Mobile Monday Tokyo
Mobile Monday Tokyo (official site) is the Tokyo city branch of the Mobile Monday (MoMo) networking organisation (official site) for mobile industry professionals fostering cooperation and cross-border business development through virtual and live networking events to share IDeaS, best practices and trends from global markets. Founded in autumn 2000 by Mobile Monday Oy in Helsinki, Finland, Mobile Monday now has 47 chapters worldwide, which host meetings on a selected Monday evening each month.
Mobile Monday Tokyo events are held approximately 10 times per year (ex-August and December), on a Monday evening and usually at a club, event space or other venue in central Tokyo (KDDI Designing Studio consumer showroom in Harajuku and operated by KDDI, has been used often). The evening format usually includes a 15- to 20-minute presentation from two or three mobile start-ups, companies or knowledgeable individuals invited by the organisers, each followed by questions and open discussion from audience members. The event concludes with a relaxed networking session where participants meet each other and discuss trends and happenings in the Japanese and global mobile industry.
The annual cycle of events also includes a year-end Bōnenkai and a New Year's Shinnenkai, traditional Japanese social events, which do not include any formal mobile presentations. Events are typically attended by between 150-320 participants. The record to date is 368 participants, for the December 112006 Bōnenkai held at Roppongi Flower.
Events are generally open to anyone, and participants are asked to preregister via the MoMo Tokyo website. In 2007, the organisers have operated periodic 'industry only' events, open only to those working in the mobile arena.
History
Mobile Monday Tokyo was founded in September 2004 by Daniel Scuka and Lawrence Cosh-Ishii, then the editor and digital media producer, respectively, at Wireless Watch Japan, a mobile media site based in Tokyo since 2001.
In April 2006, the two founders established Mobikyo KK together with minority investment from J-Seed Ventures, and the operation of Mobile Monday Tokyo has been managed by Mobikyo KK ever since. In keeping with Mobile Monday's wide focus, events and participation have expanded to include not only mobile software developers, but also a broad range of professionals working in all areas of the mobile industry.
In 2005, for Mobile Monday Tokyo's first anniversary, the event was held on Monday, 5 September, at the loft-style club Warehouse in Azabu-Juban and included presentations from Opera Japan and Freeverse Partners KK, since renamed Freeverse Consulting Inc.
In 2006, the second anniversary event was cast as a mobile panel discussion and held at Designing Studio. Panelists included Tatsuki Tomita, vice president for Asia-Pacific business development, Opera Software; Joseph Jasper, an investor relations officer at Index Corp., Ray Tsuchiyama, vice president at Tegic Communications (since acquired by Nuance Corp.) and Martyn Williams, Tokyo bureau chief for IDG News Service.
In 2007, there was no third anniversary event as organisers from Mobikyo KK were fully involved with the Mobile Monday Global Summit, held 10 September in Helsinki. Also in 2007, MoMo Tokyo - previously free to participants and supported by corporate sponsors - introduced an attendance fee of ¥1,000 with pre-registration or ¥2,000 at the door. This fee has reduced attendance somewhat but has also reinforced the industry focus of those who pay to attend.
Future
Mobile Monday Tokyo appears to have been sufficiently successful for the organisers, now Mobikyo KK, to continue operating the event series for over three years. Certainly, on a local basis, it seems to be a useful if informal networking platform for mobile-industry professionals in Tokyo.