plates (as explained in the presentation) have a very unstable/unbalanced platform. These plates have the slit in the side to house stemware, they do not securely house a can, bottle, cup, etc. We’ve purchased our competitors’ products and are aware of the dissimilarities.

The Go Plate is our major competitor (as explained in the presentation), but you don’t really have a free hand because your beverage is your handle and you have to remove it from under the plate to drink. Also, because of its design structure, the food on the plate warms up your beverage.

Our Insert Apparatus is the ONLY one of its kind in the world, thereby allowing us to metamorphose any paper/plastic plate into The Party Plate… and none of our competitors can do this.

We’ve researched the market thoroughly and know that The Party Plate is the only one of its kind out there. Again, there are plates with a similar concept, but they are not as marketable as The Party Plate. Are paper products are biodegradable and our plastics come in multiple colors. There six (6) different shapes and sizes which allows them to be used for any party/occasion.

Again, thank you for showing and expressing interest in our product; it is appreciated.

If you have any additional questions and/or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly.

Cordially,

Ophelia Smith
The Party Plate, LLC
708-268-4571

From: “Neil Khot”
Subject: Party Plate with Cup and its competition.
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2011 20:38:07 -0600
To:
Cc: , “‘dcarman@BNChicago.org.’”

Len,

Yesterdays BNC event was a great event to kick off the new year.

After yesterday’s BNC Meeting I went back to check for companies selling Party Plate with cup holder, I found about 5-10 companies selling the similar products. Pl check this site for Party Plate with Cup Holders

www.google.com/search?q=party+plates+with+cup+holder&hl=en&tbs=shop%3A1&aq=f

After knowing this I wouldn’t have recommended the Party Plate company as choice in my vote.

It may be a good question to add in the future questions to know about size and number of competing companies/products about Companies presenting at BNC or other related venues to know who and what their competitors are.

Ron May also posed a similar credibility question to the filmmaker/producer about his previous film.

These question and info gives the investor and participants a fair perspective of the Presenter/Products. I am sure the investor who decide to invest will do his due diligence too.

Any thoughts.

It’s a pleasure to work with you.

Sincerely,
Neil Khot
RELY SERVICES INC
President
847-310-8750 Extn 16
847-340-0123 Cell
240-209-4060 Fax
www.relyservices.com
____________________________________
Gerard Perez asks where the info. is on what Jan Koe told Ron re: Ted Turner screwing some local MCI investors

From: “gperez@artcom.com”
To: ronaldmay@aol.com
Date: January 6, 2011 at 6:25 AM
Subject: Happy New Year.

Hey Ron,

I wanted to wish you a very happy and healthy New Year. You are doing a great job.

In December, you mentioned you were to release some stuff on Ted Turner screwing some local MCI investors and then nothing. What happened?

I love reading your reports and wanted to thank you for all the work you are doing.

Stay warm and Happy New Year.

Gerard

_____________________________

Ron May here. Gerard, the person to talk to about this is Jan Koe who attends the BNC Venture Capital Group. I have his number on his card or better yet, Len Bland can give it to me and I’ll let you know.

____________________________

EVENTS
___________________
1a. C3/CanDo Dinner Thur 13 January

Subject: FW: C3/CanDo Dinner Thur 13 January
Date: 1/10/2011 11:07:32 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: melanie_adcock@msn.com
To: ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com

> Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 16:45:27 -0500
> Subject: C3/CanDo Dinner Thur 13 January
> From: nate@DesignMarks.biz
> To: nate@DesignMarks.biz
>
> C3/CanDo Dinner
>
> 6 PM, Thursday, 13 January @ Jumbo House Buffet
>
> 3026 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago
>
> Plenty of parking
>
> Networking Without The Formality!
>
> Please RSVP to CanDo@chicagocreative.org
>
> Get to know your creative peers – sponsored by C3 – at our monthly
> networking dinners where there are no agendas, no sales pitches, no boring
> speeches and – ta da – no dues! We call them Creatives and Networking
> Dining Occasions, or for short, CanDo Dinners.
> Join us and we’ll compare notes on who’s working, who isn’t, who has ideas
> and who knows whom. In these challenging times, you can’t be too
> connected, so come on by.
>
> Easy ground rules: attendees should be in creative fields, and do not have
> to be C3 members. Everyone buys their own food and drink (minimum of $13)
> to keep the restaurants happy. RSVPs are necessary, and be sure to bring
> plenty of business cards ask to be seated at the C3 table. And, we’ll keep
> the locations moving around by attendee choice.
>
> Please RSVP to CanDo@chicagocreative.org

__________________________________
1b. Tuesday, January 18: Recapping the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (Section 48D)

From: “LES Chicago Chapter”
Sender: “LES Chicago Chapter”
Subject: Jan 18 Meeting: Recapping the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (Section 48D)
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:44:04 -0500
To: “Ron”

LES (USA & Canada) Chicago Chapter

LES Chicago Chapter Meeting
DATE & TIME
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
11:45 AM

TITLE
Recapping the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (Section 48D) – In Anticipation of Extension

SPEAKERS
Thomas Kowalski J.D, a shareholder in the New York office of Vedder Price P.C., will discuss important points regarding the preparation and positioning of applications for the Therapeutic Discovery Tax Credit. Mr. Kowalski’s extensive background in securing and protecting intellectual property will help companies assess their own application strategies (successful or not). Mr. Kowalski will focus on scientific aspects of the applications and the subsequent HHS/IRS evaluation.

Peter Wynacht J.D. and LL.M (Taxation) is a member of the Tax and Estate Planning Group at Vedder Price P.C. Mr. Wynacht will review the process and implementation of the Therapeutic Discovery Tax Credit. Although the available credits and grants under the current program already have been awarded and effectively distributed, recipients under the program may still have various issues (including filing obligations) relating to such credits and grants.

Both speakers will also discuss potential extension of the tax credit beyond 2009 and and 2010 tax years.

LOCATION
Maggiano’s Little Italy
(Banquet Facilities)
111 W. Grand Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
(312) 644-7700

Click here for detailed information and online registration

You are receiving this message because you participated in the events and activities of the Licensing Executives Society, USA & Canada.

Our mailing address is:
Licensing Executives Society
1800 Diagonal Road
Suite 280
Alexandria, VA 22314

Copyright (C) 2011 Licensing Executives Society All rights reserved.
_______________________________
1c. Wednesday, January 19: BNC TechPitch: SoleSearch, Truehive, and ReadyPing

Subject: BNC TechPitch 1/19/11
Date: 1/11/2011 10:30:29 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: len_bland@conceptequity.com
To: ronaldmay@aol.com

Month/Year

Welcome to Business Network Chicago

Dear Ron,

We have added the BNC TechPitch event and hope you can join us. You may elect to receive BNC TechPitch notices in the future by updating your requests to receive the TechPitch notices

Business Network Chicago (BNC) and The SYNC Technology Center have joined forces to host “TechPitch.” This event brings together Chicago’s most promising tech start-ups, angel investors, venture capitalists, bloggers and other tech enthusiasts to discuss cutting-edge ideas, disruptive technologies, and innovative companies. Start-ups pitch in search of capital and other valuable resources that are critical to their survival and ultimate success.

If you are an early-stage tech company and want to present at “TechPitch”, contact David Carman at: 312-943-6376 or dcarman@BNChicago.com

Presenters:

1. SoleSearch (sole-search.net)–The premier interactive iPhone/iPod Touch application for the on-the-go sneaker collector.

2. Truehive–A social mobile application connecting consumers with service professionals through recommendations made by family and friends.

3. ReadyPing (www.readyping.com)–Web-based software that simplifies how restaurants manage their waiting lists and lets customers know when their table is ready via text messaging.

Interview:

Chuck Templeton is the founder of Open Table (www.opentable.com), an online reservation system for restaurants. Founded in 1998, the company is listed on NASDAQ (OPEN) and currently trades at a market cap of 1.6 billion dollars. Chuck will share lessons learned and the challenges he overcame to succeed as an entrepreneur.

Details:

Date: Wednesday, Jan 19, 2011

Time: 5:30 – 8 p.m.

Location: 322 S. Green Street, 3rd Floor (1 block west of Halsted and 1 bock south of Jackson in the heart of Greektown, just west of the Loop. Dial 0300 to enter.)

Admission price: $20 online, $30 at the door (Online price does not include registration fees)

Registration link: bnctechpitch.com

Online registration ends at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan 18, 2010

Each company receives a strict 5 minutes to pitch their idea followed by a 10-minute Q&A with the audience. An effective presentation should answer the following 4 questions:

1. What is the product/service?

2. How will the company make money?

3. Why is the management team qualified to run the business?

4. What traction have you gained? (Customers, key influencers, proof-of-concept, completed

prototype, other milestones)

Evening Agenda:

5:30 – 6:00 p.m. Registration

6:00 – 6:45 p.m. 3 companies pitch their ideas

6:45 – 7:15 p.m. Interview with Chuck Templeton, founder of OpenTable (listed on NASDAQ–OPEN)

7:15 – 8:00 p.m. Open networking

“TechPitch” is hosted by the SYNC Technology Center, Chicago’s hottest new incubator for promising start-ups. The SYNC Technology Center provides the infrastructure (office space, legal counsel, marketing strategy, software development, contacts, etc.) necessary to nurture and accelerate the growth of early-stage companies.

The BNC Technology Group facilitates structured networking among technology and social media professionals. In addition to speed networking, speakers are brought in each month to address the latest trends in technology and/or social media.

The BNC Entrepreneur Group is for startups, small businesses, solopreneurs, and potential business owners interested in sharing resources, best practices, and experiences to support each other in leading a successful company. We bring in speakers that are experts in various areas of entrepreneurship and have stimulating discussions on everyday challenges of running a business.

The BNC Venture Capital Group introduces early-stage companies seeking capital to accredited investors: angels, venture capitalists and private equity firms seeking add-ons. Each month 3 start-ups pitch their business plans to a mixed audience of investors, service providers, and entrepreneurs. The top 3 or 4 companies are invited back quarterly for an investor-only presentation to the clients of our host, Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell, and other accredited investors.

To find more information about BNC groups, go to: www.BNChicago.com

If you are an early-stage tech company and want to present at “TechPitch”, contact David Carman at: 312-943-6376 or dcarman@BNChicago.com

Presenters:

1. SoleSearch (sole-search.net)–The premier interactive iPhone/iPod Touch application for the on-the-go sneaker collector.

2. Truehive–A social mobile application connecting consumers with service professionals through recommendations made by family and friends.

3. ReadyPing (www.readyping.com)–Web-based software that simplifies how restaurants manage their waiting lists and lets customers know when their table is ready via text messaging.

Interview:

Details:

Date: Wednesday, Jan 19, 2011

Time: 5:30 – 8 p.m.

Location: 322 S. Green Street, 3rd Floor (1 block west of Halsted and 1 bock south of Jackson in the heart of Greektown, just west of the Loop. Dial 0300 to enter.)

Admission price: $20 online, $30 at the door (Online price does not include registration fees)

Registration link: bnctechpitch.com

Online registration ends at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan 18, 2010

Each company receives a strict 5 minutes to pitch their idea followed by a 10-minute Q&A with the audience. An effective presentation should answer the following 4 questions:

1. What is the product/service?

2. How will the company make money?

3. Why is the management team qualified to run the business?

4. What traction have you gained? (Customers, key influencers, proof-of-concept, completed

prototype, other milestones)

Evening Agenda:

5:30 – 6:00 p.m. Registration

6:00 – 6:45 p.m. 3 companies pitch their ideas

6:45 – 7:15 p.m. Interview with Chuck Templeton, founder of OpenTable (listed on NASDAQ–OPEN)

7:15 – 8:00 p.m. Open networking

To find more information about BNC groups, go to: www.BNChicago.com

Len Bland
Concept Equity Group, Inc.
847-317-0656
_________________________________________
1d. Thursday, January 20: midVentures invites you to midVentures DESIGN+DEVELOP Series

From: “midVentures”
Subject: midVentures invites you to midVentures DESIGN+DEVELOP Series January 2011 (Jan 20, 2011)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2011 10:06:43 -0600
To: ron@themayreport.com

Can’t see this email? Click here:

mvdesigndevelopjan2011.eventbrite.com

midVentures DESIGN+DEVELOP Series January 2011 Logo
*And join us afterwards for refreshments and our monthly tech meetup.
You are invited to the following event:
midVentures DESIGN+DEVELOP Series January 2011

Date:
Thursday, January 20, 2011 from 3:30 PM – 9:00 PM (CT)

Location:
Sync Technology Center
322 South Green Street
Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60607

Can you attend this event?
____________________________________
1e. Weekly Announcements of the IIT Stuart Knapp Entrepreneurship Center

From: Melanie Adcock
Subject: FW: Weekly Announcements of the IIT Stuart Knapp Entrepreneurship Center
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2011 04:44:55 +0000
To: ,

Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:15:49 -0500
From: iit.kec@gmail.com
To: melanie_adcock@msn.com
Subject: Weekly Announcements

Supporting IIT-related Entrepreneurs
Welcome to the weekly announcements of the IIT Stuart Knapp Entrepreneurship Center. Below we highlight a number of business plan competitions students can participate in. IIT students are encouraged to utilize the Knapp Center to assist with their entries or to answer any questions. We look forward to seeing you on campus and in the community!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2011 Rice Business Plan Competition
Evansville New Venture Competition
2011 PROPEL Business Plan Competition

About the IIT-
Jules F. Knapp
Entrepreneurship Center
The mission of the IIT – Jules F. Knapp Entrepreneurship Center, part of the Stuart School of Business, is to support IIT-related entrepreneurs by providing effective, affordable, and expert resources to help create and grow successful commercial ventures. IIT-KEC is a collaborative community of supporters of entrepreneurial ventures.

Join Our Social Networks

Join Our List

2011 Rice Business Plan Competition

42 Teams from the top MBA and graduate schools around the world will be selected to compete for $1,000,000 + in prizes:

$400,000 + Grand Prize – including:
$150,000 investment from The GOOSE Society of Texas (super angels)–no strings attached!
$100,000 investment sponsored by Opportunity Houston and the Greater Houston Partnership
$65,000 investment from the OWL Group (15 angel investors and RBPC judges)
$20,000 cash
$80,000 + in-kind services
Winner rings the bell at NASDAQ in New York City

For more information, click here. www.alliance.rice.edu/alliance/RBPC.asp
Competition Info:
Application/executive summary deadline:
February 18, 2011 Noon (CST)

Evansville New Venture Creation Competition
Evansville New Venture Creation Competition
Sponsored by the University of Evansville

Friday, March 25, 2011

1st Place – $10,000
2nd Place – $2,500
3RD place – $1,000

Click here to register. www.alliance.rice.edu/alliance/RBPC.asp

Competition Info:
Registration deadline:
January 21, 2011

2011 PROPEL Business Plan Competition

PROPEL is pleased to announce the third annual PROPEL Business Plan Competition to spotlight formation-stage and early-stage life sciences companies in Illinois and the surrounding Midwest.

In this highly selective competition, entrepreneurs will compete for a $10,000 cash award!

A solid business plan that outlines a company’s technology and market is vital to the success of any organization. Your ability to clearly and concisely convey this information to potential investors and partners is also critical. Their judges will evaluate both written and oral presentations of your plan.

To download the application, click here. www.alliance.rice.edu/alliance/RBPC.asp
Competition Info:
Application deadline:

January 18, 2011

Propel Business Plan Competition Finals:

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

2011 iBIO IndEx
Hyatt Regency – Downtown Chicago
151 East Wacker Dr.
Chicago, IL 60601
__________________________________
1f. Tuesday, January 18: CCMA Announces Sustainability Action Planning Meeting

Subject: FW: Your email CCMA Announces Sustainability Action Planning Meeting has been sent
Date: 1/6/2011 2:48:57 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: candyr@closureandcontainer.org
To: ronaldmay@aol.com

Ron, thought you’d like to see below – it is a groundbreaking global initiative that will benefit all of us, consumers and businesses alike. There have never been any standards/central repository/resource to help understand/guide how caps should be, and can be, recycled. The mandate was delivered to CCMA members at their annual conference in October by Coca Cola, ConAgra and Pepsi to name a few.

CCMA is one of the associations I run under the assn. management arm of TBPI – they represent

plastic closure and container manufacturers from around the world. Regards, Candace

Candace M. Renwall, President

Closure and Container Manufacturers Association

421 N. Northwest Highway, Ste. 201

Barrington, IL 60010

847-438-2700 (o); 847-909-8010 (m)

www.closureandcontainer.org

Subject: CCMA Announces Sustainability Action Planning Meeting

——————————————————————————–

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here

SAVE THE DATE

January 18, 2011

CLOSURE AND CONTAINER MANUFACTURER’S ASSOCIATION

ANNOUNCES SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLANNING

MEETING TO ADDRESS CAP RECYCLING NEEDS

Packaging Association Responds to Industry and Consumer Challenge

Industry executives issued a call to action to Closure and Container Manufacturer’s Association (CCMA) members at the recent Annual Conference to become the single-point resource on proper management of the real need to recycle the billions of packaging container caps manufactured yearly.

The initial planning meeting will be held on January 18th in Chicago and is crucial to formation of a charter and sub-committees. The initial planning group will be comprised of CCMA members and other organizations that have shown interest.

To participate as an active contributor, both interested members and industry participants are asked to contact the CCMA for immediate details. Further details will be announced shortly. Contact CCMA headquarters so you don’t miss this opportunity to secure your seat at this formative event!

CONTACT INFORMATION

Closure & Container Manufacturers Association

421 N. Northwest Highway, Suite 201

Barrington, IL 60010

candyr@closureandcontainer.org or 847-438-2700

www.closureandcontainer.org

Candace Renwall

President

Closure and Container Manufacturers Association
______________________________
1g. Wednesday, January 26: January Saper Law seminar: Can I Do That Online? Copyright Law and Online Posting

Subject: FW: Can I do that Online? January Seminar at Saper Law
Date: 1/12/2011 10:48:32 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: melanie_adcock@msn.com
To: ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com

Mark your Calendars!
Dear Melanie ,

Websites all over the Internet invite you to “share” their content with your Facebook friends or tweet it to your Twitter followers. But what are the legal limitations on what you can share and where you can post it?

Can you post an entire newspaper article to your personal blog? Make your professional wedding photos into an album on Facebook? Upload that amazing news story to YouTube?

During the hour-long seminar, Daliah Saper, Principal Attorney at Saper Law, will answer these questions and more.

Details:
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Saper Law Offices, LLC
505 N. LaSalle, Suite 350
Chicago, IL 60654

Cost: $15 with online registration at: saperlawcopyrightseminar.eventbrite.com; $25 at the door

Lunch will be provided.

Saper Law is an intellectual property and business law firm. Our attorneys possess significant transactional and both federal and state litigation experience. Our most recent court cases have involved trade secret misappropriation, intellectual property infringement, defamation, and commercial disputes. Click on the News tab to learn about our upcoming events and announcements, sign up for our Seminar mailing list, and read what clients are saying about us.
___________________________________
END OF REPORT

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