AlwaysOn delivers information, networking, and ideation for the Digital Economy.  As its founder, Tony Perkins, recently said, “Wall Street crumbles, and financial middlemen are scrambling…but Digital marketing is finally kicking into full creative gear.”

That is a good way to sum up the vibe at this year’s OnMedia Conference, February 2-4 in New York City.  The show’s energy and flow of ideas electrified the second floor of the Ritz Carlton. AlwaysOn’s consolidation of likeminded companies consistently provides a value add this year had something for everyone, even the newer start-ups in attendance.

OnMedia’s 2009 theme centered around delivering more effectively on performance, content, and ROI innovation within interactive three top media markets, video, mobile, and social networks. While some brands still question available video monetization strategies, they are already looking to mobile and social networks.

The results of a joint study between AlwaysOn and KPMG, released at the event, found 58% of respondents believe that social networks can be monetized through advertising, but only 24% of agencies plan to leverage social networking for their clients.  Unsurprisingly, almost 50% of respondents said that search advertising was still the most effective medium.  The result of the study leaves open the question of whether banner, email and online partnerships will diminish in importance as video, mobile and social networking gain advertising market share.

The standing room only OnMedia crowd gathered to hear such speakers as Alan Spoon, Managing General Partner, Polaris Venture Partners and Frank Addante, CEO, of the Rubicon Project. The Rubicon Project, overall winner of the OnMedia 100 Awards, was honored for its dashboard model that manages interactive ad campaigns, optimizing them across ad networks such as Google, Yahoo, Tacoda, Adbrite and more. Given these harsh economic times, I was pleased to hear Spoon opine that the present climate calls for “investing in the Leaders” and “get(ting) in front of what’s happening in the marketplace.”  Other top-line take-aways were more sobering but the general mood was optimistic.

Throughout the venue, the one take away from my many conversations throughout the event was the retreating relevance of the “Big Company” and increasing dominance of the smaller, leaner, meaner concerns, unsurprising given that AlwaysOn is one of the premier events for entrepreneurs. While industry leaders are laying off people by the thousands on a daily basis, small nimble companies are on the lookout for talent.

Bringing together Madison Avenue, VC Investors and New Media Moguls is a hallmark of the AlwaysOn shows. When asked how economic downturn will affect the growth of their company, the majority of digital entrepreneurs I spoke to said they expected to increase business within the next two years. With a steady flow and exchange of ideas, some of the leaders that stood out to me as energy driven innovators included, Ron Yekutiel, Chairman and CEO of Kaltura; Yoav Lorch - Founder & CEO of Zlango, and Elizabeth Blair, CEO and Co-Founder of Brand.Net.

We may be going through challenging times, but you wouldn’t know it from attending AlwaysOn’s OnMedia.