Inflection Point

The second Global Entrepreneur Summit, Istanbul and AllWorld Arabia 500 + Turkey
Day One

All’s changed, changed utterly, a terrible beauty is born.

William Butler Yeats quoted by US Vice President Joe Biden at the second Global Entrepreneurship summit in Istanbul today Saturday 3 December 2011.

Woke up this morning feeling cranky. Gluttony is so very unattractive in people never mind a woman who should know better. Gluttony plus middle age and you have a recipe for a sleepless night even when you are sleeping on the signature bed in one of Istanbul’s leading funky hotels – the W. Stumbling out of bed as I did not want to miss Vice President Biden’s speech at the opening of the second Global Entrepreneurship summit I look around my ‘Wonderful’ room and find a big puddle of Water on the floor. Room not so Wonderful then, well at least not in the way it is advertised on the W Istanbul website. Last time I was in Istanbul it was storming and it rained inside my room in my 5 star hotel on the Bosphorus. So maybe the room is Wonderful and I am carrying my very own rain cloud every time I step into the amazing capital of the Sublime Port. Unfortunately I don’t have time to ponder the mystery – Joe Biden awaits.

My business partner Najat and I are in Istanbul at the invitation of the ALLWORLD NETWORK for the Second Global Entrepreneur Summit under the aegis of Prime Minister Erdogan with Vice President Joe Biden opening the conference. When we get to the Congress Conference Hall we find hundreds of people lining up to register. It is now 10.25 am and Joe Biden is about to start. We are told by conference staff to quickly move into the conference hall and register later. So much for security. We were told we could not enter the conference without A) registering and B) our photo IDs hanging around our necks. Ah well Turkish and American secret service must trust entrepreneur’s then…yes that must be it – we entrepreneur’s are a trust worthy lot. Especially us fast growth entrepreneurs. It must be the fast return on your investment that makes us so special.

The conference is opened in Turkish by a lovely young woman swiftly followed by a corporate film in Turkish but really it is classically made so it is not hard for two veteran film-makers to understand. Lots of speeded up images showing work, people and clouds going into the future. Half way through I lose the thread when the same images are shown a second time with images of poverty segueing into split screens of beautiful people, poetic sunsets and multiracial kids playing with corn. But I guess those kids are the fast growth entrepreneur’s of the future and the corn is the high yield or return on your investment. Yes that must be it.

We soon realise that we will need the simultaneous translators as most of the speeches are in Turkish. So I go to find them. Sorry, madam, the girl tells me – without registration you cannot get a translator! Ok, too bad Erdogan’s speech will be a mystery.

After a few speeches His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, the Minister for Economy for the United Arab Emirates is introduced. Gist of speech – UAE is using it’s oil money to create a knowledge based economy and next year the third global summit for Entrepreneurs will be in the UAE – of course. He then laments the fact that the Arabs and Muslims did not come up with it themselves but it is yet another American initiative extended towards Muslim and Arab countries even after the 9/11 tragedy.

More Turkish MPs and Ministers came to the podium but no Erdogan. Ok so he will be the last or just before Biden. American politicians are either born knowing how to give speeches or they’re born actors or well hell, they can’t half deliver a line. Even when you’ve heard it all before it sounds fresh and yes – dare I say it – inspirational. Maybe it was just that I listened to 40 minutes of unrelenting Turkish. Gist of speech: wishes Erdogan, on behalf of Obama and his administration, a speedy recovery (explains his absence – most disappointed). Trade between Turkey and the US has grown 45% in the last year. He would love to be at next year’s conference in the UAE – if he’s re-elected – otherwise whoever. US wants deeper ties between American Entrepreneurs and significant Muslim nations. Democratic revolutions (the Arab Spring) are ‘literally imbued with entrepreneurial spirit – risk, initiative, steadfast determination and a unifying ideal. The next Steve Jobs could be a Turk or possibly come from the UAE…the man behind me very solemnly told his friend that Steve was Syrian – as if that explained his genius or perhaps his rebellious spirit oh I see it must be his entrepreneurship – yes that’s it.

In fact Mr Biden brought up Mr Jobs no less than four times in the speech – almost as many as the word entrepreneur. Poor Steve – no rest for genius entrepreneurs – even in death! Going back to Biden’s speech he mentions women and excitedly tells the audience that if they didn’t know it already women are just as clever as men. The audience applauded this incredible insight, whereupon he continued that countries who did not encourage women in business were going to be left behind. Aspiring entrepreneurs must do what comes naturally to them – dream – and in the words of Mr Steve Jobs – Think Different. Think Different for we are at an ‘inflection point in history’. And entrepreneurs have a chance like never before to steer the world onto a path – a successful path from this inflection point. I was amazed by Mr Biden’s hindsight or is that future hindsight..hmmm…it’s a conundrum. Just how could he tell we are on an inflection point in history – could be foresight. And entrepreneurs are going to save the world or at least steer it in the right direction…

Lots of applause. More speeches in Turkish. Lunch. Interviewed by the Arabic Turkish channel but I speak in English so may get left on cutting room floor – or in the Avid. Najat is flawless.

The panel after lunch had some very interesting people including the Turkish Minister of Finance and the CEO of ABRAJ CAPITAL, the largest private equity firm in the emerging markets.

At 6pm the AllWorld Network held a drinks party to welcome the ARABIA 500 + Turkey (including Pakistan). Najat and I discovered that we are ranked third in the AllWorld country rankings for Lebanon. We are proud. The Pakistan delegation invite the AllWord delegates to Reina’s – a cool Istanbuli club. We are so on.

10pm – cranky again. Back hurts. Yesterdays gluttony rears its ugly head. Ahh yes my room is Wonderful.