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We saw a 75% return in sponsorship from 2008 and a 10% increase in attendance. 2009 also saw an increase in quality of content, number of panels and panelists, networking opportunities and international participation. There was a delegation from China, and representation from the US, UK and Sweden that provided a diversity of opinion in discussions and that presented alternative ways of thinking about common problems. There was also an effort to connect the wireless and new media sectors, to explore opportunities in convergence, and to create interesting linkages and approaches to development. PNWS 2009 by the numbers:
Did we deliver what we promised? What did you like; what needs improvement in the future; what was useful; what could you do without? All those important judgments and reactions that not only help us gauge the true value of the event, but will help us build a better one next time around. 
Steven Morley, formally of Qualcomm talked about how a great product is not about the technology. It is about your customers and your ability to market the value of your product to them. Steven called his products "George" as a reminder to keep things to a personal and relevant level. He mandated for the use of the "smart hamster test": to remove yourself from the technology and present your product in such a way that a small furry rodent could figure out how to use it.
Sunday afternoon was an invite-only event where industry leaders and decision makers shared experiences and business models and hashed out how to improve on current systems and how to build sustainable clusters. Our objective for the day was 50 attendees; we expected to get about 40 and in the end there were 19 people involved in the panels directly and 67 people in the room over the course of the day, adding their insights and experiences to the overall discussion. Highlights from the day below – stay tuned for our official Leadership Report coming soon. Canada's problem is NOT technology.
Problem is lack of local wealth creation.
Shortage of sales and marketing talent
What about those 4 Pillars anyway? Ideas: During his keynote, Tony Fish from AMF Ventures shared his belief that the current mobile business model is wrong, that the future is not simply a one-way flow of getting info ONTO a mobile device, but of enabling users to get information OFF a device. Innovation: All of you! During his keynote presentation, Tom Huseby (from SeaPoint Ventures in Seattle) recommended that this climate is the absolute best time to start a company, because while everyone else is worrying today, you are creating something for the future. 18 months from now you will be ahead of the game. Insight: Paul Lee, Managing Director, Van Edge Capital and former President of EA Studios, presented at the afternoon VC panel and talked about the importance of segmentation and customization of the mobile user experience; suddenly users are a critical source of data if services are going to be tailored to a user’s personal experience. Tom Huseby added during that same panel that the phone is to become a users’ remote control, a guide through the modern media environment.
Video highlights from Tom Huseby Keynote presentation (courtesy Bruce Sharpe, Singular Software) 
There were a few surprises in the room on Monday night when some of the awards were handed out at the Gala Awards Dinner. The goal of mobile voting was really to make PNWS as interactive as possible; to put control your hands and to engage you in the process. There was a lower than expected response rate for the voting:
So the final tabulation of awards was a little hard, but it was fun nonetheless and there were a few moments of shameless bribes and attempts on behalf of the keynotes to sway your opinion. And let's not forget Verrus' (Neil Podmore) promise of free parking for life in exchange for your vote. If you want to know all the details, call or e-mail us and we can give you hard stats. 
The Best and Worst of 2008 
What else did our Keynotes and Panelists have to say?
This newsletter is an opportunity for us to keep the dialogue with you going for a few more weeks as we delve into the inner workings of the event, compile numbers and gauge reactions. Stay tuned for more highlights, videos clips and survey results in coming issues. |
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Thank you all for making PNWS 09 a success! We literally couldn't have done it without you. You are the reason why PNWS is probably the best wireless event in Canada. 
Meet George. George is your best friend. He is reliable and simple; he makes your life easier and more comfortable and he makes you more productive; you simply don't know how you could live without him. Do you know George? Is he your product? He should be.
The best ideas are the simplest ones with obvious purpose. For example, a "travel discomfort appliance" (air sickness bag) on Alaska Airlines flights (see photo left) uses patented technology: the bag only has one seam and is not prone to unfortunate leakage. Brilliant.
Although Verrus was announced as the winner on Monday night, the back-end numbers indicate that although Verrus did have an average score of 5, so did several other categories. So it cannot really be awarded to any one person/company. At the end of the day, it was you, our participants that really should be getting this award. PNWS could never have worked without you. The underlying principle behind PNWS was (and is) participation. From panel discussions, to networking, to choosing the final award winners, the event was designed to actively involve you and to draw out your insights and experiences.
