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Kicking off DEMO 2009, executive producer Chris Shipley announced that this is a “reset year” for everyone. The weakness of the global economy is evident at every turn, and reflected in the scaled-down show taking place here in Palm Desert, Calif.
Shipley even acknowledged that the show is “a little more compact” than a year ago, [...]

Kicking off DEMO 2009, executive producer Chris Shipley announced that this is a “reset year” for everyone. The weakness of the global economy is evident at every turn, and reflected in the scaled-down show taking place here in Palm Desert, Calif.

Shipley even acknowledged that the show is “a little more compact” than a year ago, drawing 500 people instead of 700, and 39 companies instead of the more than 60 that exhibited a year ago. While some may view this year’s DEMO as half empty as a result, Shipley countered that there is nothing like a recession to cut out the clutter. It’s telling that the attending companies have the resources, capital efficiency and tenacity to tough it out through hard times.

These more courageous companies, she said, will win the day if they deliver value to customers with profit and scalability in mind. This approach, she said, is a lot more sustainable than seeking users first and cash flow later. She also noted that there are more companies from outside Silicon Valley than there are natives for the first time in the show’s history.

VentureBeat’s editor in chief and maximum commander, Matt Marshall, joined Shipley on stage to talk about how VentureBeat is co-producing this year’s show and will be running the operation with IDG starting next year. Shipley said that once she decided to move on from DEMO, she sought a replacement who shared her thrill for innovation and compassion for entrepreneurs — she found both in Marshall.

During his appearance, Marshall assured the audience that he isn’t going to mess with DEMO (i.e. mix up the format, which has been working well for a couple of decades). But he is adding a new twist with DEMObeat, a series of panels that delve into new trends that are reshaping the markets. These talks — addressing social data, the open power grid and productivity 2.0 — will complement DEMO’s product presentations. Marshall also promised that VentureBeat would keep conversations sparked at DEMO going on its site all year long.

When Shipley asked Marshall “Do you dance?” he replied that he can’t do it as well as Shipley, who has spiced up past DEMO conferences with her own smooth moves.

“There are some things you just aren’t going to be able to top,” Shipley told her successor.

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