Edelson Lobster Bake in Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Over the weekend, I attended a financial-star-studded lobster bake at Reeds Island in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

The event was thrown by venture capitalist Harry Edelson, general partner of Edelson Technology Partners (http://www.edelsontech.com/), whose vacation house and property along the Atlantic Ocean provided a magnificent backdrop for the food, drink and schmoozing that took place among the financial luminaries, family and friends who attended.

The weather was ideal for the event – a blue sky and temperatures I estimate in the 80’s. The sun was strong on Edelson’s terrace, and there was a constant flow of people between the terrace and the house’s sun room with huge picture windows overlooking the Atlantic.

The menu was traditional for a Maine lobster bake. In addition to outstanding lobster, there were corn on the cob, chicken, potatoes, hard boiled eggs and excellent home-baked coffee cake.

Edelson holds these events every two years, with many of the guests invited back time after time, while each lobster bake also brings many newcomers, as well.

Attendees deem this a “must go to” event – if they are fortunate enough to be invited. To show their dedication to Harry, last weekend’s attendees came from as far away as California, Florida, and Minneapolis in the U.S, as well as China. Of course, many also came from the nearer environs of New York and New England. .

I was one of those fortunate people to be invited this year – having met Harry for the first time just a few months ago at a private equity conference in New York.

I drove up from New York with a friend, Jonathan Gubin, president of New York boutique investment banking firm Capital InVentures (“The Crossroads of Creative and Capital”). It was well worth the 7-hour drive each way.

The guest list included entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, private equity investors, investment bankers, commercial bankers and people involved in a wide variety of other business endeavors. Of particular note were a large contingent of Chinese Americans – entrepreneurs, financiers and investment bankers -- reflecting Edelson’s strong interest in investing in China.

eChinaCash (eCC) is one of Edelson’s China investments, and was represented at the lobster bake by its chairman, Peter Norton, best known for creating the Norton anti-virus PC protection programs. eCC is a US-incorporated, Beijing-based provider of customized database management, loyalty and payment card programs for large corporations and financial institutions in China. The company has over 200 employees in three major Chinese metropolitan centers – Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Edelson says the company is valued at about $250 million today, and is expected to be worth $1 billion in the next couple of years.

While mingling at the lobster bake, the guests also took advantage of the opportunity to network with each other, swapping business cards and making appointments for future meetings.

During the festivities, Harry handed out gifts/prizes in a raffle for both the kids (there were plenty of them) and the adults

All told, the Edelson Lobster Bake was hugely successful. I personally left having made many new friends and business contacts.

I hope I’m invited to the next one.