Kinakka - The Lai Dai Corporation's Black Rise Development Conference opened its doors today, welcoming thousands of visitors to see several miles of booths displaying prototypes, technology demonstrations and grand plans.

Among the most popular displays were the Zero-G Research Firm's full-scale model of a next-generation orbital habitat - planned for prototype deployment before the end of the year - and a digital link to an experimental deadspace garden module by the Kaalakiota and Caldari Provisions.

The Lai Dai Corporation and its subsidiaries had a number of small displays of upcoming releases - among them a new series of low-maintenance atmospheric craft dubbed "Snipe", designed to be used by small colonies. In general, the Lai Dai presence has been small compared to other corporations, but rumors suggest that the megacorp is holding off on a big revelation.

"There has been talk for weeks of Lai Dai preparing something big. I've heard that their Storage Research team is here in Kinakka, ready to reveal a prototype," says Ulekkan Vindele, a hangar-floor manager for a capsuleer corporation. "Of what, I can't say."

Despite the mystery surrounding Lai Dai's own projects, it is clear that their goals for the conference are being met. Hundreds of projects opened their booths announcing that they were looking for investors, and within the end of the day the vast majority had secured the capital they needed to pursue their plans. "We are ecstatic," said Norona Caaspien, celebrating with her team in the back of a booth showcasing their starbase capacitor prototype. "We are so happy that someone would invest their time and money in our project, and that this conference made it possible for us to be seen."