The CoDev 2010 experience is just around the corner!

I want to take this opportunity to first thank everyone who has already registered for CoDev2010. I hope you’re all as excited as I am about the incredible agenda we’ve put together. What started as an informal gathering of a small group of pioneers has evolved into the longest running and most comprehensive source for open innovation learning. I’m confident this will be the best CoDev yet!

From the pre-conference workshops designed to give you a quick immersion in skills and tools, to the roster of thought-leading keynote speakers and the wide range of case presentations, this event has it all. The biggest challenge for most attendees will be deciding where they’ll spend their time, and who will they try to connect with during networking times.

Now I really want to spend a moment with an open message to anyone still sitting on the fence about CoDev2010.  Success in business and life is usually about the decisions we make, and I want you to be fully informed before you decide to attend CoDev2010. If you decide not to attend, here are some of the some things you’re missing out on:

• Access to global leaders in open innovation for advice, education, and practical how-to’s on approaches, skills, organization structures, technology and more.
• Opportunities to get direct answers to your most challenging issues from some of the most experienced practitioners on the planet
• Great opportunities for networking, whether you’re a manufacturer or marketer looking for coaches to get you started, or consultants trying to reach your market.
• Opportunities for advancing your benchmarking efforts by connecting with peers who may be further down a similar path.
• A down-loadable executive summary as well as a complete reference binder of all the materials presented.

Are you convinced yet that this is an event you can’t afford to miss? What’s the ROI of something essential to the future vitality of your organization? If you’re still unsure whether CoDev2010 is a smart use of your time and money, here are a few more benefits attendees will receive:

• Learn about key strategies for implementing a corporate global open innovation initiative
• Discover how to recognize and foster the types of skills required to make your open innovation initiatives successful.
• Witness the steps taken at Whirlpool to transition from embedded innovation to open innovation.
• Find out how IBM enables a more rapid, aggressive innovation capability among its partners within its Global Innovation Outlook Program.
• See how others have reinvented their open innovation models in the face of changing business ecosystems and difficult-to-identify potential business partners
• Get an early look at Georgia Institute of Technology’s plans to foster an open innovation environment that invites ideas and experimentation while also engendering trust, lasting relationships and mutually rewarding results within its Future Media Initiative.
• Learn how you could structure a win/win collaborative partnership with universities, federal labs and research centers.
• Last, but this can’t be forgotten, learn how to measure the success of your open innovation efforts

I hope this has helped to whet your appetite for the kind of learning that can help power meaningful change through your organizations. The challenges to be adept at open innovation are many. But the rewards, especially in an economy that promises more dynamic change in the coming years, continue to beckon. I encourage you to make the commitment to be part of the force of change propelling your organization to the front of your industry.

The experience is right around the corner. See you all in Scottsdale!