Last few days to enter the INTERNATIONAL GREEN AWARDS

The INTERNATIONAL GREEN AWARDS™, a global programme that recognises inspiring, innovative and creative approaches to sustainability, is inviting entries that demonstrate sustainable innovation across 20 categories before the final deadline this Friday, 16th September 2011. Judged by some of the world’s most influential sustainability experts and media luminaries, including Arianna Huffington, Baroness Barbara Young, David de Rothschild and Sir Crispin Tickell, the Awards are the perfect opportunity to present your sustainability story and be recognised as a genuine visionary on an international platform. See http://www.greenawards.com

In its 6th year, this Royal Society of Arts accredited environmental awards scheme looks to showcase those organisations which are demonstrating stellar best practice and setting the industry benchmark for sustainability that can inspire organisations, governments and citizens across geographic boundaries.

“In a finite world, the only way that humanity can sustain economic and social development is through innovation – finding ways to meet our needs at lower cost to the environment. The International Green Awards™ 2011 are a welcome recognition of the diverse forms of innovation required to create genuinely green economics”, commented Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director, European Environment Agency.

There are 20 categories this year including those relating to business leadership and entrepreneurship, energy efficiency, water stewardship, biodiversity, public sector and technology, amongst others. With 2011 marking the UN International Year of Forests, the Awards also include a category dedicated to conservation efforts.

To enter go to: http://www.greenawards.com (Deadline – Friday 16th September)

(Social Media Strategist is a proud media partner for the Global Green awards for the second year running).

Social Media & SEO WorkShop for UCL Advances

UCL Advances

I will be running a social media workshop at UCL for the 'UCL Advances' program on Thursday. Kes Thygesen will be kicking things off highlighting a number of quick ways that businesses can optimise their website using Google and Youtube. When his workshop ends I will demonstrate a number of free tools and techniques that businesses can use for both outreach and PR purposes. 

Each of the sessions will finish with a Q&A session. The SEO & Social Media workshop will conclude with drinks and networking. More information about the workshop can be found here http://www.ucl.ac.uk/advances/advances-news/seo

Vodafone Foundation Smart Accessibility Awards

Vodafone Accessibility Awards

I am currently assisting Mobile Monday and Vodafone with the awareness and PR of the Vodafone Smart Accessibility Awards.

The very first Vodafone Foundation Smart Accessibility Awards have been announced. This is a new global contest to promote the development of IT applications designed to improve the lives of those with disabilities and people that are older, to help them get more actively involved in society. The programme is supported and co-organized by AGE Platform Europe, the European network of around 160 organisations of and for people aged 50+, and the   The European Disability Forum (EDF), the NGO that represents the interests of 80 million Europeans with disabilities.

Launched in Brussels, the competition will award the best smartphone application in four areas:

  • Social participation: refers to applications which help users to become more involved in today's society and help them benefit from using new technologies, whatever their age and/or capacity.   The aim is to help everyone to access the web and social media through smartphones.
  • Independent living: refers to applications which help users with everyday tasks such as washing or opening a door easily and safely so that they can live more independently
  • Mobility: refers to applications which enable users to travel freely and safely whatever kind of transport system they would like to use. It also refers to the use of GPS and locations apps which can help guide people in unfamiliar places.
  • Wellbeing: refers to applications which improve the users' health and overall feeling of wellbeing.

Entrants can compete for a share of the €200k prize fund until 15 October 2011 by submitting your entries on the site http://developer.vodafone.com/smartaccess2011/submit/

Entries will be judged on four things within each category –

  1. Effectiveness
  2. Availability and affordability
  3. User-friendliness, usability and accessibility
  4. Design for all

Vodafone recognises that confidentiality plays a huge part in any organisation. This is why Vodafone will ensure your entry is kept confidential and will not seek to own any IP (intellectual property) from your entry – which means that’s a no-strings cash prize.

  • All entries are confidential and will not be distributed outside of this competition.
  • Vodafone does not seek to own any  intellectual property in relation to entries for the Vodafone Foundation Smart Accessibility Awards.
  • Any applications submitted as part of the competition can be used by Vodafone for distribution, advertising and promotion in relation to the Vodafone Foundation Smart Accessibility Awards.
  • A working Android 2.2+ APK application file must be submitted.

Keep an eye on Mobile Monday London for news on a series of workshops and talks coming in August and September. These will cover accessibility and design for mobile with impairment and disability in mind. 

(Information attained from Mobile Monday London).

The Inspire Conference 2011

With a stellar line-up of speakers from the worlds of Technology, Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Innovation I must congratulate the organisers on a job well done as I left after the two days brimming with ideas and new directions.

Highlights included Rory Sutherland the Creative Director of Ogilvy, who discussed the ‘long overdue science’ of Behavioural Economics and its application to Marketing. I witnessed Rory speak a handful of times however his enthusiasm and insight always sets the room alight. Aza Raskin (Massive Health, formerly of Mozilla) had some great ideas for using design to influence the public within Healthcare.

Many of the concepts are transferable to digital design within the creative environment. The closing session looked to the future. A fascinating panel discussed the future of interactive design. This was chaired by Andy Budd (Clearleft) and featured Aza Raskin, Leisa Reichart (Disambiguity) and Claire Rowland (FUEL). Throughout the two days there was a really positive buzz around the networking sessions. Inspire Conference 2012 is already in the calendar after a good job well done all round. The Inspire Conference Website

(Written by Jerome Ahye)

Social Media World Forum Europe (London) 2011 #SMWF

Social Media World Forum

Last year's Social Media World Forum Europe (#SMWF) was ace. This year the speaker line-up is even better then last year and the event has moved down into the larger Olympia Hall. I will be blogging and tweeting from SMWF again this year. I am particularly looking forward to seeing Josh Williams, the CEO and Founder, Gowalla speak. If you are going to be attending on either days and fancy a coffee let me know. More information about those speaking at the conference can be found here.

Startup Weekend Cambridge

Last weekend I participated in the weekend hack 'Startup Weekend Cambridge'. The weekend event was run alongside simultaneous Startup Weekend events across the globe. The events pull together a range of past, present and future entrepreneurs for a weekend of collaboration and innovation

The concept behind Startup Weekend (and other such ‘hack’ events) is for individuals to work together to create platforms over a short period of time (in this case three days).

I worked in team of five great people to devise, create and present an Android mobile application. It is now available in beta and can be downloaded from the ‘Android Market’ by clicking here.
The application uses the individuals geographical location and provides the user with a sentiment feed from twitter (using the term “I feel…”)

The tweets that use this term near the individual are mapped around them and viewable on the individual’s mobile phone. Users are able to respond to this sentiment by replying to the Tweets. This sentimental response it tagged to the area in which the response happened.

Users are not required to login to the application and can create content relevant to geographical locations anonymously.

Startup Weekend Cambridge was a great experience and I look forward to the London leg soon ☺