TechCrunch Boston Meetup loaded with web celebs, free swag, fun times

TechCrunch hosted its latest meetup at The Estate (a club off of Boylston Street) this past Friday night, and all I have to say is that Boston’s tech crowd sure knows how to party. The venue was packed to capacity with hundreds of entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, as well as the press, PR reps, and a handful of slightly buzzed tech enthusiasts.

The event began at 6:00 and lasted until 11:00, with the crowd only beginning to thin around 10:30 p.m. when many attendees made their way over to the after party at M.J. O’Connor’s. The folks at TechCrunch were gracious enough to reserve the back room of the bar on Columbus Ave to accommodate everyone with plans to party until last call. (You can check out Don Dodge’s blog for a description of the tequila shots that ensued.)

IDG Ventures co-hosted the event alongside Tech Crunch, and additional sponsors included Brightcove, Moola, Mzinga, OurStage, TripAdvisor, MyPunchbowl, and Wine Library TV among many others. Product sponsor SnapYap has also created a video wall with coverage from the event. I think I place myself in the majority when I say that I had a great time, even if the night still feels somewhat like a blur. I blame the whirlwind of free t-shirts, product pitches, business cards, and maybe, possibly, the open bar. What can I say; I’m a sucker for free gin and tonics.

Some notable web celebrities that I spotted at the event were (of course) the TechCrunch team, including founder and co-editor Mike Arrington, CEO Heather Harde, and co-editor Erick Schonfeld. There were honestly too many people in attendance to name, but Doug Levin (the CEO of Black Duck Software), Chris Herot (the CTO of Zingdom), blogger Sarah Wurrey, and social media expert Chris Brogan have all posted recaps of the night that you can peruse as well when you get the chance.

I plan on posting again today with a few more links and insight into the companies and ideas that grabbed my attention at the party.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 19th, 2007 and is filed under Tech events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.