Another busy OpenCoffee Club

Saul wasn't able to be there this morning so I promised I'd blog some impressions and observations.
The numbers of attendees has held up very well. I'd estimate at least 80 over the 2 hours.
Interesting to see that new networks are are starting to tap into the facility. The London Business School was well represented for the first time.
There were headhunters: - BYT (Agnes Greaves) and The Forsyth Group (Bretton Putter);
VCs: Nick Brisbourne of Esprit, Kevin Commoli of Accel, Danny Rimer of Index
Ad agencies, bloggers, experienced entrepreneurs and first timers.

Lots of serious looking meetings, presentations and demos were taking place.

Agnes has promised me that there are many more female entrepreneurs in London than are turning up at OpenCoffee so I've challenged her to get them there.

LOVEFiLM offers DVDs to Burn

LOVEFilm this week announced its "DVDs to burn" service. The first in the UK. In my judgement, at the current stage of mass adoption of the various technologies, this is the service film-loving consumers are going to enjoy.

LOVEFilm have been offering downloads (up to 2500 titles now, to buy or to rent or free) for a year but you have to watch on PC and 'lean forward' viewing is still a minority pastime.
The announcement co-incided with its national TV campaign following a very successful test in Scotland.

Simon Calver and the team have pulled together Video Island, ScreenSelect and LOVEFiLM into a powerful and comprehensive entertainment company.

Key facts

* Europe's leading online DVD rental and movie download company with nearly 500,000 active household subs.
* In the last 2 years, launched in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Germany
* c.20% of UK and 10% of Sweden total DVD rental market
* Top 3 Most Visited UK Site in Entertainment and Movies
* UK’s largest range - Over 65,000 titles
* World class partners with exclusive relationships
* Lowest-cost DVD rental platform in Europe
* Market leaders in digital film delivery with the largest movie download catalogue in Europe

Moo checks into the Habbo Hotel

Moo's latest parnership is with Habbo. Following hard on the heels of Bebo, Little Moo will be printing away those cute little cards with cute little Habbo folks on them.

A phenomenon! 120 attend The OpenCoffee Club

Have just got back from attending the first OpenCoffee Club.

Saul posted this idea last Friday 23rd Feb.

As far as I know he did nothing more than that. Well, at 10am there must have been 30 people waiting for the doors of Esprit to open. The staff were bemused, the Starbucks team confused (perhaps they thought Howard Shultz had sent us all) and then over-run. By 12.15 when I left, there had been 120 attendees and some 40 were still deep in conversation.

If entrepreneurship in London is not alive in London today, it never will be.
There were VCs, entrepreneurs, angels and press all networking and enjoying.

Saul's idea is to make this a completely self perpetuating 'club'. Anyone who wishes to will simply turn up between 10 and 12.
The quietest Starbucks in the UK becomes the busiest for these 2 hours.

Personally, I met 4 new companies and a number of old friends and acquaintances.
Hope to see you there one of these weeks.