This year’s BlackBerry Live will give you our most mobile conference experience yet. We have some very exciting news: conference attendees will receive a BlackBerry Z10 smartphone, courtesy of Brightstar, our premier mobile sponsor!

Your BlackBerry Z10 smartphone will be a valuable tool throughout BlackBerry Live. The Mobile Conference Guide application has been designed to leverage features unique to BlackBerry 10, making it easy for you to:

• Build and edit your conference schedule in the Session Catalog while on the go
• Scan into breakout sessions using NFC functionality
• Interact with sponsors
• Complete conference surveys
• Much more

Quantities are limited, so register for BlackBerry Live today! To learn more about Brightstar, head over to www.brightstarcorp.com.

We’re excited to launch the 2013 BlackBerry #BBLive Contest! Every day during the week of April 22nd at 11 a.m. ET, we will be tweeting a question from  @BlackBerry to give you an opportunity to win* a Full Conference Pass to BlackBerry Live 2013. The conference will be kicking off just over a month from today and will take place in Orlando from May 14-16.

The BlackBerry Live conference is our biggest event of the year, and this year we’re taking it to a whole new level. We launched BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 earlier this year, and BlackBerry Live is the ultimate opportunity for you to get hands on experience with the new platform, connect with the BlackBerry business community and experts, and learn about all the exciting developments ahead.

Stay tuned to @BlackBerry on Twitter and make sure to use the hashtag #BBLive to participate in the contest. In addition, take a look at the BlackBerry Live Session Catalog Preview to start considering which sessions you may want to attend. We look forward to seeing you in Orlando!

Follow @BlackBerry for contest updates

Check out the Terms and Conditions to learn more.

*Terms and Conditions apply.

Next week we’re off to San Jose to cover all the action from BlackBerry® Jam Americas, our headline show of the year for developers. The show starts on Tuesday September 25, so be sure to make the Inside BlackBerry Blog your home for news from the ground. Also, don’t forget to check in with our friends over at the Inside BlackBerry Developer Blog and Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog to follow along with news for devs and the enterprise, respectively.

As usual, we’ll have all the action here from the keynote on Tuesday, some exclusive interviews, and maybe even a little taste of what we’ve been working on for BlackBerry® 10. Are you a developer interested in knowing more about the show? Swing by the Dev Blog for all the details, and check out this special message from Alec Saunders on why you should attend.

If you’re unable to make it to the event, tune in to the Live Webcast of the keynote, 8:30am-10:30am PDT on Tuesday September 25.

Are you going to BlackBerry Jam Americas, or will you be following along at home? Let us know in the comments, and remember that you can catch all the excitement here on the Inside BlackBerry Blog.

You’ve been reading about it, you’ve been waiting for it, and it’s finally almost here: BlackBerry World 2012 next week in Orlando from May 1-3! We’re heading down south to capture all the action so you, #TeamBlackBerry, can get the BlackBerry World live coverage you crave. And whether you’ll be in Orlando with us or glued to a computer screen for the webcast of the keynote, we’ve got you covered when it comes to keeping you up to date on the latest news.

I remember the first time I ever attended BlackBerry World, I left totally energized by the general sessions, announcements and, of course, the enthusiasm from thousands of attendees. Not to mention the highlight of the event: the keynote address!

Be sure to mark the keynote address in your calendar – you won’t want to miss what Thorsten Heins and the awesome lineup of speakers have to say when they hit the stage. If you can’t make it to the conference, be sure to catch the live webcast of Thorsten’s keynote presentation on Tuesday May 1st at 10 am 9 am EST.

Aside from the big event, we’ll have lots going on next week, so you’re going to want to keep it locked and subscribe to the Inside BlackBerry Blog and the Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog for the most up-to-date BlackBerry and Research In Motion® (RIM®) coverage from the show. You can also follow all the action on our website, on Twitter® at @BlackBerry4Biz and @BlackBerry (hashtag: #BBWC), and Facebook®. Be sure to say hi if you see us around – and give us a shout out for those of you keeping tabs online!

For those more development-inclined, we’ve got BlackBerry® 10 Jam happening at the same time with a whole roster of great sessions, including Cascades Development, jQuery Mobile, and everything related to developing for BlackBerry 10. Even if you’re not there in person, you can follow the #BB10Jam action by keeping up with the Inside BlackBerry Developer’s Blog, or by following our dev friends on Twitter at @BlackBerryDev.

I’ve got my itinerary all set in BlackBerry® Travel™ and my bags packed. Will we be seeing you in Orlando, or will you be following along at home? Let us know in the comments!

We’ve already compiled some tips to help you get the most out of BlackBerry World™ 2012, but for those of you joining us in Orlando next week, one of the best ways to stay on track for all your sessions and informed with the latest updates is to head to BlackBerry App World™ to pick up the Conference Guide – BlackBerry World 2012 app. It’s available on your BlackBerry® smartphone or BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, and better yet, it’s free.

From the app, you can quickly grab information on:

• Breakout sessions
• Speakers
• Conference sponsors

Plus, there’s an agenda builder to help you stay on top of your schedule, an event messages feature that provides need-to-know conference updates, and access to our social channels so you don’t miss out on any of the action.

If you’re heading to BlackBerry World, definitely download this app today. See you next week!

After attending many years’ worth of BlackBerry World™ conferences – not to mention countless other huge events like CES, Mobile World Congress and our very own BlackBerry® DevCon – it’s fair to say that we’re old pros at the whole conference-attendance thing. Now that BlackBerry World 2012 is on the horizon (coming up fast on May 1-3rd 2012, in Orlando, Florida), we thought it’d be a good idea to compile a list of all the knowledge we’ve gained and tips we’ve learned for ensuring that your BlackBerry World experience is useful, educational, and above all – fun!

Whether you’re a BlackBerry World newbie or a seasoned conference veteran, we think you’ll be able to take away at least a few ideas from the below. Of course, if you haven’t yet registered for BlackBerry World 2012 and still need to be convinced, give this video a watch first:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Now, read on for our top survival tips, and don’t forget to register for BlackBerry World if you haven’t yet done so:

• Battery swap stations are available for you, but always carry a charger or spare battery just in case. You could purchase a spare battery or an external charging kit or get a USB to AC adapter that can be used with your USB cable to recharge on the go.
• Make sure you have a good supply of business cards with up-to-date information on them to hand out to new contacts. If you and the new contact each have one of the NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphones with the latest BlackBerry® 7 OS update, use BlackBerry® Tag to exchange your contact information with each other.
• Review your current sound and alert profiles – you don’t want to be the one whose ringtone goes off in the middle of a session!
• Set up a BBM Group for BlackBerry World attendees in your contact list, and use the group to organize meeting times/places as well as swap thoughts on the best sessions to attend.
• Use the Calendar on your BlackBerry® smartphone or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to set reminders for sessions that you want to attend. (The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet calendar even has social integration, so you can keep track of which of your colleagues and friends are going to the same sessions!)
• If you’re on a BlackBerry® Enterprise Server, you can set your Out Of Office using your smartphone. Here’s how to do it for users with BlackBerry® 7, BlackBerry® 6, and BlackBerry® 5.
• During the conference breaks, make sure to load up on free snacks – and stock up so you’ve got a supply handy throughout the day.
• Download apps like Poynt (for BlackBerry smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets) and Foodspotting for BlackBerry to help you find the perfect local place for a business dinner or team get-together.
• There will be plenty of after-parties and chances to mingle with other attendees, but be sure to drink water throughout and try to get at least 8 hours of sleep per night. We know you’ll be busy – especially those of you working – but making sure you’re hydrated and well-rested is important!
• If you’re not on a BlackBerry® Enterprise Server, you can install BlackBerry Protect on your BlackBerry smartphone, just in case you accidentally leave your device somewhere you can’t remember. If you can’t locate your BlackBerry smartphone, you can use BlackBerry Protect to wipe your data remotely. Check out Jason’s post on BlackBerry Protect tips, and be sure to also read Ty’s post for five reasons why you should be using BlackBerry Protect.
• Take every opportunity possible to network and meet with new people, whether in your industry or not. The Solutions Showcase is a perfect spot to meet conference sponsors and other industry professionals.
• If you’re looking to network with friendly faces, definitely stop by our Social Media Desk – we’ll have staff handy to engage in random giveaways throughout the day. Keep an eye on @BlackBerry4Biz during the event for more details! (Also be sure you have foursquare installed on your smartphone so you can check into the Social Desk, find friends, meet people and find out about specials in the area.)
• As you’re en route to BlackBerry World (hopefully using BlackBerry® Travel to keep your trip organized!), take a moment to determine your business or personal goals for attending, then make a list of what you want to learn or accomplish. Being focused on your end takeaway will help you get the most out of your experience.

Those are just a few bits of conference-attendee wisdom we’ve accrued over the years. If you’ve got any handy tips for having a successful BlackBerry World experience, let us know in the comments!

We love working with governments, law enforcement, and the public sector worldwide, having been a longstanding pillar of security and reliability for those using our products and services in this space. Not only do we provide enterprise-grade management solutions to these areas, but we also work on some pretty cool projects too (remember how helpful the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet was to a police force?) Now we’re excited to remind you about the upcoming Government Day, which showcases some really innovative applications and helps you face the ever-present challenges of mobilizing the workforce in your industry.

Government Day at BlackBerry World™ is taking place on April 30th, 2012 in Orlando, Florida, and targets the unique needs of government organizations with content that highlights how BlackBerry solutions are used to help mobilize teams, streamline operations and efficiently deliver public service.

We have a great line up of speakers and sessions:

• Scott Totzke, Senior Vice President of BlackBerry Security at Research In Motion Limited (RIM®) will provide a welcome address and opening remarks
• Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of RIM will deliver an executive address
• Michael K. Brown, Director of Product Management at RIM will provide more insight about how RIM addresses the security and mobility challenges for public sector organizations
• Alan Panezic, Vice President of Enterprise Product Management & Marketing at RIM will speak about how BlackBerry solutions are meeting the needs of governments
• A variety of government customers representing North America, Asia Pacific and Latin America will share their experiences with deploying BlackBerry solutions and apps

Government Day is on us: all Government and Public Sector customers who have a full conference pass for BlackBerry World 2012 can attend Government Day at no additional charge.

For your calendars: Government Day will be held on Monday April 30, 2012 beginning at 8:30 a.m. EST.

For more information about BlackBerry World 2012, check out http://www.blackberryworld.com. We’ve also got more details on BlackBerry solutions for government.

Do you work in the government or public service? What are some of the mobility challenges that you’re currently facing? Share in the comments below.

We’re super excited about this year’s BlackBerry World™ – plans are well underway and we can’t wait for May 1st, 2012. Registration is now officially open, so head over to www.blackberryworld.com and reserve your spot ASAP.

BlackBerry World is the largest BlackBerry® conference of the year where the community of BlackBerry users, partners, business leaders, and IT decision makers meet to learn of the latest innovations, upcoming BlackBerry products and services, mobile strategy, and to check out live demonstrations. The conference is also a fantastic networking opportunity to meet with individuals in similar roles facing similar challenges and industry trends.

BlackBerry World, May 1-3, 2012 in Orlando, Florida
Register here

What can you expect to dig into this year?

• BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion – the future of device management in the enterprise
• Looking ahead to BlackBerry® 10
• BlackBerry Business Cloud Services: Moving your infrastructure forward
• …and much more! Stay tuned for details on sessions and the keynote address

Stay up to date on all of the latest info by keeping an eye on www.blackberryworld.com, and where you can sign up for updates. Leading up to May 1st (and on site at the event), you can follow @BlackBerry4Biz on Twitter® as well as coming back to the Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog, and join the discussion on LinkedIn® to get excited and keep tabs on all of the action.

Did you attend BlackBerry World 2011? What was your favorite part of the conference? Share in the comments.

In just a short couple of months, some of the best community developers, key partners and industry gurus the world has to offer will gather to lead more than 30 sessions at BlackBerry® DEVCON Americas 2011. This year’s event runs from October 18-20 in San Francisco, California, and it’s a great opportunity to interact with experts on BlackBerry products and learn from their expertise.

Where else can you meet technical wizards from Adobe® for a bootcamp on Abobe® AIR® for the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet? Or hear first-hand from innovators like Xtreme Labs, Penrillian, and Magmic (a game-developer dynamo responsible for Rubik’s® Cube, The New York Times® Crosswords, THKLive and Ka-Glom)? This is the place to learn how Universal Mind built a fantasy football app, how Assanka created The Financial Times app and how PricewaterhouseCoopers builds corporate mobile apps.

What else are our community leaders covering?

• Learn how to use the time-saving features of the BlackBerry® WebWorks™ Platform to build BlackBerry apps
• Understand how to build and test BlackBerry applications using the BlackBerry Java® Development Environment
• Learn how to make beautiful apps faster
• Find out how to squeeze more from an accelerometer
• Take your mobile campaign from basic to buzz with marketing tips

To tap into this vast community know-how, all you have to do is register for BlackBerry DEVCON Americas 2011. For more details on community-led sessions at the event, please visit our session catalog!

As we plan excitedly and build passionately towards BlackBerry® DEVCON Americas, BlackBerry DEVCON Asia and BlackBerry DEVCON Europe, we’re taking the opportunity again to ask you about your highlights from 2010 and requests for BlackBerry DEVCON Americas – the first stop in our world series of developer events.

My top three personal favorite moments from 2010 were:

• Meeting with BlackBerry Developer Group Managers from around the world at a special reception in The View lounge on the 39th floor of the Marriott Marquis. The managers also shared their experience and tips for launching groups at a special community session.
• At a special evening event, we highlighted some of our favorite Super Apps from the 2010 BlackBerry Partners Fund Developer Challenge (go here to enter the 2011 challenge!)
• Mike Lazaridis welcoming an excited and passionate Dan Dodge of QNX on stage to talk about the ultra-powerful BlackBerry® Tablet OS. So much energy on stage and in the crowd!

Check out the BlackBerry DEVCON 2010 highlights photos and videos section for even more!

Your feedback from BlackBerry DEVCON 2010 is embedded in every aspect of the BlackBerry DEVCON Americas plan. One significant way we’ve implemented your feedback is that the conference is now three days instead of four – although we’ve kept the very best of the fourth day’s content in special community sessions throughout the event. That said, what else do you want to see at BlackBerry DEVCON Americas 2011? Let us know your ideas in the comments below!

We’re committed to making BlackBerry DEVCON Americas 2011 the biggest and best yet, and are excited to be offering great deals on our conference access, as well as alumni and hotel discounts. In order to give everyone the opportunity to register at our early bird rate (only $699 plus tax) we are extending this offer until August 26th – register now!

See you in San Francisco!