You might be wondering how Appsterdam, the movement to establish the world
capital of App Makers in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam, is going. Given the
world-class, weekend-long, city-wide party planned to answer that question,
signs point to "pretty good."
The weekend-long party will not only serve to report on the progress of the
movement and its future direction, but with a carefully selected stable of
speakers and venues, will feature a veritable who's who and where's where of
the booming local tech scene.
As App Makers arrive in the city or close out their work week on Friday,
they'll gather at Cafe Bax in Amsterdam's up-and-coming Old West neighborhood
for Meeten en Drinken. This weekly gathering (usually 19:00 on Wednesdays)
brings together engineers, designers, business people, marketeers, and others
to talk about apps and the craft of making them.
"This time around the drinks are being paid for by Microsoft," Appsterdam COO
and party chair Klaas Speller said. "So this is not only your chance to meet
App Makers, it's your chance to have a drink on the Empire."
On Saturday Appsterdam's Founder and Mayor Mike Lee will once again take the
stage with a stable of special guests to deliver an inspirational keynote. This
weekend's keynote will be at one of Amsterdam's cherished landmark tech venues,
Pakhuis de Zwijger.
The 90-minute address will feature the world premier of the "space pirate"
movie, a 10-minute short film produced by Appsterdam's film department. The
director's cut was a cult hit at some tech conferences this summer. Mayor Lee,
who wrote and stars in the film, describes it as a fictionalized account of the
founding of Appsterdam.
"We have to call it fictionalized because 'farcicalized' isn't a word," said
Lee. "I cannot overstate how ridiculous this movie is."
The keynote and screening will be the featured events of the Appsterdam 2
Launch Party, with venue, drinks, and snacks provided by sponsors Sogeti and
IceMobile. While a networking event in its own right, the limited space and
high profile promises to make it a spectacle.
"I can say without reservation that if you miss this weekend’s Appsterdam 2
Launch Party Weekend, you’re missing the nerd party of the year," Mayor Lee
wrote on his blog, http://mur.mu.rs/.
The original Appsterdam Launch Party Weekend rather famously featured guided
tours of the city. This weekend's launch party was specifically planned around
Museumnacht, the first Saturday in November, the only night when Amsterdam's
famed museums stay open, turning the city into one of the biggest multi-venue,
multi-genre nerd parties in the world.
In addition to Museumnacht, there are any number of ways for App Makers to
entertain themselves in Amsterdam, not the least of which is the Amsterdam Film
Week, which has donated tickets for App Makers in the city this weekend.
If that all sounds like something fun for people of all ages, it should be. The
Appsterdam 2 Launch Party Weekend, like the entire Appsterdam movement, aims to
promote family-friendly Amsterdam as the best place in the world for
technologists and their families.
As Chief Community Officer Judy Chen explains, "You might choose not to bring
the kids to the bar on Friday, but you'll definitely want to bring them, and
something to share, to the potluck brunch at Boven de Balie on Sunday, as App
Makers and their families get together like we do every other weekend."
Just as the architecture of the Boven de Balie illustrates the
past-meets-future ethos that makes Amsterdam unique, Appsterdam Family Weekends
illustrate the key difference between Appsterdam and Silicon Valley. While the
Valley and its many imitators focus on startups and venture capital,
Appsterdam's founders take a holistic approach.
"There's no one key to the 'Hollywood of Apps,'" Mayor Lee explains. "It's an
ecosystem, made of many interconnected parts. Appsterdam isn't another Valley,
it's an alternative to the Valley and the materialistic lifestyle. Appsterdam
is about friends and families, community and cooperation, technology and
tolerance."
People interested in apps and the people who make them can learn more about the
worldwide Appsterdam movement by visiting the Appsterdammers
at http://appsterdam.rs/ or by visiting the event-specific meetup sites.
For the weekend-long party plz RSVP to the meet-ups below:
Appsterdam Meeten en Drinken, sponsored by Microsoft
Fri., Nov. 4, 19:00 at Cafe Bax, Ten Katestraat 119
http://meetup.com/Appsterdam/events/36497642/
Appsterdam Keynote Launch Party, sponsored by Sogeti and IceMobile
Sat., Nov. 5, 14:00 at Pakhuis de Zwijger, Piet Heinkade 179
http://meetup.com/Appsterdam/events/36497712/
Museumnacht
Sat., Nov. 5, 19:00 at various Amsterdam museums
http://n8.nl/
Appsterdam Family Potluck Brunch, sponsored by Boven de Balie
Sun., Nov. 6, 12:30 at Boven de Balie, Kleine Gartmanplantsoen 10
http://meetup.com/Appsterdam/events/36497732/
Amsterdam Film Week, free tickets donated by Amsterdam Film Week
All week and weekend at Pathe City, Kleine Gartmanplantsoen 15-19
http://www.meetup.com/Appsterdam/events/38205102/
olga paraskevopoulou--
@olmageddon
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