The countdown is on, and Canada’s first ever ‘moonshot’ is just a couple of months away.

Preparations for a national celebration of the best in Canadian digital media innovation are well underway, and will culminate with the presentation of the inaugural Moonshot Awards.

They’re presented by the Canadian Digital Media Network, in recognition of Canadian ICT (information and communication technology) companies that are creating jobs and wealth for themselves and for Canada.

What’s more, those individuals and companies honoured with an award will be seen as making real contributions to the stated goal of the CDMN’s Moonshot initiative: letting anyone do anything online, by 2017.

It’s about eliminating boundaries, opening up new vistas and ensuring that technology serves the greatest aspirations of mankind, much as the original moonshot did, and in fact is still doing.

Any technological development, from that circular device used to support and convey objects (known as a wheel), through to solid rocket booster engines and new smartphone applications, has both an immediate impact and an on-going legacy. Like tossing a stone into a lake and seeing the ripples of water extend out of sight, technological developments today have profound impacts tomorrow.

CDMN announced its ‘out-of-this-world’ plans nearly two years ago; since that time, the national network of digital media and technology organizations has held conferences, tours and other activities as it conducted its pre-launch countdown.

Now, a shout-out for recommendations and nominations has now been made by the Moonshot awards organizers, and individuals, companies and industry groups across Canada are invited to submit names for consideration as top Canadian innovators and successful commercializers.

The Awards will be presented Tuesday, May 14 at the CDMN Canada 3.0 Conference, held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Awards will be presented to those tossing the stones, to those setting their sights on the moonshot in 2017 and beyond, in four specific categories:

 

CDMN Digital Media Dynamic Company of the Year

Recognizing the Canadian company demonstrating the greatest increase in productivity through the adoption of digital media.

 

CDMN Digital Media Globalizer of the Year

Recognizing the Canadian company demonstrating the greatest increase in international sales, investments or other contributions to the growth of the Canadian digital media industry internationally.

 

CDMN Digital Media Innovator of the Year

Recognizing the Canadian company demonstrating the greatest degree of innovation through the adoption of digital media.

 

CDMN Digital Media Company of the Year

Recognizing the Canadian company that made the greatest contributions to the growth of the Canadian digital media industry in 2012/2013, selected from entrants to the CDMN Digital Media Innovator, Globalizer and Dynamic award categories.

 

An expert panel of judges, including Deloitte Canada’s Chief Innovation Officer, Terry Stuart, RocketScope Managing Director and Founder, April Dunford, and CDMN Managing Director, Dr. Kevin Tuer will be evaluating the nominees and determining the winners.

Any Canadian company is welcome to participate and contribute; self-nominations are certainly welcome, but all nominations must be received by 11:59pm ET April 12, 2013.

The Canada 3.0 Conference itself features a comprehensive line-up of keynote presentations, panel discussions, workshops, online supplements and more, all looking at issues surrounding technological  entrepreneurship, including finding and keeping talent, attracting investment, socialization and gamification, all while celebrating Canadian achievements in the commercialization of information and communications technology (ICT) in Canada and abroad.

Bestselling author of Power Friending, social media expert, speaker, TV host, and entrepreneur, Amber Mac will host CDMN Canada 3.0 2013.

Confirmed keynote presentations include:

• Chris Anderson, former Editor-in-Chief, Wired Magazine and bestselling author of Makers: The New Industrial Revolution, The Long Tail and Free, presenting on how a generation of ‘Makers’ using the Web’s innovation model will help drive the next big wave in the global economy, as the new technologies of digital design and rapid prototyping gives everyone the power to invent – creating ‘the long tail of things.’

• Jane McGonigal, game designer, futurist and bestselling author of Reality is Broken, is harnessing the power of Internet games in new ways to help solve some of the biggest challenges facing our world today and tomorrow. She will discuss gamification principles for digital media companies and non-tech companies looking to implement these concepts to drive engagement and productivity.

CDMN Canada 3.0 2013 programming updates, registration details, partnership and sponsorship opportunities will be posted to www.cdmn.ca/canada30. Follow @can3_0 and @cdmn on Twitter, like the Canada30Forum page on Facebook and join the LinkedIn Canada30Forum Group for updates.

Through CDMN’s deployment of a crowd-sourcing platform, CDMN Canada 3.0’s SoapBox at http://ideas.canada30.ca, Canadian digital media companies are encouraged to come to Canada 3.0 and share their success stories.

# # #

submitted by Lee Rickwood