Jim Haysom | This Is Your Life an internet professional in digital advertising

A Mobile Internet Thriller at New Media Age NMA Awards

O-M-G. How do you exactly sum up the evening I've just had. If you have had the pleasure of attending this years' NMA Effectiveness Awards 2009 at Grosvenor House Hotel on London's Park Lane, you will come away with a number of life changing major memories. I write this via my iPod Touch on a 2am train back to West Sussex.

1. The Irish comedian comparing the night was brilliant in the first half, notably the Dettol vs Yakult sketch, but lost his way after the travelling circus gag. Whilst the Arab Jew joke got a laugh at the end, you were out of your depth and it seemed a few shandies had taken it's toll after the interval. Shame really, as the new media advertising world was ironically well positioned at the beginning. BTW, I recognize you, but don't know you name. Sadly you were not promoted in the lavish programmes, so a shitty ROI for you I feel.

2. We are talking about the crème of digital advertising and personally immersing myself in digital, I expected much more. There were some obvious and well deserved winners; UPS Widget (Best Business to Business), Budget 'Compare The Meerkat' (Best Use of Social Media) and Pot Noodle's 'Tipping Pot' (Best Use of Viral Marketing). Just how many of the campaigns submitted actually got some visibility? You get the sense that smaller than WPP and the like agencies are much more aggressive into awards submissions and attendance to such a glamorous event in the digital diary of media jollies. I just didn't see many of the other submissions. I spend my working hours online, not just publisher specific to where I work, but I search, shop, bank. network, Social network and engage online at the very least.

3. Mobile Internet ran away with the awards. Not just 'Best Use of Mobile' but the prestigious 'Grand Prix' award, the best of the 24 winners on each category. Testament to Flirtomatic.com who have built a successful business using mobile Internet, but who can take on the big guns and come away as a category and overall winner. Maybe 2009 will be that year of mobile Internet.

4. The day that pop legend Michael Jackson died. What became a Chinese whisper in the basement level of London's notorious awards hosting venue, this rumour was confirmed by the very mechanic that had won the awards. The mobile Internet. Too late to phone a friend to confirm, dozens of people in black tie and slinky dresses searched the web for the latest news via their mobiles or wireless devices. Admittedly it wasn't people desperately trying to flirt and pull some bootie call at 2am, but use that mobile device with a specific need... Is it true?

So it's 3.25am and time for bed.

RIP Wacko Jacko. A life long fan and you will be seriously missed. I do hope I get refunded for my O2 tickets from Ticketmaster soon.

Secondly, a big congrats to Matt Dicks @ Flirtomatic.com on the NMA Awards. Lunch to be arranged as promised.