Village Gamer

There is so much going on across this vast country of ours – it’s becoming a massive challenge to keep up on the digital media events while I have one eye on the Olympics and two hands on the 360 controller. It may become necessary to hook up a second TV in the living room so that I can game while watching The Games. Regardless of the controversy, warm weather, glitches, whining, protests and other Olympic foibles, I am really proud to be a Canadian (not that I wasn’t before the Olympics) – the inspiration, heart and sacrifice of our Canadian Olympic athletes is nothing short of amazing.

Vancouver – Registration for Democamp Vancouver 10: Geo Edition is now open. Attend this event on March 4th and hear from Matt Galligan, cofounder of Boulder, CO-based SimpleGeo. Learn about SimpleGeo’s challenges to develop an infrastructure to power the geo layer of your app so you don’t have to build it all from scratch. This event is free to attend, but pre-registration is required.

Also coming up in Vancouver is CloudCamp, a free unconference taking place at Discovery Park on March 13th. With the rapid change occurring in the industry, we need a place where we can meet to share our experiences, challenges and solutions. At CloudCamp, you are encouraged to share your thoughts in several open discussions, as we strive for the advancement of Cloud Computing. End users, IT professionals and vendors are all encouraged to participate

Victoria – VIATeC invites you to join them on March 2 for an interactive seminar focused on your getting your business ready for the market. Featuring speaker Dave Thomas (Rocket Builders, Canadian Financing Forum), the seminar will cover many topics, such as marketing research, technology adoption models, “whole” solution offerings, product positioning, and pricing. Review what it means to be a technology entrepreneur and help you develop a business opportunity statement that can be used to take your idea or business to the next level. Tickets for this seminar, which is part of the New Ventures BC Seminar Series, are $10.00.

Turn your idea into a profitable company by entering the New Ventures BC competition (entry deadline: April 19 2010).

The competition will give you the opportunity to:

* Join in-depth seminars, and network with business, legal, government, and marketing professionals.
* Meet experts, mentors, and innovators who can help you take your idea from germination to fruition.
* Refine your idea for a technology product or service and develop a business plan to attract financing.
* Win the first place prize package worth $120,000

Banff – The Banff World Television Festival and nextMEDIA Banff are proud to announce Andrew Whitaker, EVP International, World Wrestling Entertainment as a headline speaker for 2010. World Wrestling Entertainment is an entertainment franchise that ranges from live events to video games, merchandising, websites, television shows, pay-per-view, print publications and more. It’s a living, breathing example of the potential of an entertainment brand that takes its content to multiple consumer touch points, maximizing entertainment and profits.

Whitaker’s keynote will recognize World Wrestling Entertainment’s global entertainment brand, succeeding in both the production and distribution of content that connects with consumers beyond the core wrestling audience. With more than 20 years experience shaping the brand, Whitaker will share the insights and lessons learned while determining strategic direction for WWE internationally.

Lethbridge – Digital Alberta is hosting a Mixer for the students of Lethbridge University on February 24 at Hedonic in Lethbridge. Anyone interested in learning about the Alberta Digital Media Ecosystem is invited to join them at this fun FREE networking event where President and CEO of XPAN Interactive, Ron Thiele, will take a look at the overall industry, sharing his perspective of the entire spectrum, from education to commercialization of Alberta-born IP. Find out what it takes to thrive in this exciting thriving global industry. He will touch on the web, 3D, mobile, elearning, video, gaming and social media. Find out how you can be a part of the Digital Media scene in Alberta.

And speaking of becoming a part of the digital media scene in Alberta, Digital Alberta will also be holding its Annual General Meeting in April 2010. If you are interested in getting involved and participating as either a Director or a Volunteer, please fill out their online form.  If you are full of energy and ideas, can contribute some time to the community, are interested in building your network in the areas of film, TV, gaming, music, mobile and more, you’re perfect for us!!! Areas of opportunities: marketing, sponsorship, events, funding, partnerships, finance. As a provincial association, we want a balanced board representing the industry from all over Alberta. Please contact Rene Smid, Executive Director, if you require any clarification or have questions regarding this opportunity!

Edmonton – Startup Edmonton will be hosting Launch Party Edmonton March 3, 2010 at the Matrix Hotel. Founded by local entrepreneurs, Launch Party Edmonton isn’t your typical networking or tech event. No formal presentations, no panels. It’s all about giving you the opportunity to meet the city’s brightest entrepreneurs and developers, demo their products, and celebrate everything that our startup community has to offer, in a way that’s creative and interesting. Enjoy drinks, demos, and DJs while meeting lots of interesting people. Find out more about the event and buy tickets online for only $10 at StartUp Edmonton.

Toronto – Interactive Ontario invites you to join them for lunch at the Gladstone Hotel on February 26th, where there will be discussions regarding Bootstrapping, Venture dollars, Tax credits and Public funding. Find out what are companies within the Interactive Digital Media sector are utilizing, and what is their approach to developing their companies and properties? iLunch 8.03 will get underway with registration at 11:30am and Networking at 2pm, with tickets priced at $40.00 for IO members or $60.00 for non-members.

Los Angeles – I feel it only appropriate that I include news from Women in Games International (WIGI), one of the first industry groups I became involved with way back in 2004. I was able to attend a WIGI event at the Microsoft Redmond campus, and it was this group who provided me with the courage to leave make the transition from writing for a towing industry magazine to writing about the games industry. I made many friends at that event, and still maintain those friendships to this day.

So it is with sincerity that I congratulate WIGI on their move forward with yesterday’s announcement of their “new status as an independent organization, incorporated under the laws of the state of California. WIGI, formerly part of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), has further announced the appointment of a new leadership team to guide the organization in implementing its fresh direction.”

Effective immediately, Belinda Van Sickle, former WIGI community event chair and a steering committee member since 2006, will become WIGI’s new president and CEO. Noelle Hunt-Bennett will act as secretary, while former chapter chairperson Krissie Franco will take over responsibilities as treasurer and CFO.

“We’re excited to be able to take on these new tasks,” said Van Sickle. “Our focus for 2010 is on rejuvenating the organization, offering immediate and tangible value to members seeking jobs, career development and networking opportunities. Our Los Angeles and San Francisco chapters have already lined up some wonderful partnerships to get WIGI off to a great start in 2010 and we hope that they will serve as models for other chapters in this pivotal year of our new mission.”

One of the premiere WIGI events for this year will be the Industry Mixer 2010, to be held on March 10 during the upcoming Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. This year’s GDC mixer will be an evening filled with fun, food, networking and game tournaments for everyone.