Hi everyone -

Here’s the details for tonight’s Demo Night (Sun, Jan 29):

1. You should plan to wrap up work at the University by 5 pm today.

2. Before you leave, we need your help to clean up the work areas and rooms that we’ve all been using.

3. Demo Night is at Enterprise Square downtown (10230 Jasper Avenue) on the 4th Floor. You can drive or take the LRT (get off at Bay/Enterprise Square Station).

4. Dinner will be waiting for you starting at 5:30 pm at Enterprise Square.

5. Demo Night begins at 6:30 pm. It’s open to the public, so feel free to invite your friends!

6. Demos will be 5 mins each. We have 16 total demos tonight!

7. We want to take team photos as well tonight!

Information for demos: We’ll have a projector and screen, so when you arrive, let us know how you want to demo so we can get you hooked up.

Prizes we’re giving away tonight: Unity 3D Pro License ($1,500 value), Torque 3D Pro Licenses (3), Guru scholarships $2,500, BioWare N7 Mass Effect Hoodie (large), BioWare Dragon Age Origins T-Shirt (large), BioWare Mass Effect Hardcover Comic

If you have questions, just email us at info@startupedmonton.com and we’ll help you out.

This weekend has been awesome and we’re really looking forward to seeing the great things you’ve all been building and creating the last few days!

- Startup Edmonton and GameCamp Edmonton

54 hour build marathon, here we come! Startup Hackathon + Global Game Jam 2012 is this weekend! Rest up, because it’s going to be a fun and busy weekend of designing, brainstorming, drawing, animating, coding, building and testing! Here’s details for the weekend:

The location:

University of Alberta, Computing Science Centre, Room CSC B-02 (located in the basement of the building)

Schedule of activities:

Friday, January 27, 2012
6:30pm – Doors Open/Registration (CSC B-02)
7:00pm – Session #1: Welcome, How to have a Successful Weekend, Pitches, Creation of Teams
8:30pm – Planning your weekend
10:00pm – Wrap-up (CSC B-02)

Saturday, January 28, 2012
9:00am – Doors Open – Start Building! Bring your own coffee and we’ll provide the snacks.
12:00pm – Lunch (CSC B-02)
5:00pm – Session & Supper (CSC B-02)
6:00pm – Keep building…
9:00pm – Wrap-up (CSC B-02), head to evening excursion

Sunday, January 29, 2012
9:00am – Doors Open – Keep Building! Bring your own coffee and we’ll provide the snacks.
12:00pm – Lunch (CSC B-02)
4:00 pm – Begin to wrap up and get ready for Demo Night!
5:00pm – Supper (CSC B-02)
6:00pm – Head to Demo Night (location TBD)

Best place to park on campus:

Stadium Car Park, 116 Street & 89 Avenue

Some information to help you get ready for the weekend:

How to get the most out of Startup Hackathon + Global Game Jam
Why should I come to Startup Hackathon + Global Game Jam
A recap of the first Startup Weekend Edmonton

What you should bring:

• A laptop or tablet with wi-fi (internet will be available via the campus wi-fi network)
• Something to write on and with (notebooks, sketchbooks, pens and pencils)
• Energy drinks (for those of you not stimulated enough by Coca Cola or juice)
• Toothpicks to keep your eyes open
• Headphones if you need to focus on work
• An app or game idea (or two) to share and pitch with others

What’s new this year?

• We’re going to cap team sizes this year at 5 people (to avoid someone’s job being “content guy or girl”)
• Structured opportunities for teams/projects to keep going after the weekend
• No sleeping (just kidding, okay maybe just a couple of hours)

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Event sponsors – TEK Systems
Student sponsors – XEA Services, Quercus Solutions and Digital Alberta
Prize sponsors – BioWare, Garage Games, Unity, and Guru Digital Arts

The twitter hashtag for the weekend is #hackjamyeg and #ggj12 (for you Global Game Jammers)

If you need something, you can email us anytime over the weekend at info@startupedmonton.com.

Looking forward to seeing you this weekend!

Startup Edmonton and GameCamp Edmonton

P.S. We have a few spots left if any one you know wants to join in the fun!

Why should you come to Startup Hackathon + Global Game Jam?

Startup Hackathon + Global Game Jam isn’t just for developers and programmers, it’s for everyone that wants to turn ideas into something real. Not only is it a great way to meet other people in the community, you’ll also learn a thing or two as you make something real – in 54 hours. So, if you’re a designer, marketer, educator, or just interested in what it takes to build an app or make a game, this event is for you.

3 reasons why you should come:

1. Learn by making something
Ever had an idea for an app or game, but didn’t know how to turn it into reality? Here’s your chance to discover new skills by working alongside other creative, technical and entrepreneurial people in the community. For coders, learn a bit about design and user experience. For designers, learn about code and programming. For business types, learn about product development and what it takes turn ideas into real products.

2. Meet someone new
There’s plenty of talent throughout our community whether it’s students or seasoned industry pros. Startup Hackathon + Global Game Jam brings all those people together and creates a massive brain trust in our community from which new prototypes, products, and ultimately, startups, will come from.

3. Take the first step towards a startup
We all have ideas for the next great app, game and startup. Maybe you have a job, maybe you’re in school, and if you only had time, money, and a certain skill, you would start working on something. Here’s your chance to at least get started and take that first step towards building something great. It’s amazing what happens when you have a little bit of a constraint (like 54 hours) to make something happen.

So what are you waiting for? Get inspired and make something this weekend at Startup Hackathon + Global Game Jam!

Click here to register today!

Here’s the lineup for tonight’s edition of DemoCamp Edmonton. Register here if you haven’t already. Looking forward to seeing everyone at our first event of 2012!

Zeel
Slapshot Heroes
Linelo
Websuite Pro
Ruby Hackup Demo

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to participate and enter a submission to our first Startup Edmonton Skunkworks initiative with the Alberta Motor Association.

The results are in, and we’re excited to announce the three local startups selected to move onto the next phase: to work directly with the AMA to plan and scope a pilot in early 2012.

• Bitshift Games (first place) – A mobile game for social good, focused on travellers helping other travellers.
• Darkhorse Analytics (second place) – Predictive modeling and forecasting around real-time road conditions, traffic incidents, and other traveller information.
• PlanHero (third place) – Facebook application that helps people plan, organize and book trips and events.

Startups were judged on their product demo/concept, pilot readiness, and fit with the AMA’s interest in the development of real-time traveller information applications.

By advancing in the Skunkworks program, the three local startups will get a chance to gain unparalleled experience, access and early traction with a major customer to help propel them beyond the pilot into global markets and raising funding.

For more information about the Skunkworks program and results, contact Ken Bautista at ken@startupedmonton.com.

Guest post from Collin Moody, VP & CIO at the Alberta Motor Association discussing why an enterprise organization like the AMA, is excited to partner with Startup Edmonton on the Skunkworks Program.

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A company like AMA has a unique set of challenges. Our organization has a number of large lines of business; including Insurance, Travel, Registries, Banking and of course membership & roadside assistance. Providing appropriate IT support for all of our lines of business, 900,000 members and 2200 staff is a challenge, but it is one that we have been mastering over time.

Register to participate in the Skunkworks + AMA Kick Off on Saturday, October 29th at 9am.  Check out the specific details of the Skunkworks + AMA Program.