Mobile 2.0 conference sees writing on the wall; will focus on tough times

The iPhone and Google’s new G1 phone may be hot right now. But with the economy braking to a halt, third-party developers may not benefit from it all as much as previously thought.

So Mobile 2.0, an event that has emerged as one of the more popular for developers of new mobile applications, is changing tack to address issues that are relevant to these challenging times.

Participants at the event, to be held on Nov. 3 in S.F., will focus on the question: “How do mobile services and applications thrive in an economic downturn?” Gregory Gorman, the industry consultant who organizes the event, says the recession will force developers to review their business models, and figure out how to build services or applications that may complement bigger existing players in the market. Instead of asking “How am I going to be the next Facebook?,” developers should be more realistic, and instead try to figure out how they can make money by serving say Motorola’s ecosystem, or Google’s Android, he said.

There’s a business track and a developer’s track.

Gorman, who also helps organize Mobile Monday events, has put together a solid agenda for the day. He’s now accepting the last applications from mobile startups for pitching sessions. These applications, which will be accepted until early next week, are divided into two categories: pre-Series A and post-Series A. VentureBeat is looking forward to covering the new mobile companies pitching there.