Orange Partner Camp (previously Orange Code Camp) is an event aimed at bringing together Orange and potential or existing partners in a relaxed and informal environment and is a mixture of sessions, networking and fun. It is a biannual event held in the spring (US) and the autumn (Europe).
This years US event was held at the Colony Beach Resort on Long Bar Key on the Gulf of Mexico. The resort provided an intimate atmosphere with accommodation and sessions all in the same location. The Gulf of Mexico was just metres away across a sandy beach. Sessions ran over three days and ranged from the technical subjects (Developing for UIQ 3) to informational (Insight into mobile TV and video), and to marketing sessions (Insight into Orange Compatible). The Developer Centre was open through out the three days of Partner Camps and gave delegates the chance to check the latest Orange devices, test their services and application on them and see the latest Orange services. These included the Orange MMS Blog service, the Orange France Mobile TV service (with 51 channels), Video Calling, and Video Glasses.
However Partner Camp is not just about the sessions and networking. The entertainment laid on included live music from the Dutch band Three Blind Mice, 24 hour food and drink, arcade games and amusements, circus acts in the big top such as knife throwing (which one lucky delegate victim was able to participate in), and cocktails on the beach.
Orange Partner Camp was sponsored by Symbian, UIQ, Forum Nokia, Palmsource, TeleAtlas, Texas Instruments and Sybase. Sponsors run many of the sessions within the event ranging from introductory sessions to more in depth technical topics and interactive discussion sessions. This gives the event a wide ranging flavour. It was possible to move from a session discussing content guideline requirements for the Orange networks to technical session focusing on the mobile platform perspective and to a sessions discussing the role of Hollywood Media in mobile in just handful of steps. Orange Partner Camp is unusual because it is both a cross platform event and, thanks to its varied content programme, attracts a wide range of people - from technical developers, to content aggregators and business and marketing managers. As a result there is an eclectic mix of attendees and consequently the networking and discussion opportunities are unique. Attendees can talk to people from all levels of the value chain – development, business development and marketing as well as a full spectrum of representatives from both the Orange Group and the various event sponsors.
You can get more information about the event and view the sessions reports (some of which were written by me) on the Orange Partner website. Registration is required, but it is also free.
