Write the last chapter of the SIME Storytelling Book!

During SIME, true to the spirit of storytelling, we crowd sourced authorship to get contributions from the audience on the future of a product, technology, idea or region as they see it, which will be compiled to form a nice SIME storytelling book. As the editors are putting the book together, we thought we will keep the last chapter of the SIME book open for more contributions from the online world. So tell us forum what you think will be the future of an idea (Think: TV), product (Think: iPads), technology (Think: Mobile), brand (Think: Microsoft) or region (Think: Asia). Send us your comments either directly below or by tweeting to @simeblog or by email to storytelling(at)sime(d0t)nu.

What’s your story?

This is mine:

Using the eye of my soul to imagine,  I foresee the next generation homes to be touch and intelligent filled – internet of things with an intelligent layer on top. For instance, Aircon going down in temperature automatically if I feel cold. Art and design will assume greater importance and so will philanthrophy and the need to be humble, nice and kind. Internet will be less chaotic since social will be the default skin of the beast and media / content will be the only currency of interaction. Mobile is hyped up, but the technology behind mobile will be cloned in different things (for instance, your fridge can have a connection dial pad). In terms of region, there are opportunities everywhere, on the whole Asian markets are interesting although there is a lot to learn from the Western mindset and thinking. – Mahesh Kumar

SIME 10 Highlights!

The theme of SIME Stockholm this year was storytelling.

And the setting was 60 speakers in an over-crowded hall of over 1500 enthusiastic CMOs, decision makers, bloggers, entrepreneurs and press that did not hesitate to stand on the side or sit on the floor or on top of each other, with curiosity and excitement of the discussions brimming on each one of them. That was the story of SIME 10: a fantastic 2 days of inspiration, knowledge and storytelling on the main stage that continued into the workshops leading to a night of riveting fun and celebration with the SIME Media Momentum Awards and the After-Party. SIME10 also marked the inauguration of SIME Non-Profit, a separate arm of SIME to help NGOs and social entrepreneurs understand digital better  to make the world a better place.

The Best of SIME10 – in a nutshell

You can read the elaborate key take aways from all sessions here

You can watch some of the movies from SIME 10 here

You can read about the SIME-Media Momentum Awards here

You can track your own conversations that happened at SIME 10 here

Thank you for a fantastic 2 days of inspiration and knowledge. And see you next year!

Some tips for maximizing your time on Day 2 at SIME

Well, I should be at the SIME speaker gathering party right now, but instead couple of us thought lets sit down and sort things together with the team so that we can reach an even loftier goal of making day 2 of SIME better than today. Thanks for all the feedback so far, and helping us help you.

And this is what I would do if I were you.

The Basics:

1. Be on time to both the conference at 0900 and to the workshops.
2. Interact, ask questions, stop the speakers at the workshops and probably even at the main stage if the curious itch got into you.
3. Be part of the conversation at our twitter and live stream channel with the hashtag #sime10 and #sime10np
4. Computers are going to be passed around tomorrow, and you are (can I use ‘must’ without sounding like the dictator of the internet?)welcome to write a short piece about the future of a brand, idea, product or technology (crowd-sourcing authoring if you may)

Workshops and Match Making:

1. Use the workshop screens to make sure you are in sync with the latest timings of the workshop (apologies for changing a workshop time today or from the time of your registration, but having fully booked events can be a real hassle). The web of course also has it
2. Use http://m.sime.nu for match making, agenda and workshop timings. Using the mobile site, you can meet people who have opted in to be contacted. And if you want to opt-in, you can do so by clicking on the “Add Me” button. Of course, you can also access http://m.sime.nu from your PC / MAC / iPad
3. Grab iPads you see to give feedback about SIME this year and enjoy a beer on us.

The Others

1. Move quickly in the line when it comes to food and coffee. Think of it like in the airport baggage scanner line, faster the better for everyone
2. And if you have a ticket to the awards, gala and party, needless to say, sit back relax and enjoy the show in true SIME style.

See you tomorrow! It’s going to be fantastic.

[SIME Day 2] Another workshop you should really think about going to!

As a follow up to my workshop post on my picks given the fact that most of them are over flowing, here is one more fantastic workshop that you should be at.

November 18, Day 2

16.15-17.00, From user engegement to user delight – the Hemnet story

Location: Rigoletto 2

Moderator:  Anna Omsted Lindgren,founder Tasteline

Speaker: Dr Katarina Graffman, antropolog

and featuring participants,

Beata Wickbom – Queen of webb and social media at Pool in Stockholm.

Katarina Graffman – CEO, Founder Inculture. Provides ethnographic research and anthropological analysis on contemporary culture, trends and cultural branding.

Carl-Henrik Borg – CEO Hemnet.

Konrad Olsson – freelance writer and editor, mainly interior and lifestyle.

Alexander Noren, journalist and working on a book about the residential property race and how he became an eager property surfer.

It’s a great mix of experts on ideas to make your ‘users’ ‘fanboys’ and  to take customer level intimacy to the next level.

SIME over the years …

has been watered, nurtured and well nourished. From a reincarnation year of 2005, a cool conference in 2006, industry benchmark in 2007, a landscape changing event in 2008, and an ambitious 2009, we have made quite a few steps forward. And come tomorrow, we take yet another step forward by bringing the best speaker collection, insights through workshops and a well oiled support engine for match making and networking. Below is a montage of some of pictures from SIME 06 till SIME 09.

[try watching both the movie and slide show together - might be a cool way?]

We think the final pieces of SIME is fitting along fantastically well, and we are eager to show it to you tomorrow. So, ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for SIME Stockholm?

Thinking about which workshops to attend? Here are my 2 cents

It is hard to pick from a bunch of amazing workshops when every single one of them looks tempting, and 45 minutes don’t seem enough. And most of them are overflowing with people. So here is my pick of 5 workshops you should think about going to, which have a little bit more room to accommodate you giving you some good bandwidth to make sure you are heard:

Day 1, November 17 : 1515 – 1600

• Regain ownership and take control of your digital life by Johan Staël von Holstein. Today’s best users of social media are its users. You could be the biggest brand and the best idea since sliced bread, but you will still need to be a user to understand and bell the online cat. Well, as a user, you might not have thought about how certain information about yourself can be used against you. Johan Stael, a veteran and a pioneer of digital entrepreneurship in Scandinavia, talks about why its crucial for us to understand and take control of our online personas, which might be just as important as our offline.
• How to get bought by Google, Schibsted or other fantastic companies
  Getting acquired might be the oxygen that you might need to take your company to the next level, or you might just be getting started with your idea, and its always good to know how that exit chart looks like. Big companies are always shopping around for cool and innovative ideas, and this is a place for you to understand what they look for when they actually open up their purses.

Day 1, November 17 : 1615 – 1700

• Media mix shaken not stirred
  Is today’s media changing fundamentals completely, or is it just a reincarnation of already known and well-held principles of honest communication, ease of usage and content anytime anywhere. Join MEC Global and their CEO with our facilitator on understanding how you can capture media

Day 2, November 18, 1515 – 1600

• Exit Strategies with GPBullHound, Europe’s leading technology investment bank that focuses on helping shape up the investment and M&A landscape. Understand how to build a company from start up to exit and to maximize value with your working today for an exit tomorrow.

Day 2 November 18, 1615 – 1700

• Communication Leaders, with Mercedes Global where you can understand how Mercedes built a global online strategy using an ecosystem of channels, the new contract between the agency and the marketing directors and how to create a global footprint with strong communication take aways.

Of course the other cream la cream are sold out, so if you haven’t registered yet, this is where I will be.

SIME and the power of storytelling is in town this week

Stories and story telling has always been nature’s way of making sure the best stories transcend the test of time, borders and boundaries. As kids, all of us have heard almost the same but slightly localized and adapted version of  fables (remember hansel & gretel?). And at school, the best stories are always the one’s that stick with you as you grow up. In the business world, the brands that have mastered the art of telling their story or in the recent days, spurring people to tell the story about their brand have reined through the times (think coke, carlsberg – Facebook is may be more about your story than theirs?).

Check this youtube campaign

And at SIME together with our speakers, thought leaders and you the audience, we want to inspire and teach through the art of story telling ranging from the best untold unheard stories of brands to mastering communication to be more effective leaders of organizations. SIME is in town this week bringing together the best from the business academic and professional world for mind boggling debates and plenary sessions, workshops and match making.

Welcome to 2 days of inspiration and story telling. Welcome to SIME Stockholm November 17, 18.

SIME Speaker Updates – Inspiration and Story Telling!

With the count down to SIME, here are some more speakers who are coming to SIME, going to be part of workshop discussions and available to meet you! Welcome to SIME. Welcome to 2 days of inspiration and story-telling.

Nina Wahlgren, Head of Brand Development & Coordination, SEB Nina is an experienced communications proffessional responsible for developing one of Sweden’s most trusted brands in finance with a long history being part of the fabric of Swedes society. Karin Larsson, Director Communications, Volvo Cars Sweden Karin Larsson is responsible for communication of Volvo cars, overseeing the Nordic communications efforts and bulding one of the brands that define Swedes in the global community…. Merci Olsson, Marketing and Communications, Nobel Web Merci Olsson has a 15 year background in marketing and communication mainly on the digital platform. Formerly PR Manager at Pricerunner.com and several advertising agencies, Merci is now the…. Kati Sulin, COO and Interactive Strategy Director EMEA Hill and Knowlton Finland Before joining Hill & Knowlton, Kati Sulin spent eight years at digital marketing solutions company TOIMISTO in management role where she worked with various clients integrating their marketing initiatives. Aaron Barsness, Associate Marketing Director P&G Nordic Aaron has been with P&G since 2000 and has worked with several of P&G’s leading brands including Yes, Ariel, and Pampers. Aaron’s current role is leading the Brand Operations division in the Nordics. Sohrab Ghotbi, Director Advertising, Global Online Media As Advertising Director, International Digital Media, Sohrab Ghotbi leads the global online sales effort for the New York Times Media Group. He has been based in Paris since 2007.   Martin Deinoff, VP Marketing and Business Development, Creuna Martin is the Senior manager and business consultant in Creuna, one of the Nordics’ leading digital communication agencies. Martin is vastly experienced in strategy, concept development, project management… Joakim Liljedahl, Head of Marketing, Nordic and Baltics, Sony Ericsson Joakim Liljedahl is the Head of Marketing for Sony Ericsson in the Nordics since 2009. Joakim was part of the Swedish/Japanese joint venture already in its founding year 2001, and has since then had… Katrin Ley, Global Marketing Director, Reebok Katrin Ley is Head of Brand Strategy, Business Development and Women’s Sport Business Unit for the Reebok brand. Katrin is responsible for developing the brand strategy and process that delivers… Michael Dwan, Microsoft Advertising Michael searches for harmony and surprise. He is passionate about brands and helping them take full advantage of the interactive palette to engage and entertain audiences. As the Director of Creative…. Ben Kartzman, CEO of Spongecell Ben Kartzman is the CEO and co-founder of interactive ad company Spongecell which uses cutting-edge technology to transform standard banner ads into dynamic flash ads with rich media-like functionality…. Raoul Grünthal, CEO Schibsted Raoul Grünthal is the CEO of Schibsted and a veteran in the media industry. Raoul has served as the CEO of Svenska Dagbladet since 2006. Between 2003 and 2006 he was chief editor and CEO of the… John Vincent, CEO, Eyewonder Mr. Vincent co-founded EyeWonder in August of 1999 and was part of the original team that pioneered first ever Instant Play Video Ad in 2000. Vincent is active in setting direction for the future of online rich… Jonathan Forster, Global Sales Director, Spotify Before joining Spotify, Jonathan Forster spent eight years at digital marketing solutions company Valueclick in a series of management roles where he worked across display media, price comparison…

Winners from Gruenderszene (Germany)

We ran a small competition in Gruenderszene, one of the leading tech blogs in Germany giving away 2 SIME tickets to the readers of the popular blog based on comments and trackbacks.

And the winners are:

Sven Koerbitz from tweek.tv
Eva Abraham from gmx.de

Congrats guys, or as they say Glückwünsche! And welcome to SIME Stockholm, November 17, 18.

Announcing the bloggers press passes for SIME 10!

SIME opens its doors again for the following bloggers to enjoy 2 days of SIME on the bloggers pass. We got a bunch of applications this year, and we has chosen the following blogs / people based on subject and domain of expertise, trend coverage, uniqueness of content, reach and flow of ideas. As it has become a SIME Tradition, bloggers form an integral part of our voice to the rest of the world, and we try to provide all opportunities for you to connect with speakers (by almost compelling speakers to be around for longer periods and remain accessible) and other movers/shakers to interview and get their musings on topics of interest.

And as a blogger coming to SIME, what do we expect from you? NOTHING. Enjoy SIME, and enjoy giving your commentary on the days events. We are all listening!

Big Congrats to the following. I will mail your codes separately for you to use and register. You can also reach me at mahesh(at)sime(dot)nu for any queries.

1. Johan Ydring – http://www.kamurshol.se
2. Peter Sandberg – http://disruptive.nu
3. Anton Johansson – http://fyranyanser.se
4. Daniel Lövquist –  http://www.lovquist.com
5. Sheila Riikonen –  http://planmill.wordpress.com/
6. Paula Marttila – http://paulamarttila.com/
7. Fritjof Andersson –  http://www.SocialBusiness.se
8. Simon Vikström - http://www.SocialBusiness.se
9. Henriette weber –  http://www.henrietteweber.com/
10. Gunnar Lindberg Årneby –  http://www.natkoll.se
11. Jonas Carlsson – http://notesondigital.com
12. Sara Öhman – http://www.saraohman.se/blogg
13. Annika Lidne – http://disruptivemedia.se/blog
14. Hans Kullin – http://www.kullin.net
15. Christoffer Du Rietz –  http://webbsverige.wordpress.com/
16. Karin Nilsson Malmén-  http://www.preferenspr.se