SOMEWHAT FRANK

TECH cocktail 3 Tonight In Chicago

TECH cocktail, an event series I co-founded and co-host with Eric Olson with the mission of better connecting the technology and business community to help better tell the local story, is having its third event tonight in Chicago. With over 700 guests signed up we expect a large turnout at Amira tonight. For details about the event check out this podcast Eric and I did yesterday with Technology Evangelist.

In case you are just tuning in, I took on a new role with AOL last September. It was a great opportunity and I love doing product development in the web 2.0 space at AOL. With the move, Eric and I agreed we could keep the TECH cocktail good times rolling with the idea that our professional responsibilities always come first. Up to this point we have been able to manage to keep any schedule conflicts at a minimum.

I regret to inform you I will not be in attendance tonight in Chicago at TECH cocktail 3. I have been in Silicon Valley this week on business and my attempts to get to Chicago for Tech Cocktail 3 were foiled as my flight was unexpectedly canceled. I will still be headed into Chicago this weekend but will have to catch up with TECH cocktail supporters, friends and guests at the next TECH cocktail. I apologize to all that were looking to sync up at the event as I looked forward to it. The show must go on and that is why Eric and I knew we needed to have co-hosts for the event. Eric Olson will be there to fire everyone up and keep the TECH cocktails flowing - though I may be able to make some sort of guest appearance on the Amira TV screens.

Thank you to all the sponsors, demo'ers and guests - have a SingleHop cocktail for me. Take lots of photos and video to post online so I can see how it goes. Cheers!

ParkWhiz: Find Parking Before You Go

Finding a parking spot can be a major drag. You can circle an area and  minutes can easily turn into hours as you look for an open crevice to park your set of wheels. Wouldn't it be great if you could find out about potential parking spots before you leave the comfort and warm glow of your television or computer monitor?

ParkWhiz, a Chicago-based startup, might be able to assist with this problem, as it offers users the ability to quickly search for parking near a location. Currently in beta, ParkWhiz offers parking search only in Chicago and Philadelphia.  If you are looking to check out the Sears Tower in Chicago then you simply type in "Sears Tower" and ParkWhiz should present search results and a map of all the parking locations within up to a 10 mile radius, so you have instant visibility into the parking situation before you leave your door. The site fields user ratings for each parking venue. ParkWhiz currently does not appear to offer a mobile component but might have one in the works as it could be an extremely helpful feature.

ParkWhiz has made its plans for 2007 pretty clear as it looks to create a parking marketplace and essentially empower users to buy and sell parking in a real-time environment. According to a recent article on the ParkWhiz blog the ParkWhiz Marketplace will be:

• A place to buy parking.
• A place to sell parking.
• A place to find parking information.
• Free for buyers and inexpensive for sellers.
• Environmental friendly.

Though it appears to still be in the early phases of development, CarHarbor (link to blog since site does not yet exist), a startup advised by Craig Newmark, Scott Rafer and James Lazarus, could give ParkWhiz some friendly competition;  though it appears ParkWhiz is currently ahead of the game. 

Shameless promo disclosure: ParkWhiz is helping guests find parking for the upcoming TECH cocktail 3 event in Chicago - don't forget to RSVP for TECH cocktail 3.

Photo Attribution:  sourabhj via Flickr

TECH cocktail 3: Coming In Early 2007

Start 2007 off on the right foot by attending TECH cocktail 3 on Thursday, January 25, 2007 from 6:30 to 9pm at Amira in Chicago. Amira is located at the base of the NBC Tower close to the Chicago River and Michigan Avenue. Co-founder Eric Olson and I are pretty psyched about the venue so we hope you like it too.

Click here to RSVP for TECH cocktail 3

If you are looking to find some talented employees be sure to check out TECH cocktail Special Job Board. It is FREE to post a job listing if you contact us for the promo code - give it a try. We made it to help the tech community connect with good people. We will most likely be demonstrating it at TECH cocktail 3. If you are interested in demonstrating a product at TECH cocktail 3 please let us know.

We still are looking for sponsors for TECH cocktail 3. If you are interested please let us know. Our email addresses are as follows:

frank [at] techcocktail dot com
eric [at] techcocktail dot com

We could really use the help especially since hosting a party like TECH cocktail is not free though we are able to keep it free to all guests with the help of our great sponsors. Help us help you.

For more details please stay tuned to TECH cocktail or subscribe to our feed. See you at TECH cocktail 3!

Photo Attribution: sonson on Flickr