Over 2.000 attended last week’s FightNight event at the Washington Hilton. FightNight was able to obtain an exception to allow cigar smoking inside the ballroom. Some of the notables that attended included: BET Founder Bob Johnson, DC Mayor Fenty, Former DC Mayor Williams, Actor Chris Tucker, Gen. Peter Pace, Rep. Jim Moran, Ken Bajaj, Jim Kimsey, MC Hammer, among many others. Check out our exclusive pictures below.

Actor Chris Tucker

DC Mayor Fenty, BET Founder Bob Johnson with former Mayor Williams

Mayor Fenty and Bob Johnson catch up

Viget Labs Founder Brian Williams and MC Hammer

A packed Washington Hilton

Acquisitions tend to come in three flavors: those that leave you scratching your head as to why either party would pursue the transaction; those that leave you scratching your head why one party would pursue the transaction; and finally those that leave you nodding your head approvingly.

Anyone following M&A activity close enough can end up with a rather tender noggin. But the ManTech International Corp. acquisition of prime government contractor McDonald Bradley Inc. for $76.5 million announced earlier this month is one that likely resulted in a collective head nod throughout the Federal IT community.

Looking back at the interview ExecutiveBiz conducted with Robert Coleman, president and COO of ManTech, back in October of last year, it becomes clear just how the transaction is positioned to help his company execute on its growth plan and address pain points.

For example. Coleman noted in the interview how difficult it was to find high quality personnel – particularly those with specialized security clearances often required to do business with their customer base. McDonald Bradley reports that 60% of its revenue is derived from the defense and intelligence market and, perhaps even more attractive to ManTech, is the fact that 45% of McDonald Bradley’s 270 employees hold security clearances at top secret level or above.

Mr. Coleman also made clear during the interview his intention to grow strategically both organically and through acquisition – with the goal of becoming a five billion dollar company. Deals pursued, Coleman added, would include “…companies that bring us new customers, new capabilities, technology, or geographic locations.”

The McDonald Bradley deal hits these targets by deepening and broadening its focus in the intelligence, homeland security and defense space. And while ManTech had a strong contract presence in the Department of Homeland Security, what it didn’t have was a piece of the DHS seven-year, $42 billion indefinite-deliver, indefinite-quantity EAGLE (Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading Edge Solutions) IT acquisition project. Last summer, 25 winning bidders – including McDonald Bradley – were notified by DHS they would be able to solicit work via task orders for EAGLE contracts.

Because these EAGLE contracts represent as much as three-quarters of the DHS’ $6 billion annual technology spending budget, the opportunity for ManTech to gain an entrée via McDonald Bradley was no doubt a highly attractive component of the deal.

ManTech has witenessed rapid growth the past couple of years, (the company was named one of Business 2.0 Magazine’s 100 Fastest Growing Technology Companies for the second consecutive year and to the Deloitte & Touche list of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Virginia) both organically and through acquisition. The McDonald Bradley acquisition followed the one of SRS Technologies, Inc. earlier in the year, and Coleman - who himself joined as a result of ManTech acquiring his firm Integrated Data Systems Corporation in 2003 - seems to hint in the ExecutiveBiz interview that more strategic deals might be in the offing.

And investors are biting on the growth plan. ManTech’s (NASDAQ: MANT) stock climbed to an all-time high earlier this month of $43.01 when the company reported $383.4 million in third-quarter revenue, up 35% from a year ago. And though the stock has ebbed a bit from that high as part of the broader market swoon, it is still up roughly 20% from summer levels.

Brian Lustig is co-founder of Lustig Communications, a Rockville, MD-based communications firm that works with growing technology and government IT firms. Lustig is also a contributor to local business and industry publications.

John is the second most common first name among American males. Lee is the 24th most common last name among Americans (Lustig, sadly, did not crack the top 1,000). And, as you can imagine, there are thousands of John Lee’s in the U.S., and several multiples more than that throughout the world. In fact, a quick Google search finds individuals of that name here in D.C. with occupations ranging from massage therapist to human resources manager to teacher. As prevalent as it may be, mention the name within the Greater Washington business and technology communities and only one person comes to mind. And that person is, well, John Lee.

2008 marks a notable 25th anniversary. Yes, it was back in 1982 when McDonald’s launched “The McRib” a sandwich that instantly confounded millions of Americans who tried to understand the culinary schematics of a boneless rib slab. But thankfully (for all of you), that is not the anniversary I am going to focus on here.

When the calendar turns to 2008 it will be 25 years since John C. Lee, IV founded Lee Technologies – the company he still leads today as Chairman and CEO. During this time Mr. Lee has helped to steer the firm to consistent growth as a leading provider of solutions that enable commercial enterprises and government agencies to mitigate risk to their physical infrastructures. And while many know Lee for his founding role at the company, far more have met, heard or seen him in one of his many leadership roles with a host of local organizations.

Given his current position as Chairman of the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) and as his company approaches 25 years in business, I thought it would be an opportune time to chat with Mr. Lee about how the region has evolved as a business and technology hub, and where trend lines point going forward.

EB: What are the biggest differences related to the business and technology climate Lee Technologies faces today as opposed to 25 years ago?
JL: Back then of course the area was very dependent on government and to some extent real estate; technology as we currently know it didn’t exist. Our clients back then were almost exclusively government and financial services. Today you have a fairly healthy balance.

EB: How is the region faring as a launching platform for promising new ventures?
JL: Well that’s certainly another big change for the region over the last several years. Back when private equity firms didn’t exist, there wasn’t an influx of money available as you see today and most companies were self-funded. Today, the area does an exceptional job as an incubator for new business ventures. That means more opportunities for young entrepreneurs to succeed.

EB: As Chairman of the NVTC, how do you view the organization’s role as it relates to helping these young companies succeed?
JL: Everyone involved in the NVTC has played a part in establishing it as the premier networking organization in the area; 70% of members are part of companies with 20 employees or less. Part of our mission is to help these smaller companies get introductions to larger companies.

EB: And what about larger companies who are NVTC members?
JL: They are great about understanding their responsibility, (as it relates to helping the smaller members) and the interest for them on the membership side is staying on top of public policy issues that impact them at a state level.

EB: As you see it, what is the single greatest business challenge facing Federal government agencies?
JL: People. Because unemployment in this region is so low and the level of competition is so high for talented employees, Agencies face a real challenge here. You see this playing out with the continued rise in technical outsourcing that the Federal government looks to. At the same time, I think (local) companies are doing a much better job focusing on leadership training, and this is certainly an area we are focused on at Lee as well.

EB: About one year ago George Newstrom, who served as Secretary of Technology for the State of Virginia and held several leadership positions with EDS, was brought on board as President and COO. What made him such a good fit?
JL: First, George’s personality gelled very well with my own. Second, he held strong experience running a larger company than where we are today; important as we grow. And it has worked very well so far as George likes working with the employees and vice versa.

EB: When you are not in the office, how do you prefer to spend your time?
JL: Family and exercise. I try and spend 1 ½ hours a day working out six days a week, and spending as much time with my family as possible.

Whenever I speak with local executives and leaders, I’m always interested in learning what issues and initiatives - outside of the unquestionable dedication to their businesses - motivate them. Good leaders have a keen sense not only of the major issues of the day, but the ones bubbling beneath the surface that will reveal themselves in the next few years. These leaders identify those issues and then dedicate themselves to solving them.

Throughout the discussion, Mr. Lee emphasized the value he places on education and youth mentoring - and the vital role both can play in fostering regional growth and strength going forward. This commitment plays out in both his business and personal activities. In addition to his role as NVTC Chairman, Lee serves on the Board of Directors for the Information Technology Investment Board (ITIB), Big Brothers Big Sisters of the National Capital Area and Middleburg Financial Corporation. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Equal Footing Foundation, Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, Notre Dame Academy (2004-2007) and his Alma mater Randolph-Macon College.
Brian Lustig is co-founder of Lustig Communications, a Rockville, MD-based communications firm that works with growing technology and government IT firms. Lustig is also a contributor to local business and industry publications.

Lee Technologies, a company mentioned in this blog entry, is a Lustig Communications client.

At times, entrepreneurs seeking funding through the traditional venture capital process can start to feel like Michael J. Fox’s character in “Secret of My Success.” As a newly-minted college graduate who leaps from small town, USA to the Big Apple, Fox’s character shuttles from one interview to another, only to hear the same refrain: “We can’t hire you without job experience.” Fox commonsensically replies: “How can I gain experience if no one gives me a job.”

Many early stage companies seeking seed funding run into the same paradox - venture capital firms that are reluctant to enter an investment opportunity until the startup has seed funding and is seeking a later round of financing. This leaves executives of the prospective investment wondering how they are supposed to land later funding rounds if no one will provide that critical seed money.

A maturing technology community tends to be one that plugs these gaps and finds ways for these early stage companies to find this seed funding to get the ball rolling, which is why today’s Washington Post story by Kendra Marr highlighting a growing number of efforts by local technology leaders to identify promising innovations and supply seed funding for them is such a healthy sign for the region.

The Post article kicks off by highlighting a newly-launched investment firm, LaunchBox Digital, that will provide seed money, advice and guidance to DC-area Web and wireless startups. At the same time, the investment firm will also invest larger amounts in more mature companies. The investment firm pulls together a who’s who of local tech leaders - Ted Leonsis, AOL vice chairman emeritus, Proxicom founder and ObjectVideo chief executive Raul Fernandez, as well as a pair of former FCC Chairmen and the co-founders of Motley Fool.

And retracing even a step further in the evolution of a startup, the DC area has witnessed an acceleration of the tech transfer community - which involves transferring promising technology and research developed at Universities and research institutions into commercial ventures. Last month Gerard Eldering, the former Director of the Technology Transfer Office at The MITRE Corporation and well known within the Washington, DC venture capital and research community for his role in transferring promising technologies and applications into successful start-ups, launched a tech transfer venture creation firm.

Eldering’s firm InnovateTech - also featured in the Washington Post article - assists universities, non-profits and for-profits in identifying their high potential technologies that could be the basis of a startup, and then assembling the management team and funding around each venture.

The Post article also references how earlier this year the Maryland Technology Development Corp. (TEDCO) unveiled a program providing university teams money to determine if a technology developed in the lab could be transformed into a commercial product.

Much of these efforts reflect the enthusiasm on display at the ExecutiveBiz Web 2.0 Conference earlier this month. Innovators bringing to market promising technology and applications, and investors finding a wider and deeper pool of talent and innovation to invest in. While not every entrepreneur will be able to fly back home in a private jet like Michael J. Fox, first class isn’t out of the question.

Brian Lustig is co-founder of Lustig Communications, a Rockville, MD-based communications firm that works with growing technology and government IT firms. Lustig is also a contributor to local business and industry publications.

InnovateTech, a company mentioned in this blog entry, is a Lustig Communications client.

As ExecutiveBiz The New New Internet Conference panelist Brad Feld reflected in his post-event blog, many of his Silicon Valley friends rarely stray from the “startup center of the universe.” In mingling and engaging with Conference speakers and attendees at the DC event, it did not take long for Feld, Managing Director at Foundry Group and Mobius Venture Capital, to realize how far markets such as DC have come as an incubator of innovation and talent.

Even now, two weeks after the fact, participants are still talking about the Conference. Just the other day, on the Metro, some guy starting asking me what I thought of the keynote. About two sentences in I realized the man had a Bluetooth earpiece and wasn’t talking to me at all, or referring to this particular Conference, so kind of a bad example there. And given the fact that a train car full of passengers thought I was talking to myself, I’m going to avoid the Red Line for a few weeks.

But in all seriousness, as the post-event media and blog coverage continue to flow in from sites ranging from GigaOm to Internet News and The Trend Junkie, one of most notable themes flowing through the reports is how tangible Web 2.0 applications have been within both the region’s public and private sector.

In summarizing the panel discussion on politics and the Internet, eWeek’s Sean Gallagher noted how the speakers highlighted real-life examples of how candidates have been impacted by social networking sites and the way campaigns are using them to connect with a new generation of voters.

Wyatt Kash from Government Computer News further addressed how Web 2.0 inside the beltway - Federal Agencies to be specific - has moved well beyond ‘the experimentation stage,’ citing efforts by the CDC, FDA, NASA and the intelligence community to implement and execute the use of social media tools both internally and externally.

While attending reporters and bloggers recognized that the people and companies driving Web 2.0 in the DC region are producing real applications and not simply fluff and hype, there was also a sense that attendees were still in some ways students of the game. In the Somewhat Frank blog, Jen Consalvo captured this vibe by remarking that, unlike many Silicon Valley conferences where everyone purports to understand every nook and cranny of a given topic, attendees roaming the halls and interacting with panelists were eager to learn and absorb expertise.

This is encouraging, because the surest way for innovation to grind to a halt is when entrepreneurs decide they know it all. The panelists and attendees at the Conference showed themselves to be both educators and students. What this means for the region and Web 2.0 in the coming months is hard to tell. But unlike some other conferences, where you show up, listen to what people have to say, and then kind of forget about it until the conference rolls around next year, there is a definite sense that local entrepreneurs will take what they have seen and heard at the conference and build on it, apply it and share it.

While the Internet may not quite be the great equalizer when it comes to political campaigns pitting heavyweight candidates against underdogs, Politics 2.0 has certainly caused front-runners to sweat a few buckets.

Today’s Washington Post has an A1 story examining the Web’s promise and peril for Presidential candidates - particularly front-runners with less to gain and everything to lose when viral campaigns turn against them.

As online politics has expanded from simply another fundraising channel to a web of viral videos, Facebook campaign sites and influential political blogs, candidates have struggled to maintain a grasp on how their messages reach the voter. This marriage of necessity was the fodder for a lively discussion at last week’s ExecutiveBiz The New New Internet Conference during a panel titled: Politics on the Web, by the Web and for the Web (catch the video of the panel here). The panel was comprised of Joe Trippi, John Edwards for President, Senior Advisor; Cyrus Krohn, RNC, Director of eCampaign Division; John Della Volpe, Harvard Institute of Politics, Director of Polling; and Gary Arlen, Arlen Communications, Inc., President.

Politics 2.0 really started with the 2004 Presidential Campaign run by Howard Dean. More specifically it started with Joe Trippi, who served as National Campaign Manager for Dean and pioneered the use of online technology to organize what became the largest grassroots movement in presidential politics. Dean for America ended up raising more money than any Democratic presidential campaign in history, all with donations averaging less than $100 each.

While the Web can still produce surprises and offer an unexpected financing platform for darkhorse candidates, (Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul appears to be the micro version of Howard Dean in the current election cycle) the panelists discussed how politics on the web, as the Washington Post article suggests, has spun well beyond the control of the candidates and front-runners still fear taking risks online.

John Della Volpe pointed out that as opposed to 2004, when the Democratic candidates had to take more risks to bring down Bush, 2008 sees a GOP field that now must be more open to using the Web in order to chip away at the Clinton machine.

At the same time, Trippi pointed out that in some ways candidates are still more comfortable operating at the Web 1.0 level with moderated user groups, portals and forums. Not all have willingly shifted to the Web 2.0 level where the moderator function is removed and control is handed off directly to the voter.

While political candidates still might be tiptoeing from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0, the Web has exacted a rapid and fundamental imprint on Presidential politics. Candidates realize they must handhold bloggers and online influencers the same way they do offline journalists, or risk having a negative blog post, video or audio clip send the campaign into crisis mode. And as more voters visit the Web first for news, the stakes will only increase for candidates trying to maximize their web strategy.

“You can really outsource almost anything”, said Tim Ferriss, at last week’s The New New Internet Conference. Pulling from his new book, the Four Hour Work Week, Ferris listed the ways workers can reduce clutter and focus on reclaiming time in their lives.

Ferriss cautioned again taking the title of the book too literally. “The four hour work week is not about only working four hours per week, per se. It’s not about idleness, it’s not about inactivity. It’s about shifting from an effort-based work model to a results-based work model.”

Ferriss described a variety of ways in which we can “outsource” our lives. He cited a friend who shipped a ripped pair of jeans to India to have them repaired and sent back for less than what is would cost in the States.

He also described outsourcing his dating life while living in what he described as “Man Jose, California” Ferris used the same approach he takes with email; “batching” all of the communication into short bursts. Using online assistant services, Ferris was able to line up a series of 20 dates in one weekend. “It’s a lot of time, this whole courtship thing,” he said, adding that the effort resulted in a long term girlfriend

What does this all have to do with the conference? Well, as all of the speakers agreed, there’s more content and information coming at us now more than ever before. Ferriss’ theory, while it may not play well with the boss, preaches taking ownership for your time, focusing on the results and not how much time you’ve devoted.

For more on Tim Ferris’ keynote presentation, head over to The New New Internet’s conference website, or check out Brian’s full recap of the event here.

Even Conference organizers charged with assembling provocative panel discussions and speakers can end up pleasantly surprised when one topic strikes a noticeable chord with attendees. That was certainly the case with the ExecutiveBiz The New New Internet Conference afternoon panel discussion - Software as a Service: Benefits Beyond Delivery.

As I exited one conference room two attendees approached separately and told me to rush over and poke my head into the SaaS panel because I’d be surprised how packed it was. I devolved into the awkward walk-run hybrid and busted through the doors.

Inside, I found Reed Overfelt, Partner and COO at Mural Ventures Corporation, Johy Daly, VP, Global Architecture Services at Keane, Mike McDermott, CEO at Freshbooks, and IceWeb Chairman & CEO John R. Signorello addressing an energetic, packed conference room of entrepreneurs, executives and IT professionals who embodied the momentum behind SaaS within both the public and private sector.

Ironically, it was during a separate armchair discussion on Web 2.0 that Peter Coffee, Director of Platform Research at Salesforce.com, summed up how ingrained SaaS has become in how we work. In talking about the ubiquity of SaaS and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), Coffee queried “when was the last time you told someone how excited you were to order software, receive a CD in the mail, load the CD, download the software from the CD and finally run the application?”

While Coffee wasn’t on the SaaS panel, he simply summarized why the Web has become the preferred vehicle for delivering business services and software. In observing the most lively Q&A of any session I attended it also became clear that this is a fast-growing segment in some ways adjusting the playbook as it goes. The exchanges reflected the challenge for SaaS companies to adapt to end user-created demand, as well as to address public misconceptions about the security of these services.

In addition to the SaaS companies represented by the panel executives, the current and potential role of SaaS within Web 2.0 for business and government could be seen with exhibitors such as Digital Now, Kapow, and others delivering powerful software and applications via the Web.

I believe the reason SaaS was so well received by attendees was two-fold. First, while some areas of Web 2.0 have been long on hype and short on revenue streams, SaaS delivers a tangible business path for companies instead of, as Leonsis put it during his keynote, a model that simply piggybacks on Google’s revenue stream.

Second, SaaS hits a pain point in the Federal government, where Agencies are seeking a simplified delivery model for services and applications that fits with budget and manpower constraints.

Brian Lustig is co-founder of Lustig Communications, a Rockville, MD-based communications firm that works with growing technology and government IT firms. Lustig is also a contributor to local business and industry publications.

Organizing a full-day conference is not an easy task under any circumstances. Though one could argue the lift is a little lighter if the Conference topic is easily defined and understood. A Conference on developments in the paper clip industry for instance: still a pain to organize but not hard to agree on a central theme.

Web 2.0 on the other hand….

Where do you begin? How do you bring together thought leaders developing everything from mashup applications to a Second Life presence for government agencies, foster provocative discussions while maintaining a central theme that carries throughout?

Over the next few days I’ll be posting on the discussions that took place at The ExecutiveBiz “The New New Internet” Conference today, and the speakers who sought to fit together all of the Web 2.0 pieces into one puzzle. With over 800 attendees from the public and private sector - executives, managers and thought leaders who will have a huge say in how Web 2.0 evolves in the coming years - circulating, absorbing and networking, there was an undeniable buzz working its way through the hotel (and I’m not just talking about the hundreds of Blackberries set on vibrate).

For those who attended, feel free to post comments on your takeaways from the sessions and speakers, and what you took away from all of the insight gleaned. And for those who could not attend consider this blog a Cliffs Notes version. Also, be sure to keep checking the ExecutiveBiz site for full video and photos of the presentations and panel discussions.

Today’s entry will focus on two keynotes: the Conference kickoff presentation from Ted Leonsis, Vice Chairman Emeritus, AOL and the lunch presentation from Tim Ferriss, bestselling author of The 4-Hour Work Week.

I’m starting with these two because they both addressed overlapping themes that hold relevance for every nook and cranny of the Web 2.0 space. They both spoke of how, for all the technological developments and new gadgets, the lives of consumers are not more productive. For Ted, a self-professed student of happiness, this is a problem. Web 2.0 holds the power to enhance his five key ingredients of happiness (relationships, community, self expression, giving back and pursuit of a higher cause), but only if companies providing Web 2.0 services stay focused on the consumer. Ferriss’ lunch keynote took a different approach to in some ways hammer home the same point: individuals are letting devices, clients and relationships control them, rather than vice-versa. The result, he warns, is that no matter how much money we make or clients we win, our happiness level decreases because our control over life has decreased.

Though introducing himself as “the New New Ted Leonsis” it was in fact vintage Ted - separating what is cool and flashy about Web 2.0 from what is required for companies to create a viable business model on it. The social networks, video sites and user reviews might be getting all of the attention, but Leonsis reminded the audience that consumer collaboration is not 2.0. It isn’t even 1.0 but instead pre-Web 1.0.

For Ted - from his time at AOL to his role with the Washington Capitals - it has always been about the consumer. It is about the consumer who no longer is content to sit on a couch and be told what programming he can watch at a particular time. The consumer wants choice and control. For television that plays out through TiVo, and now that we live on the Internet it is about control over content, expression, applications and the overall Web experience.

Though enthusiastic and optimistic, Ted is concerned by how Web 2.0 companies are laying out revenue streams. While a successful company should tap multiple revenue streams, Leonsis argues most Web 2.0 companies lack even a single viable revenue stream and instead are content to piggyback on Google’s. For Web 2.0 to take hold as a business model this will have to change, or risk having the entire category beholden to a small handful of Web behemoths like Google, FaceBook, MySpace, etc.

Leonsis concluded by addressing the demographic realities that Web 2.0 companies must heed in order to find an audience. While the country is growing more diverse ethnically, he points out that most of the people pulling the Web 2.0 strings are predominantly white and male (a fact he confirmed by asking attendees to survey the audience). I can attest to the heavy male factor, as female attendees rejoiced that finally, at long last, the line for the men’s restroom exceeded their own.

It was really the ideal opening speech, because it armed attendees with some big ideas and considerations as everyone headed off into micro-sessions where Web 2.0 - as a business within the public and private sector - would be discussed in more detail.

Ferriss picked up on the happiness theme by crystallizing how beholden we are as businesspeople to the technologies that supposedly make our lives easier. The concept of his book is really about how to redesign our lifestyle in a way that maximizes happiness while maintaining work and life productivity. As listeners sliced into chicken breasts and registered both written and mental notes, Ferriss sliced through complex work and life issues by placing them into simplified buckets with tangible solutions.

Our work and personal lives are filled with an endless stream of tasks we feel the need to accomplish. The problem, as Ferriss tells it, is that we often pat ourselves on the back for multi-tasking. In truth, we should be single-tasking: picking out the small number of tasks critical to our work and personal lives and focusing exclusively on them until project completion, then outsourcing the trivial tasks that occupy so much of our day.

Scanning the audience you had the sense that few people could imagine making room in their lives for more work, more family obligations, more social requirements. And that is the problem as Ferriss sees it: our lives are not scalable. By focusing on critical tasks and outsourcing trivial tasks we can make our lives scalable and regain control of our lives.

Both speakers took aim at how we - as consumers and workers - interact with Web 2.0, technology and gadgets. Beyond all of the applications, Web sites and tools, it is really about finding ways to increase happiness and control for consumers. For Leonsis, Web 2.0 businesses are still working through ways to utilize the Internet for this purpose, and for Ferriss the consumer still hasn’t quite figured out the formula for making their own lives easier.

What both men agreed on is the tremendous power Web 2.0 - when executed properly - can place in the hands of consumers, and in subsequent posts I’ll dive a little deeper into the Conference sessions that demonstrated how that potential is already starting to play out.

Brian Lustig is co-founder of Lustig Communications, a Rockville, MD-based communications firm that works with growing technology and government IT firms. Lustig is also a contributor to local business and industry publications.