North American premiere of new technology at Toronto's favourite
    contemporary art event

TORONTO, Sept. 21 /CNW/ - The City of Toronto and Scotiabank today announced a series of new free interactive tools that will help Scotiabank Nuit Blanche attendees navigate their way through the event on October 3.

"As a dynamic and constantly evolving event, Scotiabank Nuit Blanche is at the forefront of innovation and creativity," said Toronto Mayor David Miller. "These new tools reflect our commitment to providing an even more connected experience for close to one million people to experience their city in a whole new way that night."

Information about the 130 projects and the navigational tools are now available to attendees using various technological platforms. The Scotiabank Nuit Blanche website is now mobile-enabled and can be viewed from any hand-held device with an internet connection.

A new tool, the My Night itinerary planner on the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche website, enables attendees to personalize their event experience by creating a list of must-sees, build personalized zone maps and share their plans with friends. The itinerary can be easily printed or viewed from any web-enabled hand-held. The My Night itinerary planner is powered by Devlin eBusiness Architects.

For those seeking more interaction with the event and navigational tools in the palm of their hand, the Night Navigator App takes the wonder and creativity of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche and combines it with the power of a smartphone's camera and GPS. This innovation combines ground-breaking image capture ("capturefy") technology with a powerful location-based platform. Attendees will be able to learn more about each project by simply snapping a photo of signage located onsite. Night Navigator has been designed for optimal use with an iPhone 3G or 3GS or the latest 3G BlackBerry equipped with a camera and GPS. This free application was developed by POIFriend and Simply Good Technologies.

Throughout the night, attendees will be able to use these mobile tools to orient themselves to the most popular projects or recommend their own favourites, find projects closest to them, vote for the Scotiabank People's Choice and view or share real-time project photos. The locations of information centres, TTC routes and general event information are also available to help attendees make real-time planning changes based on their preferences and the feedback provided by others.

"We are extremely proud to be able to offer Scotiabank Nuit Blanche enthusiasts one more tool to have some fun and help them experience this unique event," said John Doig, Scotiabank Senior Vice-President, Canadian Marketing. "I would like to congratulate POIFriend and Simply Good for having the insight and ability to bring this solution forward."

The My Night itinerary planner and Night Navigator for Blackberry are now available on the event's website at http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca. The Night Navigator for iPhone is available on iTunes. Attendees are encouraged to explore these tools in advance of the event in order to optimize their experience onsite.

In addition to these interactive tools, the popular event guide is now available throughout the city, in the following locations: Scotiabank locations across the GTA; the Travellers' Aid booth at Union Station; Ontario Travel Information Centres; TO Tix Booth at Yonge-Dundas Square; various Liberty Village business establishments; at Independent Project locations and at City Hall, Metro Hall and City of Toronto civic centres. With so much to see in one night, attendees are encouraged to pick up a guide, go online and plan ahead.

Scotiabank Nuit Blanche is Toronto's annual free all-night celebration of contemporary art, produced by the City of Toronto in collaboration with Toronto's arts community. For one sleepless night the familiar is discarded and Toronto is transformed into an artistic playground, as contemporary art installations are found in unlikely places throughout the city. Also, Toronto museums, galleries, art venues, neighbourhoods and institutions open their doors for one night only - all night long.

Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad. Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2008 the Bank provided about $43 million in sponsorships and donations to a variety of projects and initiatives, primarily in the areas of healthcare, education, social services and arts and culture. For more information the public can visit www.scotiabank.com.

Toronto is Canada's largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America. Toronto has won numerous awards for quality, innovation and efficiency in delivering public services. 2009 marks the 175th anniversary of Toronto's incorporation as a city. Toronto's government is dedicated to prosperity, opportunity and liveability for all its residents.

Backgrounder:

A Quick Tech Guide to Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009

Where can I find more information about this year's event: http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca

What is new this year for tech savvy Scotiabank Nuit Blanche fans? Information on the entire event is available to attendees across various technology platforms and capabilities. The website is mobile-enabled, and My Night and Night Navigator put the power to access and navigate the event in the palm of your hand!

What is "My Night?" My Night is an itinerary planner on http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca. It can be easily printed or viewed from any web-enabled handheld.

What is "Night Navigator"? Night Navigator App combines ground-breaking image capture ("capturefy") technology with a powerful location-based (GPS) platform.

What can I do with the technology behind this year's Scotiabank Nuit Blanche?

-  Create a personalized itinerary in advance
    -  Build personalized zone maps, and share your plans with friends
    -  Snap a photo of signage onsite to learn more about a project or find
       the nearest projects
    -  Vote for your favourite installation in the Scotiabank People's Choice
       Award
    -  Recommend your favourite projects, find the most popular projects as
       chosen by others
    -  View or upload event photos in real-time and more.

    What does it cost to access these tools?
    The tools are free of charge.

    What if I don't have an iPhone or BlackBerry?
    As in other years, event guides and maps will be available throughout the
city, and information centres and volunteers will help people make their way
through the event. The Scotiabank Nuit Blanche website is also now
mobile-enabled, viewable from any handheld device with an internet connection.

                     Visit our website at www.toronto.ca