9:00-9:05 Welcome by host Jinny Gudmundsen, Editor of Tech With Kids
9:10-10:00 Panel: Innovative Kid Apps: The Editorial Viewpoint
Stuart Dredge and Jinny Gudmundsen will sit down for a fireside chat to discuss how they each decide what to cover, how they rate products, and what are most exciting innovations in kids’ apps.
10:10-11:00 Panel: Discovery: Thinking Beyond the (Unreachable?) Store Banner
This panel will focus on how to get your apps discovered in this ever more-crowded app space. What can app developers do themselves, and what other resources are there to help your app be found by the public? Discussion will include how to approach the media and bloggers, and how and when to use Public Relations/Marketing specialists. Are there associations and partnerships that can help?
11:10-12:00 Panel: Consolidation of the Industry
The past year has seen many kids’ app developers get acquired or sell off their suite of apps to others. Discover who is interested in buying (hint, they are on the panel!) Learn what smaller app developers need to do to put themselves into position to be acquired. Hear what it is like to get acquired by a bigger player, such as Google.
12:00-1:00 Lunch, Networking, and App Demos by Attendees (sign up on White Board)
1:10-2:00 Panel: How Branded Apps Work
Many of the popular kid apps showcase brands kids love. This panel will have executives from the companies that own popular brands as well as other app developers who have created branded apps under their own company name. What is involved in creating a brand-based app? How does marketing a branded app differ from marketing ones that aren’t part of a brand? How often do brands hire independent app developers to create apps?
2:10-3:00 Importance of Diversity Representation and Positive Role Models in Kids’ Apps
Apps are the go-to media of this generation of children. How much impact does what kids see in media have on their future attitudes? How does character representation affect a child’s willingness to explore an app? This panel will discuss the importance of diversity representation (race, gender, and ethnicities) and positive role models in children’s media.
3:00-3:25 Coffee Break
3:30-4:20 Panel: Making Money: Monetary Models and Strategies
Paid apps, freemium, subscription, and free. Which economic models are working in the kid apps space? What do the statistics show? Are there any new models? Should you release your app globally? In what markets? Listen to a discussion as key app developers and data specialists share what they know and what they have learned.
4:30-5:20 Panel: Trends and New Frontiers in Children’s Apps
App-connected toys, Apple Watch, augmented reality, wearable tech are just a few of the new frontiers in children’s apps. Come and listen to thought leaders share what they think is coming down the pike and where they are headed.
5:20-6:00 Networking: Attendees can also choose to use this time to demo their apps. Sign-up on the white board.
6:00 Conference Ends
NOTE: If you are interested in attending this conference, tickets are still available by clicking here.
6:00 to ???? After Conference Drinks: ThirstyBear Brewing Company, 661 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105. Some attendees suggested it might be fun to meet up after the conference. Nothing formal and not sponsored by Tech With Kids, but sounds like fun.