STRATFORD, ON – Canada’s digital media industry should make it possible for “anyone to do anything on-line in Canada – by 2017”, just in time for the country’s 150th birthday, say organizers of the Canada 3.0 2010 forum.
While acknowledging that their target is ambitious, the second annual forum aims to bring together the people who can make that happen from industry, government and academia for a two-day event intended to boost Canada’s ability to lead in the digital economy.
“We’ve set this ‘Moonshot’ that might sound impossible, just as putting a man on the moon once sounded impossible, but it is attainable if we harness all the necessary resources and are fully committed to making this happen,” said Kevin Tuer, managing director of the Canadian Digital Media Network, in a statement. “While the sun is setting on some more traditional industries, there are many opportunities worth shooting for in digital media spanning all aspects of our economy.”
The event will feature speakers in the main plenary sessions, plus opportunity for attendee discussion and input in a broader range of breakout sessions and workshops. Building on the momentum created at last year’s forum that attracted some 1500 people, the forum will have a broad scope given that digital media is defined by organizers as ‘anything created or shared virtually’.
The main plenary sessions will be emceed by Kevin Newman, anchor and executive editor of Global National. Keynote speakers and panelists include Tony Chapman, founder and CEO of branding and advertising agency Capital C; Tom Jenkins, executive chairman and chief strategy officer of Open Text Corporation; Helen McDonald, assistant deputy minister, Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications, Industry Canada; Sarah Prevette, founder and CEO of entrepreneurship community Sprouter.com; Gerri Sinclair, executive director, Masters of Digital Media Program, Centre for Digital Media, B.C.; and more to be announced soon.
Organized by the Canadian Digital Media Network and the University of Waterloo’s Stratford Institute, the Canada 3.0 2010 forum is scheduled for May 10-11 at the Rotary Complex in Stratford.
