JEDDAH: Foursquare.com, a popular location-based social media platform, is looking to award Jeddah members their first Swarm badge at The Century Event, an entertainment festival set for June 7 and 8. A Swarm badge is awarded when at least 50 Foursquare users check-in at an event, said Hatem Abusitta, executive manager of Century Events. “We hope to achieve this feat next Tuesday when visitors check in to the Italian Cultural Center,” he said. Foursquare is a location-based mobile platform that makes cities easier to use and more interesting to explore. By checking in via a smartphone app or SMS, users share their location with friends while collecting points and virtual badges. Foursquare guides real-world experiences by allowing users to bookmark information about venues they want to visit and providing information about nearby venues. Merchants and companies leverage the Foursquare platform by using its tools to obtain, engage and retain customers and audiences. The Social Media League is supervising the swarm-badge activation and Twitter activity for The Century Event, said Manal Assad, a social-media observer in the Kingdom who runs the League. “It's exciting to be part of such an event,” Assad said. “When you combine stand-up comedy, hip-hop and breakdancing, and bring the best regional talent together, a lot of interesting synergies can take place. We are working with Century Events and hope to achieve this milestone of awarding the Kingdom's first Swarm badge.” As of April, Foursquare.com had 8 million users worldwide, adding around 35,000 new users each day. There are more than 2.5 million check-ins per day, with over 500 million check-ins in the last year. “The platform is growing very fast in the Kingdom and it is in part thanks to the popularity of phones and Blackberries, the most common platforms for running the app,” said Aamer Trambu, Foursquare.com ambassador in Saudi Arabia. “We encourage Foursquare users to attend The Century Event and meet other exciting people. The app can be downloaded for free at foursquare.com/download.” The Century Event has also partnered with Helen Cupcakes, Rabea Express Tea Bags and Gelato, besides Mix FM radio station, Grand Kai Fitness Center, Bridges Bookstore, Universal Legends and Bataweel Est. Nescafe has also provided support. Tickets are priced at SR 200 a person and can be bought at several locations: Bridges Bookstore, Grand Kai Fitness Center, Crepe Cafe, the Century Events Office, Italian Cultural Center and Rio De Janeiro restaurant. For more information visit the event website at www.centuryevents.tv or call the team at 0566258290, 0544246535.
