BIMA - Latest News

BIMA Awards - the industry party of the year

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 08:09:36

BIMA Awards Party 2009
date: 19th November | time: 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. | venue: KOKO in Camden
dress code: Dress to Impress (but not black tie)

I can hear you saying “Yeah, Yeah, another awards event”, but wait, this is not just any awards… this is the BIMA Awards. Never mind the meerkats, go compare bimaawards.com

This year the BIMAs have an amazing line-up including:

• the beat-boxing brilliance of Beardyman,
• the live video mash-up and mix set from Addictive TV
• the power-pop pimps Eureka Machines
• the ebullient, vibrant DJ Rob Stanley

It’s going to be the party of the year! Tickets are better value than ever and there are generous discounts for buying in bulk, so you’ve got no excuse not to attend! Ticket price includes: entrance, bite size food, entertainment, unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks until 11 pm (a cash bar will be available)

Get your Tickets Now! You can reserve them on the Digital Arts site here:

Don’t forget to vote for your favourite Blog. This year the Best Blog award will be decided by a public vote. Please consider the nominees and vote for your favourite here

Finally, many thanks to our sponsors:

Microsoft - Ultraspeed, Episerver - Electronic Ink - Propel - Kingston Communications - Zebra People

for their generous support.

BIMA unites with IAB in digital education mission

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 09:58:25

BIMA unites with IAB in digital education mission

The IAB and BIMA have united in a mission to provide students with the tools they need to succeed in digital marketing.

The British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) has announced that it will partner with The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) - the trade association for digital marketing in its quest to engage with universities in the UK. BIMA has already established themselves as a driving force for digital education through their Digital Schools Challenge launched earlier this year, and the two organisations will be working closely over the coming months to put a contact strategy in place.

Kate Dickinson, IAB Operations Manager said: '"By having media owners, recruitment agencies and universities as part of the taskforce we have been able to gain an objective opinion about the state of talent in the industry. Our first initiative will aim to evaluate skills and cultivate the knowledge of those wanting to go into the digital industry, inspiring and helping graduates to understand what a career in the digital industry will mean to them."

Mirage Islam, Chair of Education & Innovation at BIMA said: "BIMA are delighted to be partnering with the IAB on such a positive initiative to enthuse, energise and instil the relevant skills for future talent. BIMA's commitment to partnerships and collaborations, will allow for combined efforts to ensure that the UK's Creative Economy grows from strength to strength."

For more information on the partnership please contact Mirage Islam on mirageislam@bima.co.uk

Awards 2009 - Deadline Extended

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:12:10

Get your entries to the BIMA Awards in before 24 August - plus tickets for the BIMA Awards Party are on sale now

Enter the BIMA Awards 2009, in association with DigitalArts

Has your company produced an excellent interactive campaign or project in the last year?

Get it recognised by entering it for a BIMA Award. Celebrating 25 years in the interactive industry, we’re looking for the best in creative excellence and best practice in interactive design, including innovation, design and functionality.

This year we have a host of new categories, new judging guidelines so all entrants get feedback on their projects, and a sparkling new venue – KOKO in Camden, London.

Extended deadline: you’ve now got until Monday 24 August to enter the BIMA Awards. Entries cost from £130.

Enter now

Get tickets to the BIMA Awards 2009 Presentation Party

When? 19 November 2009
Where? KOKO, Camden, London
How much? Tickets start from £46.75

Early bird discounts: Order before 13 September 2009 and take advantage of our special early-bird rates, a range of discounts are available starting at £35 per ticket when you book 20 or more. Quote promotional code BIMA01 when you make your reservation.

Buy tickets now

For more information on ticket prices contact Laura Robertson

BIMA Questionnaire - your views

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:21:39

BIMA Questionnaire – your views

Take part now

As you may have read, BIMA is going through an exciting period of change with the election of the new BIMA executive committee in May this year. As a result we want to ensure that every step of the way we are designing and running BIMA for you, our members. For the first time, in a long time, we want you to have a say and tell us your opinions on how things are being run. We want to know where we are providing value and where we can improve.

We would like to ask you to take 10 minutes of your time to answer 15 questions so we can get a better understanding of your views and opinions on BIMA.

We appreciate you’re busy so we thought a token incentive of a chance to be entered into a draw to win a bottle of bubbly would help encourage you to take part.

Take part now

BIMA's Schools Digital Challenge winners

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 10:58:39

British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) names Schools Digital Challenge winners

July 6th 2009, London: BIMA, the only independent industry association dedicated to celebrating and supporting the use of creativity in digital technology, has named Hautlieu School in Jersey and Uplands Community College in Sussex as the winners of its Schools Digital Challenge competition.

The challenge, launched by BIMA earlier in the year, asked teams of students to come up with a Digital solution (which might take the shape of a website, interactive game or video) that provides a practical benefit for their community. The brief was deliberately broad to give the students the chance to really use their imagination, with the key objective to encourage them to combine creativity and technology with real social benefits.
Jersey’s Hautlieu School submitted a proposal to produce a new digital archive of downloadable podcasts of the years of the German occupation of Jersey, as a stand-alone website linked to the Jersey Museum and as a video wall in the War tunnels museum.

The archive, created by a team of year 12 and 13 Media Studies, Photography, ICT, Music, Art, History and English Language students would be a first for Jersey, in that it would be available to the whole community to access. It would also break new ground in its aim to place a positive, historical interpretation of the ways in which the occupation changed the character of Jersey, instead of repeating well-known stories of hardship and betrayal.

“The challenge for the students was to create a real interactive archive for the island, which is both serious and relevant to a wide demographic audience that includes both residents and tourists”, said Sandra Peddle, from Hautlieu school. “The students who signed up for the challenge have learnt not only new skills for their future careers, but have also created something which will be a source of personal pride for years to come. The island is a small and close community and this project has really made a difference in bringing us even closer.”
Joint winners, Uplands Community College in East Sussex created the iWADHURST tour, a videocast and podcast available to be downloaded on portable multimedia players in French, Spanish and English. The videocast, created by a team of 12 students from years 9, 10 and 11, will allow the wider community to gain more knowledge about the place in which they live, work, attend school or visit.

The iWADHURST tour will guide people through the small town of Wadhurst directing them to key locations as well as points of historic interest allowing the listener/watcher to learn more about Wadhurst and what this historic town has to offer. The videocast and podcast will be informative and fun and best of all, be created by young people who will interact with their community to create something exciting, engaging and accessible to not only the people of Wadhurst but the world.

“The BIMA Schools Digital Challenge 2009 has given the school and its students the opportunity to think about the community,” commented Phil Rhodes, the teacher responsible for submitting the Uplands project. “The project will allow us to form valuable links with the residents and businesses of the small town of Wadhurst, as well as communities in France and Spain. The project has seen a great deal of excitement among students and staff, allowing them to engage in a worthwhile extended learning project and we are over the moon to have been chosen as winners.”

Mirage Islam, Chair of Education and Innovation Group added BIMA are fully committed to not only inspiring future talent but also creating opportunities both commercially and for education purposes. This particular challenge has created just that with some great additional social benefits.

Looking ahead 2009/2010 will allow for a much bigger Digital Challenge and we have already set up partnerships with the British Council, NESTA and the RSA. We’re also in the process of securing media partners for the year too. Our aim is to build on the success of this initiative and ensure that creativity and innovation lie at the heart of our activities."

BIMA would like to thank, Microsoft, Sky and Contagious Magazine for their support and prizes.

ad:tech 2009 - call for speakers

Fri, 5 Jun 2009 10:40:21

BIMA has secured a limited number of speaker spots for ad:tech London 2009 in September. These will consist of a small number of agencies hosting individual sessions to present a solid case study of their work.

If you would like to pitch for one of these spots, please let us know who you would be putting forward to present the case study, their role within the agency and the case study you would like to present (just the name of the client and the project that you did for them).

We're looking to create several more of these opportunities for BIMA members in the coming months so if you miss this one, don't worry, they'll be more to come!

To express an interest in speaking, please email: sharlenegerus@bima.co.uk

For more information on ad:tech London 2009, visit: http://www.ad-tech.com/london/adtech_london.aspx

BIMA's AGM- Member's dont miss out!

Fri, 15 May 2009 12:37:29

The BIMA AGM is next Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at Kettners, 29 Romilly Street, Soho, London, W1D 5HP.
Open to BIMA members only. Not a member, join now! http://www.bima.co.uk/members/register.asp

Kick off for official business will be at 6PM. Come cast your vote for the new Chair and Vice Chair, as well as elect new directors to the BIMA Executive Committee.

Please book your place here. sharlenegerus@bima.co.uk
Open bar 5:30 - 6:30, cash bar thereafter.

Creativity in technology celebrated as British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) awards 2008 winners announced

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 17:01:53

BIMA (British Interactive Media Association), the only independent industry association dedicated to celebrating and supporting the use of creativity in digital technology, has announced the winners of the BIMA Awards 2008, in association with Digital Arts.
The ceremony was hosted by comedians Ricky Grover and Geoff Whiting at The Bloomsbury Club in London last night, with nine main category award winners; Proximity London (B2B), Poke (B2C), The Rumpus Room & The Sweet Shop (Film & Animation), Less Rain (Games), AKQA (Integrated Campaign), Agency Republic (Social Media), CHI & Partners (Website), Will Saunders (Student) and AKQA (Agency of the Year).

A range of additional sub-categories acknowledged specific campaigns, aiming to capture specific talents and merit the successes of modern digital media. This produced a diverse range of winners including; Clock Limited’s ‘Creative Pool’ campaign for Channel 4 taking the Technology & Innovation award for the B2B category, and magneticNorth’s work with the BBC on its Climate Change: Bloom website being awarded the Content & Design award in the Website category.

AKQA undoubtedly had the biggest success of the night, winning the sought-after ‘Agency of the Year’ accolade, after winning six additional awards for work on behalf of Xbox, Nike and Unilever’s ‘Pot Noodle’. The agency then finished the night by receiving BIMA’s top award - the Grand Prix, celebrating the best work from all of the award winners, for its work on Nike’s Bootcamp campaign.

Clare McDonald, Chair of the BIMA Awards Committee 2008 and Creative Director, Digital, at BSkyB said; “AKQA has completed such a wide variety of projects this year and have been truly impressive. This success was reflected when the shortlist was announced, with the agency receiving a record 21 nominations. They may have great clients, but the team has been consistently creative, innovative and has really added something new to our industry. We wanted to recognise their focus on producing fantastic work this year.”

With inspiring future talent now a big focus for the association, the student award was given to Will Saunders from Hull School of Art & Design for his work entitled ‘Screaming Sky’.

Paul Walsh, Chair of BIMA said; “As a leading player in the development of innovation, BIMA is working with schools, academies, colleges and universities to enhance interactive education across the UK. It’s vital that we support and promote young talent, and raise the profile of those who will go on to shape the industry landscape. We were very impressed with Will’s work, and hope to see more like it at future BIMA awards.”

The dinner was attended by some of the industry’s most respected and established agencies and brands, including the likes of Poke – who received three awards, all for work on Orange’s ‘Unlimited’ and ‘Balloonacy’ campaigns – as well as MRM Worldwide UK, IMG Digital Media and Imagination, having picked up one award each.

Digital creativity and music go hand in hand, and one of the highlights of the evening was the BIMA DJ competition. With some of the UK’s top digital creative agencies in the same room, those harbouring raw DJ talent stepped up to the decks to go head to head with their peers.
The full 2008 list of winners can be found here: http://www.bima.co.uk/bima-award/020E131703/bima-awards-2008/awards-winners/

For more information on becoming a member of BIMA, visit: http://www.bima.co.uk/about-bima/members-benefits.asp

About BIMA
Established in 1985, BIMA is an independent industry association dedicated to celebrating and supporting individuals, agencies, organisations and students that produce innovative and creative digital media solutions. BIMA takes on the role of industry liaison, supporting commercial development and knowledge sharing through a mixture of events, competitions and awards. BIMA comprises a number of working groups to ensure all members are represented fairly and to drive topical issues and trends within the industry. These member based groups enable the association to help raise industry standards while inspiring and supporting future talent.

Contact PR Agency:
Vikki Chowney, Account Director, Six Degrees, +44 (0)1628 80280, vikki.chowney@sixdegreespr.com, or +44 (0) 7868 115235
Julie Lane, Vice Chair, BIMA, +44 (0)7920 113 647, julie@bima.co.uk

British Interactive Media Association announces official BIMA Awards 2008 shortlist

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:07:11

October 16, 2008, London: BIMA (British Interactive Media Association), the only independent industry association dedicated to celebrating and supporting the use of creativity in digital technology, has officially announced the finalists of the BIMA Awards 2008, in association with Digital Arts.

Since the BIMA Awards were first introduced in 1985, they have evolved each year to reflect a constant shift within the interactive industry. Now focusing on all aspects of digital, the awards have attracted the highest standards in innovation and creativity.

Clare McDonald, Chair of the BIMA Awards Committee 2008 and Creative Director, Digital, at BSkyB said, “This year, we refined the categories for entry. By introducing sub-sections like ‘Awesome Little Bit of Wickedness’ underneath nine core awards, the scope of submissions has become far wider. This refinement has resulted in a greater variety of entries from more areas of our industry. And, for the first time, the awards team was open to non-executives of which I’m proud to have been given the role as the first non-executive Chair. As such, on top of celebrating traditional creative, we have also short-listed a few more ‘unsung’ heroes.”

The 2008 shortlist has been selected by a panel of expert judges, all with unsurpassed knowledge and experience in the factors that can make or break the success of a truly ground-breaking campaign. The judges include Jon Sharpe, Creative Director & Chief Executive at Play; Richard Ogley, Art Director at BSkyB; and Tamara Gillan, Managing Director of spf15.

Shortlisted companies include AKQA, who secured a record 21 shortlists for work including Nike, Xbox and Unilever and CHI & Partners, Poke and LBi all shortlisted for 5 awards. Additional shortlist agencies include Agency Republic, Kempt, Avenue-A | Razorfish, MRM Worldwide UK, and GT.

Chris Kempt, founder of Kempt, a specialist digital marketing agency, said, “When we released the BIC ‘Legends’ campaign that has shortlisted in the Social Media category, even we were surprised by its success. The game's unique customisation features and cheeky arcade action made the game an instant hit. To have received a nomination in the BIMA awards is a double honour, as there are a million and one different awards out there – we’ve always regarded the BIMAs as one of the most credible. Therefore this recognition means a massive amount to both me and the team as a whole.” The new category structure for 2008 will capture specific talents and merit the successes of modern digital media. The full 2008 shortlist can be found here.

Book your tickets for the Presentation Party
The gala presentation dinner will be held at The Bloomsbury Club on Thursday, November 27, 2008. Ticket reservations are now open and a form can be found at here.

About BIMA
Established in 1985, BIMA is an independent industry association dedicated to celebrating and supporting individuals, agencies, organisations and students that produce innovative and creative digital media solutions. BIMA takes on the role of industry liaison, supporting commercial development and knowledge sharing through a mixture of events, competitions and awards. BIMA comprises a number of working groups to ensure all members are represented fairly and to drive topical issues and trends within the industry. These member based groups enable the association to help raise industry standards while inspiring and supporting future talent. www.bima.co.uk

Contact PR Agency:
Vikki Chowney, Account Director, Six Degrees, +44 (0)1628 80280, vikki.chowney@sixdegreespr.com or
Julie Lane, Vice Chair, BIMA, +44 (0)7920 113 647, julie@bima.co.uk

BIMA Announces Appointment of PR agency Six Degrees

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:06:16

BIMA, the industry association representing the diverse interests of the UK interactive industry, announces today its appointment of PR agency Six Degrees, after a competitive pitch. The account will be led by Vikki Chowney.

With a newly elected Executive committee, and under Paul Walsh’s final year as Chair, BIMA is increasing its focus on marketing communications. The association will be using Six Degrees to help promote its aims, communicate better with members, raise the BIMA awards profile, promote its recently formed member committee working groups (Awards, Communications, Website, Events, Education, Standards & Best Practices, etc.), and drive general awareness and membership.
Julie Lane, Vice Chair of BIMA, says: “BIMA has an aggressive marketing agenda this year and we are very much looking forward to raising our profile by working in partnership with Six Degrees, a highly strategic and buzz-centric communications agency. We are confident Six Degrees can help us promote dialogue within the interactive media industry while spreading the word about some of the fantastic programmes we are putting in place for our members. These include training, networking and recruitment. As we work to support the creative excellence and craftsmanship within digital media, we know Six Degrees will ensure that our message is out there.”
Jennifer Janson, Managing Director, Six Degrees, says, “We are really looking forward to helping BIMA generate the attention it deserves. What attracted us to the association is its true independence, and the ability to fly the flag for creativity across the industry as a whole. Digital marketing is quickly becoming the central hub for marketing creativity, marking a shift in the industry unlike any other we’ve seen before. We believe BIMA has a critical role to play in the new marketing world.”
About BIMA
Established in 1985, the British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) is the industry association representing the diverse interests of the UK interactive industry.
Whether they are a large software house or up-and-coming students or freelancers, working online or on disc-based media, in education or business, all members share a common goal: to exchange information and advice on the technology, application and business of interactive media, and to promote the use of technology to business and the public.

This year’s BIMA awards will be held in London on November 27th. The call for entries has just opened. Please see the website for more information and to enter. All members receive two free entries. http://www.bima.co.uk/

About Six Degrees:
Six Degrees is an award-winning UK-based PR agency. The company has an unusual mix of well-established multinationals and high-growth, fast-moving start-ups as clients. The common theme is that all are technology-based businesses.
.
Six Degrees consultants combine in-depth knowledge of trends, issues and technologies with first-class writing skills, and excellent media, analyst and blogger contacts. All designed to deliver results that drive clients’ businesses forward.

Six Degrees is a member of Eurocom PR, an international PR network of independent PR specialist operators with a global reach and a unified approach to campaign management and message delivery.

www.sixdegreespr.com

Contact:

Paul Walsh, Chair BIMA; CEO Segala, paul@segala.com, +44 (0)7738 758 848
Julie Lane, Vice Chair, BIMA; Communications Director, Start Creative, julielane@gmail.com, +44 (0)7920 113 647
Vikki Chowney, Consultant, Six Degrees, vikki.chowney@sixdegreespr.com, +44 (0)1628 480 280, Skype: vikki.chowney