I was invited to LA Startup Nation Night on October 18th. It was held at the beautiful Viceroy Hotel, which is right by the water in Santa Monica. As with many LA scenes, it looked intimidating walking in. However, I was pleased to discover that pretty much everyone was open, friendly, and curious about each other.
ABOUT THE EVENT: LA STARTUP NATION NIGHT
The event was held outside by the pool. After the red carpet arrivals, everyone began mingling. People had the opportunity to give 30 second on camera pitches regarding their start-ups. The more ambitious (and less camera-shy) took this opportunity happily. Though in October, the temperature was a perfect 75 with palm trees swaying. So it was basically the quintessential California scene.
I spoke with people who were doing everything from marketing to consultancy to daycare to a school on how to fall in love (that was interesting!). It was inspiring to hear all the different ideas and the excitement many had at furthering their concepts. People were generally huddled in groups of 4 or 5, which immediately opened to allow in someone new. If this had been a regular Hollywood party, rather than a networking event, those groups would likely have been more closed and standoffish.
INSIDE THE VICEROY HOTEL
I ventured inside to get a better look at the hotel itself. Everything was pristine and clean, with a classy and decadent atmosphere. I’m always interested to see interior designs of high-end spaces. This place did not disappoint. In fact, it even took a few unexpected turns, as with the funky library room.
The bathroom was especially cool though. I was told by one of the front desk staff that people come from all over LA to take selfies in this particular bathroom – who knew! So of course I checked it out, and may have taken a selfie or two… I liked it because it reminded me a bit of the city of Oz (from the Wizard of Oz). Having played Dorothy, I’ve always had a fondness for anything that reminds me of that film.
MY TAKEAWAY
As someone with an entrepreneurial spirit myself, I was happy to be covering this event, and interested in hearing the various pitches. Practical and creative ideas ran rampant. In addition, it was refreshing to experience people being so chatty with one another. Overall the event had a nice turnout and flowed well throughout the evening.
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