K I Woo talks to the American founder of eAngelz.com who is introducing networking dot.com soirees to Bangkok

An American impresario who hosted countless high-tech get togethers in California more than a decade ago is now introducing his trademark dot.com schmoozing sessions to Bangkok .

These high-tech get togethers allow fledgling dot.com entrepreneurs to sip wine coolers and munch hor-doeuvres with financial angels, major network and computer infrastructure suppliers, as well as important business consultants.

In the past year, Landy Eng, who was CNBC business show Driven’s host, launched eAngelz.com, his dot.com website and dot.com get-togethers in Singapore.

Now with corporate headhunter Korn Ferry Thailand’s support, Eng is launching his first Bangkok eAngelz get together on Tuesday, May 9 at the Sukhothai Hotel.

"We have invited many of this country’s top financiers, equipment and network company officials, consultants and dot.commers," Eng said.

eAngelz get-togethers, Eng said are unique functions, which provide a comfortable venue for the new economy’s sometimes disparate groups, who normally do not get together. At eAngelz-like parties, these disparate groups meet each other at an informal get together and ferret out what is happening in a fast-changing environment. "Many deals are made from contacts at these functions," he said.

Eng said that he expects about 30 per cent of the first eAngelz party’s guests in Bangkok will be fledgling dot.commers looking for technical and financial partners. "Twenty per cent will be financial angels and venture capitalists. The balance will be equipment and network providers, consultants and the media," he said.

Leading headhunter Korn Ferry Thailand will sponsor eAngelz first event in Thailand . "We are very happy to be hosting e-commerce and dot.com leaders, who I’m sure will be driving this country’s future growth," said Edwin Sim, Korn Ferry’s managing director in Thailand .

In California’s Silicon Valley , where high-tech parties first began in the mid-1980’s, Eng said the events were mainly attended by high-tech engineers looking to exchange technical information. However, as the years went by, investors, equipment and network suppliers, and consultants discovered that "angels" parties were a convenient and efficient way to discover the next new hot entrepreneur.

Here in Asia, Eng said eAngels parties, particular the ones in Singapore , have become a very efficient way for all groups in the new e-economy to meet and exchange ideas on a regular basis. "Equipment and network suppliers can come and usually meet about 20 or 30 new dot.commers in one night," he said.

At the same time, dot.commers also realizes tremendous benefits from these events. "Not only will they meet technical people who supply the latest infrastructural equipment, but they may also meet financial "angels" who may want to fund their new idea," he said.

Eng predicts that eAngelz dot.com parties will be equally as successful in Thailand .

Korn Ferry’s Sim told The Nation that representative of some of the top private equity funds and top investors in this country will all be attending the event. "They’ve all told me they are looking forward to such an event in Thailand,"

He added that many of his multinational clients are expressing an acute interest in any events, which will help them, better understand the fast-moving new e-commerce economy.

Many Korn Ferry multinational clients, Sim said are always looking to learn from innovative new business ideas created by dot.commers. "The eAngelz get togethers are an ideal venue and we’re just delighted to have been given the opportunity to bring the idea to Thailand ," Sim said.

It promises to be a groundbreaking event for this country’s dot.comming future.