Monday, March 16, 2009

New Event: GamesBeat (from VentureBeat)

Since leaving the San Jose Mercury News and heading to VentureBeat, Dean Takahashi has taken a turn toward gaming and he is spearheading a new industry conference called GamesBeat. The Facebook page is here; the link to sign up is here; brief description is below. Should be a great conference! -Mark

Get in the game at GamesBeat 2009! — VentureBeat’s inaugural conference for the gaming industry’s top players will be held on March 24, 2009, at the Mission Bay Conference Center on UCSF’s campus in San Francisco, CA.

Join the Major Leagues -- The latest GamesBeat speaker line-up is a testament to our theme — All the World’s a Game — as we have covered our bases. We have some of the biggest names in the gaming industry representing the multiple ways gaming will shape our experience with the world. Here are just some of the people you will be sharing ideas and connecting with:

Chris Taylor, founder of Gas Powered Games, is co-emcee of the event — besides being a game pioneer, he’s also one of the industry’s only stand-up comedians!

Headliners include John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment, Seamus Blackley, head of the games department at Creative Artists Agency and co-creator of the Xbox and Curt Schilling, founder and chairman of 38 Studios and World Series winning pitcher from the Boston Red Sox.

Industry journalists leading our discussions include: Matt Richtel of the NY Times, Geoff Keighley, head of game relations at Spike TV and the host of Game Trailers TV, N'Gai Croal of Newsweek; and Adam Sessler, co-host and managing editor of G4TV’s X-Play show.

The complete line-up can be found on our speaker list and agenda on the GamesBeat Web site.

Media Coverage -- We are also thrilled that these important discussions will be covered by outstanding members of the media, some of which include: ExtremeTech, GamersDaily News, Wall Street Journal, Spike TV, g4tv, Newsweek, Reuters, Hollywood Reporter, LA Times, New York Times, USA Today, BusinessWeek, Crispy Gamer and 1UP.com.

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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Opportunities in the Mobile Market

I want to tell you about a great panel of mobile entrepreneurs and VCs who will be talking about new opportunities within the next five years.

All dimensions and facets of the mobile eco- system - Devices, Operating Systems, Applications, and Data Access Platforms etc. are undergoing rapid transformation. New business models that didn't even exist a year ago are turning the industry on its head.

This panel will explore the opportunities these trends will create for entrepreneurs during the next five years. Some of the key areas to be explored will be mobile WiMAX vs. LTE, Open OS paradigms, handset capabilities, Location Based Services for Enterprise, M2M Telematics, Search, Social Networks, TV + IP, Marketing Models, Payments and Massive Multiplayer Gaming.

The Panel:

• Margaret Mackanzie, CFO/COO & Co- Founder, Paymo
• Jeff Smith, CEO & Co-Founder, Smule
• Eric Zimits, Managing Director, Granite Ventures

Moderator: Curtis Mo, Partner, WilmerHale

When: Thursday, March 19
6:00 - 7:00 pm: Networking and hors d'oeuvres
7:00 - 8:15 pm: Panel discussion and Q/A
8:15 - 8:30 pm: Additional networking

Location: WilmerHale, 1117 California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304
For full speaker bio's and to register Click Here!

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