Hi5 Blogtag:www.hi5networks.com,2007-06-13:/blog//12009-11-20T00:48:38ZThis is the Main Hi5 Blog where our staff give you the inside scoop about building the Hi5 social community, developing exciting new features and life inside the company. Who's in? We are!Movable Type Pro 4.21-enCheck out the new hi5 corporate site!tag:www.hi5networks.com,2009:/blog//1.2612009-11-20T00:07:32Z2009-11-20T00:48:38ZMike TriggAs part of hi5's new brand identity, we have created a completely redesigned corporate web site. The new site, located at http://www.hi5networks.com/, emphasizes hi5's focus on friends, games, and fun -- while providing essential information to advertisers, partners, developers, and press. Initially launched in mid-October, the site also reflects the new look and feel of hi5, including our cool new corporate logo. If you haven't been to the site in a while, be sure to come check it out.
NOTE: For all partners, press, and others that use the hi5 logo on your sites, please replace old versions of the logo with the new version. The new logo is available in various formats and sizes on our media kit page. ]]>
hi5 CEO, Bill Gossman, Speaking at Piper Jaffray Summit Tomorrowtag:www.hi5networks.com,2009:/blog//1.2592009-11-10T00:37:41Z2009-11-10T01:04:05ZMike Trigg
Fifth Annual Global Internet Summit which starts tomorrow in Menlo Park, California. Gossman will join the "Social Networks" panel, which is scheduled for Tuesday, November 10 at 2:15 PM Pacific at the Rosewood Sand Hill hotel.
The panel will be moderated by Gene Munster, managing director and senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray who specializes in Internet and Digital Media. Other panel participants include:
Mark Goldston, Chairman, President & CEO of United Online, Inc.
Dan Serfaty, CEO of Viadeo S.A.
Representatives from Ning and Friendster
The prestigious, invitation-only event brings together company executives, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and industry experts along with an exclusive group of investors, to discuss a variety of technology and Internet trends. This year's event will include presentations by top executives at AdMob, AudienceScience, Glam Media, ValueClick, Netflix, Boxee, TiVo, Yahoo!, LinkedIn, Kayak.com, and other leading Internet, online advertising, and digital media companies. ]]>
Social Media World Forum Kicks Off Todaytag:www.hi5networks.com,2009:/blog//1.2582009-11-10T00:24:41Z2009-11-10T00:35:15ZMike Trigg
Social Media World Forum, North America opened today at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California. hi5's VP of Marketing, Mike Trigg, joined speakers from MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and other leading social media sites to talk about trends in the social media category. The panel discussion, titled "The Evolution of Social Networking", focused on how the space has evolved, and how social media can be leveraged as part of successful new marketing initiatives.
Moderated by Giovanni Rodriguez, managing partner and co-founder of the Conversation Group, the panel also included:
Jeff Taylor, CEO of Eons
Chris Heuer, Chairman and co-founder of Social Media Club
Steve Patrizi, Head of Advertising, LinkedIn
Erik Rabasca, Vice President, Converseon
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Get ready for ad:tech New Yorktag:www.hi5networks.com,2009:/blog//1.2572009-10-29T16:44:11Z2009-10-29T16:55:49ZMike Trigg
ad:tech comes to New York next week with three action-packed days at the Javits Convention Center. hi5's top sales and marketing executives will be at the show, including Mike Trigg's participation in the "Branded Entertainment in the Digital Age" panel on Wednesday, November 4 from 11:00-11:50 AM, immediately after the opening keynote.
From ad:tech's site: "This dynamic panel will focus on the evolving roles product integration and product placement are playing in content as digital transforms all media. Our panel of experts will look at how new technologies and platforms are changing the way content is created, distributed, consumed and interacted with as well as analyze the impact that digital media and platforms are having on traditional media companies as they adjust their business and advertising models. This panel will also discuss how innovative, new media companies have arrived on the scene to offer compelling and unique online branded entertainment opportunities. Join us as we solicit your feedback and discuss how and where can marketers get the best bang for their branded-entertainment buck."
The panel will be moderated by David Lang, President of MindShare Entertainment. Panelists include:
Mike Trigg, VP of Marketing and Business Development, hi5
Nathan Coyle, Agent, Digital Media and Entertainment, Creative Artists Agency
Jordan Levin, CEO, Generate
Greg Johnson, Senior VP, Digital, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
Bladimiar Norman, Senior VP of Marketing, 42West
The full conference schedule is available here. To schedule a meeting with one of the hi5 executives at the event, please contact us or send an email to sales@hi5.com.
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Virtual Goods Summit Kicks Off in San Francisco Todaytag:www.hi5networks.com,2009:/blog//1.2562009-10-29T16:19:15Z2009-10-29T16:25:52ZMike Trigg
Virtual Goods Summit 2009 starts today in San Francisco -- the city that has rapidly become the epicenter of the social entertainment market. The two-day event is focused on the emerging opportunity for virtual goods and economies. Once restricted to the
world of online gaming, virtual goods and currencies are beginning to
influence the development of social networks, community sites, and many
other new and exciting markets.
Executives from hi5 will be attending the event tomorrow. A few spaces are still available through online registration for tomorrow's session. A full program for the event is available here.
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hi5 to join panel on the future of social media at Digital Media Conference Westtag:www.hi5networks.com,2009:/blog//1.2552009-10-22T23:31:50Z2009-10-22T23:50:05Zhi5's vice president of marketing, Mike Trigg, will join a discussion on the future of social media at the Digital Media Conference West event on Wednesday, October 28 from 4:15pm - 5:00pm. The panel, titled "What's Next in Social Media?",...Mike Trigg
Digital Media Conference West event on Wednesday, October 28 from 4:15pm - 5:00pm.
The panel, titled "What's Next in Social Media?", will feature a panel of leading experts discussing the latest developments in social
media and their forecasts for the sector in the coming years. Moderated by Michael Terpin, Founder of SocialRadius, panelists will include:
Elizabeth Churchill, Principal Research Scientist, Yahoo! Research
Mary Hodder, Founder & CEO, Dabble
Ian Swanson, Co-Founder and CEO, Sometrics
Michael Trigg, Vice President Marketing, hi5
The Digital Media Conference has been held annually in Washington, DC since 2003, assembling the best and the brightest in digital media to discuss the hot button issues shaping the industry. DMC West kicks off with a packed day of in-depth discussions and networking focused on the top business issues impacting digital media companies, including online video, social media, digital media investments, online advertising, mobile entertainment, mobile apps, the future of news media and the relationship between Hollywood and Silicon Valley. The event will take place at Hotel Kabuki, at 1625 Post Street in San Francisco, CA. ]]>
hi5 community manager to speak at Localization Worldtag:www.hi5networks.com,2009:/blog//1.2542009-10-17T00:31:27Z2009-10-17T00:46:10ZMike Trigg
Localization World conference on October 20-22. Siko manages localization and international community programs at hi5.
The presentation entitled Social Web Localization Panel will take place on Wednesday, October 21 from 2:30-4:00 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The panel discussion will be moderated by Danica Brinton from Apple, who runs international production teams for several products, including iPhone/iPod Touch, and features representatives from several leading social sites, including:
Regina Bustamante from Plaxo
Ghassan Haddad from Facebook
Joaquín Moreno from XING AG
Nico Posner, LinkedIn
More information and registration is available here. ]]>
hi5 featured in USA Today cover storytag:www.hi5networks.com,2009:/blog//1.2532009-10-17T00:26:29Z2009-10-17T00:29:50ZMike Trigg
here. ]]>
Dave Maestri brings Mob Wars to hi5 Gamestag:www.hi5networks.com,2009:/blog//1.2522009-10-15T21:41:50Z2009-10-15T21:48:14ZMike TriggDave Maestri is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the social gaming genre. He developed one of the original titles, Mob Wars, which went on to be one of the most successful games on Facebook and has now brought that title to hi5 Games.
Like other premium hi5 titles, Mob Wars is integrated to hi5 Coins, hi5's global virtual currency, for micro-payments - enabling players to acquire in-game powers and achieve new levels faster.
Start out as a petty thief and work your way up the ranks to become boss of your criminal empire. Check out Mob Wars on hi5 Games now.
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hi5 Launches New Social Entertainment User Interface Featuring hi5 Stars™ 3D Avatarstag:www.hi5networks.com,2009:/blog//1.2512009-10-14T14:07:00Z2009-10-14T14:19:26Z New 3D engine serves as the basis for new revenue streams and a more game-like user experienceSAN FRANCISCO -- Oct. 14, 2009 -- Global social entertainment site, hi5, today unveiled an entirely re-designed user interface, focused on games, virtual...Mike TriggNew 3D engine serves as the basis for new revenue streams and a more game-like user experience
SAN FRANCISCO -- Oct. 14, 2009 -- Global social entertainment site, hi5, today unveiled an entirely re-designed user interface, focused on games, virtual goods, direct user payments and high-fidelity interactivity. Featuring a streamlined, high-energy look, the new hi5 is the first major social site to introduce animated, 3-dimensional avatars, called hi5 Stars™, on every user's profile page - providing a compelling medium for interactivity and self-expression.
The new hi5.com is available in public beta at http://new.hi5.com and begins going live globally to hi5's millions of users worldwide this week. Highlights of the new hi5 user experience include:
Re-designed, high-fidelity user profile page, featuring hi5 Stars 3D avatars
hi5 Stars designer tool for customizing avatars as a fun, supplemental representation of users on the site
Simplified top-level navigation, highlighting the hi5 Games channel and hi5 Coins virtual currency, with mouse-over secondary navigation to other popular pages
New corporate identity, emphasizing hi5's social entertainment value proposition around gaming, friends, and fun.
"hi5 Stars provide a new level of self-expression and interactivity to the hi5 user experience," said Andrew Sheppard, executive producer, hi5. "We designed our avatars to be an integral part of the hi5 user's online experience and a natural extension of their real-world persona - complete with moods, motions, and status updates. Stars serve as the basis for extending game-like mechanics into the online social experience."
With the launch of Stars, hi5 is pioneering a new level of fidelity for social sites. The customizable, fully-animated characters are powered by a breakthrough 3D rendering engine, developed by hi5. This framework is built on top of the Adobe® Flash® Player from Adobe Systems, which enables engaging, interactive animations directly in a web browser with no additional download or plug-in required. hi5's 3D engine will form the basis for future development of even more immersive animated features on the site.
"hi5 Stars are a compelling example of an interactive, 3D user experience that is delivered entirely within a standard Web browser running Adobe Flash Player 10, with no additional download," said Tom Barclay, senior product marketing manager for Flash Player at Adobe. "The 3D engine hi5 has built to run on Flash Player is a great example of the type of next-generation, immersive online experiences that the Adobe Flash Platform enables across the Web."
In addition to forming a foundation for a more interactive and immersive user experience, hi5 Stars represent a new monetization opportunity for hi5. In Q4, hi5 will extend the current virtual goods store on the site to include premium merchandise for hi5 Stars. Payments will be made using hi5 Coins, the site-wide virtual currency. Avatar merchandise also presents a new promotional opportunity for hi5's advertising partners.
"Our new user experience featuring hi5 Stars further delivers on our distinct social entertainment value proposition," said Bill Gossman, CEO, hi5. "In addition to games and virtual gifts, avatars are a third key pillar in our strategy of driving revenue from direct user payments. Micro-transactions using our virtual currency, hi5 Coins, already account for over 15 percent of our overall revenue, and we expect premium items for hi5 Stars to further spur that growth."
The new hi5.com site has been in private beta since August. Adoption and enthusiasm around the look of the new site, and hi5 Stars in particularly, has been significant during the beta program. Average page views per session in the new version is nearly double previous levels, and average minutes per session has also increased. The new site began deploying worldwide this week.
About Adobe Flash Platform The Adobe Flash Platform is the leading Web design and development platform for creating expressive applications, content, and video that run consistently across operating systems and devices and reach over 98 percent of Internet-enabled desktops. Flash Player 10 was installed on more than 93 percent of computers in just the first ten months since its release. For more information about the Adobe Flash Platform visit http://www.adobe.com/flashplatform/.
About hi5 Founded in 2003, hi5 today is among the top 20 largest web sites in the world and the leading destination site focused on social gaming and entertainment. Combining a robust social platform with premium content and game mechanics, hi5 delivers a fun, expressive, and interactive entertainment experience to millions of users around the world. Available in over 50 languages, the site features localized games, virtual goods and other content that is monetized through hi5 Coins, a global virtual currency supporting over 60 payment methods and 30 currencies worldwide. For more information on hi5, visit http://www.hi5.com.
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Alliance of Youth Movements Summit Kicks Off in Mexico Citytag:www.hi5networks.com,2009:/blog//1.2502009-10-14T04:55:19Z2009-10-14T14:06:43ZMike TriggThe Alliance of Youth Movements (AYM) summit kicks off tomorrow in Mexico City. Part of a series of events organized by the non-profit organization, the event convenes individuals, government officials, academics, and private and public sector leaders from around the world to explore ways to advance grassroots movements seeking positive social change through 21st century technology and tools. hi5 is one of several internet and new media sponsors of the event, along with the U.S. Department of State.
The summit will take place from October 14-16 in Mexico City at the JW Marriott. It will also be streamed live online at www.youthmovements.howcast.com beginning at 8:15am Central Standard Time on Thursday October 14th. More information on the event and the organization can be found here.
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hi5 exec to join LatinVision conference in New Yorktag:www.hi5networks.com,2009:/blog//1.2492009-10-14T04:43:57Z2009-10-14T04:53:54ZMike Trigg The panel discussion will focus on online innovation and will be moderated by Randall Rothenberg, CEO of Interactive Advertising Bureau. Additional panelists will include:
Demian Bellumio, President and CEO, Hoodiny.com
Matias Perel, President and CEO Latin3
David-Michel Davies, Executive Director, International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences
Nancy Hill, President & CEO American Association of Advertising Agencies
More information on the conference and a full agenda are available here.
LatinVision ]]>
Come see "Mad Men of the Web" at the Social Ad Summittag:www.hi5networks.com,2009:/blog//1.2482009-10-02T21:29:18Z2009-10-02T22:03:02ZMike Trigghi5's VP of Marketing, Mike Trigg, will join a panel of marketing experts from large social media sites at the Social Ad Summit in New York City on Monday, October 5. The discussion will start at 9:00 AM, kicking off a day of sessions on the strategic issues affecting advertising on major social media platforms.
Nick O'Neill, the founder of Social Times Inc. and conference organizer, will moderate the panel -- which is billed as "A conversation with some of the largest social web publishers about differentiating yourself in a sea of content. Are large publishers the new 'Mad Men?' Is virtual currency the best monetization model or are new forms of social marketing programs the best way? What's the difference in offerings between platform owners and platform developers?"
Mike's fellow panelists will include:
Martin Green, Meebo
Lisa Marino, VP of Sales, RockYou
Geoff Cook, CEO, MyYearbook
More information on the full agenda is available at http://socialadsummit.com/. Or you can register for the conference here. ]]>
Andrew Sheppard speaks at New York Games Conferencetag:www.hi5networks.com,2009:/blog//1.2472009-10-01T00:47:25Z2009-10-01T00:48:11ZMike Trigghi5's Executive Producer, Andrew Sheppard, joined a panel of other leading experts to discuss game monetization at the New York Games Conference
in Manhattan today. The session covered a range of in-game
monetization topics, including micro transactions, virtual goods, and
virtual currencies. hi5 has been a leader in this category, with the
launch of a global virtual currency, hi5 Coins, in December 2008, and
extending today to a wide variety of freemium content with in-game
transactions.
The conference continues into the evening tonight. For more information, visit the New York Games Conference site. ]]>
Michael Trigg, hi5 VP of Marketing, Speaking Today at Link Conference in Lima, Perutag:www.hi5networks.com,2009:/blog//1.2452009-09-26T17:54:18Z2009-09-26T18:06:04ZMike TriggMichael Trigg, Vice President of Marketing at hi5, is speaking today at the First International Congress of Social Networking today in Lima, Peru. The event is organized by the volunteer-based organization, LINK, Join to the Net, and is being attended by over 1,000 participants.
The event is hosted at the Zum Auditorium at the University of Lima. Sponsors include Telefonica, the National University Presidents Assembly, RPP (a top radio station), TACA Airlines, Universidad de Lima, Peru.com (a major e-news sites in Peru) Municipality of Surco, and others.
A live video stream of the event can be found here. ]]>
As part of hi5's new brand identity, we have created a completely redesigned corporate web site. The new site, located at http://www.hi5networks.com/, emphasizes hi5's focus on friends, games, and fun -- while providing essential information to advertisers, partners, developers, and press. Initially launched in mid-October, the site also reflects the new look and feel of hi5, including our cool new corporate logo. If you haven't been to the site in a while, be sure to come check it out.
