So without further ado, I’m pleased to tell you that the Global Messaging Awards are now open for entries until 31st May 2010.  If you enter before 28 April, it’s £95 to enter, between 29th April and 17th May, it’s £145 to enter and after that until the closing date, it’s £245. So get your skates on if you’d like to take advantage of the early bird entry fees.

With ten different categories of awards this year, anyone involved in the messaging community will find something that they can enter. To enter just visit the awards web site awards.160characters.org, choose the right category and complete the form. The 2010 categories are:

• Messaging Infrastructure or Platform
• Messaging Application or Service: Public Sector
• Messaging Application: Business
• Messaging Application: Consumer
• Innovation in Messaging
• Best new Marketing Campaign Using Messaging
• Mobile Financial Services Solution
• Messaging Application or Service: Social Use
• Effective Use of Mobile Ticketing
• Telematics/Telemetry/M2M Messaging

I’m particularly interested to see what the entries will look like for the ‘Best New Marketing Campaign using Messaging’ and the best Consumer Messaging Application.

SMS is still alive and kicking and is still on the increase. It seems that with each new mobile technology that’s adopted, the volume of messaging just increases. Which is fantastic news. It might not be the sexiest technology out there, but it’s very convenient and it works on every phone. I think there’s a lot of mileage yet in SMS based services and marketing. And no, I’m not talking about sending bulk SMS advertising – I’m talking intelligent use of SMS. Let’s see who enters!

Not every mobile user is able or wants to access an App Store and the savvy mobile companies realise that to reach out to the mass market text messaging is still the way to go. Whether it is to offer bank account updates; to pay for content; to allow machines to ‘talk’ to machines; or to deliver business messages to your team or customers - SMS is the method of choice. And that doesn’t include the messages sent to friends and family.

In fact, the Mobile Data Association recently reported that the UK sent an average of 11million messages every hour - an increase of 23% on 2008 and an increase of 70% in just two years.

This year’s awards are once again organised by 160 Characters and the awards ceremony will be held during Informa’s Global Messaging Congress, held at the Victoria Park Plaza Hotel in London.

The panel of judges will be headed up by Mike Grenville, CEO of 160 Characters and is made up of industry experts who all have experience of how to put SMS to best use.

The final closing date for entries is 31st May 2010.

More information on the awards can be found here - awards.160characters.org

This year, the UK part of ESNC runs from the 1st May to 31st July 2010, giving applicants the chance to gain opportunities, support, funding and aid to ensure their new business idea can thrive and that the satellite navigation industry can continue to develop in the future. And I’ve been tipped off that mobile based entries tend to do pretty well so this is very relevant for our community.

ESNC is sub-categorised into regional competitions (so there is a UK region to enter for), as well as six special topic competitions and the overall competition for which all areas and regions can be considered. And the prizes aren’t to be sniffed at. The first prize for the UK ESNC is:

• £10000 cash
• 6 months business incubation
• 3 years membership to the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN)
• Free UK patent submission
• Business plan advice
• Introductions to technology partners and funding opportunities
• High profile national and international PR campaign

Sadly we’ve missed the London briefing day, but there are other briefing days up and down the country which you can attend to find out more. Details on the website.

If you’re into location based services, have a good idea for mapping, or think you can do better than what’s already out there, why not give it a shot? As far as I can see, it’s free to enter and the winners will be announced in October.

Good luck!

That’s right, Helen Keegan here and I've negotiated a great deal for MoMoLo members. I met with Robin Batt, who runs the Open Mobile Summit happening in London next month at the Hilton Tower Bridge, and she’s offering Mobile Monday London 10 tickets to the conference for £850 + VAT. (Regular price £1395). Register here with VIP Code “momo” – the 10 specially priced tickets will be allocated first come first served.

The Open Mobile Summit explores the convergence of Internet and mobile worlds at the strategic level and focuses on how we can all build and monetize an open mobile ecosystem. Now in its second year in London and with a very impressive line-up of over 60 speakers, in an intimate networking environment, this is a highly regarded event.

“I attend a lot of conferences around the world and this was one of the best I have attended in a long time. The OMS had a real CxO crowd, and unlike the big trade shows there was real networking” Pascal Lorne, CEO, Miyowa

It’s not often you get to rub shoulders with people like Olaf Swantee, group wide CEO of Orange at France Telecom, Alberto Torres EVP Nokia or US entrepreneurs like Josh Williams the CEO of Gowalla.  So, if you have a great mobile idea, service or proposition, and are looking for some heavyweight partners to make it happen, the Open Mobile Summit might be just the forum for you.

This certainly isn’t your average crowd of mobile web enthusiasts and deserves to be differentiated as such. It’s been on our radar for a couple of years now and we think it’s important because it brings together the heavy hitters from the wireless establishment, together with the start-ups and innovators. That’s quite unusual but needs to happen if we are to drive real change and innovation in mobile markets and services…and open the mobile Internet ecosystem. And that’s why Mobile Monday London is pleased to be a supporting organisation to the event.

Lastly, if you’re the CEO of a start-up application publishing company then you may qualify for one of 5 fully sponsored passes. For more information, please email Robin to see if you qualify. 

Otherwise don’t forget the first 10 people to use the MOMO code can get a pass for £850 https://www.openmobilesummit.com/lon/register/

Hope to see some of you there!

This one is all about harnessing the power of social media and interactive platforms (with a strong emphasis on mobile) in order to deliver successful and cost-effective revenue generation and social engagement campaigns for the charity and not for profit sector. Sounds entirely relevant to me.

In an increasingly ‘connected’ world, interactive platforms such as the web, TV, mobile and social media can offer the charitable sector opportunities to drive higher revenue generation and public engagement at lower costs.

This event looks at the key areas that charities should be focusing on in order to maximize their fundraising activities and get the most out of their investment in digital platforms.

Learn, Network, and Share ideas with leading charitable organisations and their technology service partners at this AIME-led Knowledge & Networking one day event held at the Paddington Hilton Hotel, London May 27th, chaired by Andrew Darling, Mobile Industry Consultant & Communications Director for AIME. There will be case studies galore, including Comic Relief/Sports Relief, Save the Children, Unicef, Leonard Cheshire Disability Organisation, World Society for the Protection of Animals, Just Giving Organisation and DEC.

So if you are in the charity sector, have clients in the charity sector or just have an interest in the sector, then this one-day event from AIME on Thursday 27 May might just be up your street.

Mobile Monday London members can take advantage of the AIME members rate of £75 + VAT *only up until 14th May*. To claim the discount, please call Bianca Saccu on before 14th May 2010 and quote ‘MoMoLo’. Normal price is £99 + VAT.

You can see the full line-up of speakers and the agenda at the AIME website.

At this one day seminar in association with the Mobile Data Association we will be taking a peek into the future with speakers from across the value chain:
Microsoft
Polymath Insight
Simon Games
Palringo
Calvium
Active Ingredients
Mixed Reality Lab
eModeration
Samsung
Reduced delegate rate available for KTN and MDA Members (£50 ex VAT), £95 for non-members.
Exhibition space available.

Mobile Social Media Europe - www.mobilesocial-networking.com  - 15th March 2010

Venue - Olympia, Earls Court, London

Organiser - Six Degrees Events, Bristol

Mobile Social Media - examines the latest in social media apps for mobile, what leading mobile social networks are planning, and how marketers are gaining a voice in the conversations taking place on mobile social networks. It examines consumers interacting with brands on mobile social networks, defining mobile social network ad revenue, the latest in location aware applications, services and offers and defining the mobile social networking market.

Mobile Social Media is part of the Social Media World Forum www.socialmedia-forum.com

MobiTechFest is open to entrepreneurs, investors and qualified professionals from the mobile/wireless ecosystem.  If you are a founder or a CxO with an early to mid-stage firm seeking "angel" or venture capital (from $500K to $20M),a wireless service provider executive seeking new innovation, an industry professional or industry analyst, join us to:

·          Connect with leading mobile/wireless VCs and angels,

·          Meet promising innovative startups and their founders,

·         Learn about emerging technologies, tools and platforms, and

·         Network with key deal makers in the mobile/wireless community.

A limited number of seats are available on a "first-come, first-serve" basis for non-presenting entrepreneurs and mobile industry professionals as general attendees to this event.  Visit the registration page for more details:

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS:  DEADLINE -June 25th

Entrepreneurs seeking capital are invited to apply to present to the investors. You must be seeking seed or early (500K to $7M) to mid stage capital of no more than $20M dollars and your product, idea or business must ideally fit one of the following segments : Mobile Infrastructure, Platforms, User Experience, Content, Games, Infotainment, Applications or Enterprise . Please apply for consideration as a presenter before June 25, 2009. Learn more on the selection process at mobitechfest.com

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Early Bird Registration is now open for non-presenting entrepreneurs and other professionals and acting quickly means you can save £120 off full registration for this singular opportunity taking place this July 8^th at the Conference Center of K&L Gates LLP in London. Click here to register.

The networking potential alone is priceless! So, register today and reserve your spot at this limited seating event.

www.mobitechfest.com