Late in the evening on Thursday, Oct. 19, Reese Kelsey was dancing in the middle of Church Street, surrounded by a crowd that was trying to keep up. This was her element.
The young founder of a yet-to-be-named startup had come to MetaCenter Global Week — Orlando’s first homegrown tech conference — to learn and connect, but as a music producer with a passion for electronic dance music, there could have been no better way to close out the week than with an open-air concert starring the EDM artist Lost Frequencies.
Just before Lost Frequencies hit the stage, Orlando Inno caught up with CEO David Adelson of Innovate Orlando, the organization that produced the conference. Adelson said he was satisfied with the first-year effort and that it gave him and his team a foundation to build on.
“One of the things that matters most to me is that the global tech community heard about it,” he said. “It’s really important for Orlando to be recognized this way. We put a lot of hours into this and we learned a lot. Looking at the future we’ve got a lot to work with.”
Long before the concert, Orlando Inno sat with Kelsey in the event VIP lounge at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts — where most of the conference took place — and took her temperature on the event.
How did you hear about MetaCenter Global Week?
I’ve been going to the Orlando Dev events. From meeting people there and networking, I heard about it. I looked into it and decided it was a good idea to attend. I have an idea for a startup and this seemed like the kind of event that was right for me.
Are you glad you came?
Yeah, I'm really glad. Normally I would have to make appointments and pay consulting fees to bounce ideas off people who have this kind of knowledge. Here, I could walk around and strike up a conversation with anyone. People have been so open and willing to converse.
Which experiences stood out for you?
One of the speakers, Jacques Fu, made an impression, and I liked that I could talk with him afterward. I talked to him about my business idea and he gave me feedback. Also, the demo stage was great. There was a session there about using XR [extended reality] in the travel industry.
I also went to a session with AdventHealth about building your business's reputation and they had a lot of good strategies and tips I intend to try. I liked that the session covered practical business concepts and not only tech. Reputation management is a big part of doing business. If people don't trust what you're doing, they're not going to buy.
Is there anything you hope to see at MetaCenter Global Week next year?
I went to a speed networking event last night and it was great. That was where people were the most receptive and good connections were made. I got to speak with people who worked for Meta and Google — that would never happen normally. I’d like to see more of those next year, maybe even speed networking sessions organized by different industries.
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