Musictec launches second Connected Music City Challenge

The theme for this year’s Connected Music City Challenge in Adelaide is ’Digital Play in Musical Spaces’, South Australian politician John Gazzola announced as its launch.

The theme was to reflect the partnership between Adelaide music / technology cluster Musictec and the Academy of Interactive Entertainment.

Following up on its successful inaugural event in 2015, its aim is to get innovators of all backgrounds, skills and ages to collaborate and create compelling experiences in Adelaide using music and technology as tools. Applications are open until September 30, see musitec.co/events/449.

It is open to musicians, app developers, game developers, web developers, coders, creative directors, marketing pros, event/project managers and visual designers.

Participants will have the chance to work with industry leaders at a Product Development Workshop on Saturday October 1. They’ll talk about their experiences in music, technology and entrepreneurship. Participants can that afternoon meet with industry mentors about their idea and concept before taking it to the prototyping phase.

The prototypes are created over the weekend of Saturday October 15 and Sunday 16 using the facilities available at the Academy of Interactive Entertainment’s studios. Assistance will be provided to make the process as painless as possible.

The challenge will conclude with a tradeshow style Judging Event on Monday October 24. Winners will be awarded prizes from the likes of IBM (access to its Global Entrepreneurial program valued at $24,000), Adelaide City Council ($2000 cash), AIE (selected Certificate II courses), Flinders New Venture Institute (a Venture Dome scholarship), St Paul’s Creative Centre (12 months Hot Desk), Musitec (business mentoring) and EY ( three hours of professional services consultation).

Last year’s joint winners, Codefish Studios and Conor Barkway’s concept MUNITY, proved to be a boost for Adelaide’s live music scene.

Codefish Studios designed a mobile app that integrates with iBeacon technology in music venues that rewards people for supporting live music and allows them to invite friends to join them at live gigs.

MUNITY creates a digital medium in which local live music lovers can connect and interact with each other after a shared interest in particular, live music scenes.

Runners-up Dream Aviator Productions came up with the concept incorporating the use of staging technology, social media, and live audio/visual streaming to promote live music events as they happen.

In a surprise announcement, Challenge judge Philip Vafiadis – Chairman of Musitec and Innovyz, and owner of world-leading speaker manufacturing company VAF – donated $1,000 to Jonty Czuchwicki for his Vision Festival concept.

Musitec Managing Director David Grice said Musitec was thrilled to work with these amazing concepts and help new ideas become a commercial reality.

“Musitec’s role is to bring teams together from within music and technology industries to collaborate, develop business models and ideas, and commercialise the ideas into the global market,” he said.