A mobile applcation was already on the drawing board for the folks at
Basecamp Business, the Moorestown, NJ creator of the Business Calendar Network. But it was one of the founding partners of the web-based tracker of thousands of networking events from hundreds of organizations throughout the Greater Philadelphia region (and beyond) who helped prioritize it.
"Dean Miller from the
Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technology stressed the importance of doing it quickly, which reinforced the need," says Basecamp President Mel Baiada.
Last week, Basecamp released a BCN app for iPhone and iPad. The app, created with veteran developer
SemperCon of Bucks County, is free and available for immediate download in the Business section of the iTunes App Store.
The calendar is geared toward entrepreneurs and built on the premnise that while social networking is widely regarded as powerful and inexpensive, face-to-face networking opportunities still hold great value.
"The trick is access and understanding where the events are, especially if you're new to an ecosystem," says Baiada.
Basecamp introduced BCN in June 2008 and a year later, the calendar was operational on a number of organizations' sites throughout the region. The company has grown outside the region, enlisting organizations from as far away as Tennessee and is working to engage other communities moving forward.
The app pulls events from an ongoing feed of events from Basecamp's BCN, which features events from the likes of the
University City Science Center,
Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, the
Delaware Emerging Technology Center and
Select Greater Philadelphia--all founding sponsors of the BCN.
One of the app's particularly useful features is the "Meals" page, which lets users know which events offer breakfast, lunch, dinner, or cocktails.
An app for Android is planned, but for now Basecamp is focused on early feedback on the iPhone version and optimizing its functionality.
"It's a utility that solves part of the problem," says Baiada. "We're not looking to be a dominant resource. It's a utility for all economic development and entrepreneurial support organizations to promote events and make the whole system more transparent."
JOE PETRUCCI is managing editor of Flying Kite. Send feedback here.