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improving the value of digital media and creative industries through innovative business models and services |
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The Barcelona Mobile Applications Forum
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The Mobile Applications Forum, the first of a series of digital media events custom-tailored to the needs of enterprises in the Creative Industries, was successfully held on June 17-18.
The two-day event organised by the ImMediaTe Consortium attracted over 120 participants, nearly 80% of which were companies, and included a conference, company showcases and a business plan competition amongst eight select companies.
Tomasz Ostrowsky, from the Innovation Policy Directorate of the EU DG Enterprise and Industry, opened the conference emphasising the importance of regional development agencies.
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“As intermediaries that are in close contact with local productive systems, they can successfully implement European actions and policies such as those advanced by Europe INNOVA.”
Participants at the Conference
Eric Ver Ploeg, Metric Ventures, delivered a highly praised keynote speech entitled Visions from the Field of Mobile Applications and Latest Trends in Investment. In his presentation, Ver Ploeg pointed out how the democratisation of the start-up process has shifted from raising money to putting the product on the market. Ver Ploeg analysed Apple’s strategy of “giving away” songs/apps to generate higher margin profits with the hardware.
Michela Michilli, ImMediaTe Project Director, presented the project and outlined the ImMediaTe Service Offer: three packages addressing access to finance, to new markets and to competences.
The Business Plan Competition
A highly effective coaching session, held by Aleardo Furlani (INNOVA) and Conor Neill (IESE Business School), allowed the companies participating in the business plan competition to markedly improve their investor pitches. Investors participating in the Mobile Applications Forum commented very positively on this aspect as well as on the overall quality of the event.
Conor Neill, a professor at IESE Business School in Barcelona, entrepreneur who has founded 4 companies and author of a forthcoming book has enthusiastically reviewed the event on his blog. The title - “A Business Plan is a Promise” - is a quote from Aleardo Furlani’s coaching session.
The eight companies that were selected to participate in the competition are:
- Mobile social gaming Digital Fun
- Making comics digital Robot Media
- Tool for project collaboration Teambox
- Mobile application recommendation engine Bubiloop
- Community for sailors Bloosee
- Anti-counterfeiting for big clothing brands BCN Touch
- Mobile tour guide for cultural landmarks Musetrek
- Visual search engine Buzzar
The two winning companies (posing in the photo with their awards) were selected by a specific jury: Teambox (Spain, first prize) and buzzAR (the Netherlands, second prize). These companies will receive MediaKIS Innovation Vouchers.
The Winners: Teambox (Spain) and buzzAR (the Netherlands)
MediaKIS Innovation Vouchers are redeemable from certified educational and training institutions and are based on the specific needs exhibited by winning enterprises. The vouchers carry a value of 2500 euro (first prize) and 1500 euro (second prize).
Digital Fun (Italy) was one of the eight companies participating in the Investor pitch and coaching. Digital Fun’s Fabio Saracino was “very positively impressed by the event. It provided precious know-how for start-ups and developing companies. In particular,” Mr. Saracino added, “the opportunity to meet with important investors and companies operating in the same sector was extremely beneficial.”
The showcase featured twenty companies, including two not from ImMediaTe clusters (the United Kingdom and the United States).
The Mobile Apps Forum was highly successful notwithstanding the concomitance of two major events in Barcelona: the HIT, World Innovation Summit and the Mobile 2.0 Congress.
The event attracted great interest and provided a perfect opportunity for companies and media sector investors to meet, exchange ideas and make business agreements with other European enterprises and find new outlets for business in Europe and beyond.
The next event organised by the ImMediaTe Consortium will be held in Amsterdam (Sept 22-24, 2010) and will address IPR for Creative Talents.
The two winners pose with the ImMediaTe Consortium
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