Top App Developers to Feature at Upcoming Local Event

It’s hard to remember, but just a few years ago there was no such thing as an “app.” Today, the App industry is exploding.

There are now over half a million apps available to smart phone users. The Apple app store has over 500,000 apps available, and the Android Market is growing fast with more than 400,000 apps.

So should you be making an app for your company or industry? What is involved in making an app? Should you make it available free or paid and if paid, for how much?

To help local business owners understand the opportunity presented by the burgeoning app industry, award winning creative agency, The Creative Collective have brought together three leading experts on app development to share their experiences at the next Web Wednesday event scheduled for Wednesday 19 September.

Andrew Murrell, the General Manager of Digital Marketing & Social Media for Commonwealth Bank, whose team developed the revolutionary Kaching App which effectively turns your mobile into money will travel to the Sunshine Coast from Sydney for the event; Helen Petaia, founder of Brisbane based firm Vital One Technologies who have developed over 30 Apps for a wide range of industries, with a heavy focus on the sports and not for profit sector and Rick Hoy, serial entrepreneur and the founder of iApps, a highly successful local app development company will feature at the professional development and networking event.

“We are thrilled to continue to attract an extremely high calibre of speakers for these events. Given the topic of apps is very ‘hot’ right now, we expect this one to be a sell out,” says director of The Creative Collective, Yvette Adams.

The eventwill take place at Lecture Room 1, Sunshine Coast TAFE, Lady Musgrave Drive, Mountain Creek, Sunshine Coast on Wednesday 19 September, 5pm networking for a 6pm start with free pizza provided by Pizza Capers Maroochydore. Tickets are just $35 and students are free with a valid ID. The event will also be live-streamed to http://www.facebook.com/thecreativecollective. To register go to: http://www.thecreativecollective.com.au/webwednesday.

>ENDS<

To arrange interviews or photos with any of the guests, contact Katie Kubler on 07 545 11315 or
0405 022 977 or pr@thecreativecollective.com.au.

EDITORS NOTES – BIOGRAPHIES OF GUEST PANELISTS AT THE EVENT

ANDREW MURRELL - GM OF DIGITAL & SOCIAL MARKETING FOR COMMONWEALTH BANK HEAD OFFICE

Andrew Murrell is the General Manager for Digital and Social Marketing at Commonwealth Bank. His responsibilities include developing the marketing capability of the Commonwealth Bank’s digital channels, including commbank.com.au, NetBank, ATMs, Mobile, Social Media and Digital Merchandising. His team also provides direct and digital marketing expertise to the Bank’s marketing and business teams and manages media planning and buying.

In 2012 his team launched Kaching, a revolutionary iPhone app that has changed mobile banking and payments forever. Using Kaching, you can do your banking anywhere, anytime and also pay your friends using your mobile, email or Facebook contacts. Using an iCarte case, which Andrew will showcase on the night, you can also shop without cash or cards by transforming your iPhone 4S or iPhone 4 into a contactless payment solution.

RICK HOY - FOUNDER OF iAPPS

Rick is the Chief Executive Officer of iApps Pty Ltd, widely recognised as one of Australia's leading mobile application developers, with more than 30 applications in their portfolio. Founded by in 2009 by CEO Rick Hoy and CIO Andrew Longhorn, the company has experienced phenomenal growth as its world-class applications reinforce its standing as a market leader in mobile software development.

Starting with an idea, iApps develops a concept, then creates, plans, codes and supports every mobile application it builds.

Rick has a long history asa serial entrepreneur with over 11 successful start-ups under his belt, including IT, technology, manufacturing, distribution and retail, with the most successful being the multi-million dollar sale of The Eclipse Group which wereinvolved in the development of highly sophisticated back-end systems for the delivery of content and infrastructure to many of the companies in the DotCom erain the late 1990’s. Healso holds a Bachelor of Business

HELEN PETAIA – VITAL ONE TECHNOLOGIES

Helen Petaia had a wide and varied career before founding Vital One Technologies in 2010. Since then the company has gone from strength to strength with a focus on eHealth and the SME/Education/Sport & Recreation markets.

The company have also developed an accredited training package, teaching every day people who have no IT experience to build their own customised web apps using HTML5, inside three hour workshops which has been extremely well received.

Through partnerships with organisations such as CCIQ (Chambers of Commerce and Industry Queensland) Helen is experiencing huge demand for her services.