This year's first New Media BC breakfast was held on January 8th and the main speaker was Christopher Brough who is Founder and CEO of Mainframe Entertainment Inc., and the newly elected President of New Media BC. If you have ever seen ReBoot, or Beast Wars/Transformers, then you know Mainframe Entertainment. http://www.mainframe.ca/HOME/index.html
Earlier this week I had the honor of going over Christopher's speech in more detail and thought I'd share some of the highlights:
1. He calls for the New Media community to speak with a unified voice so that we can more effectively deal with our government.
2. In order to grow, we have to increase available capital financing.
Christopher proposes that all member of New Media BC work as a team in
identifying potential public and private resources and then share that
information within the membership.
3. To effectively defeat the Brain Drain to the United States, New Media BC
is lobbying for tax credits and incentives for investors.
4. He feels we need to create closer ties with our post secondary education
facilities: This is by keeping the schools, at all levels, up to industry standards, helping to keep appropriate government funding in the schools, and expanded internships, mentorships, and on the job training so that the students will be adequately prepared to meet the needs of employers.
5. Under the current CRTC New Media hearing, we need to collectively support the position that they can play a strong role in encouraging companies to develop digital media product that use Canadian content by no over-regulating our ability to distribute our products competitively on the global information highway.
6. New Media BC plans to establish a major presence at trade shows, forums, and market-driven events. It also plans to work closely with related BC based organization to help spread the word that British Columbia is now "on line" and ready to expand our business relationships across the world.
Christopher admitted that what he said wasn't anything new, but he spoke clearly. He is being heard and joined by people like him who are bringing change to our economy.
(jmf@bc.sympatico.ca)
A chronicle of the people and events in technology, internet and media since 1997, mixed in with snapshots of musings and observations.
