“Maybe I should collect my books and get on back to school”—Rod Stewart

I am sitting here at USC listening to a great panel, surrounded by a packed house. This is the third day of AlwaysOn’s 2010 OnHollywood event, and there does not seem to be any decline in energy nor in the amount of people here. Typically by now, both would be significantly diminished!

To be sure, there are less people attending conferences than before the recession; in terms of corporate events, the recession is certainly not over, whatever Obama or Greenspan are saying. But because of that dynamic, the quality of attendee is better than it has ever been. People are here because they are serious about the digital entertainment space and have something to offer and discuss with fellow attendees.

For example, people are raising their hands to ask questions in the middle of the panel, not content to wait until the panel is over. That kind of energy on a third day is way cool, and I think I know why. A hotel is a place where it is easy to fall into boondoggle mode; the overall purity of the conference is mitigated by the amount and variety of people who are hanging out. A university is alive with an energy generated by the population of students and professors who inhabit it and who are focused on learning and growing and interacting.

This energy is viral and gets spread out to the conference itself. The Four Seasons in Boston or the Hotel Sofitel in Hollywood are great places to take my wife for a second honeymoon, but they cannot hold a candle to Harvard University for Venture Summit East or USC for OnHollywood in terms of the atmosphere. The energy and overall innate commitment to learn, interact, and grow is what people like me who sponsor and partner with AlwaysOn are looking for. Throw in Stanford as the original and continuing venue for the Summit, and the verdict become obvious.

I have met and spoken to more interesting companies, investors, and fellow service providers in this version of OnHollywood than in all the others. To be sure, it helps to have superior panels and keynote speakers, including my hero the incomparable Trip Hawkins. Trip, for the entire day, before and after his speech, every time I saw him, he was sitting at a table deeply engaged in conversation with a variety of people, sharing his ideas and hearing the ideas of others as well.

CEO Showcase pitches were made to an attentive group of people, who would have asked as many questions as time allowed. Those CEOs were followed outside, and again, I saw them involved in many conversations. The boys at Yap.TV came out with a world premier demo of their latest killer app—again. And when I walked outside afterward, they were surrounded by people.

So, Tony and Marc, I know you’re reading this: My vote for future conferences is that we do them at great universities that promote the kind of energy and vibe you work so hard to attain. No matter where we go, let’s make sure that the atmosphere of an intimate, highly motivated group of people gets duplicated.