Thanks for all of our sponsors and speakers. Our sponsors are TechColumbus (www.techcolumbus.org), eEvent (www.eevent.com), and Tapjoy (www.Tapjoy.com). Our speakers are:

• Bill Forquer – Priiva Consulting
• Marc Macellio – Bunchball
• Stephanie Wyse – Badgeville
• Bob Marsh – ePrize
• Jeff Hoover – ePrize
• Pawan Murthy – BMW Financial Services
• Carmen Nesenson – BI Worldwide
• Rini Das – Pakra Games

Here are some screenshots of the app:

The objective of the app is to be able to verify and process tickets faster and easier using the iPhone, rather than larger, more cumbersome scanning hardware. The app also empowers a venue to allow anyone with an iPhone to process tickets, improving the customer experience.

Here are a couple of screens from the app:

The purpose of the assessment is to define the current state of the targeted site, application, or process and what we see as the opportunities to gamify. This step also includes an analysis of the state of competitors and industry benchmarks around customer engagement. A key component to the assessment is a statement of the business objectives the client is seeking to achieve. Our assessment deliverable connects back to these objectives in evaluating why or why not the current state is helping to achieve the objectives. We also provide analysis on why we believe gamification can help to achieve the objectives. The assessment provides the client and us with a foundation from which to move forward to step 2, strategy. A thorough and effective strategy can only be developed with a solid evaluation of the client’s current state. The length and scope of the assessment varies by client, but it can typically be completed in 2-4 weeks.

By all accounts 2012 will mark the broad adoption of gamification. By 2015, 50 percent of companies will embrace gamification, Gartner says: http://venturebeat.com/2011/04/14/by-2015-50-percent-of-companies-will-embrace-gamification-gartner-says/. As with all predictions, the exact timing and levels of participation are open for debate and certain error. What if it is only 25%? Isn’t that still a big enough number to matter?

Companies of all shapes and sizes need new ways to interact with internal and external customers. Gamification is not new. The adoption of gamification in a broad and strategic manner is new and is taking off now. Here’s why:

• It helps to extend the experience for your customers in a fun and interactive way. We all want deeper and more meaningful relationships with our customers.
• True gamification has challenge and mastery components. Customers will engage for intrinsic rewards, just as much, if not more than whatever extrinsic rewards you can provide them (we belief in both for the record). This is important because most companies can’t provide customers with intrinsic rewards organically.
• Gamification provides mutual value. You want customers (internal or external) to behave in certain ways. Some basic examples are to visit your site more often, purchase more frequently, or follow a policy more accurately. In turn, customers want you to behave in a certain way. They want their interactions with you to be enjoyable, information, and valuable.
• Unlike many other interactive strategies and applications, gamification has analytics at it’s core. Gamification activity and results can be tracked and directly connected to the business objectives it is meant to impact.

If you haven’t started thinking about how gamification could be applied to your company, now is the time. Get onboard the train before it leaves the station so you don’t have to run along the tracks to play catch-up to your competitors.

The agenda includes presentations from some of the leading companies in the gamification space. Here is a partial list:

• Bunchball
• BMW/mini
• Badgeville
• Priiva Consulting
• ePrize
• Pakra Games

Of course as the hosts and leaders of the summit we will be leading some presentations and workshops. As a tease, participants will need to come with their creative and strategy juices flowing out of the gate, as we will be starting the morning by asking everyone to be a Game Strategist (even if you don’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express the night before).

We are hosting the Summit in partnership with TechColumbus. Here is the link to the event page for more information and registration: http://www.techcolumbus.org/columbus-gamification-summit-hosted-awh-mowbol.

Summary

A Rainmaker is responsible for developing new business.

Daily Life

• Communicate our ability to help agency partners and clients to achieve their objectives through our strategy, development, and implementation services.

• Accomplish through any legal means necessary: email, linkedin, social media, meeting for coffee, phone, conferences, events, sandwich boards, etc.
• Do this often enough and well enough to meet the company’s new business objectives

The Finer Points

You need to bring the following to be effective in this position:

• Dexterity of thought
• Ability to listen and understand
• Confidence
• Knowledge of subject matter
• Interact with people like a normal person, but with exceptional value

The Specifics

• A Bachelor’s degree
• Knowledge of and experience with interactive technologies
• Sales and business development experience, 1 -2 years
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to travel locally and regionally as needed. Local travel is frequent and regional travel could be as much as 8 days per month.

You’re Rewards

In addition to the intrinsic reward of personal satisfaction for a job well done you will get and earn the following:

• Base salary
• Commission
• Opportunity for other bonuses
• Comprehensive benefit package

Interested? Email: ryan.frederick@awh.net

ShowGizmo is an awesome platform and app(s). As we are developing ways to gamify events, we came across them and it just made sense to work together. Our game modules will be able to run independently of any event management software or apps, but many events and conferences are still crossing the threshold of fundamental mobile interactivity beyond just a Twitter hastag. #thatisso10minutesago. Which I stole from Shannon Morrison at www.i-m-creative.com. We will be integrating our game modules with ShowGizmo, so conferences or events will just be slammin’ with the combo.

We look forward to working with the folks at ShowGizmo, shout out to Marie-Claire and Joshua. Together we will help events by really fun and interactive.

My Garden will be interactive and fun, allowing players to simulate the planting, nurturing, and growing of various plants. The game will incorporate different growing environments and challenges to provide both the casual and sophisticated player with a rewarding experience.

“This agreement and our partnership with Tapjoy allows us to develop and publish My Garden to showcase our abilities. Previously we have mostly developed games and applications for customers and we wanted to have something of significance to call our own”, said Chris Slee, AWH and mowbol President. “We are thrilled to not only be partnering with Tapjoy from a business perspective, but also to by leveraging their ad and virtual currency platform. We look forward to partnering with Tapjoy on future projects.”

Tapjoy is also sponsoring a gamification summit AWH is leading in Columbus, OH on 2/8/12 at TechColumbus. The gamification summit is an exclusive, invitation only event. If you are interested in attending or sponsoring, please contact Ryan Frederick, ryan.frederick@awh.net or 614.537.8000.

About AWH (www.awh.net) and mowbol (mowbol.com)

AWH was founded in 1995 to provide software application design, architecture, development, and implementation services to enterprise customers. In 2009 AWH started mowbol to serve as the company’s studio for developing and publishing its own apps and games. AWH is now providing strategic services in the areas of mobile and gamification for customers.

About Tapjoy

Tapjoy is the leader in discovery, engagement and monetization services for mobile applications. The company’s turnkey in-app advertising platform helps developers acquire cost-effective, high-value new users, drive engagement within their applications, and create incremental income by providing an ad-funded payment method. The Tapjoy network spans over 9,000 apps and 200 million global consumers on iOS, Android and emerging mobile platforms, delivering more than 1.5 million advertising completions per day to app developers and big brand advertisers. Tapjoy is venture-backed and headquartered in San Francisco, with offices around the world. For more, visit www.tapjoy.com.

There were about 600 folks to start the day. There was some good energy and buzz. The logistics were pretty good as well. The session, exhibit, and meal rooms were all right next to each other. So far so good.

Then the announcement comes that an iPad is being given away at the end of the last session. You must be present to win. Just drop your business card in the fish bowl (maybe it was a box, I am a little fuzzy on the precise container) for your chance to win. We’ve all heard this a million times.

So how effective was the iPad drawing in keeping people engaged and around to the end? Not so good. I stayed to the end because I wanted to see what would happen. The last session had about fifty people in it I would say. There were people coming and going so it was tough to get an accurate count, but I think that is pretty close.

I think there are a lot of flaws with this gamification tactic and most others at conferences. Most people don’t care about the giveaways anymore. Either from the conference as whole or from exhibitors. Giving away an iPad at an “Innovation Summit” is sort of like giving away a set of beakers at a Chemist Convention. If someone is there, they probably already have it.

Can I get an Amen that most conferences, conventions, trade shows, and events aren’t that engaging and interactive? The old giveaways and exhibitor hall treasure hunts just don’t work. The days of please give me a stamp on my card, but please don’t make eye contact should be over.

We think there is a better way and over the next few months we will be introducing a platform that will make conferences suck less. Conferences and trade shows will once again be fun, interactive, and engaging.

If you want to keep abreast of what we are doing, please follow us @awhnet on twitter.