TECDO is nearly here, do you even know what it is?

Truth be told most people don't have a clue yet what TECDO is.  I do believe TECDO organizers have focused so much into bringing foreign investors and overseas companies that they missed a very important goal in their project definition: Interest people and companies into Technological development in the DR.

While many already signed up, some are exhibitors and others at least consider attending; there is still out there a vast majority of companies who would find in TECDO a large source of information and business questions as well as possibilities answered in full, who have no clue what TECDO even is.  This is simply because TECDO has not been properly promoted through local media, newspapers, tv, radio... to be entirely honest, all I saw was one ad on the newspaper about 4 months ago which is how I found out about and signed up for it.  Since then, I have not seen a single ad anywhere and I've kept myself informed through their website.  No, they do not have a newsletter either, I've been able to find out because I have great interest over it, so I keep checking back and forth for any updates.

Since they commence their work, they've had to make drastic changes to their plans, such as switching where the event is to be held which completely changes everything.  Myself as an affected company actually considered the possibility of dropping from it when I found out, but I stayed around.  I did however change my perception and reduced our budget for it immediately, I am sure other companies did as well.  The reason for this is simple, when a conference changes its second most basic element "The Location" (granted that the dates have a higher priority) due to reasons they are unable disclose or with a proper excuse, you must really wonder how much worth is the effort you are putting into it.  So to avoid further dissapointments and not to overdo ourselves for something we have doubts on we've take it one step back and adapted our plan for it accordingly.

Do not get me wrong, I still have high expectations for it for multiple reasons, one of the most important ones, we will be able to do B2B with big players in the tecnology field.  This is a closeup session with companies of your choice from those available at the conference.  This concept has been applied in different ways in conferences I have attended in the past, in this oportunity it is being promoted openly by sending a simple email request and waiting for an approval.  Put simply, imagine being able to handpick who you want to buy from and who you want to sell to on a 4 day marathon where everyone is in their buying/selling mood.

Unfortunately, many still ignore TECDO, and we are less than one month away.  I can't help but wonder how it will play out, something tells me we'll be head hunting all around without organization.  I am scared schedules wont be properly met and those foreign investors who've spent time, money and effort to be part of a nationwide and internationally covered event would leave with dissapointment.  But I hope to be proven wrong.

If I am proven wrong, and we have a successful event, I will expect another one on a yearly basis.  As a country we keep growing on the technology field, every day that passes by we see more companies interested in moving their business online.  We seem to be reaching that breaking point where those who do not adapt to today's technological advances are simply left behind.  Don't be left out, you are still in time.

TECDO is a Technology Conference being held from October 22 until October 26th of 2008 at Nueva Terminal Sans Souci Puerto Santo Domingo.  For more information please visit TECDO's website.

Jose R. Lopez

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