Are you looking for some new media talent to add to your team?

Do you want to keep up with the latest trends?

Have you recently created a new media product that you think the world should know about?

With all the noise in the news, can you think of a better way to be informed and get noticed than to get involved in a contest?

University of Alberta student Sheila Witwicky uses new media for her marketing presentation plan.

Alberta New Media – an industry association dedicated to the promotion and advancement of new media professionals in Alberta with chapters in Edmonton and Calgary – is kicking off a major event, its first annual Digital Arts Competition.

The competition is open to Alberta New Media professionals and students who have completed products and programs between January 2000 and October 2001. These creations could include, but are not limited to, computer based training, CD-Roms, videos, games, web applications, e-books, marketing and advertising products, just to name a few. The intention of the competition is to spotlight Alberta talent, showing the benefit of investing and reinvesting in our own province.

“For businesses, they will be able to see a pool of talent that’s available in Alberta for their new media needs and projects,” says Ana Herrera, director of the this year’s digital arts competition. “So they don’t have to looking elsewhere for it.”

Not only will the cream of the crop be eligible for prizes, the winners will also be showcased at the awards banquet Nov. 30 at the Telus Centre in Edmonton.

In addition, their works will be included in a full-colour catalogue that will be published and distributed to participants, new media corporations and government agencies. This catalogue will also be used as a tool to promote Alberta New Media both home and abroad. So who wouldn’t want to be involved?

The association has divided the competition into three specific categories:

* Educational: In this category participants can submit any project developed as part of a new media class or course. Projects developed for educational institutes or for training/educational purposes also fall within this category.

* Commercial: Any project that promotes, sells or advertises a service, company or project can be submitted.

* Entertainment: Projects within this category are computer and video games, interactive animation, video clips and other digital projects.

Each one of these categories will include both professional and qualified student classifications.

Specifics and eligibility requirements are detailed on the Alberta New Media website – www.albertanewmedia.com

The event will be judged by a panel of new media professionals from across North America including Hal Josephson, CEO of MediaSense, a marketing and international business development firm based in San Francisco. Josephson is also the executive director for the world-renowned NewMedia Invision Awards Festival for digital content creation.

Deadline for entries is Oct. 26. The entry fees are $30 for students and $45 for professionals.

“For years, we have been saying that Alberta is a training ground and home for the best and brightest in the industry – this competition will show the world that we were right,” says Mark Ruthenberg, president of Alberta New Media/Calgary.

The event is expected to rotate annually between Edmonton and Calgary.