Some industry experts call gamification one of the most important trends in technology today. Others call it a passing fad or marketing gimmick. Many in the technology industry have never heard of gamification or even believe it concerns video games. This panel will discuss what gamification is, how it is being used, how companies make money from it and whether it is here to stay.

The effect of the federal stimulus on the biofuels and biochemicals space has been uneven. Substantial progress has been made in technologies applied and feed stocks developed, but solid markets are still developing. The panelists and the moderator, who are deeply involved with biofuels and biochemicals as investors,producers,offtakers and promoters, will offer informative views on the current state of play and what the future may hold.

The emerging growth and venture capital sector has undergone fundamental changes in the last ten years, among them:

• More alternative funding sources for emerging growth companies, including angel investors, super-angels, incubators, secondary markets, crowdsourcing and foreign investments
• Lower costs to start many emerging growth companies as a result of cloud computing, hosted services, IP outsourcing and other developments
• A change in liquidity alternatives, resulting in fewer IPOs and fewer active acquirors
• Less funding for companies requiring large capital investments, particularly life science, clean tech and other hardware companies This panel will examine the impact of these changes and ask what changes may come in the next decade.

In a short period this year, the media reported AOL’s $1 billion-plus sale of 800 patents to Microsoft, then that Microsoft had flipped 650 of those properties to Facebook, then that Intel had spent $70 million to buy patents from Aware. These sales illustrate a shift in the way companies and investors view patents: not as obscure instruments gathering dust but as assets, worthy of the attention of corporate boards. In this panel,patent asset thought leaders with real-world, experience address the questions surrounding what patents are worth. Among the topics:

• What drives patent value?
• What happens if executives think they have valuable patent properties and then discover they do not?
• What measures can be put in place to increase the odds of creating valuable patents?
• If one has a valuable patent asset, how does one monetize it?
•  What effect do activist shareholders have?

The speed of innovation in the technology industry has increased dramatically and requires companies to focus on innovation in a more structured way. This panel will address the management of innovation in the technology industry and the role of industry members, from startups to venture capitalists to large companies, in the new innovation ecosystem. Topics will include:

• The role of startups
• The rise of the global innovation ecosystem
• Strategies for large corporations seeking to encourage innovation and interact with startups
• Chief Innovation Officers and their rol

How can consumers’ privacy be protected while innovation moves ahead? This panel will debate how to increase privacy protection and privacy regulation without hindering innovation. The panelists will focus on the FTC and White House Privacy White Paper proposals and the European Commission’s draft Privacy Regulation.

A panel of strategic buyers and investors will discuss their acquisition and investment strategies, including:

• Their 2012 outlook on M&A and corporate investment
• What they are looking to invest in or acquire, and why
• Drivers that lead them to pull the trigger
• Their process and approaches to integration

Every day brings more news about cybercrime and economic espionage. Theft of IP is increasingly a tool of statecraft, with foreign governments planting moles in US businesses, using overhearing technologies to steal innovative technologies and seeking to purchase IP from vulnerable corporate employees.Hacking, which can bring a company to its knees and change reputations overnight, is also increasing at a frightening rate. Cutting through the hype to determine the true threats to your prime business assets is essential. Hear from a panel of experts from government, private industry and consulting firms about their views on the current environment and best practices.