Village Gamer

“Canada needs to act swiftly to ensure we can participate and prosper in the future economy driven by innovation, becoming a ‘Launch Lab’ attracting investment and intellectual capital,” says Tony Chapman, Canadian media entrepreneur and a keynote speaker at the upcoming Canada 3.0 2010 digital media forum May 10-11 in Stratford.

“Technology is the primary enabler for capitalism to seek the Holy Grail of being faster, better and cheaper and it’s touching every aspect of society – from what we consume to what we experience. To participate in the new economy, Canada needs to carve out the means to compete, ideally lead and defend our position at all cost,” said Chapman, who is also known as a social catalyst and futurist.

“Canada in many ways is a microcosm for the world, and can therefore create the appropriate climate — a Launch Lab — for the world’s innovators to germinate, validate and commercialize their ideas and gain the increasingly important first-mover advantage,” said Chapman.

Chapman cautions, however, that this is not an easy feat, as other countries and multi-national companies have vast access to necessary talent and investment, often not encumbered by the same level of bureaucracy as a developed nation like Canada.

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“It will require our Private, Public and Educational sectors to act in unison, so that we can attract and develop the intellectual capital, technology and processes to lay claim to innovation leadership – and that’s why forums like Canada 3.0 2010 and its ‘Moon Shot’ goal for anyone in Canada to do anything on-line by 2017 is so crucial,” Chapman said.

One of the key elements of the Canada 3.0 2010 forum is to enable alignment so that attendees can act in unison to advance digital media, making it a unique event. The forum attracts people from all walks of life, from the general public and students, to business and industry leaders, to entrepreneurs, academics, government representatives and media.

To further engage Canadians in our digital media industry, residents of Stratford, London and Kitchener-Waterloo have been invited to register for the Canada 3.0 2010 forum May 10 and 11 free of charge, so that they too may participate in several of the key activities at the forum and influence the outcome. Attendees are invited to the main plenary session with Emcee Kevin Newman of Global News featuring keynote speakers Industry Minister Tony Clement and Canadian futurist and business leader Tony Chapman and other insightful speakers and panelists, as well as tour the Digital Media Showcase and interact with more than 50 companies showcasing the latest in digital media innovations.

A group of 80 people each day, on a first-come, first-served pre-registration basis, will also participate in the afternoon DigitalMediaCamps to experience new digital media software and, working with decision-makers, help shape the future of digital media in Canada.

“This is a unique opportunity for the general public to directly influence public policy and to experience first-hand, technology innovation in the digital media sector,” said Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson. “I would encourage anyone who can participate to do so.”

The Canada 3.0 2010 forum will be held at the Stratford Rotary Complex at 353 McCarthy Road in Stratford; participants should arrive no later than 7:45 a.m. to pick up passes. The main plenary each day runs from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., followed by the Digital Media Showcase display walkthroughs until noon. The general public attendees will have the opportunity to watch the Digital Media Face-off styled after CBC’s Dragon’s Den, where entrepreneurs will present their top three business challenges to a panel of experts. There will also be presentations at the Soap Box where companies can make short presentations to all who want to check out their innovative ‘pitches’.

The Canada 3.0 2010 forum slated for May 10-11 sets an ambitious target for Canada’s digital media industry – that of making it possible for “anyone to do anything on-line in Canada – by 2017”. The second annual forum will bring together the people who can make that happen from industry, government and academia for this two-day event intended to boost Canada’s ability to lead in the digital economy. For those participating in the DigitalMediaCamps, lunch will be followed by a full afternoon of interactive sessions until 4 p.m.

“We’re excited to be able to offer free admission to Canada 3.0 for interested members of the public from Stratford, London and Kitchener-Waterloo, because it’s the grassroots input that we receive that will be most representative of what Canadians aspire to in a changing world,” said Kevin Tuer, Managing Director of the Canadian Digital Media Network which is organizing the forum with the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus.