AceTech Technology CEO and Founder Reception a Key Event

Last Tuesday night I attended a private networking reception at the Landmark Technology Centre for CEOs, presidents and founders of Okanagan technology companies. The reception was hosted by the AceTech Academy for Technology CEOs (www.acetech.org), and was an exclusive opportunity for technology CEO's to build their network, meet their leadership peers in an informal environment and learn more about the AceTech Symposium taking place on June 2nd and 3rd at Manteo Resort in Kelowna.

The evening started with a very insightful presentation from John McDonald, a serial entrepreneur with a number of successful technology ventures behind him. He was right on with his points about "things they never told you about getting a deal done". CEO's clearly identified with his message. This is exactly what AceTech is all about - learning what you don't know so that you can avoid costly mistakes.

I had the opportunity to speak with many of the CEO's that attended the evening. Many share the same desire, which is simply to propel their company to the next level. They view networking with other CEO's as a unique opportunity for them to learn from others - both from the positive steps and the mistakes. As Ralph Turfus, founder and past-CEO of Class Software Solutions Inc. commented "there is nothing like a war story from an experienced CEO to give you a reality check and help you direct your company in the future. The lessons that I have learned from other technology CEO's have been critical to me in the sale of my company."

Al Hildebrandt, the local Advisory Board Chair, commented, "The real purpose of the AceTech Symposium in the Okanagan is to assist the leaders of technology companies by providing them with knowledge they can't learn in books and by exposing them to the ideas of CEOs who have successfully built larger companies."

One of the key benefits of the AceTech approach is the brutal honesty expressed by all CEO-presenters. Craig Harte, CEO of BuildIt Systems summarized last year's conference "a key theme from last year's Acetech forum was that technology CEOs were being brutally honest with each other. Being a CEO of a technology company can be a very lonely position. You make many decisions in a day, some great and some not so great. It is useful to have fellow technology CEOs to bounce ideas off of, share war story experiences and ask their opinion."

Darcy Detlor, CEO of MicroSurvey Software, added "last year's AceTech conference was outstanding for me. As a technology CEO you need to get away from your company's environment and take time to look at the big picture with other likeminded CEOs that live and breathe your same business issues. As a technology CEO, you need to be there. By investing just over a day of your time, you simply can't beat the experience and the value."

The AceTech conference is taking place from June 2nd to June 3rd and is $350 plus GST, which includes the networking reception to be held from 5 to 7 pm on Thursday, June 2nd, all presentations, conference materials, breakfast and lunch on Friday, June 3rd. To register, you need to be a technology CEO, president or founder. You can register online at http://www.acetech.org/ or by calling Acetech at 604 683-5852.

"There are a lot of great events in the Okanagan, but AceTech Okanagan is unique" remarked Guy Gaiser, CEO of WearAir Oxygen Inc., and a presenter of the "Raising Money Okanagan Style" topic at the conference. "With all of the attendees being CEOs, presidents or founders of technology companies, this is an invaluable learning experience. Last year, I established new CEO relationships that continue to help me guide my company. I appreciated the opportunity to interact with CEO's that are experiencing similar challenges. To me, as a technology CEO, this is one event that you cannot afford to miss."

See you at the AceTech Symposium on June 2nd and 3rd!

Steve Burns, CA, CMC, CFP, is the President and CEO of Burns Innovation Group Inc. (www.burnsinnovation.com) and Steve Burns Inc. Chartered Accountant (www.steveburns.ca), which provide consulting and accounting services to entrepreneurs. You can reach Steve at 763-4716

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