Mobile Monday looks to Wednesday for all-day conference on mobile infrastructure

Mobile Monday is looking at other days of the week for its popular mobile networking and seminar events.
No, it’s not changing its name, or the philosophy — helping to connect the Mid-Atlantic region’s mobile community, here, in Philadelphia. Often, on Monday evenings. But the group is looking at broader partnerships to strengthen its foothold in Philadelphia and expand the region’s reach across the national mobile industry.
“There are a number of events where we’re tying into someone else’s event schedule. We’re leveraging the power of our team, the power of our network, and our mindshare, to help other events,” says Mobile Monday President and Chair Chuck Sacco.
On Wednesday, the group will embark on one of the first events formulated by this approach, and the last event of the season for the group, with wireless industry publication RCR Wireless and the Pennsylvania Wireless Association.
As opposed to Mobile Monday’s usual, “functionally-focused, specific vertical,” programming, the event, RCR Mobile Broadband Philadelphia: Applications & Infrastructure Conference, will focus on infrastructure and carriers.
“This is the hardware side of things, the guys that put up the towers, the bandwidth. It’s a critical part of the process,” Sacco says.
The all-day conference, being held at the Sheraton University City, will be broadcast live, free of cost, and is otherwise available for an affordable $25 admission fee. Folks in the operator/service provider business, or working with a “large enterprise or vertical market institution,” can apply to attend for free.

Mobile trends being covered, Sacco says, include WiFi’s place in the mobile ecosystem, enterprise mobility, mobile marketing and advertising, tablet use, and mobile video. All of which are topics that will help mobile companies on the content and on the infrastructure sides of the industry map out their businesses and growth potential.
Sacco’s got a stake in that. In his day job, he is Vice President of Movitas, the mobile hospitality business that acquired local startup PhindMe Mobile in 2008. The company is beginning to out grow its Bryn Mawr offices, Sacco says, as it refines its niche in the hospitality and events sectors.
Though the panels include industry leaders from around the country, the focus is on including thoughts and perspectives from local organizations and companies like Comcast Ventures, AT&T Wireless, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and more. Even with so much local representation, macro views of the industry are expected. “Their focus will be more on the national conversation then, ‘geez, it’s hard to get a good cell signal at a Phillies game,” he says.
Though this is Mobile Monday’s last event of the season, the group will continue its programming in September, including an event on mobile advertising in partnership with the Philly Ad Club. The group is also looking forward to announcements about how to grow interest in the mobile startup community in the region.
“We certainly want to find ways to tie together mobile startups, the university ecosystem and what we do,” he says.
As for partnerships, like the one developed for Wednesday’s event, Sacco says they’re helping to grow Philly’s reach, especially by leveraging existing ecosystems here, like the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.
“We can’t do this on our own, but we’re passionate about Philly being seen in its own way. We want to be seen as an area of innovation, but it will play out differently than Boston, D.C., certainly Silicon Valley.”