Trends to Watch in Television and Video
In our opening session, NYME Chair Ned Sherman will highlight several key trends to watch in television and video.

PRESENTER:
Ned Sherman, Counsel & Director, Manatt / Founder, Digital Media Wire

Visionary presenters give their perspectives on the future of television followed by Q/A.

PRESENTER:
Kirstine Stewart, President and CRO, TribalScale

What it Takes to Transform: Going Beyond Process and Practice and Looking at Culture
Organizations need to adapt to a market and media landscape that is complex and ever-changing; this requires continuous innovation, agility, and transformation. The agile way of thinking is easy enough for a given project or a single team, but to release digital products and experiences that keep pace with the media industry, organizations must keep the user in mind. Leadership and whole cultures must evolve and adapt, humanistic development and design is the way. In this session, Kirstine Stewart, President and CRO of TribalScale, discusses the must-dos for successful transformation. Spoiler alert: it’s much more than processes and practices, it’s about humanistic mindsets and values.

Seth Geiger, President, SmithGeiger

The Battle for Screen Time: Key Trends in the Attention Economy
Dr. Seth Geiger will explore the different ways media consumers are shifting their consumption patterns. These trends are accelerating with a concurrent explosion of screen time and an accompanying set of challenges for traditional and emerging media platforms.

This panel of industry leaders will discuss how video content will be made, distributed, marketed, consumed and monetized in the future. What are the key factors contributing to the continued growth of revenue? What developments are expected in the value-chain for content monetization? What areas are poised for the greatest growth? What innovations and business models will fuel growth in the marketplace?

PANELISTS:
David Beck, EVP, Corporate Strategy & Operations, Turner
Dwayne Benefield, Vice President, Head of Playstation Vue
Jonathan Barzilay, Chief Operating Officer, PBS
Kristen Finney, EVP, EMEA, Television Distribution, 20th Century Fox
MODERATOR: Todd Spangler, New York Digital Editor, Variety

This panel of leaders will discuss the hardware and software, including sensory interfaces, applications, and infrastructures, that are enabling immersive content creation for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), augmented reality (AR), and cinematic reality (CR). How are these tools being used to generate new forms of reality by bringing digital objects into the physical world and bringing physical world objects into the digital world? The panel will focus on what is available in the market today. What are the available apps, content, devices, and headsets?  What is the current state of consumer adoption?

PANELISTS:
Lee Simpson, Head of TV & Entertainment, ustwo
Alexander Rea, Creative Technology Officer, DDB
Russ Schafer, SVP & General Manager, Technology, THX
MODERATOR: Michael Gold, CEO & Co-Founder, Holojam

The lines between linear television and OTT services are blurred more than ever with digital services offering network/cable streams with DVR capabilities. Alternately, traditional linear services have their own apps and are buying into OTT services and content. What does this say about the viewing habits of today’s consumers? Are broadcasters and distribution companies responding effectively? Where do advertisers fit in?

PANELISTS:
Jonathan Skogmo, Founder & CEO, Jukin Media
Bernarda Duarte, Director, Content Acquistion, Roku
Domenic DiMeglio, SVP of Distribution and Operations, CBS Digital Media, CBS Interactive
Moderator: Colin Dixon, Founder and Chief Analyst, nScreenMedia

This panel of investors, who are actively investing in digital media companies, discusses the latest investment trends, valuations and recent deal flow with a focus on video innovation and technologies.

PANELISTS:
Sim Blaustein, Partner, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments
Sophie Liao, Managing Partner, Oyster Ventures
Andy Weissman, Managing Partner, USV
Rick Heitzmann, Founder & Managing Director, FirstMark Capital
Todd Klein, Partner, Revolution
MODERATOR: Mike Vorhaus, President, Magid Advisors

The mobile video market continues to grow at a record-breaking pace. This is panel will discuss what is required today to make a successful video content for ios, android, and emerging mobile platforms. How important are storytelling, creativity, and innovation? What developments are expected to fuel future growth in the market?

PANELISTS:
Peter Soldinger, Senior Director of Creative Strategy, Fullscreen
Preeya Vyas, Managing Partner, Digital, Saatchi & Saatchi New York
Shane Rahmani, EVP & GM, Electus Digital Networks
Benoit Vatere, CEO & Founder, Mammoth Media
MODERATOR: Gretchen Tibbits, Former President & COO, LittleThings, Founder, GMT Consulting

This panel of leading television and entertainment executives will discuss the future of the video business as it continues to grow and reach new heights. What kind of deals are being done today? How is the business evolving as ? What does media consolidation mean for the business? What does the future hold?

PANELISTS:
Allison Goldberg, SVP & Group Managing Director, WarnerMedia Investments, WarnerMedia
Marty Moe, President, Vox Media
Christy Tanner, Executive Vice President and General Manager, CBS News Digital
Tom Christie, Chief Operating Officer, Showtime Networks Inc.
Moderator: Ned Sherman, Counsel & Director, Manatt Digital / Founder, Digital Media Wire

David Gandler, Co-Founder & CEO, fuboTV

Content marketing is essential to building and maintaining a loyal consumer base. Today more than ever, brands need to produce engaging, shareable content to connect with consumers. This panel will provide examples of how brands are creating engaging content and building social community and the impact it has on customer relationships and brand loyalty. 

PANELISTS:
Brad Spychalski, Creative Strategy Lead, Pinterest
Soniya Monga, Global Agency Partnerships, Snap
Jennifer Prenner, Global Head of Marketing, Growth & Engagement, Amazon Fire TV
Sarah Stringer, SVP, Head of Innovation, Carat US
Zihla Salinas, CEO, Trailer Park
Moderator: Paul Kontonis, Chief Marketing Officer, WHOSAY

Competitive gaming tournaments have been packing stadiums and drawing record viewers online for some time, and are increasingly becoming part of the network and cable television mix. What do the next few years look like for the growth of Esports programming in television broadcast? How are esports rights deals likely to evolve after the restructuring of the Riot deal with Disney/ESPN+ and the announcement of Overwatch-Twitch deal? What is the opportunity for shoulder and behind the scenes content? When will we see the first mainstream cross-over talent? What is the expected esports monetization mix in the years to come?

PANELISTS:
Seth Ladetsky, SVP, Sales & Head of Digital Sales Strategy and Revenue, Turner Sports
John Lasker, Vice President, Digital Media Programming, ESPN
Moderator: Daniel Schnapp, Partner, Sheppard Mullin

Voice-activated artificial intelligence (AI) is going beyond telling you the weather and turning on your lights – it’s now helping you navigate media and entertainment experiences. What is possible when media and entertainment companies begin to tap the power of voice-activated devices? How are consumers reacting to the new technologies, including Amazon Echo, Google Home and voice-based set-top boxes, consoles and smartphones? What does the future hold for this exciting area of innovation?

PANELISTS:
Rob Aksman, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Brightline
Chuck Fletcher, Chief Technology Officer, Barbarian
MODERATOR:
David Berkowitz, Head of Marketing, Storyhunter

While Netflix continues grow its market share, there are a growing number of video services with programming and business models designed for targeted audiences that are gaining traction. This panel of experts in Over-the-Top (OTT) monetization will discuss monetization strategies being used by successful services today, both subscription based and advertiser supported. What’s working and what’s not? How is programming being designed and rolled out to attract and retain new audiences? What are some of the best strategies for monetizing video content in the OTT ecosystem?

PANELISTS:
Thai Randolph, EVP & General Manager, Laugh Out Loud
Jeff Shultz, Chief Business Officer, Pluto TV
Erick Opeka, Executive Vice President, Digital Networks, Cinedigm
Moderator: Rick Howe, The iTV Doctor, Interactive TV Today

Quality video content is in demand with digital, television and cable networks competing to capture and retain viewers. This panel of industry experts will discuss the formats, genres and storytelling techniques that are in most demand, how competition is driving innovation and creativity and the winning formulas for success.

PANELISTS:
Evan Shapiro, Founder, eshapTV
Emma Cooper, Global President, Non-Fiction, Pulse Films
Rafi Fine, President and Co-Founder, FBE
Daniel Tibbets, President & GM, El Rey Network
Moderator: Sahil Patel, Senior Reporter, Digiday