GigaOM Mobilize 2013
San Francisco
Mission Bay Conference Center
October 16 -17, 2013
Attendees: 600+
Exhibitors: 26+
Media & Analysts: est. 25+
Calysto Overview
At GigaOM’s Mobilize conference in San Francisco this year, the focus of the two-day event was what GigaOM is calling “the second phase of the mobile revolution” – the Internet of things. Attendees got a preview of what to expect in the mobile technology space in the upcoming year, with growth predicted in areas such as BYOD, mining mobile Big Data and wearable devices.
As expected from GigaOm, the speakers were top-notch, with President and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association Gary Shapiro kicking off the conference. GigaOM analysts provided commentary and insight, as did executives from well-known brands such as Microsoft, Nokia, Qualcomm, AirWatch, Sephora, SAP, Dropbox, Adidas Interactive, Staples, Intel Capital, Xerox, Vonage, TripAdvisor, Samsung, Google Ventures, Ericsson, Netbiscuits, AT&T, General Electric, Philips Connected Lighting, Flipboard, Citi Consumer Banking, Netflix and more. Eben Upton, founder and executive director of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, was another interesting choice for a speaker.
GigaOM.com mobile editor Alex Colon provided a thorough recap of some of the places connected devices are expected to show up, based on intelligence from the sessions: smartwatches and wrist real estate; connected home devices in big-box stores; cars and 3D maps; wearable products, such as smart socks; along with other places such as kitchens and maybe litter boxes. (Would you buy a connected litter box for your cat?)
To learn more, here’s the live coverage page, along with blog posts and video for each of the sessions.
Typically, the GigaOM Mobilize event isn’t a venue for product announcements. However, this year Adidas unveiled its new smartwatch as the company’s entry into wearable computing and garnered some nice press.
The annual LaunchPad competition has now morphed into a hardware product showcase, with eight finalists who demoed their products in front of industry observers and VCs. If you’re an accelerator or hardware incubator, consider submitting your application next year.
Summary
What began as a blog is now a respected media property with a reputation for hosting insightful events. This was the sixth year for GigaOM’s Mobilize and its size lends itself well to face-to-face networking, industry discussions, and thought leadership. Although being held at the same time as CTIA’s MobileCon, Mobilize attracted a good qualified audience.
Next Up: GigaOM RoadMap conference, November 5-6, 2013 in San Francisco; GigaOM Mobilize 2014, October 15 – 16, 2014, San Francisco.
Articles of Interest
Mobilize 2013 Live Coverage
GigaOM
By Tom Krazit
Oct. 16, 2013
Ninja Innovation at GigaOM Mobilize
BSN
By John Oram
October 22, 2013
Tracking People, Things, Weather at GigaOM Mobilize
BSN
By Darleen Hartley
October 22, 2013
Adidas Races Into The Smartwatch Space With A Runner’s Heart
Forbes
By Maribel Lopez
Oct. 16, 2013