for indirect marketing because “it’s tricky to meet potential clients directly,” said Caddell. Caddell’s group functions as a “serendipity generator.” It’s a think-tank of all kinds of tech-oriented people who gather for a two-part meeting: the formal Meetup and the informal networking that takes place over a couple of brews later in the evening. Each month during the formal session, people gather together for an hour to hear product demonstrations, product overviews, or other tangentially relevant content for tech companies. Attendees offer open feedback and conversation during the product demonstrations. “People who do demos receive a lot of value. Since attendees are open with their comments, it’s helpful to those who are demonstrating a new product. The developers will poke holes in the product because they’re interested in its hardware and the architecture. They’ll probe the decisions such as ‘Why did you use this platform or regime?’ They’re interested in what’s going on underneath the hood.” Developers aren’t the only ones who go to this particular Meetup. Oftentimes, venture capitalists, marketing and product managers also attend. It’s a forum that functions in the light of “whatever happens happens. It’s very open,” said Caddell. Yates County NY 2009 Events Visit the Yates County Chamber of Commerce Web site to check out the most up-to-date list of 2009 events. www.yatesny.com/ event_calendar.asp August 2009 | Connections | 23