Recently, I've been part of a team looking at online games as a method to excite, engage and educate under 35's about science. Fingers crossed, we'll get some funding for the development!

In that context, I found this blog by Anjali Ramachandran from the excellent @madebymany interesting reading - especially in relation to the influence of games in the behaviour change agenda.  Anjeli was at NESTA's Serious Games event this morning, and her post comments on some of this morning's discussion as well as linking to the case studies.  The value of the game is a further dimension to an already exciting 'Nsquared debate' on impact of networks in behavioural economics. 

Anjali's post has a sub heading 'Games as an instrument of education vs. games as an engaging experience'.  I hope there'll be no "vs." in our project, because these days, without engaging experience, there is no education . It's not an 'either/or' option anymore.

I'll let you know how we get on.

In the historic Mechanics Institute hearing about the North Tyneside and Northumberland Local Enterprise Partnership submission

Interesting point from Northumberland - some strategic partners weren't fully engaged because of speed of submission process.

There may be a significant challenge in getting LEP buy in and ownership from those partners who weren't involved in the LEP vision development.

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We had a surprise visitor in Manchester on Friday. It seemed that Lord Peter Mandelson was here to put his arm around the regions, and give them a little hug after Kenneth Clarke's description of the Regional Development Agencies as a "failed experiment" earlier in the week.

Mandelson put investment in infrastructure centre stage - particularly infrastructure of the high tech and low carbon variety. Also highlighting connectivity to the Regions, both digital and rail, he doesn't see this investment as a drain on the public purse, but rather an essential platform for future growth. He talked of how we had "missed the boat 20 years ago" when Europe was investing in wind power. "I don't know where we were looking" but we can't make that mistake again. To stand still is to go backward. He thinks 50p on the price of phone line rental isn't unreasonable to get broadband to his brother (and everyone else, of course!) in Cumbria. But what I'd ask is whether the speed that we'll get for our 50pence will be enough to help us lead in Europe, or will we still be playing catch up? I saw Lord Mandelson at University of Manchester & UMIC Core Technology Facility - You can find out where else he went here! Sent from my iPhone

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At the Downtown Manchester in Business launch, Sir Howard Bernstein explains that he encouraged Frank to launch DMIB to bring constructive challenge and debate between independant businesses and the public sector. He acknowledges that yes, sadly Frank McKenna is a Scouser, "but he's a Scouser with a difference".
Manchester needs debate and constructive challenge. That's what drives this economic engine of growth and acheivement. Sir Howard describes the commissioning of the MIER report as 'brave and courageous' - the MIER invited independant external analysis of the Manchester City Region's economy. The report says that we are on right lines, but we need to do more. he says that positive debate is part of the package which will make Manchester the World class, premier city that people of Manchester deserve. That's where networks like DMIB come in.

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First session of the Soccerex conference is Sport: A Total Entertainment Industry. The secret of sport is it's unknown quantity- it's the ultimate reality series on TV. Brian Barwick warns that sport shouldn't be complacent, as live celebrity shows like Dancing on Ice, are broadcast live and provide much of same interest at less cost. All agree that the future of sport is reliant on live attendance, but sports marketeers need to find new ways to get new audiences into the stadium eg: ground sharing, half time penalty shoot outs from schools or showcasing different different sports.

Which sports clubs do you think give you the best live experience?  Do you get involved at the match? Online? or on TV?

Let us have your views on the future of sports entertainment!

 

The Panel for this event comprised:

• Casey Wasserman, Chairman & CEO, Wasserman Media Group

• John Skipper, Executive Vice President, ESPN

• Brian Barwick, Barwick Media & Sport

• Philip Beard, Non-Executive Director, AEG Europe

• Jeff Mallett, Principal Owner of San Francisco Giants & Former President of Yahoo

• Kevin Roberts, Editorial Director, Soccerex Business (moderator)

 

For more information visit www.soccerex.com

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Couldn't let this event pass without a posting, though I don't know where to start! On Thursday 25th February, I went to a party to celebrate 6 years of URBIS, Manchester's marvellous museum of contemporary culture. The party was for friends, family and fun. In contrast to Saturday night, which was a wake, for staff only to say goodbye. Vaughn Allen, former Cheif Executive of Urbis led the speeches, toasts and whiskey drinking, before turning out the lights, locking the doors and handing in the keys.

The building formerly known as URBIS will now be closed to the public for 18 months, then it will reopen as the National Football Musuem. Much has been written about this already. Rather than debating the merits of the decision here, I will point you to posts by Adrian Slatcher and Susie Stubbs. Sent from my iPhone

Maria Balshaw says that this has been a great week for art in Manchester - opening of 2 contemporary exhibitions at Manchester Art Gallery on Wednesday night, Don McCullin's show of arresting conflict photography at Imperial War North on Thursday, and tonight - here we are, at the Whitworth Art Gallery for Walls are Talking.

The background to Maria's introduction is Ivy by Thomas Demand. On one level Ivy just works because it brings the outdoors of Whitworth Park in through those large tructural windows, but the mass of the spreading vine also belies a darker subtext of Hansel & Gretal. ( Personally, I love it and say keep it up all year!)

This exhibition is inspired by the Whitworth's existing collection of amazing wallpapers, and Im looking forward to seeing exciting work when I get through to the main show. 

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An exciting and varied debate about the future, at the Manchester CoMixed discussion.

A series of provocations on the scientific challenges of our time including Climate Change, Digital Economy, Ageing, Food Security and Nanotechnology. Thoughts are remixed into a cooperative production by the Manchester Beacon's network of people, places and knowledge.

Panellists include:

• Warren Bramley (Creative Director at Four23) - on the Digital Economy
• Dr. Martyn Amos (Principle Investigator on Nano-Info-Bio, Manchester Metropolitan University)
• Professor Remco Polman (Director of Centre for Applied Sport and Exercise Sciences, Principal Investigator Medical Research Council Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Grant)
• Professor Callum Thomas (Professor of Sustainable Aviation, Centre for Air Transport and the Environment, OMEGA, Manchester Metropolitan University) on the Future of Air Travel
• Professor John Whittle (Professor of Software Engineering, Lancaster Business School)
• Kate Bailey (Senior Research Associate, Cardiff Business School) on the future of Food Production

John Whittle is currently talking about a vision of the future where we can see into peoples minds, and understand what makes them tick. A previous 'twitter sceptic', John now sees twitter as an early indicator of future technology that will increase mutual understanding and relationships in society.

My favourite quote so far is from Martin Amos, and his assertion that "Bio-Hacking already happens in people's kitchens".

The debate returned time and again to:

"What is the responsibility of the individual, and what behaviour should be controlled or 'nudged' by the state?"

Read more, and get involved in the debate here!