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    The second annual NEXTBC Showcase of Innovation & Awards Night will be held on the evening of Thursday, May 21, 2015 at Science World. NEXTBC 2 brings together the top companies pushing B.C.’s boundaries in technology, digital...

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    The second annual NEXTBC Showcase of Innovation & Awards Night will be held on the evening of Thursday, May 21, 2015 at Science World. NEXTBC 2 brings together the top companies pushing B.C.’s boundaries in technology, digital creativity and innovation, and allows the public to learn about the great ideas and individuals behind these businesses.

     

    Situated against the picturesque backdrop of downtown Vancouver and False Creek, attendees will have four hours to network, enjoy great food, travel the booths and then find out who will take home the night’s awards. At 6:00 PM the doors to Science World open, and for the next two hours people can learn firsthand about the companies up for a NEXTBC award. Then, at 8:00 PM, the awards portion of the evening starts in the Omnimax Theatre.

     

    NEXTBC 2 will feature more companies, greater floor space for displays and a bigger number of awards to be handed out. Last year, the first NEXTBC featured 25 companies, with the top 5 going on to be judged in front of a live audience. This year, NEXTBC is broadening the awards categories so companies from all of B.C.’s diverse innovation sectors can compete head-to-head.

     

    Any innovative company operating within B.C. can submit a nomination to be considered for a NEXTBC award. The five main categories are:

     

    • Most Innovative Start-up
    • Most Innovative Business Solution
    • Most Innovative Digital Media Company
    • Most Innovative Entertainment Company
    • Most Disruptive Innovation

     

     

    DOWNLOAD THE NEXTBC 2015 NOMINATION FORM

     

    From these five categories, the top company in each respective field will be announced. Then, one representative from each of the five winners will take part in a live Q&A. Rapid fire questions will be asked by the NEXTBC judging panel, audience members and our online audience. After deliberating, the judges will reconvene to announce which of the five companies best represented their method of innovation and be awarded the top prize of Most Innovative Company of the Year.

     

    An Audience Choice Award will also be given to the company that receives the most audience votes that night. As well, a Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to a B.C. company that has a substantial legacy of fostering innovation in our province.

     

    Tickets are now on sale for NEXTBC 2, and companies can submit their nomination form until April 21, 2015. Nomination forms can be found on the DigiBC website located at www.digibc.org.

     March 23, 2015
  • Article
    Posted by  see more Posted by David Tubbs on 2012-07-20 12:30:00 PM


    In a recent survey conducted by the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, nearly half of local businesses say their preferred advertising channel is online.


    At 46%, online advertising far outpaced radio and print. This displays a dramatic shift in the advertising focus away from the more traditional avenues in Waterloo Region. It shows that, while online advertising is still a developing field, there rests a major appetite towards reaching a broad audience in new ways.


    This survey was created after the much-hyped Facebook IPO that brought riches upon the social networking giant, but also created a great deal of speculation on the sustainability of its revenue streams (i.e. online advertising hosting). As is clear, there remains a desire in the business community to continue to utilize online advertising in all of its forms


    Furthermore, with those supporting email advertising combined with online advertising this forms a strong majority of 61% for survey takers preferred methods of advertising. This shows a distinct shift away from traditional advertising vehicles such as radio, print, and television for small to medium sized businesses.


    Part of the reason for this shift is not just the explosion in social media driven advertising and the strong legitimacy of online advertising, but also the fact that advertisers now have the ability to find real analytics behind the success of an online ad campaign much easier than a print campaign. Due to this limitation, the understanding that circulation numbers and moderate demographic information don’t necessarily translate into viewed impressions have led to a more success measureable model.


    Traditional advertising outlets are not being forsaken just yet, however. Business consultant Jeff MacIntyre from So There Business Solutionssays, “I find with my clients, the choice of advertising channels still depends on their market and the connection they are trying to make to their target audience. In many ways people still have an emotional connection to certain advertising mediums such as print and flyers.


    “This being said there is an enormous desire to be able to track success of a campaign and web based advertising metrics helps satisfy this need where no other avenue can. As traditions shift so will key advertising channels. And right now that shift is towards online advertising.”


    With the movement towards mobile phones being the primary source for accessing online content this means if online behemoths like Facebook are having difficulty translating effective advertising options for businesses they could eventually lead to a weakening demand similar to the weakening of Groupon sales after its inability to adapt to their market after their initial domination.


    The one thing that that can be deduced from the survey results is that while online advertising tops the list by a fairly strong amount, it is not the only preferred method of pulling in business.