Ever thought of Investing in India?

Monopoly – a simple game we all grew up playing.  People playing that game can be divided into two groups: the smaller population that always wins, and the rest of us.  Perhaps it is the dice? But it’s probably the strategy. It’s a game that can be applied to real life, in which investment in real estate is still the most lucrative option; the question now is where and when?

At this year’s NetIP Annual Conference, IREO, India’s leading real estate developer, will be hosting a panel to explore purchasing Real Estate in India, investment opportunities for NRIs, and the changing face of India’s real estate and infrastructure space. Global companies are flocking to India for office space across the country. The expanding workforce in urban areas is driving the need for quality housing, and the Indian government has estimated there will be a deficit of approximately 26.53 million units by 2012. The housing markets in these growing cities have held up during from the worldwide downturn in 2008-2009.

One of the cities experiencing an expansion surge is Gurgaon in the Delhi NCR, named in a recent study by Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj as the top city for residential real estate investment. The honor was bestowed due in part to the rapid increase in office and retail space, the quality residential developments being constructed, diverse industries, and favorable connectivity to Delhi with the new Gurgaon-Delhi Metro and NH-8, an express route to the International Airport and Delhi.  The current prices of homes in the city have increased by 40-100% since the minimum recorded prices during the slump of late 2008-early 2009. An example of this demand is IREO’s first project in Gurgaon, The Grand Arch, which has seen a 38% rise in prices in less than 6 months following initial bookings in September 2009. It is not about playing the investment game – it’s all about strategy.

Real Estate Opportunities in Gurgaon

Just to give a little taste of what types of properties are in Gurgaon:

• IREO Victory Valley: Home to the largest tower in North India, soaring to 51-stories. Luxury apartments; over 7 acres of landscaped gardens, two clubhouses, and a beach-resort themed swimming pool.
• DLF: The Aralias: High-end apartments overlooking the DLF Golf and Country Club, for sale by invitation only. Each unit is built to suit each unique buyer.
• IREO Uptown: 2-4 bedroom 3-side open and villa-like apartments with spacious balconies; a state-of-the-art clubhouse and recreational facilitates.
• Tata Rasinia Residency: Spread over 12 acres hosting 9 towers with a mix of various apartment types to fit various family needs, ranging from 3 bedroom apartments to independent villas.

About IREO

IREO is the first and largest FDI (foreign direct investment) investor in Indian property and a leading pan-India developer. Since 2003, IREO has invested US $1.5 billion in a portfolio of 14 projects in prime locations across 3,000 acres of owned land – one of the leading pan-India asset portfolios. The company has evolved as a fully integrated real estate organization that is the developer of its projects, and possesses a diversified portfolio consisting of master planned gated communities, mixed-use office and retail spaces, industrial parks including SEZs, and hospitality properties. Before the end of 2010, IREO plans to launch over six million square feet of housing.

The real estate market is quickly changing, and if you learn the rules now and take advantage of the expanding Indian real estate market, soon you could be the prosperous banker of your own monopoly.  Be sure to attend IREO’s panel for more details about real estate opportunities in India.

India Day concert with Jay Sean

Indo US Council has big plans for Atlantic City

The Indo US Council just announced their set of initiatives for boosting the influx of visitors to Atlantic City. “This action of hosting numerous events in the area will attract the large Indian American community living in the north east US to Atlantic City,” says Dr. Sanjay Gupta, president of the council, “with India ’s Independence Day Celebrations being the first one on the agenda.”

On August 13th 2010 the India’s Independence Day Celebrations will commence with a night of music and dance featuring a live concert by “the international pop sensation and multi-platinum selling Cash Money/Universal Republic recording artist Jay Sean” , at the Trump Taj Mahal Arena followed by a colorful parade next day on August 14th. The India Day Parade will march on Atlantic City’s famous boardwalk and it promises to flaunt magnificent floats displaying the ravishing and diverse Indian culture with its glory and grandeur. The parade will end in a big display of Indian handicraft, beautiful clothing and jewelry .Invitees as chief guests include Bollywood stars, prominent professionals & businessmen with local and central government officials.

To organize these events, the council has the help and support from several different social and professional organizations, such as NetIP, including physicians, hotel owners, business owners and other professionals. These events are expected to attract Indian-Americans from the whole Northeastern corridor, where a whopping 35% of its population lives, nearly a million. The Independence Day Celebrations alone is expected to bring in excess of over 50,000 visitors to Atlantic City.

One of the main attractions added to bring in more visitors to the region is the “PALACE ON WHEELS”. The Palace on Wheels is a world-famous one-of-a-kind train in India that is fit for kings and queens. The interior décor is palatial giving you an experience of splendid and enchanting royal journey. ACES trains of Atlantic City will have the flavor of” Palace on Wheels” for the celebrations.  This special train will run between New York City and Atlantic City featuring a touch of Indian décor with tasty Indian food and Indian models dressed traditionally to give you the experience of the original. A unique experience, indeed, will be made possible with the help of Borgata, Harrah’s and Caesars casinos.

Additionally, a Teen Patti tournament within that weekend is also in the works. Teen Patti, widely known as Three Card Poker, is an integral part of the Indian culture. Apart from being one of the most favored card games in India , it has also embedded itself within the Indian festivals. It is meant to be played during festivals like Diwali (Festival of Lights) and Holi (Festival of colors) to bring luck and fortune. Tournament such as this will also play its part in attracting players to the casinos.

NetIP members get discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more at the $50 level. For more information contact pooja@netip.org

Meet SAMBAA, NetIP’s Alliance Partner

Recently, NetIP North America formed an Alliance Partnership with SAMBAA – the South Asian MBA Association.  SAAMBA is based in California and on Thursday July 29 will be co-sponsoring a professional networking event with NetIP SFBA.

Professional development is one of NetIP’s four pillars and is reinforced by forming alliances with organizations such as SAMBAA that strive to create an environment where South Asian professionals can learn more about climbing the corporate ladder whether they have an MBA or are simply interested in pursuing the degree.

SAMBAA’s mission is to provide a platform to foster the next generation of corporate executives and entrepreneurs who have an interest in South Asia and to enable them to become successful global leaders.

SAMBAA offers Executive Coaching programs as well as programs geared towards women and the unique challenges they face as they strive to excel at their careers.

So, if you’re interested in understanding what opportunities an MBA can afford you, or you have your MBA and are trying to understand how best to employ your skill set to excel at your career, SAMBAA has specially geared programs and events that will help you maximize your potential and become a leader with your organization.

It strives to provide a forum where South Asians can share knowledge and experience while growing their network as they are employed in key roles within major corporations and comprise the fastest growing MBA education segment of the population.

For more information on SAMBAA please visit www.SAMBAA.org

To learn more about our Alliance Partner program, please email Kanika@NetIP.org

Prime Time with Craig Newmark, TONIGHT!

Tune in tonight, July 26th, 7pm EST on HumDesi Radio

Craigslist is one of the largest privately owned companies, with 20 Billion page views a month worldwide. Not just a house hold name, Craigslist.org is used by 77 countries, and we are very excited to have founder Craig Newmark on the show live from the West Coast!

Born in NJ, best known for starting his SFO based company craigslist.org, Newmark is vocal about keeping the internet free.

A web-oriented software engineer by training, with 30 years of IT experience at companies such as IBM and Bank of America,Craig now spends his days working as a customer service rep at craigslist.

In 1995 while Craig was working at Schwab, he started craigslist as an email list for friends and co-workers about events going on in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1999, Craig retired from IT consulting to work full-time on craigslist. What started as a fun side project in Craig’s living room has since grown into one of the busiest sites on the internet, helping people with basic day-to-day needs such as finding a job, an apartment and a date, all within a culture of trust.

Craig continues to embrace his inner nerd though he no longer wears thick black glasses that are held together with tape, and he retired the plastic pocket protector some years ago.

Craig is involved with a variety of community efforts and is particularly interested in organizations promoting public diplomacy, mideast peace and new forms of media such as participatory journalism. He’s on the boards of Sunlight Foundation, OneVoice, FactCheckED, and VotoLatino.

From inspiring a Wierd Al Yankovic song, to an award winning documentary, the most striking thing about Craigslist is it’s staunch decision to stay minimal CSS based. In a world where web 2.0 is already outdated, it is simply remarkable to have a site that is so overwhlmingly popular yet largely free and community moderated.

Craig graduated from Case Western University and will talk to us about the Presidents call to volunteer-ism, a subject very dear to him. Using the net for social change is also a subject he cares deeply for an one that goes to the core of NetIP’s values: social change.

For more check out Craig’s blog, http://www.cnewmark.com/ and send in your questions for Craig to primetime@netip.org

Craig will be streaming live on twitter during the show, be sure to follow @netipna and re-tweet using the hashtag #netipradio. Follow Craig @craignewmark

Click for listening stations and more info na.netip.org/primetime
Our facebook event: http://bit.ly/cUzUbf
Download the iPhone app from humdesiradio.com

About Prime Time

The Friday Dichotomy

Bollywood is India’s Reserve Bank of dreams—dreams woven on celluloid. For almost a century, Indians have lapped up every offering with utter voracity and keep asking for more. Apparently we have an appetite for all kinds of movies. If movies had calories, India would be the obesity capital of the world.

With the burden of keeping almost a billion people entertained for three hours, one might think filmmakers would have a huge sense of responsibility to deliver films that are entertaining, educational and thought provoking? Not really! Most film producers are good businessmen and like good businesses they know their audience; they know what the majority customer wants.  An escape! From the dire poverty that plagues their lives. They want a three hour escape where they can see countries they will never visit, fancy cars they will never drive, scenarios where the rich man marries the poor girl or vice versa; they want to see all those things for which they don’t hold an inkling of hope in their own lives. Consequently, majority of films made are hackneyed “formula” films also aptly labeled masala films.

A fresh story is a novelty, twice is palatable, but ‘done to death’ seems to be the Bollywood way. When Hum Aap Ke Hai Kaun came out in the early nineties, it was a much needed respite for the audience. We had been subjected to a decade of “action” movies with saggy yesteryear heroes romancing girls half their age, bashing up hundreds of goons while dancing on Tablas amidst Holi bombs. But who would have thought the grand Indian wedding story made famous by Hum Aap Ke Hai Kaun is still being used till this date? The script reads something like this—boy meets girl at a wedding, boy romances girl at another wedding, a dozen songs (in and around the wedding), a stumbling block (usually involving a wedding), a climax (usually at an airport/train station/bus stop/taxi stand) or the classic climactic “stop this wedding!!” technique…either way, in the end, boy marries girl! That’s the decoded formula for you!

Cinematic history was created with movies like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayange (DDLJ), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and other ‘chiffon wonders’ of the 90s. Since a few of these turned out to be massive box office hits, the late nineties and early 2000s were mostly dominated by classic romance/drama themes. The producers did not take any chances; they stuck with the winning formula. In my humble opinion the only explanation for the survival of banal cinema over the years is a ‘mass hypnosis’ effect created by the Gucci-Prada-Switzerland dipped recycled storylines that numb us out of our senses and consistent exposure to them trains our minds to accept them as normal.

In the next five years we enjoyed the witty yet slapstick Hera Pheri; we devoured Dil Chahta Hai, Lagaan, Rang de Basanti, Omkara and Chak de India. Even romantic comedies like Hum Tum and Jab We Met were loved because they broke the mould while staying within the realm of family entertainment and struck a chord with the vast majority. These movies cleverly addressed serious issues such as homosexuality, corruption, abuse, immigrant problems, and patriotism without being boring art films with minimal audience appeal, leading us to believe or hope that film makers were finally breaking out of the hackneyed masala formula and venturing into more thought provoking, educational and entertaining films.

But I wonder if they have gone too far? This Friday I watched Dev D with some of my friends.  Ironically enough it’s the same beat up story of Devdas redone in a modern style.  A mish mash of Pulp Fiction and Montage, the film certainly pushed the upper limits of what the desi audience considers screen worthy. I could sense discomfort and feel us (a group of modern, educated professionals) cringe at several scenes, dialogues and the sheer guts of the movie. We speak of pushing the envelope, this movie managed to tear it to shreds. I can only imagine the effect it will have on the more conservative movie-goer.

Progressively, Bollywood films have gotten bolder in their use of foul language; the excessive display of physical intimacy; the excessive display of skin (male and female), bold themes and raw gore. Which makes me wonder if some filmmakers are overestimating what Indian audiences can handle? Are these films intended to pull India out of the conservative era and into a modern or western era? Or are they merely a strategy to ‘shock and awe’ to create revenue. Whatever the reason is, I get the sense it’s not going to sit well with most of the viewers, especially those in India.

If that’s true it means we are hypocritical when it comes to judging movies. When we watch a foreign language film (read French!), we take for granted it will be bold, and brazen and thoroughly unsuitable for family viewing. But we can never feel the same about a good old Indian homemade movie. If life imitates art and vice versa, movies like Dev D are portraying life as it already exists in India. But yet we don’t appreciate it when we see it on the big screen.  I wonder if we sugar coat and rose tint our movies as a means of protecting and saving our traditional pristine cultural heritage which seems to be disappearing at an alarming rate as India’s middle class acquires wealth and movies have become a means of holding on to those lost values.

No value judgments can be assigned to movie styles or story lines. With a billion people to entertain film makers focus either on money making films or on topics or styles they are passionate about.  The different styles are a sign of Bollywood growing up.  Progressive film makers are willing to take a risk, a risk that the audience or some of the audience will appreciate the new style and hopefully other film makers will recognize the creativity too.  Until the entire nation can enjoy a movie like Cinema Paradiso (or its Bollywood equivalent if made), this dichotomy is absolutely necessary for Bollywood to thrive.

From Bottom Billion to Next Billion

Republished with permission from The Grameen Foundation

Luckshmi Sivalingam is a Program Officer for Grameen Foundation’s Solutions for the Poorest program.

Before joining GF, I interviewed fifty clients of a Nepal savings and credit cooperative as part of an impact assessment. I saw that particularly for those living in extreme poverty, the solution to changing their situations can’t be limited to providing access to microfinance’s traditional product: an enterprise loan.

THP client on her new farm in West Bengal

Nearly all the clients I spoke with said that if they’d undergone appropriate skills development or received training on value addition for the goods and services they were selling, then their microenterprises could have generated the additional income required for them to progress out of poverty.

The Solutions for the Poorest team at GF is joining a small but growing group of microfinance practitioners that are looking at how the industry can better meet the needs of the very poor.  One approach we are testing couples livelihoods support with microfinance in a financially sustainable manner, contributing to what has been termed the “double bottom line.”

Solutions for the Poorest has partnered with BASIX/The Livelihood School India, a pioneering livelihood promotion institute, to design an integrated and sustainable methodology to provide financial and non-financial services to the extreme poor—individuals that BASIX wouldn’t typically serve through its everyday microfinance activities.  Also, my colleague, Malini, and I recently travelled to Calcutta to visit Bandhan’s Targeting the Hard Core Poor (THP) program.  THP targets female-headed households, like Shahida Bibi’s, with no or very erratic opportunities to make income. The program provides these women with the skills and assets required to jumpstart a microenterprise.  Supplemented with confidence-building measures, this support cultivates a seemingly limitless entrepreneurial spirit.

Shahida, her seven children, and her disabled husband survived on just $2 a week. Shahida was a housemaid, but without any productive skills and regular income, she wasn’t considered creditworthy by other MFIs.  THP provided her with four goats to help generate a more consistent income stream. This income has allowed Shahida to provide for her family while also nurturing the habit of saving.  In eighteen months, she sold one goat for $43 and diversified her income stream by buying chickens, selling eggs, and later selling coconuts and vegetables to her neighbors.   Shahida has now grown into a real business woman, generating a weekly income of Rs. 2,000 (about $42 dollars).  She’s already planning for additional ventures.

Shahida and her children share their story

Addressing the issue of global poverty in a holistic and practical way has made the past month’s immersions in Solutions for the Poorest initiatives an intellectually stimulating and inspiring experience for me.  I look forward to continuing our work to propel the bottom billion into the next billion.

Vote for Grameen Foundation & help us win a $200,000 grant to fight global poverty! Learn more about how you can help!

To make a donation to the Grameen Foundation, NetIP North America’s 2010 Philanthropy Partner, click here.

Marketers are taking notice of desis

Written by Raj Bhandari for DFWdesi.com, republished with permission.

Not sure if you saw the article in LA Times about desis and their affinity to South Asian programming on Dish…pretty interesting, especially when they quote that roughly one-third of all South Asians in the US subscribe to some sort of South Asian programming.

The numbers are out there: “According to the U.S. census, the Indian American population in the country was 1.7 million in 2000, a figure that had doubled since 1990, and is likely to have doubled again. The largest concentration is in California, followed by New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Florida. The majority are college graduates. They have the highest per capita income of immigrant populations. Advertisers appealing to the demographic include Citibank, State Farm, Vonage and Metlife, which create ads specifically for the market.”
More interesting quotes..“We’re seeing a real flowering in demand,” said David Jensen, vice president of content acquisition for Comcast. The cable operator provides eight South Asian linear channels — among them SET Asia (Sony), Zee TV and STAR India PLUS — in Northern California but is looking to expand its reach into other parts of the country this year. A new platform providing some 90 ethnic channels will include 10 targeted toward Indians. Comcast also carries “Bollywood Hits on Demand” nationwide.

The rise in population numbers, awareness and demand has dovetailed with increased technical capacity, he said. “Those in programming will be asking, ‘What can we do with all this new bandwidth?’ And the two areas that stand out are Bollywood and the Hispanic community,” he said…”

Have we truly arrived?

Keep Calm and Carry On

Written by Salima Syerah Virani. Syerah is the president of NetIP Toronto and an entrepreneur, mentor and coach. Re-published with permission from http://zentrepreneur.ca/blog/

During World War II, the British Government commissioned a propoganda poster bearing the now famous words, Keep Calm and Carry On.  The poster was intended to be a “last case scenario” delivering a message that would stiffen the people’s resolve in the event that Germany succeeded in invading Britain.

Although the poster was never used, its message is not to be dismissed.  As Entrepreneurs, you will quickly realize that things don’t often go as planned.  Whether it’s a cashflow crunch, a heated argument with an employee or a crisis over a deadline, there will be moments when you may be tempted to give it all up and seek the stability of a paycheque!

At times like this, it will help to remind yourself to “Keep Calm and Carry On“.  Just reading these words or repeating them will have a calming effect on you.  You willfocus on the present (as you should) instead of analysing the “should have” and the “could have” scenarios.  That kind of scrutiny will not serve you at this point. Your focus needs to be on constructing a plan and planning your next steps.

To keep calm and carry on  does not mean that you are ignoring the crisis.  Conversely, you’re acknowledging it in its entirety and validating it and then making a choice to move forward despite the challenges.  This kind of attitude seeks solutions and the sooner you acknowledge the problem the faster you are on your way to resolving it!

Another aspect of remaining calm is to maintain your composure and keep your emotions in check.  You’re more likely to get upset, angry and perhaps even violent when you’re under stress. To  “carry on”  means not giving up the activities that you know bring you joy and relaxation.  Don’t stop going to the gym, do not forsake the evening walks with your family or your dog.  Mantaining your usual patterns of activities that invigorate you will help you find the extra reserves of energy and inspiration you need to manage the crisis.

So whether you’re a civilian or a soldier, a rainmaker or an entrepreneur that’s just starting out..remember to Keep Calm and Carry On!

Gandhi statue sought for Zilker Park

Local Indian community leading effort for memorial in Austin

When Nehal Sanghavi thinks of Austin, he sees a community that embraces diverse cultures and values progressive ideas and public service a model place, he says, for a memorial honoring one of the world’s iconic figures of peace, Mohandas Gandhi.

If Sanghavi and supporters realize their dream, the tranquil, bespectacled face of Gandhi will gaze upon the Zilker Park lawn, perhaps as soon as next year. Members of Austin’s rapidly growing Indian community are leading the effort and submitted a proposal to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department board. Sanghavi said supporters have financial commitments from the community to cover the estimated $35,000 cost for a bronze statue. He said they prefer a Zilker Park location but are open to suggestions from the city.

The campaign corresponds with supporters’ plans for an annual day of service in Austin. This year’s event is set for Oct. 2, the birthday of the late leader .

Be the Change Day will be patterned after traditional observances in India, where the date is a national holiday and a day of service, said Sonia Kotecha, president of the Network of Indian Professionals of Austin.

Supporters hope to unveil the Austin memorial on Be the Change Day in 2011.

Known to his worldwide followers as “Mahatma,” or “the Great Soul,” Gandhi galvanized millions in India’s nonviolent struggle for freedom from British rule. With his philosophy of civil disobedience, Gandhi influenced the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and South African leader Nelson Mandela, who used his principles to cultivate their own nonviolent struggles for equality, Sanghavi said.

“A Gandhi memorial would just serve as a reminder to the human community of the humanity that he brought to us, especially his principles of nonviolence,” said Sanghavi, 36, a local attorney and president of the India Community Center of Austin.

He said he’s puzzled why Austin doesn’t already have a Gandhi memorial — by his count, at least 30 U.S. cities have one, and there are countless others around the globe.

“It doesn’t matter what religion, what generation, nationality, race, you’re usually going to be for nonviolence, peace and progressive change. Gandhi represented all of those things,” he said.

A Gandhi memorial has the support of Mayor Lee Leffingwell, who said he first heard about it at a meeting with Asian American residents earlier this year.

“Gandhi is an international hero and did so much good in the world,” Leffingwell said. A former airline pilot, Leffingwell said he flew often to India and visited the Gandhi memorial in New Delhi. He has a photo of himself standing beside a stone marker at the entrance to Gandhi’s home, he said.

A memorial on city parkland would require approval from the city Parks and Recreation Board and the City Council, said a city spokeswoman.

Sanghavi said supporters are collecting proposals from sculptors and hope to choose one by the end of summer. The memorial will consist of a 2-foot granite pedestal base and a 7-foot cast bronze statue of Gandhi with his walking stick in his 1930s protest march against the British salt tax. It’s an easily recognized image, depicted in memorials in San Francisco and elsewhere.

Kotecha, a community liaison with the nonprofit Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, or CASA of Travis County, said Be the Change Day is an attempt to build on inaugural events last year that drew a few dozen people. “We started planning a little late in the game,” she said.

This year, supporters, including the local network of Indian professionals, are planning early and reaching out to other racial and ethnic communities, including organizers of Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities.

Events are likely to include service projects across the city, a lunchtime picnic with speakers and children’s performances, and possibly a children’s essay contest about Gandhi’s legacy.

“We really want to inspire people to learn more about the ways they can give back to the community on an ongoing basis,” Kotecha said.

A self-described second-generation South Asian American who moved to Austin with her family in the 1990s, the 34-year-old Kotecha said the local Indian community “wants to feel like it’s a part of Austin.”

“Having a Gandhi statue just kind of symbolizes what we’ve contributed in this country as well,” she said.

The Austin metro area’s Indian population is the fastest growing segment of the area’s Asian population, said city demographer Ryan Robinson.

According to American Community Survey 2008 estimates from the Census Bureau, Indians made up 20,685, or about 28 percent , of the 73,375 total Asian population. Asian residents comprise the fastest-growing ethnic community in Austin by percentage, Robinson said. They represent about 6 percent of the city population.

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Sonia Kotecha is the president of NetIP Austin. NetIP North America commends Sonia for her selfless efforts and for galvanizing support in her community. We our very proud of her and wish her the very best in all endeavors.

Subsequent to the original publishing of this article on Statesman.com, there was a slew of commentary that prompted two follow up editorials, they can be accessed by clicking these links:
1. http://bit.ly/9UqdFT 2. http://bit.ly/aYExeK

NetIP’s 3 City Tour – First Stop, Chicago

NetIP Chicago has teamed up with NYC and LA to host a 3 city tour, highlighting the best each city has to offer. The tour arrives in Chicago the weekend of July 16th so clear your calendar and buy your ticket for a 3 day party! Re-connect with old friends from across the country and make new ones while partying with a purpose. All proceeds from the event will be benefiting the Cancer is Colorblind campaign.

The Cancer is Colorblind (CiC) campaign seeks to raise awareness and funds for pediatric and adult cancer prevention and treatment, while honoring cancer survivors and fighters who have made an impact in the local community.

Goose Island Tour & Tasting w/ After Party

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Friday, July 16th @ 6:30pm

Located in the heart of bustling Lincoln Park, Goose Island has consistently brewed Chicago’s finest hand-crafted ales and lagers. Sample their award-winning beers and get a behind the scenes tour of how they create their seasonal and specialty brews. After the tour, the festivities will continue at Y-Bar with a Belvedere Vodka hosted open bar party at Y-Bar 10:00 pm to 11:30pm!

Afternoon at Navy Pier
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Saturday, July 17th @ 11:30am

Enjoy all that Navy Pier has to offer! Bring out your inner child at Pier Park with the historic Ferris wheel, carousel and miniature golf (2 rides included). Take a stroll through the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows. Finally, cool down with a cold beverage and a good conversation with old friends and new at the Beer Garden.

Party on the Water (Boat Party)
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Saturday, July 17th @ 7pm

Everything needed for an unforgettable night, encompassed in one unforgettable event. Join NetIP Chicago for a glamorous night aboard the Summer of George. Mix and mingle with other savvy professionals against the backdrop of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. Afterward, join us at Crescendo for an exclusive after-party to keep the momentum going.

Sunday Walk/Lunch
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Sunday, July 18th @ 12pm

Savor the traditional and innovative fine Indian cuisine at Gaylord Restaurant. Don’t fall asleep just yet; take a stroll down the famous “Mag Mile” where shopping, the city sites, and the historic Water Tower await you.

******************ONLY WAY TO REGISTER FOR THE WEEKEND****************
Purchase a 3-day pass for an entire weekend of festivities
Members $90 http://bit.ly/cV7vCV
Non-member $110 http://bit.ly/axQyjT

A la carte tickets also available.