The Achilles Media Ltd. held the 2009 Innovation Week on November 30 to December 2, 2009 at the Design Exchange in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Innovation Week consisted of (a) NextMedia Toronto which ran from Nov. 30 to December 1 and included the New Media Awards on Dec. 1, 2009 as well as(b) the Canadian Innovation Exchange which was held on December 2, 2009.

Next Media Toronto

NextMEDIA Toronto was a two day conference of networking and learning for those in the new media, It attracted executives from advertising, broadcasting, televisino, media buying, interactive agencies and business and start-ups. NextMedia concluded at the New Media Awards where awards were given in 19 categories. The 2009 Program Highlights Included Gavin Purcell, Supervising Producer , NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon – “Engaging The Audience: Lessons Learned Re-Launching NBC's Late Night" Online and on TV”; Chuck Porter, Co-Chairman, Chief Strategist, Crispin Porter + Bogusky – “Digital Darwinism - Survival of the Smartest”; Tara ‘missrogue’ Hunt – “Making Whuffie”; Tom Jenkins, Executive Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer, Open Text – “Digital Media and Next Generation Social Web”; Jeff Gomez, CEO, Starlight Runner Entertainment – “ Power of Transmedia Storytelling” and Mitch Joel, President , Twist Image “Creating Conversations.”

Canadian New Media Awards

Now in its nineth year, the Canadian New Media Awards recognized the accomplishments of individuals and companies in the Canadian digital media industry, in ninteen award categories. The winners were announced on December 1, 2009 at a gala ceremony at The Design Exchange, Toronto. It was hosted by comedian Seán Cullen. This event consisted of a Cocktail Reception, the Awards Ceremony and the after party.

The 2009 CNMA Winners are:

• Best Company of the Year: Cyberplex Inc., Toronto
• Best Brand of the Year: Doritos White Bag - BBDO/Proximity Canada, Toronto
• Promising New Company of the Year: Syncapse, Toronto
• Hottest New Digital Kid on the Block: ChickAdvisor.com, ChickAdvisor Inc., Toronto
• Best in Mobile Marketing: Brisk ARTwist - Addictive Mobility, Markham
• Best Mobile Application: Air Canada iPhone App - IBM Canada, Markham
• Best Location Based Service: Poynt - Multiplied Media, Calgary
• Best Use of Social Media: Invoke Media - creator of HootSuite Twitter application, Vancouver
• Best in Interactive Marketing: Doritos White Bag - BBDO/Proximity Canada
• Best Branded Entertainment: Worldwide Short Film Festival: Short Attention Span - doug agency
• Best Cross-Platform Project: Waterlife Interactive - National Film Board of Canada, Toronto
• Best Online Video Portal: National Film Board of Canada: Online Screening Room - National Film Board of Canada
• Best Innovative Web-based Game: Junk Battles - Antic Entertainment, London
• Best Kids Interactive: Titanium Chef - mod7, Vancouver
• Best in Canadian Culture: Interactive: In Touch: Connecting Cloth, Culture & Art - ecentricarts inc., Toronto
• Leader in Social Change: Mark Surman, Executive Director, Mozilla Foundation Tonya Surman, Executive Director, Centre for Social Innovation
• Best Online Comedy Performance: Têtes à claques, Montreal
• Best Online Artist of the Year: K-os
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Red Burns, "Grandmother" of new media and Founder of the ITP Program at the Tisch School for the Arts at NYU.

Canadian Innovation Exchange

Canadian Innovation Exchange, CIX was an important Canadian gathering of the key players in the digits and innovation economy. It focused on the funding of innovative Canadian companies. On Dec. 2, 2009 at the Design Exchange, participants were exposed to some of the people, ideas and inspiration who are succeeding in the technology-based innovation milieu. "CIX provides a showcase for the country’s most compelling new technology inventions, and a platform for partnerships and transactional relationships with counterparties from Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere. CIX plays the role of providing critical insight through its sessions, and great facilitated and informal networking events designed to enable investors to discover each other as well as Canada’s next great companies. CIX culminates in the presentation of Canada’s Top 20 Innovative Companies and participants in CIX vote live to choose the CIX 09 “Canadian Innovation Leader"."[www.canadianinnovationexchange.com] Among those attending were the press as well as innovators and entrepreneurs looking to showcase their inventions, share their ideas and meet partners, investors and peers, CEOs, CIOs, CTOs and key executives of private and public companies interested in innovation and visionary ideas, members of the entrepreneurial ecosystem including banks, law firms, government officials and other service providers.

CIX conducted a search for the twenty most innovative Canadian technology-based companies through a qualified Selection Committee. They were asked to showcase their innovative product and services in front of the CIX community where they delivered a seven-minute presentation live on stage at CIX. Judges asked questions and give constructive feedback and guidance and the CIX community present at the event voted for the CIX 2009 Award for “Canadian Innovation Leader." This year the winner was CognoVision which was commercially launched in 2008 to help companies measure the effectiveness of in-store media and shopper behavior in retail environments. The winners for individual heats included: Information Communication Technology (ICT): Aeryon Labs More; Clean Tech: Skymeter; and Digital Media: CognoVision.

For more information about the CIX, please click for its web site: www.canadianinnovationexchange.com

The 2009 Innovation Week was an inspiration to all those in the New Media Industry. Check back here for next year's Innovation Week!

© 2009 Photos by G.C. Eyre, Article by C. Smith, All Rights Reserved