Last year, Trip Journal won two important awards at the Mobile App World Conference: best design and best paid app.

This year, between 7-8 June 2011, we will go back, this time as speakers. So do follow the event and find out all about the mobile trends of 2011. Also, we are preparing a surprise for you during the event, so stay tuned, as we will update the blog on June 7.

Shaun Pinney, de Mobile App World director, granted us an exclusive interview:

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about what you do for your day job and what role you play with the Mobile App World Conference.
My name’s Shaun Pinney, my day job… well that’s an interesting one really, I guess day-to-day I run a creative agency, Shaun Pinney Studio’s but I also run The Curious Dog, an events company with my business partner Allison. I’m the conference director of Mobile App World and for the months running up to events I’m busy pulling together the conference programme, sourcing speakers, speaking to people in various time-zones and generally sleeping as little as possible.

2. As you know, the mobile apps industry has plenty of conferences on its collective calendar, more than ever before. What prompted you to create MobileAppWorld last year and this year as well? what can this event bring new to the table?
Smartphone and mobile apps conferences have become a seemingly monthly activity now in the event calendar. However, I’m proud to be able to say that Mobile App World last year was the first dedicated mobile app conference. The idea came from a general interest in mobile apps, what they could do and what the potential of smartphones and apps are. I was lucky enough to be on the first wave of creatives involved in the web and saw how it changed the way brands and marketers changed the way they interacted with clients and consumers and I could see a similar, if not bigger change happening through mobile apps, we knew that we were on to a winning formula as soon as we saw competitor events popping up as soon as we launched our programme last year. What our event brings to the table is a solid programme, its an understanding of the mobile app ecosystem and it’s potential – we do our very best to not get the ‘usual suspects’ speaking and this year again we’ve brought some innovative and compelling speakers together.

This year we’ve got keynote speakers from BlackBerry, MasterCard and Skype – their first since the Microsoft buy-out so it should make for interesting listening…

3. What are the current trends in mobile apps development and marketing? What sort of mobile apps are people searching for in 2012?
It’s all about localization and monetization – whether for the consumer it’s checking your bank account, paying for items through an app or using your NFC enabled smartphone to buying a train ticket to location based advertising, finding the nearest restroom when you’re out or receiving localized mobile coupons when you walk past a store in the highstreet, it’s all focussing on making money for the brands and retailers

I can’t wait to hear what MasterCard are going to be launching at Mobile App World, it’s going to take us a step closer to reaching that full mobile wallet.

4. What do you hope MobileAppWorld will accomplish as an event this year?
I’m hoping that the event will build on the success of last year, I love the idea of facilitating different people in creating new ideas and solutions.

5. Personally, where do you feel the mobile apps industry is headed?
I don’t think that consumer mobile apps are no longer the prerogative of the mobile carriers, we now see the app stores exploding, the big-boys of the internet world edging their way into the mobile space all reducing the dominance of the mobile carrier and promoting competition, and competition is good. It’s going to be up to the consumer and how they vote and it’s all very exciting….

6. Will you be having a mobile apps competition this year?
Yes, we’re holding the MAW Awards again this year, and entries are still open so don’t miss out – take a chance and enter at http://www.mobileappsworld.net/awards

7. From the past and current participants, can you name some mobile apps that could easily be labelled as successful?
A couple of apps do stand out – the main one being Trip Journal, one of the most beautifully designed apps I’ve come across, with an equally clever idea behind it – after winning at Mobile App World last year against some very stiff competition, it’s gone on to win accolade and awards world-wide including being shortlisted at this year’s Webbys!

8. What smartphone do you use?
It’s strange to say it’s now old-school but I still have my Apple iPhone 3GS!

9. What are the top 5 apps you use weekly?
LinkedIn – I think I must be a LinkedIn addict
Skype – makes calling speakers easier and cheaper!
TweetDeck – An amazing app which I’m just getting into!
World Clock – It does what it says on the wrapper, tells me what time it is in whichever city I want, very useful if I’ve got a 9am conference call with someone based in San Francisco.
WhiteNoise – I’ve got a 5 month old baby girl who’s started teething, this simple little app plays sounds of waves crashing or a thunderstorm, which seem to distract her enough to let herself fall asleep.

10. Lastly, what thoughts would you want to share with anyone who might consider attending MobileAppWorld?
Mobile App World is a great event to be a part of, we’ve got some of the world’s leading authorities on mobile speaking this year and quite a few exclusives. But apart from that, it’s a very friendly event, a lot of networking gets done and a lot of partnerships get forged – drop me a line at shaun@mobileappsworld.net and I’ll send you a VIP discount code!