AT EIGHT in the morning when most people were deciding whether to wake up and get ready for a hectic day at job, the Epicentre auditorium in Gurgaon was buzzing with activity – seasoned professionals and entrepreneurs were sharing their experiences with budding entrepreneurs on how to start a business or grow it even more.

A giant platform of creative energy, product showcases and networking opportunities, SmashUp 2012 will cover all the start up challenges that entrepreneurs face. Through an open and interactive way, the big-wigs will propose new ideas and relate real-life experiences so that new entrants to entrepreneurship can use them in their own ventures.

The conference started this morning with a power breakfast in which leading CEOs met budding entrepreneurs and shared their insights about the industry. Dhruv Shringi, CEO and co-founder, Yatra.com, Rajesh Agarwal, Managing director Micromax and Subu Kota, and Chairman and CEO, The Boston Group are some of the names, among others who will address the gathering, giving insightful thoughts about their start-up days.

The conference will go on till 6 in the evening, and in one of the interesting sessions, marquee entrepreneurs will recount their early days of early challenges, multitasking, and eureka solutions, said Nitin Agarwal, an organiser of the SmashUp 2012.

During the keynote address, established entrepreneurs will try to address the concerns of entrepreneurs through a session called ‘The Founder’s Dilemma’. Shringi, Yatra.com CEO will speak on the marketing aspects when owning a business under a theme called ‘conjuring a zero budget mega marketing campaign'.

In the concluding session of the conference, angel investors, including Vikram Upadhyay, who is a member of Indian Angel Network, will share tips about private equity investment and how self-owned businesses and investors can work together to create a profitable business.