Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Swedish Beers celebrates 11 years of parties for mobilists!

11-today-mobile-badge-large textureI know, I can’t believe it either. Eleven years ago in October 2001, Swedish Beers started to bring together people who had an interest in mobile technology in an informal, friendly way. Well, we must be doing something right as we’re still here and plan to celebrate our birthday in style with a little help from our friends.

The party is AKA The 'I'm not at Dublin Web Summit' Edition or the 'I'm not in SF for TwilioCon' or even 'The 11th Birthday Bash' Edition as October is a busy month when it comes to mobile events.The nights are drawing in, there's a chill in the air and the leaves are falling from the trees. But fear not, Swedish Beers is 11 years young and celebrating its birthday in the usual format in London - no presentations, no formalities, no sales pitches, no ties - just friendly people chatting about mobile over a beer or three. Doors will be open from 6.30pm onwards at our regular haunt, The Nordic Bar.

logo_large millennialOur lead sponsor once again is Millennial Media. And if you haven't met them already, they're specialists in premium mobile advertising and have a mobile advertising and data platform. They’ve recently been doing some very successful work in rich media advertising too so can tell you what works and what doesn’t in this burgeoning area of mobile advertising. They're a super-friendly bunch and are very knowledgeable too. And as lead sponsor (again! We’re very grateful), they'll have the most beer tokens ;) Look out for Gavin, Stephen and the rest of the team. http://millennialmedia.com/

They'll be ably supported by...

LoopMe_site_logo_150x100LoopMe was founded to solve the problem of making advertising less intrusive, more enjoyable, valuable and relevant for mobile consumers. At the right time and place, great advertising and offers can be great content. LoopMe puts consumers first, allowing them to be in control of their own advertising preferences and experiences. Rather than giving the game away here about how it actually works, I’ll leave mobile advertising veteran, Stephen Upstone and his LoopMe partners in crime to give you the low-down whether you’re an advertiser, publisher or developer. I’ve seen the app in action and it definitely has legs and is one of the few innovations I’ve seen in mobile advertising in some time. http://loopmemedia.com

inspiring interns logo[3]Inspiring Interns - they're a recruitment company specialising in helping companies recruit interns and helping set-up and manage intern programmes. They also have years of experience in the world of mobile and are possibly the loveliest recruitment people out there. Yes, I'm biased, their founder, Ben, is a close friend of the Swedish Beers family. But they really do know their onions. Look out for Ben, Benedict, Sam, Charlie and Andrew for beer tokens. http://inspiringinterns.com/

Yuilop – their mission is simple: to make communication free, easy and for everybody – to – everybody – to any phone, anywhere in the world. Yuilop offers a free-to-all social communication app for all major mobile platforms integrating free calls (yuilip-to-yuilop) and free unlimited SMS text messaging with Facebook-Messenger. This is ad-supported without interfering with your outgoing messages. A free download on iOS and Android, reach any phone via voice, SMS or rich media in 110 countries and counting. Phil Gontier will be on hand to explain the ad-funded bit to you if you’re interested in understanding that better. Or he’ll be there just to chew the mobile fat with you and share the beer token love. http://yuilop.com

If you’re interested in joining these lovely companies as a fellow sponsor, please get in touch with Helen by email.

So to recap:

What - Swedish Beers Mobile Networking
When – Wednesday 17 October 2012 from 6.30pm
Where - Nordic Bar, Newman Street, London. Nearest tubes are Tottenham Court Road or Goodge Street.

RSVP - (optional but you might want to connect with people you know) over at Facebook and please bring a business card with you to get your first beer token. Sponsors will have the rest of the tokens so you’ll need to get chatting with them to get your hands on more. There are *plenty* to go around!

So spread the word, and come on down for a fun evening with friends old and new. You don’t have to be a mobile expert to join us. All welcome with a passing interest in mobile technology.

Skål
Helen, Jenny and the Swedish Beers crew

**********Keep in touch***********

Email: Just add your email address to the Feedblitz box at the top left and you’ll get our blog posts (and therefore event notices) to your inbox.

Twitter: Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/swedishbeers

Facebook: Like us http://www.facebook.com/SwedishBeers or join the Swedish Beers FB group

Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Meffys Update: New Entry Deadline and New Category

Good news! The entry deadline for this year's Meffys has been extended by 10 days to Thursday 19 July so you have an additional 10 days to get your entry in. Now there's no excuse to say you don't have the time to complete your entry before the deadline. And don't forget there are four categories with reduced price entry fees for start-ups.

Not only that, but there is a special category, the Meffys Outstanding Contribution Award, and nominations are now open for it. This honours mobile pioneers and visionaries and celebrates a mobile hero whose seminal work has been fundamental to the growth of the mobile industry. You can nominate online now (it's a simple form to complete).

Best of luck.

Monday, July 02, 2012

Meffys 2012–Global Awards Open for Entries NOW–deadline 9 July 2012

Meffys_600x300_v1

Just a week to go to your entry in for the 9th Annual Meffys. The organisation behind them is MEF, the global community for mobile content and commerce. MEF has been going for more than 10 years now as a trade association and has witnessed the worlds of mobile content and commerce grow and flourish in that time and these awards reflect that dynamic environment.

Judged by an independent and uniquely international panel of journalists, academics, analysts and VCs (and that includes our organiser Helen Keegan and friend of the family David Murphy amongst others), the Meffys are the global benchmark for measuring success and rewarding innovation in mobile content and commerce. Last year, more than 350 industry leaders from over 30 countries gathered in London to attend the Meffys, reflecting their stature as the premier global awards for the mobile content and commerce industry (aka, they’re awards worth entering).
So the nitty gritty -
Key dates:
From 29th May, companies are invited to submit entries in 13 categories until the deadline of July 9th (that’s next Monday people). The 2012 winners will be announced at a gala dinner on 12th September 2012 at the prestigious Park Lane Hotel in Mayfair. You can start the entry process here.

How much does it cost?

These awards are not free to enter but don’t let that put you off. The price per submission for non-members is £350 and for MEF members is £150. And start-ups, sit up and take notice of this one, for you, there’s a special price of just £75 to enter the four innovation awards categories if you’re a start-up*.

*A start-up is a company that is less than two years old and has received less than £1.5m in funding.

It doesn’t matter where your start-up is based. These are global awards after all. So get your thinking caps on and get those entries in sharpish for a chance to be a nominee and pitch to a group of influential CEOs and a chance to win one of the awards. More details here.

What are the categories?

The 2012 Meffys categories in full:
  1. Social & Entertainment App - NEW
  2. Life tools App - NEW
  3. Brand on Mobile
  4. Publisher on Mobile - NEW
  5. Content Service
  6. m-Commerce Service
  7. Consumer Trust - NEW
  8. Discovery & Engagement - NEW
  9. Social Responsibility & Development - NEW

Innovation Categories

  1. Innovation Award for Apps
  2. Innovation Award for Technology
  3. Innovation Award for Growth Markets
  4. Innovation Award for Monetization
All nominees in each of the four innovation categories will be given the opportunity to pitch to the C-level executives at the MEF CEO Summit to be held at City Hall, on the evening preceding the Meffys. The CEOs will then vote to determine the most innovative mobile product or service and the winner of this “CEO Summit Award for Innovation” will be honoured at the Meffys Gala Awards Dinner. And if you get a chance to attend the dinner, you should! It’s great fun and great networking. Ruby Wax was also totally brilliant last year as the host.


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Swedish Beers–The Jubilee Edition, London

4860763915_84e93a2cf1_oFollowing a successful event in San Francisco, we're ready to hit London Town again and with it being a time of celebration what with the Jubilee and the Olympics ‘n all, we thought it was about time we had another shindig.

It's the usual format - no presentations, no formalities, no sales pitches, no ties - just friendly people chatting about mobile over a beer or three. We're at our usual haunt of the Nordic Bar on Newman Street in London and the doors will be open from 6.30pm onwards.

Of course, we couldn’t run the party without a little help from our friends…

logo_large millennialOur lead sponsor this time around is Millennial Media. And if you haven't met them already, they're specialists in premium mobile advertising and have a mobile advertising and data platform. They're a super-friendly bunch and are very knowledgeable too. And as lead sponsor (again! We’re very grateful), they'll have the most beer tokens ;) Look out for Gavin, Stephen and the rest of the team. http://millennialmedia.com/

hi_res_tvguide_logo_CMYK[1]They'll be ably supported by...

TVGuide.co.uk - they do what it says on the tin and offer a UK TV guide on your computer or mobile device. And it’s the one I use most of all as it’s user-friendly and comprehensive. Lila, Mo and the team will be on hand to tell you more about what's new with them and to talk TV apps with you. http://tvguide.co.uk/

inspiring interns logo[3]Inspiring Interns - they're a recruitment company specialising in helping companies recruit interns and helping set-up and manage intern programmes. They also have years of experience in the world of mobile and are possibly the loveliest recruitment people out there. Yes, I'm biased, their founder, Ben, is a close friend of mine! Look out for Ben, Benedict, Sam, Charlie for beer tokens. http://inspiringinterns.com/

SwiftKey-bowSwiftkey - Want to type faster on your Android device? Swiftkey is the answer. They won a GSMA award in February and a Webby Award this week so they must be on to something. Joe, Rhod and the team will be on hand to show you how it all works and how many keystrokes you can save yourself. http://swiftkey.net/

If you’re interested in joining these lovely companies as a fellow sponsor, please get in touch with Helen by email.

So to recap:

What - Swedish Beers Mobile Networking
When - 30 May 2012 from 6.30pm
Where - Nordic Bar, Newman Street, London. Nearest tubes are Tottenham Court Road or Goodge Street.

RSVP - (optional) over at Facebook and please bring a business card with you to get your first beer token.

So spread the word, pray for a dry evening so we can use the outside area and come on down for a fun evening with friends old and new. You don’t have to be a mobile expert to join us. All welcome with a passing interest in mobile technology.

Skål
Helen, Jenny and the Swedish Beers crew

**********Keep in touch***********

Email: Just add your email address to the Feedblitz box at the top left and you’ll get our blog posts (and therefore event notices) to your inbox.

Twitter: Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/swedishbeers

Facebook: Like us http://www.facebook.com/SwedishBeers or join the Swedish Beers FB group

Swedish Beers San Francisco–the photos

It was just last week that we had our first Swedish Beers party in San Francisco and I was so busy chatting to everyone that I didn’t get around to taking many photos. In fact, there are just nine to be exact. If any of you who went have photos to share, please send me a copy or a link to your pictures by email.
Thank you to everyone who came to make the first event such a success. Lots of lovely people there – friends old and new – and you all helped create the Swedish Beers vibe once again. A BIG thank you to our sponsors – StrikeAd, Mojiva, Swiftkey and Somo. Their generosity and moral support really made it all a lot easier for me and hopefully made it much more fun to you due to the free flowing beer and wine. Thank you to Mario for connecting me with the venue, Jones and their team, who were wonderful.
All in all, a great night. And with a bit of luck we’ll be back in a few months time – time and sponsorship permitting.


Created with flickr slideshow.

Until the next time.
Skål
Helen and the Swedish Beers crew.
PS. If you're in London on 30 May 2012, please join us there. Details here.

**********Keep in touch***********
Email: Just add your email address to the Feedblitz box at the top left and you’ll get our blog posts (and therefore event notices) to your inbox.
Twitter: Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/swedishbeers
Facebook: Like us http://www.facebook.com/SwedishBeers or join the group

Friday, May 11, 2012

Swedish Beers On Tour in San Francisco, 16 May 2012


sfo viewNot content with holding parties in London and Barcelona for just shy of 11 years, we thought we'd give the West Coast a shot of our Swedish Beers cheer since a few of the gang are in town, including me, Helen Keegan - aka technokitten and chief organiser of Swedish Beers. We’re very excited to hold our inaugural event in such a beautiful city and one where the mobile scene is so active and fast-moving. The mixer will be our usual style - no PowerPoint, no speeches, no formalities, just good people, good chat and good drinks courtesy of our sponsors. And if you’re wondering what the photo is, it’s of the view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the living room of the apartment where I’m staying on this trip!
What: Swedish Beers Mobile Networking
When: Wednesday 16th May 2012 – 6.00pm until we run out of steam
Where: 620 Jones: Jones adjoins one of San Francisco’s stunning historic landmark buildings, built in 1929, just three blocks west of Union Square. Look for the towering blue-steel gates just to the right of the Gaylord Suites at 620 Jones. You can’t miss ‘em. 620 Jones Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. There’s a link to the Google map here.
RSVP: You will be asked for your business card on arrival in exchange for a beer token and then you need to find and chat to the sponsors and their friends to get more free beer tokens - don't be shy! And it would help us if you wouldn’t mind RSVP’ing on Facebook please so we can get a handle on numbers as it’s our first time here. All welcome. No charge for entry.
About our lovely sponsors:
Somo_logo_15mm_Blue_RGBOur first sponsor are Swedish Beers regulars, the lovely team from Somo. With offices in London, New York, Singapore, LA and San Francisco, Somo is really going places. Expert in all aspects of mobile marketing - be that engagement campaigns, branded apps, creation and management of mobile services, mobile advertising or performance marketing - they can handle it. The founder, Carl Uminski, is in San Francisco at the moment with some of his team so they'll be on hand to share the Swedish Beers vibe with you and will have a few free beer tokens to hand out. http://somoglobal.com/ @somoglobal
strikead logoNext up is StrikeAd - the world's first demand side platform for mobile advertising. Their West Coast team will be on hand to chew the fat about mobile advertising and how using StrikeAd Fusion makes your life that bit easier when it comes to planning and buying mobile media. Garrett and his colleagues will be on hand to explain all and to hand out beer tokens. http://strikead.com/ @strikead
PrintMojiva is also joining our merry throng this time around. Mojiva makes your job easier by developing unique, cutting-edge mobile advertising campaigns and monetization strategies for agencies, brand advertisers and publishers around the world and provides a monthly reach of over 1 billion unique devices worldwide, with 270 million of those devices coming from the US. Not bad going, I'd say. Join Brian and his colleagues to find out more. http://mojiva.com @mojiva

*Breaking* Swiftkey is joining as a sponsor for our event. Their award-winning technology makes typing much easier on touchscreens by intelligently understanding how words work together and learning a user's contextual writing style. Its Android keyboard has already saved people over 50 billion keystrokes and is consistently one of the best-selling apps on the platform and supports over 40 languages. Joe, who heads up their marketing, will be on hand to reveal all. http://www.swiftkey.net


If you'd like to join these sponsors and be part of our inaugural event in San Francisco, please get in touch with Helen - swedishbeers@gmail.com
Thank you also to Mario Tapia from GetJar and Mobile Monday Silicon Valley for supporting the event.
See you on 16 May in San Francisco and 30 May in London.
Skål
Helen and the Swedish Beers Crew
**********Keep in touch***********
Email: Just add your email address to the Feedblitz box at the top left and you’ll get our blog posts (and therefore event notices) to your inbox.
Twitter: Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/swedishbeers
Facebook: Like us http://www.facebook.com/SwedishBeers or join the group

Swedish Beers: Barcelona 2012–The Photos!

Yes, I know it has been a while since our little party for 1000 or so of you happened in Barcelona, but what with travelling and work and life getting in the way, I haven’t had time to update things much round these parts. But better late than never, I say.

Anyway, if you haven’t seen the photos already on Facebook, they’re now on flickr and in a handy slideshow format for you below.

But before you look at those, I want to thank all the sponsors for the event – Millennial Media, Apadmi, AQL, Boost / MadMaker and Pearson. We could not have run the party without their financial and moral support. A big thank you also to the worthy crew of volunteers who helped man the door as we were fantastically busy for the whole night. Apologies to those who weren’t able to get in this time. We didn’t think we’d be as busy as we were. And yes, I’m looking for a bigger venue for next time around in Barcelona. And finally, a big thank you to the team at Dostrece – Gabriel, Abraham, Suji and the rest of the staff. Always so friendly and fun, even on a busy night like Swedish Beers.

Our next parties are scheduled for 16 May in San Francisco and on 30 May in London. See you there!

Skål
Helen, Jenny, Gabriel, James and Catherine

 


Created with flickr slideshow.

**********Keep in touch***********
Email: Just add your email address to the Feedblitz box at the top left and you’ll get our blog posts (and therefore event notices) to your inbox.
Twitter: Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/swedishbeers
Facebook: Like us http://www.facebook.com/SwedishBeers or join the group

**********About our Sponsors***********


Millennial Media logoOur lead sponsor this time around was Millennial Media. They're big fans of Swedish Beers and sponsored our London come back party in the summer. And in return, we’re big fans of theirs too. You couldn't be in better hands with Gavin, Stephen, Mack and the crew. They definitely know how to have a good time. http://millennialmedia.com/


AQL logoNext up is AQL. So good they had to sponsor us twice. And we're very glad they did. Adam Beaumont and his fine team will be there to talk all things mobile messaging and voice communications with you . There's not much he doesn't know or can't do with mobile messaging. http://aql.com/


Pearson logoNewcomers to Swedish Beers are Pearson. Yes, that's right, the parent company of FT.com, Penguin books and much more besides. They're exhibiting this year at Congress and are particularly interested to talk about mobile technology in emerging markets as well as innovations in eBooks and the like. The FT.com team will also be on hand to tell you about their adventures in HTML5 and their dealings with the behemoth that is Apple. http://pearson.com/. We're also very pleased that they're sponsoring the overall Heroes of the Mobile Fringe 2012 festival too.

Up next is Apadmi. Fans of Swedish Beers for many years and now it's their turn to join the party as a sponsor. Garry and the team build mobile apps and solutions and very experienced at it they are too. They're also great fun and have kick-started the mobile networking scene in Manchester by taking the lead in setting up Mobile Monday Manchester. http://apadmi.com/

 

Madmaker is launching very soon and is a do-it-yourself mobile ad maker - you see what they did there with the name? I've seen the system in action and it's really very neat. Oystein, Andy and the team from Boost are behind this new product and will be at Swedish Beers to give it a proper Nordic vibe as they hail from Norway. Oh, and they know a thing or two about mobile marketing as well so will be happy to chat away about that with you until the wee hours about what's hot and what's not in the sector. You'll also find them at 2F33 in the MWC exhibition too. http://madmaker.com

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

New Media Age Award Nomination

I’m absolutely thrilled to bits to be nominated for a New Media Age Award for The Greatest Contribution to New Media by an individual. Swedish Beers and the Heroes of the Mobile Fringe Festival gets a mention in the write-up. I'm in such good company too, I'm not sure how I managed to sneak my way on to the list, but I’m very pleased I did.

Anyway, if you feel so inclined, and you have a UK mobile, you can vote for me by SMS until 27 April 2012. Text NMA3 to 82100 if you'd like to vote for me and it's a standard rate text. The text service is provided by Sponge so you know you’ll be in good hands. More details about the awards, the other nominees and how to vote for them here http://www.nmaawards.co.uk/GIC2012.aspx. The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on 28 June 2012.

Thank you to the NMA editorial team for including me in this year’s nominations and thanks to everyone voting for me. You’ve made this technokitten very happy.

Friday, February 03, 2012

Swedish Beers–the Heroes of the Mobile Fringe Festival edition


I can hardly believe it. It’s that time of year again and it’s all systems go for Mobile World Congress and the Heroes of the Mobile Fringe Festival. Thank goodness we have an extra couple of weeks before it all kicks off. anyway, as part of the annual road trip, your favourite networking party of the week is back to bring you more beer, more cheer and more chat. We’re in danger of this year being better than ever thanks to our very generous sponsors. I know for a fact there’ll be even more beer for starters. So let me introduce them to you…

Millennial Media logoOur lead sponsor this time around is Millennial Media. They're big fans of Swedish Beers and sponsored our London come back party in the summer. And in return, we’re big fans of theirs too. The company is really going places and the team will be on hand to chew the fat about mobile advertising and will have a bountiful supply of free beer tokens. As lead sponsors, it really will be a bountiful supply! You couldn't be in better hands with Gavin, Stephen, Mack and the crew. They definitely know how to have a good time. http://millennialmedia.com/

AQL logoNext up is AQL. So good they had to sponsor us twice. And we're very glad they did. Adam Beaumont and his fine team will be there to talk all things mobile messaging and voice communications with you . There's not much he doesn't know or can't do with mobile messaging. Oh, and yeah, he'll have one or two beer tokens in hand too. http://aql.com/

Pearson logoNewcomers to Swedish Beers are Pearson. Yes, that's right, the parent company of FT.com, Penguin books and much more besides. They're exhibiting this year at Congress and are particularly interested to talk about mobile technology in emerging markets as well as innovations in ebooks and the like. The FT.com team will also be on hand to tell you about their adventures in HTML5 and their dealings with the behemoth that is Apple. http://pearson.com/. We're also very pleased that they're sponsoring the overall festival too.

Up next is Apadmi. Fans of Swedish Beers for many years and now it's their turn to join the party as a sponsor. Garry and the team build mobile apps and solutions and very experienced at it they are too. They're also great fun and have kick-started the mobile networking scene in Manchester by taking the lead in setting up Mobile Monday Manchester. http://apadmi.com/

Madmaker is launching very soon and is a do-it-yourself mobile ad maker - you see what they did there with the name? I've seen the system in action and it's really very neat. Oystein, Andy and the team from Boost are behind this new product and will be at Swedish Beers to give it a proper Nordic vibe as they hail from Norway. Oh, and they know a thing or two about mobile marketing as well so will be happy to chat away about that with you until the wee hours about what's hot and what's not in the sector. You'll also find them at 2F33 in the MWC exhibition too.

Like our previous events, this is a relaxed evening, no formalities, no presentations, no business cards thrust in your face as soon as you arrive. Just come with an open mind, be prepared to see friends old and new, talk nonsense, enjoy a drink or five and have yourself a good time. Oh, and leave the ties, the corporate personas and the sales spiel at the door please.

The Swedish Beers crew will be on hand – Helen, Jenny, Gabriel, Shafiq, Cat, Sarah, Russell - and the friendliest bar staff in town at our regular haunt, Dos Trece, are all waiting to welcome you. The venue holds about 300 or so folks at any one time so there’s plenty space for everyone. There will be bars upstairs and downstairs so please make full use of both floors so that more people can enjoy the fun.

No need to RSVP unless you want to. There's no guest list, no tickets and there's no guaranteed entry. Just come and go as you please. But if you would like to RSVP, you can over here on Facebook. You'll see some familiar faces there I'm sure.

It is likely to get a bit busy at times. But don't worry, people will be coming in and out all evening. That’s kind of the point as we know there’s always a lot going on and you might want to check out more than one party. If it's very busy, there's no need to queue to get in. Just check out one of the other bars nearby and come back a little later when it's a bit less frantic. Dos Trece is where the action will be. We'll be open from 7pm until the wee hours so there'll be plenty time for you to drop in and say skål.

We don't have a cloakroom so we don't recommend you bring your laptops or briefcases with you - it's a liability in Barcelona I'm afraid – especially at this time of year and they’ll just get in the way of your enjoyment of the evening. Drop them at your hotel or apartment first. You won't need them anyway what with this new fangled thing called the mobile phone ;)

So just to recap:

What: Swedish Beers Mobile Networking
When: Wednesday 29th February 2012 - 7pm until we run out of steam
Where: DosTrece, Calle Carme 40, 08001 Barcelona
DosTrece is behind La Boqueria market and the nearest metro station is Liceu. Just walk up La Rambla, walk past La Boqueria and Teatro Grec, then take a left at Calle Carme (or Carrer del Carme) and DosTrece is at number 40 (Google map here). (They also have free Wi-Fi if you want to demo your latest phone app.)

**********Keep in touch***********
Email: Just add your email address to the Feedblitz box at the top left and you’ll get our blog posts (and therefore event notices) to your inbox.
Twitter: Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/swedishbeers
Facebook: Like us http://www.facebook.com/SwedishBeers or join the group
mstr_twitter_stampSwedish Beers is a Heroes of the Mobile Fringe Festival event.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Heroes of the Mobile Fringe–will you be there?

Sign up now to find out about the first unofficial fringe festival being held in Barcelona the same week as Mobile World Congress in February 2012!

logo temporary for ppt

Some of you will already know that Helen Keegan, the brains behind Swedish Beers, has also been working on the Heroes of the Mobile Fringe Festival. The plan is to let visitors know about the interesting side events that are on during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona - both on and off site: to help you find the stuff that's relevant to you; to help you make the most of your visit; to help more people get their events, happenings and initiatives seen and talked about during one of the most hectic weeks in the mobile industry calendar.

The festival will start on Sunday 26 February and finish on Friday 2 March 2012. It will include a variety of events, large and small - meet-ups, discussion panels, barcamp, demos, investor & start-up lunch, half-day conference and more, including a bunch of great parties for you to mingle with mobilists from far and wide. Most events are free to attend thanks to generous sponsors, for some there will be a charge payable to the event organiser direct to cover costs.

GET INVOLVED - Add your event

Our website is nearly ready to launch. If you're running an event in Barcelona and would like to include it in the festival, please add your details here. There is no charge to add your event, all we ask is that you link back to us and tell people that your event is part of the festival. We'll give you a logo and a URL to do that. It doesn’t matter what type of event it is or how large or small it is. All welcome. Whether it’s a geek meet-up for 10 people, a big party, a panel session, a round-table discussion, a half-day conference, a barcamp, a developer jam session or something else, we don’t mind. We just want to include the most interesting and relevant events that add to the festival vibe – and not just the parties (although they’re very important too, as Swedish Beers fans will no doubt tell you and which is why it is forming a key part of the festival – announcement coming soon about our party in Barcelona this year).

GET INVOLVED - As a helper

There are other ways to get involved too. We need more venues to run events (this could be part of your MWC stand for example), we also need helpers at each event for things like manning the registration desk or handing out badges, or looking after special guests. And any help with marketing is also much appreciated. No offer of help is too small! If that sounds like you, please tell us here. Also, if we’ve already talked about you getting involved as a helper, I may have forgotten. It’s useful for me to see who’s on board to have all the names and contact details in one place.

GET INVOLVED - Sponsor us

There is still time to join the festival as a sponsor. And as part of that, we can help with organising your event. Why not join confirmed sponsors, Pearson, Oracle and others? Get yourself more coverage at Congress and be part of this innovative festival. Please get in touch with Helen Keegan to discuss. Options available for all budgets.

GET INVOLVED - Be a media or community partner

We are also putting together our media and community partnerships right now. Perhaps you'd like to be a media partner alongside GoMoNews, Mobile Groove, GrowVC, MEF, Mobile Monday Global, TheFonecast.com, Mobile Marketing Magazine and many more. That way we can help each other engage with the mobile community and help them get even more out of being in Barcelona at this very busy time. Please get in touch with Helen Keegan to discuss.

Keep in touch

Follow the festival action on twitter. We have a Facebook page too (all 'likes' are much appreciated and it means we show up in your feed) and you can RSVP for the festival here (which means we can alert you as new events get announced). And our newsletter based on the email addresses we're collecting here will be out soon and will include details of events, sponsors and partners.

Thank you for your support so far. It hasn't gone unnoticed. We're very excited about the festival and hope you are too and will join in the fun next month.

p.s. Still after a free pass for Mobile World Congress, then have a read of this with links to apply for one.

Disclaimer: This initiative is not officially sponsored by, supported by or associated with GSMA Ltd or with Mobile World Congress.