"The industry doesn't fail; companies do," Disney Internet Group Executive VP Richard Glover.

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Streaming Media West, took place last week in Long Beach, California, and I decided to briefly attend and take a quick run through of those exhibiting. You may be asking yourself, "Stephen, you are the webcasting guru, why only spend a short amount of time at the show?"

Well, dear reader, I decided to make it a quick trip for two reasons. The last Streaming Media West was just a few months ago (October if memory serves), and, to be honest, I thought having another convention so soon was pushing it a bit. Second, I had a feeling that after the many months of dot-bombings that the show floor would be smaller than expected.

Even though the space for this year's show floor was bigger, the number of exhibitors was quite small. If you looked through the long list of exhibitors published a few weeks ago here at Digital WebCast, you would have noticed many were now curiously absent and that some had cut back on booth size from last year. Many still seemed shell shocked about what had happened in recent months, and I got the distinct impression that the view by many on the show floor was that streaming media was about to say a fond farewell.

Don't misinterpret my words; streaming media is NOT dead, and neither is the Internet, despite what is happening in the economy. We are at a lull, or, as Douglas Adams once wrote, "The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul."

Disney Internet Group Executive VP Dick Glover reflected those ideas in his keynote address when he said everyone should not give up. "If you believe in your idea, don't give up on your vision. Don't bail out at the first signs of trouble." He also said, "The industry doesn't fail; companies do," and he advised everyone to hold on to good ideas and not confuse failing companies with failing technology.

In fact, recent reports (http://www.digitalwebcast.com/2001/06_jun/news/streaming_europe.htm and http://www.digitalwebcast.com/2001/06_jun/news/yankee_group.htm) have indicated that streaming media demand is up, not only in the United States but in every part of the world. This demand will only increase the need for those companies who can deliver great technologies that are actually useful.

Which brings me to my adventures in Long Beach and those companies I had a chance to visit and talk with.

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