Held for the first time last week in Moscow, the Internet Life Conference made a splash in the nascent startup community by offering insight on current Internet trends, online strategies and solutions. The conference was organized by CareerLab, a specialized educational center in the field of software engineering and ALM solutions, in partnership with Microsoft, IBM and a number of major Russian IT companies as well as with East-West Digital News.
Internet expert Fedor Virin of Data Insight speaking at the conference
The event gathered more than 600 participants ranging from IT specialists and marketers to corporate managers and startup entrepreneurs. The one day event hosted over 60 presentations on a variety of topics.
In the Business section, speakers unveiled some of their secrets in the field of online advertising and SEO. In the Social Experience section, social media marketing techniques, schemes for recruitment via social networks and brand management through social media were discussed. Those interested in digital entertainment enjoyed a special section on computer games, iPad publishing and current trends in gaming. In the specialized Advanced section, leading experts from Microsoft and Russian companies Segment Interractive and UsabilityLab focused on website design optimization.
A number of foreign experts took part in the conference with a rather optimistic view of the future of the Russian Internet. Gil Petersil, a US consultant and coach working with Moscow startups and incubators, emphasized investors’ interest in Russian startups. Microsoft Russia Digital Marketing Manager Bogdan Tataru told East-West Digital News that startups could hold their own as leaders of future global digitalization alongside major global companies, as their ability to react more efficiently to customer needs and ease in adapting communication gives then strategic advantages on the more dynamic digital playing field.
