Digital Downtown TO GO Conference Program

Day One

9:00 am – 10:30 am: Sponsor Keynote/Press Event


10:30 am – 11:00 am: Who Will Win the Battle of the Smartphones?

Even while the overall market for mobile phones contracts, sales of smartphones are predicted to continue to surge in 2009 thanks to lower prices, a host of amazing new devices, and improved mobile operating systems. By examining the new devices as well as the differences among potential purchasers, this panel will explore what devices will succeed and why, who the winners and losers will be, and what the smartphone marketplace will look like in 2010.


12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: An Appetite for Apps

The industry’s biggest players are placing huge bets on the lure of innovative mobile applications to drive purchases of their devices and generate additional revenue. Will it work? Is there enough interest in mobile apps beyond the early adopter community? Which new “App Stores” got it right and which didn’t? Is there a sustainable business model for applications providers? If you want the answers to these cricital questions, don’t miss this panel.


1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Networking Luncheon


2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: The State of Mobile Video

Many who thought mobile video was a game changer are still waiting. Not only are the numbers of consumers accessing mobile video regularly remaining small, but, even as usage of other forms of mobile entertainment increases, recent studies suggest the interest in mobile video is simply not there. This panel will provide a 360o look at mobile video landscape and address questions such as what’s the “right” format, length and interactivity, and is there a business model for mobile video that can both create revenue and spur adoption? 


4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: The Fate of How We Communicate

With each new generation that begins using mobile devices, voice shrinks in importance relative to other ways of communicating such as IM, SMS, Twitter, and mobile social networks. The competition in this last area is particularly fierce with giants of the Web like Facebook and MySpace competing with a host of upstart social networks created specifically for the mobile environment. How will this all play out? What impact is it already having on business? On service providers? On hardware manufacturers? Are they doing enough to keep pace with the dramatic changes in how younger generations communicate? You’re welcome to keep your smarthpone on and Tweet away at this excting panel. 

 

5:30 pm– 6:30 pm: Digital Downtown & Digital Downtown To Go Networking Reception

 

Day Two

9:00 am – 10:30 am: Sponsor Keynote/Press Event


10:30 am – 11:30 am: SmartPhone Takeover?

The multi-functionality of today’s smartphones combined with the amazing variety of available applications is putting the mobile phone at the center of the action. Which functions are resonating best with consumers? What quality control is being put into place? What will be the fate of handheld gaming devices, GPS devices, MP3 players, and portable video players in the smartphone age? These are just a sampling of the fascinating issues that will be addressed in this panel. 

 

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Netbooks: Fad or Change Agent

The surprising demand for low cost netbooks that specialize in surfing the web and non-voice modes of communicating caught a lot of people by surprise in 2008. This year we will see an influx of these devices as more leading brands try and play catch up and traditional mobile phone brands try and capitalize on a device that falls somewhere between phone and laptop. This panel will examine the trends driving consumer interest in this category and explore how big this market will get and what it means for the future of the mobile marketplace. 


1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Networking Luncheon


2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: The Coming Mobile Malware Storm

With today’s smartphones looking more and more like handheld computers, how big is the threat from mobile spam, viruses, porn and other malware and what are device manufacturers and service providers doing to protect consumers? This panel will take a detailed look at the current status of mobile malware, including an analysis on how big the threat really is and who’s doing what to prevent it from becoming as big a problem as it is in the PC world. 

 

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: The Great “App Off” of 2009

Ten mobile apps have six minutes each to show why they’re the best thing to happen to the mobile phone since touch screens. It’s up to our attendees to decide which one is right. 

 

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: Digital Downtown & Digital Downtown To Go Closing Reception

  • Conference Highlights

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What You’ll See @ Digital Downtown TO GO

• Smartphones 

• Netbooks

• Notebooks 

• Mobile Applications

• App Stores 

• Mobile Gaming

• Mobile Communities

• LBS

• GPS

• Bluetooth Gear

• Portable Entertainment Devices

• Accessories

 

Who You’ll See @ Digital Downtown TO GO

• Online Media

• Bloggers

• Print Dailies, Weeklies, Monthlies

• Broadcast/Cable Media 

• Trade Press

• Lifestyle Press

• Mobile Enthusiasts

• Industry