It is no surprise that the fastest growing technology, the mobile device, is rapidly covering the world and demanding attention. After all, more than 1/3 of American’s already use a smartphone and 45% of people without one intend to acquire one with their next phone purchase. By the end of 2011 it is projected that over half of US mobile users will be using a smartphone.

Have you ever heard the expression “The world is at your fingertips…”? Technology is transforming marketing slogans and expressions like this one into literal statements and brand promises. So how do we marketers, technologists and dreamers respond? We uncover the driving forces and figure out how to add value to the mobile experience for consumers and brands. But where to begin? How about the 2011 eCoast Mobile Summit?

I am thrilled to be attending this exciting event! Here is some quick background information:

When? July 14, 2011 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Where? Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel

What? The eCoast Mobile Summit, presented by TechWorld, will focus on the rapidly expanding mobile segment with an impressive array of speakers, topics, and panels. The summit will be divided into two distinct tracks, with one exploring the technical aspects of software development and engineering of mobile technology and the other covering marketing and business topics related to the mobile technology arena.

Sounds pretty awesome, right? At Catchfire, we are already utilizing mobile services and platforms to drive results for our clients. We want to take our mobile services and offerings to the next level and feel like the eCoast Mobile Summit will be a great resource to do exactly that. Here are a couple of our goals and takeaways for the event:

• Meet some great people!

• Hear more about the convergence of mobile and social media

• Better understand the opportunities from a business and consumer perspective

• Learn the latest and greatest ways to build mobile apps

Attending? Hopefully we can chat at the event/cruise. For anyone who can’t attend, I will do my best to summarize and share the action as it happens from the @drewschulthess & @createfire Twitter accounts. Also, we will be sure to write a full re-cap of the event right here on our blog!

See you in the Mobileverse,

-Drew