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TIFF Nexus is offering MEIC members, partners and affiliates staff discounts on the Women in Film, Games and New Media Conference. Come meet the filmmakers, game developers, interactive producers, broadcasters, creative agencies, technology hackers and transmedia storytellers who can help your upcoming projects succeed in our evolving media landscape. In partnership with WIFT-T, this fantastic learning and networking opportunity is designed to introduce creators to emerging media technologies as well as offer them unique chances to meet professionals from across diverse sectors.

Friday, December 9, from 1pm to 7:30pm at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Followed by Networking Reception and hands-on demonstration of the video games created through the Difference Engine.

MEIC members, partners and affiliates can receive 40% off the regular rate! *Group Rates Available - contact TIFF Box Office (416) 599-8433.

 ONTARIO MEDIA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Bulletin & Call for Applications for:  MUSIC, FILM & TV, INTERACTIVE DIGITAL MEDIA, ADVERTISING AND INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) and

North By Northeast Festivals and Conference (NXNE)

Present

MUSIC MAKES IT 2011!

Transmedia Music Licensing

for

Film, Television, Interactive Digital Media, Interactive Technology, Advertising

AND Music Companies

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

11:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Toronto, Ontario

in partnership with:

Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA)

Canadian Music Publishers Association (CMPA)

Music Canada

Producers Roundtable of Ontario (PRO)

Women In Film & Television - Toronto (WIFT-T) 

Computer Animation Studios of Ontario (CASO)

Building on the success of previous MUSIC MAKES IT! events, OMDC and NXNE offer Music Makes It 2011 - a business development event  comprised of one-on-one meetings, a case study, group discussions, artist showcases,  and networking opportunities.

MUSIC MAKES IT will be a forum through which executives from the interactive digital media, technology, advertising, feature film, documentary and television industries will connect with executives from the music industry who own and administer rights to the hottest Canadian talent. Participants will explore ways to merge their content, to the creative and commercial benefit of each sector. 

Interested companies from these industries are invited to submit an application to participate in MUSIC MAKES IT. 

TIMELINE: 

The deadline for applications is Monday, October 17 by 5:00pm.  Selected participants will be notified by October 20, 2011.

ELIGIBILITY 

MUSIC MAKES IT, presented by OMDC and NXNE, is open to qualified, Ontario-based companies.

- Music Companies – labels, managers, publishers: must demonstrate a track-record in the industry and represent a sizeable talent roster and catalogue with appropriate licensing rights.

- Feature Film, Television, Documentary producers: must have at least two producer credits on films, series or one-offs that have been theatrically distributed or nationally broadcast.

- Interactive Digital Media: preference will be given to companies who have released at least one product.

-Advertising and Interactive Technology firms: must have an interest, product or project requiring music.

Please note that although there is no registration fee, program selection is a competitive process. For film, television, documentary, interactive digital media, interactive technology and advertising companies, preference will be given to companies with projects currently in production or post production, for which they are now or soon will be seeking music.  Selection will be made on the basis of what information is submitted in the application.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications must be submitted via OMDC Online Application Portal (OAP)

Prior to commencing an application, your Company’s corporate information must be registered. If this has not already been done, you should register as soon as possible by going to: https://apply.omdc.on.ca/. If you encounter problems setting up your Company’s corporate information, you can email applyhelp@omdc.on.ca  for assistance.

Please note that OMDC has a small allowance available for companies travelling in to Toronto for the event (minimum travel distance of 150 km).

For further information on this program, please contact:

Keely Kemp - Music                                       Shari Cohen – Film/TV/Interactive

Tel: 416-642-6696                                           Tel: 416-645-8521

Email: kkemp@omdc.on.ca               Email: scohen@omdc.on.ca

MEIC is proud to announce that it will be hosting the BEST IN MOBILE APPLICATIONS & MARKETING categories of the 2011 Digi Awards.  The Digi Awards (formerly the Canadian New Media Awards) are Canada's premier event to showcase remarkable digital media companies, projects, products and pioneers that are putting Canada at the forefront of the international mediascape. 

As host for the BEST IN MOBILE APPLICATIONS and BEST IN MOBILE MARKETING, MEIC will provide a panel of jurors who will review and evaluate all submissions in these two categories.  The award for the Best In Mobile Application will go to the most outstanding mobile application demonstrating exceptional functionality, innovation, audience reach and frequency, as well as excellence in the use of the mobile medium. Entries for Best In Mobile Marketing will be judged according to their potential to influence consumer perception and purchasing habits, effective use of the mobile medium, and the extent to which the mobile campaign complements the broader marketing effort.

To participate in the Digi Award, just go on the contest web site (http://www.thedigiawards.com ) The deadline to participate is September 30 2011 and the winners will be announced at the Award ceremony in Toronto on December 6.  

 Mobile Payments Outlook, 2011

Please join KPMG and special guests for a discussion on the Canadian mobile payments landscape. Findings from a newly-released Mobile Payments study conducted by KPMG International reveals that executives believe the use of a mobile device to make payments or conduct banking transactions will be mainstream within four years, disrupting the traditional payment infrastructure, intensifying competition for banks, and opening up opportunities for collaboration and integration.  

As technology companies leverage mobile devices, near field communications and online capabilities to produce m-wallet and other payment options for a multitude of transactions, banks around the world are rapidly reevaluating and evolving their business models. For retailers, this presents new and untapped opportunities as "point of sale" is free of geography but also instantaneous as cheques, cash, and even credit cards are rendered obselete. Who will be the winners? What will help them succeed? This session will open with an overview of the global and Canadian landscape, followed by a distinguished panel of guest speakers that will discuss:

• The mobile payments system, companies involved and technologies available
• Business impact of mobile payment adoption
• Opportunities and barriers to adoption of mobile payment strategies, including a discussion around the findings of the Mobile Payments Task Force
• Security and privacy issues.

Who Should Attend:

• CEO, CFOs, COOs, CIOs, heads of sales, chief privacy officers, and business leaders driving mobile strategy for their organization.

Date:

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Time:

3:30 pm – Registration
4:00 pm – Overview of mobile payments landscape and findings from KPMG International’s Mobile Payments study, presented by Yvon Audette and Ian Shelley
4:30 – 6:00 pm – Panel Discussion
6:00 – 7:00 pm – Reception

Location:

The Carlu
Concert Hall
444 Yonge Street, 7th Floor
Toronto, ON
M5B 1L2

RSVP:

Click here to register
Space is limited

Guest Speakers

Grant Munro,
Head of Mobile,
Social and Digital strategy,
LoyaltyOne

Patricia Meredith,
Chair of Mobile Payments Task Force

Gary Schwartz,
CEO of Impact Mobile

David Robinson,
VP Emerging Business, Rogers Communications Inc.

Yvon Audette, Partner,
Advisory Services,
KPMG

Ian Shelley,
Senior Manager,
Advisory Services,
KPMG

If you have any questions, please contact Donna Trifunovic at
(416) 228-7142 or dtrifunovic@kpmg.ca.

 
Join MEIC on a trade mission
Brazil   --   September 2011

The Mobile Experience Innovation Centre (MEIC) is participating with DFAIT (the Department of Foreign Affairs & International Trade), MEDT (the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade) and GTMA (the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance) on a trade mission to Brazil, the 5th largest mobile market in the world.

The mission coincides with the Futurecom 2011 Congress and Business Trade Show, September 12-14. Futurecom offers the perfect setting for Canadian wireless and mobile companies to assess the opportunities not only with carriers but also with other players such as internet portals, social networks, producers and content developers, app stores, news aggregators, IT/Telecom integrators, etc.

With funding from DFAIT, MEIC is delighted to announce that we can offer financial support to a maximum of eight mobile application developers who are interested in joining this trade mission to explore the market opportunites that Brazil has to offer.

Please join MEIC, DFAIT, MEDT and GTMA for an
Information Session

August 9th from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Location (Toronto):
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
151 Yonge Street, 4th floor
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2W7

Location (Ottawa):
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2
 

SPEAKERS & AGENDA:

Planning for success at Futurecom
Maureen Angus - Area Director, South America
Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade

Opportunities in the Brazilian Marketplace
Avedis Menechian, ICT Global Practice Lead
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada

Brazil 2011 - Digital Media, ICT & Clean Tech
Gerry Pisarzowski, Vice President, Business Development
Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance

Financial Support for Companies
Kathleen Webb, Director
MEIC

**Space is limited so please register with hilary@meic.ca

This year, developers of BlackBerry® smartphone and BlackBerry PlayBook™ tablet applications can enter their applications in a series of competitions to win US$3 million in prizes.  Winners will be selected on a regional basis across four global regions - North America, Latin America, Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia Pacific.

RIM University Relations is particularly excited about the challenge’s new regional Recognition Awards. Included is a new academic category for the most compelling application created by student or faculty.

Recognition Award recipients will receive:

-- Two (2) conference passes to a Local DevCon -- the showcase for the latest innovations and breakthroughs with the BlackBerry Development Platform. Thousands of BlackBerry enthusiasts come together for sessions, demonstrations, hands-on labs and keynotes — all focused on creating mobile applications for the powerful BlackBerry platform.

-- One (1) Media press package – the winning application will included in media promotions associated with the local DevCon and the Challenge.

-- One (1) App World carousel placement for a duration of 1 week – providing high profile at the official store for BlackBerry apps.

-- One (1) BlackBerry PlayBook

-- One (1) BlackBerry Smartphone

 
Approximate retail value of each Competition Recognition Award Prize Package is $7,997 and provides winning faculty and students an excellent opportunity to promote their application to a significant audience. To learn more about the Challenge, visit http://www.blackberrypartnersfund.com/challenge.
 

The Muther! of All Hackathons + DevCon
Friday, June 24 to Saturday, June 25, 2011
Computer History Museum
Mountain View, CA

The Muther! of all Hackathon + DevCon is coming and YOU don’t want to miss it! This will be a real mashup where Hackathon meets DevCon in a fun, informative format!  The real world doesn’t focus on a single technology, phone or solution, so neither will the Muther!  

Join hundreds of New developers, Experienced developers, Tool companies and Carriers, Investors and other mobile fanatics for a two day adventure of Master Classes, UnPanels, Coding, New APIs, Prizes, a BBQ and more.  Innovation trumps sleep. Always.

More information and to sign up: http://wipconnector.com/wipjam/entry/the_muther_of_all_hackathons

The National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) is organizing a workshop on Angel investment in cultural industries (film, tv, interactive digital media, music, magazine and book publishing).  This workshop is intended to contribute to the development of a cultural industries investor community by:

• Exposing interested investors to current investment opportunities in cultural industries,
• Providing the opportunity for investors to share cultural investment expertise,
• Providing accredited investors in attendance with the opportunity to participate in the formation of a cultural industry Angel investment network,
• Discussing ways to increase the quantity, quality, and success of investments in cultural industries.

The National Angel Capital organization is accepting applications through this website: http://angelsoft.net/angel-group/national-angel-organization---ontario.  Content producers can submit an application by registering at this site and filling out their investment proposal information.

TORONTO – April 7, 2011 – Guardly, a new mobile personal safety application and service, isnow available for download from the App Store for iPhone and iPod Touch users in the United States and Canada.Guardly enables smartphone users in distress to alert, connect, and collaborate with their personal safety network and authorities with only a single tap on their device.

Recognizing that proactive actions taken during the first moments of an emergency can often help reduce potentially negative outcomesto an incident, OCAD University has partnered with Guardly to provide local response by campus security for OCAD U students using the Guardly service to broadcast emergencies arising on campus. “Our partnership with Guardly enables the University to extend the reach of its emergency phones on campus by putting a virtual emergency phone onto smartphones carried by students,” said Vicki Brown, Director, Campus Services & Security at OCAD University. “It also enables us to track changes to the location of an emergency in real-time and communicate with the victim and his/her responding safety network throughout the incident until resolved.”

Guardly was created to dramatically decrease the amount of time it takes for help to arrive at an emergency. The app, which was announced and previewed at the DEMO conference in February, is a prime example of how technology can be used to help save lives.

Guardly differs from other personal safety apps on the market in that it enablesa user’s personal safety network to collaborate with them and amongst each other through mobile web and web incident pages, SMS and voice conferencing for the duration of the emergency event. “Not every incident or situation requires 9-1-1 escalation and sometimes friends, family members or neighbours who are nearby can respond to a call for assistance even faster,” said Josh Sookman, Guardly Founder and CEO. “We’ve created a mobile app that provides a simple way to bring your personal safety network together instantly, and escalate an emergency to 9-1-1 at any point during an incident.”

Guardly is ideal for students, young professionals, travelers, sports enthusiasts, or anyone who frequently walks alone at night, is concerned about dating safety, is responsible for children, may find themselves in abusive relationships or is faced with medical conditions. Guardly is also ideal for families and friends who agree to look out for one another in the event of disasters such as earthquakes, fires and floods.

Guardly Premium and Guardly Alerts

Guardly Premium (priced at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year) is a subscription service that includes the following key features and services:

• One-tap activation:Guardly alerts two safety networks simultaneously: (1) a user’s personal safety network by voice, SMS and email, and (2) 9-1-1 or any other emergency phone number;
• Contact collaboration:Users can collaborate with emergency contacts in real-time by conference call, instant messaging and map-view showing nearby locations of responders;
• LocationAssure™:Guardly uses GPS, cell-tower triangulation and WiFi hotspots to find a user’s real-time location for the entire duration of an emergency incident, even if the user is on the phone with 9-1-1. By combining this data with places frequented by a user, Guardly helps ensure a user is easy to find by responders in case of emergency;
• NetworkAssure™:Built-in intelligence to detect network failures and wait until a signal is present to transmit data and make calls to 9-1-1 to ensure users are connected to their safety network;
• Auto-dial emergency services including 9-1-1:It takes at least 8 taps to dial 9-1-1 on an iPhone (Home, Swipe, Phone, Keypad, 9, 1, 1, Send). It only takes 3 taps to launch Guardly (Home, Swipe, Guardly);
• Photo sharing:Users can share photos with their personal safety network instantly and securely.

Guardly Alerts is a free service that includes the following features:

• Emergency alerts:Send location-based emergency alerts via voice call, SMS and email to pre-configured safety groups;
• Contact groups:Add up to 15 contacts per emergency group (unlimited groups).

Users can also run emergency simulations of Guardly Premium to learn the benefits of upgrading to the premium version.

Seed Funding

In conjunction with the launch announcement, Guardly has also closed a seed round of financing that includes investments from Extreme Venture Partners, Bryker Capital and several angel investors. The company will be using the funding to add to its technology development and business development teams to build out its partner ecosystem.

Availability on other Smartphone Platforms

Guardly’s mobile application for iPhone is available immediately from the Apple App Store at http://itunes.com/apps/guardly. BlackBerry and Android versions are in development and will be announced shortly.

About Guardly

Guardly is a platform for emergency communication that changes the way mobile personal safety is delivered. Smartphone users that find themselves in an emergency situation can alert, connect and collaborate with local authorities as well as their own personal safety networks in a single tap. Guardly is committed to dramatically decreasing the amount of time it takes responders to arrive at an emergency. The company is a member of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and is based in Toronto, Canada. For more information visit: http://guardly.com.

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Media Contact:

Jodi Echakowitz

Echo Communications
jodi@echo-communications.com
905-709-9600