The ArabNet Team held a pre-conference workshop on Thurday, Feb 25 2010, in Beirut, Lebanon. Omar Christidis, Samer Karam, Amber Lauletta and Sana Tawileh, organized Workshop 1: Preparing a Business Case to help entrepreneurs translate their ideas into clear and solid business cases.
The workshop started with an introduction by Omar Christidis about ArabNet, the reasons which led to its inception, and his belief in the potential of the Arab web business industry. The conference is keen on bringing together speakers from Silicon Valley, Europe and the Middle East, as well as providing opportunities for entrepreneurs with ambitious e-ideas to network with high profile investors and internet executives from the Arab world, he explained.
Samer Karam discussed the importance of the community and explained how the online ecosystem has been the most effective and interesting vehicle to engage with different and disparate audiences across the region. He also touched upon the importance of leveraging the synergy of the crowd to harness great ideas.
Karam went on to detail the core pillars of a business case, from value proposition to revenue streams and target audience. He also introduced the ArabNet Ambassadors Program, an integral part of ArabNet’s community-building initiative, which is open for applications and has interesting perks! http://blog.arabnet.me/?p=117
Sana Tawileh and Amber Lauletta, who are leading the ArabNet Startup Demo and Ideathon, detailed the requirements for submission and the selection process for their respective programs, delivering strong pitches for participation! They then presented an idea for online food delivery, collaborating with workshop attendees to pull together a business case around it.
Lauletta and Tawileh highlighted the Startup Demo and Ideathon as unique opportunities at ArabNet – for early-stage startups, young entrepreneurs, and innovators – to network and connect with investors, get media exposure, and win valuable prizes!
Samer Karam further coached attendees by crowdsourcing a full business case from a simple word, “fashion”. The simplicity of the process encouraged everyone to submit an idea to the Ideathon.
After that, some attendees discussed and developed their ideas with ArabNet Team members in one-on-one sessions; others networked and connected, forming an impromptu community.
Positive energy and synergistic interactions highlighted Workshop 1 appeal and the value of ArabNet’s community initiatives. There was a great spirit of friendly professionalism, eagerness to be involved, and unrelenting curiosity. The follow-up was great: participants and organizers connected virtually the next day, to discuss and comment on their workshop experiences.
