Manchester Digital Development Agency

Job Vacancy @ Lets Go Global

Paul Spensley — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:30:33 +0000

Project Manager for ‘Looping The Loop’.

Lets Go Global, Trafford Council are seeking an experienced, highly motivated, and organised freelance project manager to manage and deliver Looping the Loop.

Looping the Loop is the Northwest’s opening event for London 2012, celebrating the start of Games time in the UK on May 19th in the vicinity of Old Trafford, and The Quays. May 19th also marks the day when the Olympic torch relay begins its 60 day journey around the UK

The purpose of this event is to ensure local communities feel part of London 2012 and provide a time and a place for everyone in the North West to celebrate a key national moment in the Olympic Year.

Looping the Loop will work with a wide range of local people, and will commission six new projects with communities who live in and around the Old Trafford stadium. The areas of focus will be Old Trafford, Gorse Hill, Langworthy & Ordsall.

It will present a selection of new work developed for the Cultural Olympiad, and Inspire Mark projects such as the Greater Manchester All About Us project.

Full details can be found here: bit.ly/zOri2e

2012 International Year of Co-operatives

Dave Carter — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:56:59 +0000

Great opportunities this year for raising the profile of one of Manchester’s greatest assets, being the home (respect to Rochdale obviously!) of the Co-op movement. There are probably still a lot of people who don’t yet realise that 2012 is International Year of Co-operatives and that later this year (late October/early November) Manchester will host one of the biggest ever global gathering of co-ops and social enterprises. We’re also aiming to have a special strand about things digital and cooperative as there’s a growing interest in the role that mutuals can play in developing innovative business models for Internet apps and services. Especially interesting is the work that FC United and others are doing about the concept of ‘punk finance’, but more on that story later……….. In the meantime check out the 2012 info on the website.

IMPROVING CUSTOMER FOCUS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

Paul Spensley — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:35:58 +0000

IMPROVING CUSTOMER FOCUS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA – Manchester – 22 & 29 February 2012

This workshop is fully funded and particularly designed for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the North West of England.

The eligibility criteria for an SME is:

· Less than 250 employees
· Independent business (less than 25% ownership by a large business)
· Have not received more than 200,000 Euros of public funding in the last three years

Social media is a powerful and cost-effective means of building relationships that lead to new business. Commencing with a marketing refresher, this programme will provide tips for getting the most out of Social Media, look at the business reasons for using social media, and assist businesses to develop a social media and web based marketing strategy. The programme will conclude with the development of an individual ‘go-to-market’ strategy to help your business innovate & grow.

These lively, interactive sessions will answer two core questions:

How can social media make my business more competitive?
How can I develop an integrated online and offline marketing strategy?

Benefits

Refresh your marketing skills
Better customer focus through social media
Hear how other businesses like yours have used social media to become successful
Find and attract new customers
Reduce your marketing costs and eliminate wasted marketing expenditure
Better understanding of customer behaviour through social media
Sell more to existing customers
Timesaving social media techniques that will drive innovation and support business development.

Email: ifg@lancaster.ac.uk or phone 01524 510769

A copy of the flyer is available to download here [in PDF format]

Workshop to explore barriers employers face when recruiting unemployed people and young people in IT

Alan Holding — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:30:50 +0000

Tribal Education has been commissioned by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) to conduct workshops to explore barriers employers face when recruiting unemployed people and young people.

A workshop is taking place in Manchester on Thursday 19 January 2012, and key employers and representatives from the North West IT sector are invited to participate.

Here is a PDF of the workshop agenda.

Where and when

Venue: New Economy, 6th Floor, Churchgate House, 56 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 6EU
Date: Thursday 19 January 2012
Time: 2pm to 4.45pm.

More information and booking

Find out more on the Sector Focused Workshops website, where you can also book for the Manchester event.

OPEN for business, the key word for 2012

Dave Carter — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:42:42 +0000

The success of Open Data initiatives over the past year has motivated increasing numbers of people and organisations to work together to make 2012 a year when this work really does make an impact. Ranging from the local work that Open Data Greater Manchester has been doing to European networks working on Open Cities and through to global initiatives like Apps for Democracy, this is the future and a real priority for MDDA’s future work, working with local partners, including Future Everything and MadLab. Lots more to come on that over the coming weeks as we get to the stage of being part of the launches of the three new European Smart Cities projects that we are involved in, all focusing on different aspects of open data and open networks.

It’s A New Day, It’s A New Year

Dave Carter — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:40:44 +0000

Following several (fully justified) critical emails and Blog comments about why I haven’t been using my Blog, I’ve finally got round to doing something about it. We’re soon to be refreshing and relaunching the MDDA website but, like many organisations making commitments to do this, it’s taken us a bit longer than anticipated. This is mainly for very good reasons, like our success in getting projects funded through the Living Labs and Smart Cities networks that we’re involved in. Nevertheless, prior to the new website being launched to reflect the new work we’re doing through these projects, I hope to give you a taste of some of the exciting things to come during 2012.

Salford Social Media Surgery, 12 January 2012

Alan Holding — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:55:09 +0000

The first Salford Social Media Surgery of 2012 is taking place at MDDA’s offices from 4pm to 6pm on Thursday 12 January. (The regular venue of Salford’s Lads Club is closed for repairs.)

Salford Social Media surgery is a FREE event for those in the community and voluntary sector. You can speak to experts and get advice and tips on how social media can help your organisation.

Salford Social Media surgery is an initiative of Manchester Net Squared – a volunteer-led collective of people who aim to support those making social change with easy technology.

Sign up to attend and find out more

Visit the Social Media Surgery website to find out more and sign up to attend, and keep updated by following the #slcsms hashtag on Twitter.

Help test an iPhone app this Wednesday 21 December

Alan Holding — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:06:17 +0000

MDDA is involved in the APOLLON project, part of which is helping small companies to test their apps.

This Wednesday we’ll be helping test a novel iPhone / iPod Touch app called MuseUs that invites you to look at the paintings in Manchester Art Gallery in a different way.

Your choices and decisions will not only add to the feedback about the artworks, but will help to refine the app.

The testing session will take place this Wednesday 21 December, in Gallery 6, Victorian Galleries, first floor of Manchester Art Gallery.

The test itself will take around 15 to 20 minutes, and you can drop in any time between 1pm and 4pm.

You do not need to own an iPhone or iPod Touch to take part in the test, as equipment will be provided.

We will ask you to complete a short survey about the app and your experience using it.

If you are interested in taking part in the testing sessions, please sign up using this form.

If you require more information, please contact Alan Holding at MDDA on 0161 255 8111 or 0161 241 8211, or email Alan.

Salford Social Media Surgery, 8 December 2011

Paul Spensley — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:28:36 +0000

If you’re a community or voluntary group and would like some face-to-face help with web stuff and social media, then come along to the next Salford Social Media Surgery, which is taking place at Salford Lads’ & Girls’ Club (yes, Smiths fans, that one) from 4.30pm to 6.30pm on Thursday 08 December 2011.

A social media surgery is an informal event where “patients” get to spend one-to-one time with “surgeons”, looking at how social media can benefit their community organisation.

Need Help? Want to know how Twitter can help you campaign? How can Facebook help you connect? Or maybe you just need a basic starter? Please come along and join us…

Can Help? Can you spend an hour or two with a cup of tea and some local community projects, helping explain and show some of the ways social media could work for them? Please join the surgery…

Smiths Fan? You can also visit the Smiths’ Room, and have your picture taken to add to it!

Where and when

Date: Thursday 08 December 2011
Time: 4.30pm to 6.30pm
Venue: Salford Lads’ & Girls’ Club, St Ignatius Walk, Salford, M5 3RX (Google Map for the venue)

Find out more

Visit the Social Media Surgery website for more information and to book a slot.

Salford Social Media Surgery, 10 November 2011

Alan Holding — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 09:03:05 +0000

A social media surgery is an informal event where “patients” get to spend one-to-one time with “surgeons”, looking at how social media can benefit their community organisation.

Need Help? Want to know how Twitter can help you campaign? How can Facebook help you connect? Or maybe you just need a basic starter? Please come along and join us…

Can Help? Can you spend an hour or two with a cup of tea and some local community projects, helping explain and show some of the ways social media could work for them? Please join the surgery… (Alan Holding from MDDA will be going along as one of the surgeons.)

Smiths Fan? You can also visit the Smiths’ Room, and have your picture taken to add to it!

Where and when

Date: Thursday 10 November 2011
Time: 4.30pm to 6.30pm
Venue: Salford Lads’ & Girls’ Club, St Ignatius Walk, Salford, M5 3RX (Google Map for the venue)

Find out more

Visit the Social Media Surgery website for more information and to book a slot.