Wow! What a great initial response to what will be our tenth MediaConnect Forum.

Two weeks ago we launched Kickstart 2008 to our subscribers and past-attendees, which will be held from March 2 to 4 at the Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Already, more than half the speaking opportunities have been reserved and we're very confident of selling out this year in record-time.

We're immensely proud that this will be the tenth Forum we've run. When we debuted the first Forum, which we called Face the IT Media back in 2003, we had no idea whether the concept would succeed and it was probably the biggest risk we've ever taken because it was a such a major investment for a company that was still finding its feet.

Since that first event, we've run two Forums each year. Kickstart 2004, which was held at Couran Cove resort on Stradbroke Island, saw the introduction of our famous "speed dating" format and the Kickstart format has proved hugely popular ever since. It's somewhat fitting that we're returning to Twin Waters Resort for this milestone event. The resort has undergone a major refurbishment and it should set the backdrop for a really relaxed, casual atmosphere which is what Kickstart is all about.

If you're not familiar with the Kickstart event, we bring more than 50 of Australia's leading technology journalists together, to hear from top vendors as to what major trends and issues are likely to unfold over the course of the year. Kickstart has a big emphasis on education and networking, both of which are so important in a media environment where journalists find it very difficult to get time away from their desks.

As I mentioned, the initial response has been great - a couple of sessions are sold out already so if any vendor is interested in participating, I encourage them to contact our account manager, Tamara Jawad at tamara@mediaconnect.com.au or phone us on (02) 9894 6277