MentorMate, eager for a mobile tech conference, invented its own

MentorMate is a Minneapolis technology services firm that is growing rapidly along with a booming market for mobile software. MentorMate's principals thought a conference with a mobile technology focus would be good for the technology ecosystem in the Twin Cities, good for senior executives struggling with figuring out a mobile strategy for their businesses, and not bad for MentorMate if the firm had a prominent role. The result is MobCon, November 13 and 14 at the Hilton Minneapolis hotel. This isn't a software user conference or MentorMate captive event. Anyone can just buy a ticket and attend, and, judging by the list of speakers, learn a few things. MentorMate created a separate company for the conference, and worked hard to make it an independent venture. MentorMate President James Williams said in an email that the firm invested in excess of $150,000 in MobCon and also will provide $20,000 in services as part of the $25,000 prize for the winner of a mobile product demonstration contest, an expected highlight. Yet the company is listed as just one of several sponsors, and a couple of other sponsors – while billed lower in the program – are more or less direct competitors. MentorMate founder and CEO Björn Stansvik is a keynote speaker on the second day of the conference and will serve as host. But, given the company's fast growth and position in the mobile technology market in Minnesota, Stansvik seems to be worth hearing even if the conference hadn't been his venture.