EVENT SCHEDULE:
9:00 a.m.: Venue Opens
10:00 a.m.: Welcome/Opening Remarks
10:15 a.m.: Opening Keynote/General Sessions Begin
11:35 p.m.: Networking Break
11:40 p.m.: Breakout Sessions
12:30 p.m.: Networking Break
12:35 p.m.: General Sessions Resume
3 p.m.: Closing Remarks/Networking Reception
EVENT PROGRAM:
MAINSTAGE
10 – 10:15 a.m.
Opening Remarks
Guy Finley, President, MESA
Claudio Ludovisi, Assistant Dean, Marketing & Strategy, Pepperdine Graziadio Business School
10:15 – 10:45 a.m.
OPENING KEYNOTE: Technology & Media Outlook 2021
Between 2020 and 2024, technology and media companies will add over $374B in revenue growth dollars. It’s going to be an exciting couple of years! The entire growth curve for consumer time spent with technology and media has shifted upwards and will be sustained at a higher level than ever before, opening up new opportunities. During this fireside chat, our Opening Keynote speaker will give his perspective on how to win in this consumer and technology-driven economy.
Michael Wolf, Media Tech Evangelist, President, Activate Consulting, former Head, McKinsey’s Entertainment Practice
Interviewed by: Claudio Ludovisi, Assistant Dean, Marketing & Strategy, Pepperdine Graziadio Business School
10:45 – 11 a.m.
Think Globally, Act Locally: Building the Borderless Streaming Service with Regional Intelligence
It’s no secret, consumers are being inundated with content more and more every day. Streaming services are crossing borders, competing for audiences with local providers, and saturating the landscape with various options to satisfy global demand. As tech giants expand their streaming platforms and breakthrough global markets, the need to create and find content that attracts and retains audiences around the world has become more important than ever before. In order for platforms to compete in today’s market, a new wave of data is needed. Join our discussion as we dive into Whip Media’s predictive analytics and first-party insights that will drive and transform content strategies to provide a competitive advantage to organizations around the world.
Carol Hanley, President, Whip Media Group
11 – 11:30 a.m.
Transforming Operations through Data Driven Collaboration
As our industry emerges from the pandemic, a unique opportunity exists for companies to reevaluate their existing data strategy and integrate in ways that may have been seen as prohibitive before COVID. As we begin productions and planning for our “new normal”, companies are examining how to integrate data, both internal and consumer facing, in more creative, integrated and collaborative ways. This session engages the conversation to understand just how important this future is to Hollywood.
Jennifer Hollingsworth, Chief Operating Officer, Motion Picture Group, Lionsgate
Interviewed by: David Bishop, President, The David Bishop Group
11:30 – 11:35 a.m.
Introduction to Breakout Sessions
Guy Finley, President, MESA
11:35 – 11:40 a.m.
NETWORKING BREAK
11:40 – 12:30
MULTI-TRACK BREAKOUT SESSIONS:
Subject matter experts share innovative ideas, processes, and perspectives in an interactive and intimate way. The audience are free to choose which topic/area they find most interesting. Sessions address key areas or themes on four separate tracks:
TRACK 1: AUDIENCES AND PLATFORMS
TRACK 2: VFX & DATA CENTERS
TRACK 3: PRODUCTIVITY & REMOTE
TRACK 4: DIVERSITY & VIRTUAL
12:30 – 12:35 p.m.
NETWORKING BREAK
MAINSTAGE
12:35 – 12:40 p.m.
Welcome Back Remarks
Guy Finley, President, MESA
Claudio Ludovisi, Assistant Dean, Marketing & Strategy, Pepperdine Graziadio Business School
12:40 – 1 p.m.
Post-COVID M&E Outlook and Trends
This session features a Post-COVID outlook for the media and entertainment industry, with a focus on streaming and sports. It will include insights on trends in content consumption and how some of these trends were accelerated by the pandemic.
Nelson Granados, Professor of Information Systems & Technology Management, Pepperdine Graziadio Business School & Executive Director, Institute for Entertainment, Media, Sports & Culture
MAINSTAGE 1: STREAMING & ANALYTICS TRACK
1 – 1:30 p.m.
Bird is the Word: 1 Year Later, Look Behind Peacock’s Feathers
One year ago, fans around the country discovered a new way to watch: Peacock, Comcast NBCUniversal’s first-of-its-kind AVOD streaming service. Join Jenny Burke, Executive Vice President of Advertising Strategy at NBCUniversal, to hear more about the journey to July 15th, 2020 and how Peacock has evolved since first taking flight across the nation. From a macro look at the video ecosystem to the Peacock vision and lessons learned thus far, learn from one of the masterminds behind the streamer’s advertising strategy and get a sneak peek at what’s hatching next.
Jenny Burke, Executive Vice President, Advertising Strategy, NBCUniversal
1:30 – 2 p.m.
Streaming Wars and the Global Connected Consumer
The transformation from tickets in local box offices to subscribers on global streaming platforms is genuinely incredible and exponentially impacted by COVID-19. As the world locked down, our industry awakened to the opportunities in end-to-end efficiencies throughout our distribution supply chains. But, with the increase in volume and the demands of international scale, there is a growing expectation from every link in the chain to “connect dots” by implementing a data-driven strategy for visibility and cross-border scale. As data and processes become more efficient, more reliable, and transparent, our supply chains begin to inform us and the content being delivered through it. These experts will provide insight into how we can work more effectively while emerging from the crisis and impact our industry’s streaming (and box office!) future.
Superna Kalle, President of International Networks, Starz
Interviewed by: Eric Iverson, Chief Technology Officer, Global M&E Vertical, Amazon Web Services
2 – 2:30 p.m.
360-Degrees of Customer Awareness: Innovations in Data Management and Analytics
The year 2021 began under unforeseen circumstances never imagined before. For worldwide leaders in the data space, the year 2021 means making choices that will define the arc of their businesses for the remainder of the decade. The cutting-edge issues and trends will get a thorough unpacking in this discussion. Our panel will touch on topics ranging from AI and machine learning evolution to augmented data management to the vital matter of data governance. The ones and zeroes have never been more important; this session welcomes industry leaders who must manage the entire data matrix today and in the future.
Moderator: Nina Skorus-Neely, Executive Board Member, WiTH Foundation
Panelists:
Tracie Kambies, Global Analytics Leader, Merkle
Adam Sutherland, Head of Data Science, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
MAINSTAGE 2: SPORTS/ESPORTS & VIRTUAL TRACK
1 – 1:30 p.m.
Stick and Balls, Sports and Gaming
The numbers are astronomical, both in terms of audience growth and global revenue. From esports tournaments and hours of gameplay by streamers to live events featuring live music performances and movie premieres, esports and gaming are redefining what fans watch, how users interact and new avenues for programming distribution. How are top athletes, production companies, broadcasters, and streaming platforms taking advantage of the exponential growth of the global gaming and esports industry? Our panel of thought-leaders and marquee athletes discuss how the seamless engagement between athlete and community in real-time drives deeper consumer engagement in innovatively authentic ways.
Moderator: Nelson Granados, Professor of Information Systems & Technology Management, Pepperdine Graziadio Business School
Panelists:
Ahman Green, NFL Legend and Host, Ahman Green Gamer’s Lounge, iHeartPodcast Network
Gary Kleinman, Founder, Skins.GG and WHAM Network
Harley Parks, Chief Executive Officer, BearClaw Gaming
Eric Yoon, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, ESTV (Esports TV)
1:30 – 2 p.m.
The Future of Sport and Community through the Lens of the Olympics
With the Olympics (literally) right around the corner, and with the pandemic as the catalyst, more emphasis is being placed on community than ever. The timing is also critical as the Games arrive in 2028 to Los Angeles and California’s communities will be positively impacted in the years leading up to the event. Combine that with featured audiences, youth engagement and social interaction and there is a technology opportunity in utilizing the world’s greatest sports stage to further the goal of global community engagement. What can we anticipate along the way to future Olympics? And how do we leverage the emerging trends in Esports technology community development to achieve our global goals? Join this session to hear from these experts!
Moderator: Alicia Jessop, Associate Professor of Sport Administration, Pepperdine University
Panelists:
Paul J. Foster, Chief Executive Officer, Esports Federation and former Head of Events & Hospitality, IOC
Christina Low, Chief Operating Officer, Oakland Roots Sports Club and former Head of Broadcast Partnerships, IOC
2 – 2:30 p.m.
Productions Go Virtual: A New Evolution of Content Creation
Data is infiltrating all areas of media and sports. Today’s newest content experiences are next-level innovations in creation and delivery. With studios creating more content than ever, matched by the R&D taking place in Silicon Valley and the rest of world, new formats for creating worlds and universes are revealed with regularity to an ever-growing creative base. With the advent of virtualization, we can also be anywhere, at any time and at almost any budget. Combine that with the unprecedented level of data being generated on or near-set, this visionary session will take you into their (authentic) world of virtual content production and distribution.
Moderator: Ben Baker, Partner, NextGen Productions
Panelists:
Jonathon Lee, Head of Innovation Lab, Amazon Studios
Derick Stace-Naughton, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Operations, Quixote Studios
John Ziffren, Senior Vice President, Production, ABC Signature Studios
MAINSTAGE
2:30 – 3 p.m.
CLOSING KEYNOTE: Storytelling, Live Performance & Data
Our closing keynote discusses the emerging scene of live performance in VR, and the role that data plays in determining outcomes for the audience experience. Taking us behind the curtain of the Venice Film Festival award-winning production “Finding Pandora X” she will talk about participatory storytelling, how to engage with audiences in virtual environments and the role of branching narrative. Partnering with hardware and software company HP to work with an entirely remote cast and crew, Benzing’s team developed new remote collaboration practices. Finally, she’ll will share lessons learned from worldbuilding in XR and how to translate that data into great storytelling.
Kiira Benzing, Executive Creative Director, Double Eye Studios and Founder of the Virtual Repertory Theatre
3 p.m.
Closing Remarks/Networking Reception
Guy Finley, President, MESA
Claudio Ludovisi, Assistant Dean, Marketing & Strategy, Pepperdine Graziadio Business School
