Paul Walsh, the Irish Opportunist

I need your help. As some of you know, I Chair the British Interactive Media Association (BIMA); the longest established association to represent the interests of the UK’s digital industry. In short, one of BIMA’s goals is to ensure the UK remains as the center of excellence worldwide, for creativity in the interactive world.

When most people think of BIMA, they think of the Awards. Known as the BIMAs™, they rightly take their place on the top shelf of prestigious Awards, alongside the BAFTAs, the Brits and the Oscars. Each year we revisit the categories to ensure they reflect what’s happening in the industry currently. With this in mind, I’d like to solicit your help in defining the descriptions and success criterion for two sub categories under the Social Media category.

What do you think the description copy and success criterion should be for

• Best Blog Award (personal and corporate) and
• Best Network Application (e.g. Faceboo, Bebo)

The BIMA Awards (BIMAs™) now rightly take their place on the top shelf of prestigious Awards, alongside the BAFTAs, the Brits and the Oscars.

To win a BIMA, therefore, is truly the highest accolade in a very competitive world.

BIMA has never shrunk from its responsibility to reflect the very highest standards of creativity and innovation and caused controversy some years ago when it considered that the measure of work in one particular category was not of sufficient merit to be awarded a winner’s trophy. More recently, the industry applauded BIMA’s decision when it announced that the judge’s favourite – the BIMA Grand Prix – was the winning entry in the student category.

The Association is run by 12 strong Executive team with me at the helm as Chair. I know I know, I don’t look old enough

Until now, the Awards Committee has included only members of the Executive. For the first time ever, the Committee for 2008 is made up of Executives and non-Executives. This demonstrates how the Association is more engaging and transparent.

The bold move is already proving to be the right thing to do. The enthusiasm amongst the team is electric. Watch out for a new format. If you thought it was difficult to win a BIMA before, wait for 2008. It will be easier to identify where your work fits in, but we’ve halved the number of trophies. Why sit through 21 announcements when you could be enjoying a fantastic gala followed by a cool after-party.

So, here it is, the committee…

BIMA Awards Committee

Clare McDonald

Committee Chair
Creative Director, Interactive Media Agency, Bskyb

Having started life as a print designer of unwearable computeraided fashion, Clare realised that her passion for the pixel needed to be directed into a relevant world. No one ever was going to wear her LCD coats!!! While studying at the RCA Clare worked on the very first RCA CDRom for the end of year show and helped push forward the concept of digital design and its marketing potential within the fashion department and beyond. This left Clare with both a huge passion for collecting shoes, wearing odd outfits, dodgy CDRoms and also a desire to help people achieve their ambitions. It also allowed her to truly develop her cross platform approach to the design process and solution building. She also fell in love with “the web”. Over the next 15 years a series of interesting positions in the UK and the US in fashion, interactive and entrepreneurial businesses landed Clare finally as Creative Director of the Interactive Media Design Agency in Bskyb.

Responsible for the creative direction of interactive properties, Clare helps build visual strategies and creative solutions with her award winning team to develop online, mobile, interactive tv, blue sky thinking and brand solutions for Bskyb. This is a highly directional and strategic position, that is forging a new creative force within Bskyb and the European entertainment market. Utilising earlier experience with early online video and projects for the likes of Microsoft, Office Shoes, IT Network, Open TV and the likes Clare and her team are truly pioneering online entertainment design. The future is looking incredibly interesting for Sky and a future that marries Clare’s cross media approach, mixed with a bit of pizzazz will have great results.

Paul Walsh (me)

You can read my biog here if you’re really bored.

Matthew Gorzkowski

Managing Director, Play

Matthew Bagwell is Conchango’s Creative Director and founder of creative agency, SignalOrange. Matthew has been called digital evangelist, offering insight into how people want to interact with organisations through multiple channels. He is capable of bridging the gap between inventing experiences made possible by web 2.0 phenomena and delivering them in reality.

Matthew Bagwell

Creative Director, Conchango

Matt began his Marketing career working for Saatchi & Saatchi in Europe and Shafter Advertising in the US where he helped to launch new products for major brands including Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Fujitsu and Nokia.

Recognising the potential of digital media, Matt joined Itraffic in San Francisco as Account Director. Here Matt led key accounts such as Disney and Buena Vista Entertainment before returning the Europe to join Itraffic London as Client Services Director where he oversaw the interactive marketing activity of brands such as British Airways and Hilton. In 2005, Matt co-founded Pay in conjunction with M&C Saatchi and former Itraffic colleagues Jon Sharpe and Ethan Segal.

Dr. Scott Gallacher

Director of Online & Partner Marketing, BskyB

Scott is responsible for Sky’s online sales & marketing across their full product portfolio including digital TV, Broadband, Telephony, HD, Mobile TV & Sky +. Sky, according to Nielsen, are the largest online spender in the UK underlining a commitment to digital, with their pioneering work in Behavioural Targeting winning the 2007 award for best use of research in media.

Scott is well regarded industry commentator & speaker, Chairing last year’s Revolution conference on Brand Advocacy and speaking at the Economist Marketing Director summit in March on the challenges facing marketing in the next 5 years as well as addressing Cranfield business school on the maturing of digital marketing.

Previous to BSkyB, Scott worked at OgilvyOne as Client Services Director for the American Express International Online account covering 38 countries. Prior to this he served as a Vice President for Digitas. Scott holds a PhD in Multimedia innovation & social learning from Edinburgh, M.Sc. in Human Computer Interaction from Heriot Watt and a BCom in Business Studies from Edinburgh.

Chris Clarke

Executive Creative Director and President, Digitas London

Chris has been at the forefront of the digital industry since the late 90s. In 2000 as a UK founder of pioneering digital agency Abel & Baker, Chris brought a new level of creative excellence to the nascent digital industry and won a number of awards including Campaign Direct, Revolution, Clio and Cannes Cyberlions for clients such as Virgin Mobile, The AA and MTV.

In 2002 Abel & Baker was bought by leading web agency Wheel. While at Wheel, first as Creative Director of Abel & Baker then Executive Creative Director of Wheel, Chris helped turn the creative reputation of the agency around, delivering award winning work and driving an extensive change management process to make Wheel an ideas led creative business. Key client achievements at Wheel include winning BT, the global roll out of Brahma beer, and bringing prestigious clients such as ABSOLUT Vodka and Sony PlayStation Europe on board. Chris also oversaw numerous corporate website projects for clients such as Allied Domecq, United Biscuits and Unilever for whom Wheel managed the global rollout of Unilever.com in 26 languages.

Since joining Digitas London in April 2006, Chris has re-invigorated the creative product, winning new business with Vauxhall, Shell and HP, rolling out a network of offices in Europe and winning a Campaign Digital Award.

Chris is a multi-award winning creative with Cyberlions, LIAA, Clio, Revolution, Campaign Direct, Campaign Digital and D&AD awards to his name. As a founder in the UK of digital pioneers Abel & Baker, Chris was responsible for some of the first Rich Media and viral work done in this market.

Daniel Birch

Creative Director, Freestyle Interactive

As a Creative Director who has worked at a number of top London agencies LBi (then Oyster), AKQA and twentysix Daniel now leads the creative and delivery teams at the midlands largest digital agency Freestyle Interactive. This gives him genuine perspective across all aspects of digital channels.

As a Creative Director of Freestyle it is his role to lead and define the user experience on their clients. With wide ranging experience in leading multidiscipline teams of designers, developers, writers and architects he is able to bring the right solutions to a wide range of online of projects.

As the board level role responsible for project delivery through the project management team Daniel has a clear understanding of the delivery challenges faced by project managers and can appreciate what it takes to deliver an awarding winning creative solution.

Daniel’s belief in balancing the desire to win awards with developing the right user experience for client’s customer puts him in a unique position. As a Creative Director Daniel has found the opportunity to have an opinion on all this creative but will be frequently found client side asking awkward questions or bothering project manager’s to try and understand how Isle Interactive can be more efficient – all with the goal of giving the creative a better chance to design better and with more insight.

A genuine understanding of all aspects of the digital build process and experience across kiosk, mobile web and iTV means Daniel is able to combine a wealth of experience to developing a framework for creative teams to work in. A desire to work on projects that are created in a less that ideal situation, short time frames, limiting timeframes or conservative outlook means he has an affinity for recognising others who have succeed in this conditions.

The client list is long and varied, as you’d expect from nearly 12 years of working in the industry. From mobile guidelines for Orange to ground up redesigns for Natwest and Abbey and campaign work for Volvo and Drambuie the experience is there.

Janice Cable

Principal Administrator, BIMA

When she joined BIMA, Janice brought with her the experience of a lifetime working with trade associations, mainly in the music industry where she considered herself extremely privileged to be able to work with some of the most influential industry doyens and talented composers, artists and broadcasters in the UK. She has considerable experience in arranging and coordinating exhibitions, seminars and conferences, both in the UK and abroad, and was responsible for organising industry social events, both lunches and black tie. Her previous involvement has been extremely valuable for the administration of the BIMA Awards as, amongst many other tasks, she prepared and managed the selection of the UK entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. She hasn’t done this for ten years which, incidentally, was the last time the UK won!

About BIMA

Established in 1985, the British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) is the industry’s longest established association to represent the diverse interests of the UK interactive industry.

In short, it’s BIMA’s mission to ensure the UK remains the centre of excellence worldwide for creativity within the interactive industry.

Next week is a busy one for networkers in Dublin. I’ll be in Ireland from Tuesday through to Sunday.

Tuesday 26th

19:00 Web Technology Conference starts. I’ve been asked to take part on a panel but it has yet to be confirmed.

Wednesday 27th

Ireland’s first Girl Geek dinner. I’ve been to one as Sarah Blow’s (original founder) guest and they’re good fun. I wish the guys (sorry, couldn’t resist) all the best and I’ll happily await the arrival of my guest invitation

The girl geek dinner is an evening for women in technology to get together, enjoy some dinner and meet some new faces. It’s a way to encourage your fellow women colleagues to join the community, offer their expertise and help grow the network of role models and leaders here in Ireland.

Check out Martha’s Rotter’s blog for more detail.

Thursday 28th

Ireland’s first ever User Group pub quiz. Eh, anyone fancy dinner?

Friday 29th

I’m giving a talk (Track 3) at the Irish Web Technology Conference. It has been organised by IrishDev.com and the user groups MTUG.ie, Ruby Ireland, DubJug.org, Python Ireland and PHP.ie. Sounds like a bunch of techies, but there are marketing related tracks at what’s going to be a rather big conference. I think they’re expecting upwards of 450 delegates.

I believe there’s an after party in the evening.

About my talk

Turn the Web brilliant, gleaming and stain free with POWDER (Content Labels). With my can of beans (no really) I will do a joint presentation on how Content Labels are the next step in reclaiming the Web from scammners, phishers and malicious people who do their best to ruin your day.

Content Label technology and the Semantic Web will restart the conversation between Web site owners and surfers so that everyone can make an informed decision about what they want to see online before they take that leap of faith and click on that unknown link. Find the information you want faster, feel more secure buying products online and make sure your kids never wander into the darker parts of the Web.

Saturday 30th 1st

Irish Blog Awards.

Created and managed by Damien Mulley. I’m looking forward to this.

So, if you’re around Dublin and fancy hooking up for dinner let me know and I’ll host a tech dinner.

BIMA (British Interactive Media Association), the association I Chair, is home to the UK’s most prestigious awards to reward the creative excellence in the Digital Industry.

For the first time in 23 years, I’d like to announce that the Awards Committee is now open to two BIMA members.

More over on the BIMA blog.

James Corbet made a wild assumption which I’d like to address. In summary, James blogged that I violated a friend’s privacy by streaming live to the Web using a mobile video service called Qik.

I’ve pasted James’ blog post along with the comments left by other bloggers. I’ve done this because James doesn’t have email subscription to posts which means commentators aren’t informed of other comments being left. I really wish all blogs had this feature, including TechCrunch.

James said

So you’re out with a group of friends in a pub, enjoying a few drinks, letting your hair down. As you do. And then one of them pushes a camera phone in your face and starts streaming video live to the web. And immediately announces the fact to 518 other people. Not only that but he’s oblivious to your protestations and pleas to stop.

I don’t mean to pick on Segala’s Paul Walsh because I’ve certainly enjoyed and appreciated his video coverage of events like the inaugural Irish Digital Industry Association Dinner in Dublin recently. But Paul is a guy who writes regularly about online privacy and is CEO of Segala, a company developing technology which, among other things, is designed to help you find websites which follow best practices for privacy and copyright.

However, it seems to me that during last night’s broadcast Paul crossed the line by invading the privacy of at least one friend. If someone asks you to stop, puts their hand in front of the camera and looks clearly uncomfortable when you refuse is that not a blatant violation of their privacy? I don’t presume to know Paul’s friends so perhaps I’ve misread the situation but if someone did likewise to me I’d be very tempted grab their camera phone and dunk it in my drink!

Comments left by other bloggers

In particular, the live aspect means there is no opportunity to undo the posting of something you immediately regret doing. I can imagine a similar problem with Shozu when people are out on the tear. Qik Content Labels? “Warning, this video may contain scenes of drunk people”

Posted by: Conor O’Neill | Feb 6, 2008 12:26:35 PM

Damn, that last line would have been a much better post title than mine! Yeah, I only bring the issue up for discussion because I think it’s something that we’re going to have to be increasingly concerned with. As I say I thoroughly appreciate informative videos like Paul’s other ones and your Cork OpenCoffee ones and Pat Phelan’s travel ones, etc. But I’m thinking ahead here and realizing we’ll probably have a few QIKers at the Irish Blog Awards and similar sociable events this year and wondering if we’re going to have people streaming video from inappropriate situations? What are the ground rules? What etiquette applies?

Posted by: James Corbett | Feb 6, 2008 12:47:48 PM

It’s a discussion that has to happen and I think it’ll be a major issue as services like Qik are adopted by the greater web community. Over time, though, people will become comfortable with such invasions the same way we don’t think twice now about the plethora of CCTV cameras watching our every move.

Posted by: Eoghan McCabe | Feb 6, 2008 1:09:17 PM

Having had people shove cameras into my face and say “Can I put you on my Flickr?” I’m pretty used to this, but there is a time delay between the act of recording and the act of uploading. Qik, and others like it, destroy that delay (as you point out), and without immediate web access - like in a bar - you can’t delete something that fast, and even if you could it would be already online. Once on the the Internet, always on the Internet, right? Mind you grown-up, ‘digital savvy’ people in a bar will pale beside what will happen when more nefarious people get hold of this mobile tech. Interesting post!

Posted by: Mike Butcher | Feb 6, 2008 2:20:59 PM

My response

@James - I think you’re right. We do face a potential problem and a lot of care should be taken when streaming live to the Web. I’ve since removed my videos of last night but for different reasons.

Please note that everyone around the table were aware up front, that I was going to stream live. In fact, I spent about 5 minutes trying to change the SIM from my iPhone to the N95 so I could do it. With this post in particular I think you should have asked if anyone genuinely didn’t want to be filmed.

Some people put their hand in front of the camera when in fact, they love it. No, I’m not saying that no means yes or maybe

Do you use Qik and if so, do you worry about the privacy you just happen to capture in the background?

[Update. After actually seeing the paper for myself, I can tell that my blog wasn’t ‘awarded’ anything as the title of this post suggests. It was featured in Blogspot of the week, which I’m just as happy with.]

I’m absolutely over the moon about this. We all like our egos stroked from time to time and I’m no different to anyone else. This is particularly true because Segala (or I) have never been nominated and therefore have never been in with a chance, to win an award. Segala has purposely stayed below the media radar until now. My partner in crime, Asheesh Dewan and I have spent the guts of €1m on our new business model and technology so that it would be fit to take to investors. I’m hoping that 2008 is the year that everyone will be talking about Segala and our method of enabling more trust on the Web.

To win best blog of the week by the Irish Times is a great start to 2008. My thanks go to Damien, my new Head of Communications for suggesting that I decouple it from the Segala blog (notice I didn’t say Marketing Director, that’s old school). I must admit, I felt liberated when I started writing here. It’s as if I felt that bit closer to you, as a reader/contributor. Kamrul also did a great job building it within 2 days of Damien’s suggestion. Let me know if there are any features you particular like or dislike or if you think I should implement something.

Read more…

Since the BIMA Awards were first introduced in 1984, they have undergone continuous development and always strived to encompass the constant changes within the interactive industry.

BIMA has never shrunk from its responsibility to reflect the very highest standards of creativity and innovation and caused controversy some years ago when it considered that the measure of work in one particular category was not of sufficient merit to be awarded a winner’s trophy. More recently, the industry applauded BIMA’s decision when it announced that the judge’s favourite – the BIMA Grand Prix – was the winning entry in the student category.

The BIMAs™ now rightly take their place on the top shelf of prestigious Awards, alongside the BAFTAs, the Brits and the Oscars.

During my 48 hour day I Chair BIMA (British Interactive Media Association) to help ensure the UK retains the position as centre of excellence for creativity on the global stage. So, I’m very proud to show off our awards with this short video. Thanks to Hermione from Newspepper.com for doing a fantastic job.

Just 3 days to go.

It’s a pleasure to Chair BIMA, host to the most prestigious awards in the UK dedicated to the creatives in the Interactive Industry. The Awards celebrate creative excellence and best practice in interactive design.

More on the BIMA blog.

The Irish Software Association (ISA) recently awarded a company called Ammando ‘best company of the year’ award. I had to read the post on Blognation about 5 times for it to sink in. The company hasn’t launched yet! According to Blognation, the company is “a semi-stealth social networking start-up”. What the hell is that?

For the love of God. Surely you need to have at least launched one product or service before winning any type of award, let alone, ‘best new company of the year’ award. I’d love to know what the judging criterion was.

How can a company which hasn’t launched, even think about entering such awards. If they didn’t enter, it means someone nominated them, in which case, it’s even more ridiculous because it’s impossible to see what they’re going to launch unless you ‘ask for an invite’.

According to Ammando’s Web site

Curious about ammado?
Click here to request an invite.

So, if you have an idea for a new company which you may or may not hatch in the far distant future, why not enter the ISA Awards.

I notice the news was also published on Web2Ireland. May I please ask Blognation and We2Ireland to ‘commentate’ and not just publish news. Both are usually very good, but on this occasion I’d like to hear what the authors ‘think. What do you think?

Source Blognation