Canadian companies are invited to join the 6th Annual ICT Day Mission to Europe February 1-5, 2010.

What Does it Cost?

There is no charge. Companies cover travel and lodging expenses and make individual reservations. We will help with advice on lodging etc. but we can´t make bookings. The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service will provide hospitality in all cities on the Mission.

Why Should I Participate?

We will bring your product or service offering closer to purchasers and partners. You have the chance to meet face to face with local players.

What Do I Get?

A programme based on market knowledge and developed by local Trade Commissioners to connect you with target customers and market partners. The format will vary depending on local practice but will include networking events in addition to one-on-one meetings. We welcome requests to target specific local partners and priority customers. Also participating on the Mission will be Canadian Digital Media guru Gerri Sinclair who will set the tone at events promoting investment in Canadian capabilities in Digital Media.

Find out more by reading the invitation here [pdf].

When we started planning the DigitalMediaCamp events, in the back of my mind I had the nagging feeling that this would be just another camp-style event. I knew it would be an interesting event, but an unremarkable one. Coincidentally, a good friend of mine says the meaning of “interesting” is never a good one.

We also wanted to attract a different audience than the usual tech folks who attend events such as StartupCamp. We wanted to incite not only tech people, but content creators and designers – the people who create the actual digital media. We started with a simple question:

How can we work together to make Toronto a globally competitive hub of digital media entrepreneurship and innovation?

Yesterday was the day. DigitalMediaCamp Toronto at OCAD in Toronto. With about 80 people in attendance we didn’t just meet; we engaged with each other. If the day had been 48 hours long I don’t think that we would have had enough time for everyone to say everything they wanted to say.

I was wrong. It was a remarkable event. And I’m comfortable saying that it shattered everyone’s expectations. But don’t take my word for it. Follow the #dmcamp hashtag on Twitter.Or check out these posts:

http://www.techvibes.com/blog/digitalmediacamp-toronto
http://bradfortner.wordpress.com/2009/12/13/will-torontos-digitalmediacamp-help-better-focus-the-understanding-of-the-citys-digital-media-industry/
http://citadelrock.com/www/blogpost4-Reflections-on-Digital-Media-Camp
http://beta.innovatetoronto.ca/?p=281

With 40 different conversations spread across 4 topic areas (check them out on the wiki) there just wasn’t enough time to discuss all that we wanted to discuss. I found myself moving from group to group, just to partake of some of the passionate discussions, and to add my two cents worth occasionally. Personalities contributed, clashed, and entertained. Several groups spawned projects from the conversations and planned to meet again, especially the #t4change group. And people who are usually more reserved (you know who you are) found their voices.

Even given a very long day on a Saturday, the energy was palpable all day long, likely spurred on by great food and coffee, and excellent work by Mark Kuznicki. I don’t make it to Toronto all that often – that 401 drive is a deterrent – but I’m certainly glad this was the day.

It was great to meet everyone and I look forward to chatting with all of you both virtually and live as we figure out how to answer that question. It’s going to take me a few days just to work through all of the ideas we generated in that one short day. Thanks to everyone who joined us on Saturday!

Join us for DigitalMediaCamp Toronto on Saturday, December 12th. Save the date and register at the link below.

DigitalMediaCamp Toronto

Saturday, December 12th

9:30 to 4:30

OCAD Auditorium

100 McCaul Street

Toronto, ON

Register: http://guestlistapp.com/events/8148

You will join other emerging leaders in Toronto’s digital media community in an intense and interactive set of conversations around this central question:

How can we work together to propel Toronto’s technology, content and design communities into the future and make Toronto a globally competitive hub of digital media entrepreneurship and innovation?

The day is structured as an unconference. The participants create the content of the day. There is no pre-set agenda. Your ideas, your needs and your voice will have the platform and the content of our conversations will be shared online in real-time and will be used beyond the day of the event in a number of forums, including at the Canada 3.0 2010 conference which will take place May 10-11, 2010.

This is the first of a series of DigitalMediaCamp events to be held across Canada, hosted by the Canadian Digital Media Network, and designed to help shape the agenda for Canada 3.0 2010. The series is intended to engage emerging leaders and the talented and passionate creators in Canada’s digital media industry, to identify great ideas and new voices and to spur creativity in Canada’s digital economy.

For more information about the Canadian Digital Media Network, visit www.cdmn.ca and see what’s in store for Canada 3.0 2010 at www.canada30.ca.

“The Communitech Hub: Digital Media & Mobile Accelerator” to Drive New Enterprises and Jobs in Waterloo Region

Ontario’s Minister of Research and Innovation John Milloy, MPP for Kitchener-Centre, today announced that the province is providing $26 million to Communitech to create Ontario’s hub for digital media tools, technology and applications. The Communitech Hub: Digital Media & Mobile Accelerator will serve as a ‘club-house’ of innovation for digital media companies and entrepreneurs and drive creation of new companies and jobs in Waterloo Region and throughout Ontario.

“Ontario is already recognized as a global leader in the digital media sector and today we are sending a clear signal to digital entrepreneurs everywhere – Ontario means business. The Hub will strengthen our ability to support innovators right here in Waterloo Region and across the province, as they work to turn new ideas into new jobs and globally-competitive businesses,” said Minister Milloy.

The Hub will also have R&D and capital support from established companies in the Waterloo region including RIM, Open Text Corporation, Christie Digital Systems, Agfa HealthCare, and Dalsa as well as the City of Kitchener.

“Waterloo Region is a perfect fit for The Hub. We are home to globally-recognized research and industry leaders, a highly-skilled workforce, and now – the business development and commercialization muscle that we need to help build Ontario’s digital economy,” said Leeanna Pendergast, MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga.

Communitech, the region’s organization dedicated to commercialization of innovation, has championed The Hub project to support businesses at all stages of their growth and enhance the tech sector overall. It is also the host organization of the new Canadian Digital Media Network – a federal centre of excellence designed to interconnect Canada’s clusters of digital media expertise.

“Our focus is business-driven commercialization of high-tech innovations, and we believe the Province has invested in The Hub because Communitech has a track record of success in supporting companies at all stages in their evolution from start-up to multi-national success story. Canada needs even more tech success stories and we’re here to help create those,” said Iain Klugman, president and CEO of Communitech.

Some features of The Hub will include:

• 30,000 square foot open innovation hub ‘club house’ bringing together knowledge, activities, tools and expertise;
• 2,000 square feet dedicated to enabling entrepreneurs to ‘incubate’ ideas in close proximity to tools and services they need to succeed;
• 8,000 square feet allocated to partner lab space with platforms and tools provided by established partner companies including RIM, Open Text, Agfa HealthCare, and Christie Digital Systems;
• A versatile immersive environment with reconfigurable projection and display systems;
• Full audio-visual production studios including advanced equipment such as scalable sensors, cameras and media capture equipment;
• Medical imaging software platforms for development purposes;
• A suite of expert resources including entrepreneurs in residence, project manager support, marketing and branding expertise.

“Speaking on behalf of all the partner companies involved in this venture, we’re delighted at the level of commitment provided by the Province which demonstrates strong support for the high-tech community and digital media in particular. This is a strategic investment in Ontario’s future,” said Tom Jenkins, Executive Chairman & Chief Strategy Officer of Open Text and Chair of the Canadian Digital Media Network Advisory Board.