We were in Philadelphia last week for the Supernova Forum, an annual meeting of thought leaders in business, government, media and technology hosted by the Wharton School. Here are some key takeaways from the likes of Chris Brogan, Bob Garfield and Jeff Jarvis:

Cramped airplane seats, dimly lit hotel rooms, painfully slow Internet – every business traveller is familiar with the challenges of getting work done on the road. Spafax’s Al St. Germain shares tips for making your next business trip a little more pleasurable.

Location-sharing apps like Foursquare are supposed to be the next big thing in social media. But despite the hype, they still haven’t earned the trust of most consumers. Bestselling author and digital marketer Mitch Joel – President of Twist Image – says it’s time for that to change.

Our media-obsessed editor takes flight with nothing but KLM’s inflight magazine and entertainment system to keep him busy. Turns out losing control isn’t so bad after all.

Media scholar and “Convergence Culture” author Henry Jenkins visited Brazil this summer to check out the country’s burgeoning transmedia scene. Local journalist Renata Acioli spoke to him about a culture on the threshold of international attention.

Thanks to the Web, consumers are smarter, savvier and more empowered than ever. So companies need to work harder to prove their worth and earn customer loyalty. TNS Australia’s Carolyn Childs wonders if travel brands can keep up with the “professional consumer.”

There are lots of reasons to spend time in an airport. Freak snowstorms, airline strikes, giant ash clouds. Or maybe you’re just a really big fan of Airworld. Whatever the reason, you have time to kill. So what airport would you choose to be in?

Everyone knows the World Cup in South Africa is one of the biggest sponsorship platforms on earth. But when it comes to stoking African pride, few international brands can compete with MTN, the local cell phone company. Writer David Godsall reports from the ground in Cape Town.

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Sparksheet is your site of reference for everything to do with custom media, branded content and travel marketing. Ideas and conversations about social media, revenue generation, B2B relationships and on-demand entertainment will keep you inspired and in the know. Read more

About Spafax

London-based Spafax, a wholly owned subsidiary of WPP Group PLC, has offices in Toronto, Montreal, Orange (California), Santiago (Chile), Dubai, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. With expertise in traditional and electronic publishing, inflight entertainment programming, production and management and revenue generation services for clients worldwide, nobody knows the global Transumer (consumer in transit) like Spafax.

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