InnoJam is coming back to TechEd Madrid! The TechEd Madrid 2012 InnoJam will take place on Nov 11-12, right before TechEd Madrid and at the same location. This is a unique opportunity for anyone to learn about the latest SAP technologies hands-on from the experts, experience Design Thinking, meet new people, have fun, create a working demo addressing real-world problems, stumble through the on-stage presentation of the demo, and hopefully win the competition. And save on hotel costs by working through the night while we take care of everything else, from food and drinks to power, systems, network access and entertainment.
is a 30-hour non-stop design and coding competition where teams compete by building running prototypes of applications addressing real-world problems. The winning team receives not only tee-shirts showcasing their achievement and turning them into instant fashion icons, but also the opportunity to present their demo on stage at TechEd DemoJam a few days later. Read what InnoJam participant Tim Guest had to say about last year's event in Madrid and watch InnoJam organizer Rui Nogueira's 2011 wrap-up video or our flickr stream to get a feel for what the event is like.
This year we have a hard limit of 100 participants, so register now to make sure you do not miss out. We also have a Wiki page for the event where all practical information will be posted such as schedule, location, or any last-minute change to the format.
The format of this year's event will be similar to last year's, but for a major twist: we will start the event with a hands-on Design Thinking mini-workshop where each team will be coached through applying the Design Thinking user-centered methodology to the design of their prototype. This is a unique opportunity to learn about how SAP designs software today, from the very people who coach SAP development teams. You will never look at software or product development the same way after the event. We tried this event format in SAP-internal InnoJams earlier this year and received overwhelming positive feedback, which is why we are bringing this improved event format to TechEd InnoJam in Madrid, Las Vegas and Bangalore.
But don't worry, the coding part of InnoJam didn't go away - it is still there, as strong as ever! A full night and a full day of coding awaits participants. Many SAP technologies will be on offer, together with expertise from SAP experts and SAP mentors to help you get started or improve your knowledge of key SAP technologies. At this early stage I can confirm SAP HANA, SAP BusinessObject BI Solutions, SAP Netweaver Cloud, SUP, Gateway, SAPUI5, and SAP Business ByDesign. And we will also have a SAP Business Suite instance available for all you ABAP geeks out there.
Now, an InnoJam would not be an InnoJam without a theme! Which is why I am very happy to announce that the theme for this year's event will be "Better cities - Better lives". We will create applications to improve people’s lives in cities, creating the city of the future by improving citizen empowerment, community engagement, and urban government. You will learn a lot more about the topic as we get closer to the event. We are working hard with topic experts to bring you a set of challenges that relevant, engaging and supported by real-world user stories and data. Stay tuned!
If you think InnoJam sounds great but is not for you, I have this to say: the event is not limited to developers! The best teams often feature a mix of skills, so if your expertise is not coding but for example UX design, data analysis or business processes you are more than welcome to join.
So stay tuned for more details as we get nearer the date, keep an eye on the Wiki page, watch out for #innojamMa on Twitter and don't forget to register – you won't regret it!