Jump Links:
THEATER 1 – Breakouts
THEATER 2 – Breakouts
THEATER 3 – Breakouts
THEATER 6 – Breakouts
Theater 1 – Afternoon
Theater 2 – Afternoon
Theater 3 – Afternoon
CLOSING KEYNOTE
THEATER 1:
8:45 – 9 a.m.
Opening/Introductions/Housekeeping
Guy Finley, President & Chief Executive Officer, MESA
9 – 9:30 a.m.
OPENING KEYNOTE: Inside the Innovation Lab
The pace at which technology innovations are impacting the creation of content is rapid and accelerating. These innovations are revolutionary in their impact on workflows. They will enable a speed-to-market advantage which will enable us to react faster to customer demand and retain highly sought-after creative talent. In this session, you will learn and witness what Amazon Studios has made available to their production teams.
Jonathon Lee, Head of Media Engineering & Innovation, Amazon Studios
Click HERE to download presentation
9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Virtual Production: The Next-Level
Virtual Production: The Next-Level Virtual Production, game engines, real-time applications, LED screens and more. Our subject matter expert will speak on how emerging technologies are changing the way we envision, produce and distribute the stories we want to tell and how it will impact audiences today and in the future.
Moderator: Ken Nakada, Head of Virtual Productions Operations, Amazon Studios
Panelists:
Bobby Evans, Virtual Production Executive, Amazon Studios
Manny Francisco, Virtual Production Engineering Supervisor, Amazon Studios
Heidi Hathaway, Virtual Production Stage Coordinator, Amazon Studios
Michael Lafuente, Virtual Production Post Supervisor, Amazon Studios
Dan Smiczek, Virtual Production Supervisor, Amazon Studios
James Thomas, Virtual Production Executive, Amazon Studios
THEATER 1:
11 – 11:30 a.m.
Bringing Platform Power to Automation Workflows
The benefits of automation are undeniable, but it is expensive and inefficient for each media company to undertake a custom design/build/operate workflow initiative. With a multi-tenant SaaS platform that is already operating at scale, Signiant is uniquely positioned to deliver ecosystem leverage via reusable, productized workflow building blocks. Easily connectable with modern APIs, these next-generation media process automation modules will provide optionality, scalability, short time to value (TTV), and high resiliency/availability.
Rick Capstraw, Chief Growth Officer, Signiant
Click HERE to download presentation
11:35 – 11:50 p.m.
MicroStrategy One: Guide to a Modern Studio
Be bold – lead the analytics transformation you’ve been dreaming of with MicroStrategy One: sleek interfaces, interactive content, action-oriented workflows. From A-Z, we will cover what products and features are included to take your studio to the next level. MicroStrategy One is our modern, open platform based or REST and Python. Come learn everything you need to know about your audience and how to develop new stories.
David Swan, Manager of Sales Engineering, MicroStrategy
Click HERE to download presentation
11:55 – 12:25 p.m.
Automating the Way to Better Security Operations
As technology advances automation, security measures must keep up. Technological complexity and scale of production pose a significant challenge. In parallel importance with creativity, the M&E supply chain’s primary objective is to safeguard the critical assets and ecosystem through which content flows, from creation to distribution, “script to screen”. How can you safely manage the increasing complexity when your security capabilities are limited? This panel discusses different perspectives about the measures needed to secure automated environments.
Moderator: Juan Reyes, Vice President, Americas, Cloud Security and Assurance, Convergent Risks
Panelists:
Junaid Banatwala, Chief Technology Officer, Prime Focus Technologies
David Leopold, Director, Strategic Development, Media & Entertainment, LucidLink
Keith Ritlop, Vice President, Enterprise & Production Technology, NBCUniversal
Jason Shea, Senior Director, App & Cloud Security, Convergent Risks
THEATER 2:
11 – 11:30 a.m.
Transforming Efficiency for Media and Cable Companies
The economic uncertainties this year combined with reducing consumer appetite for streaming bundles has weighed heavily on the media and cable companies. Companies are no longer willing to spend their way to increasing the consumer base. Profitability is now in the spotlight and strategies related to overall cost containment are being debated openly. Most media companies have announced sizeable restructuring plans. This includes taking a harder look at operations and openness towards seeking external help. The session will cover these trends and offer some insights into how people, process, and data related decisions can help drive an organization towards peak efficiency.
Brajesh Jha, Senior Vice President & Global Head of Media, Publishing & Entertainment, Genpact
w/ Special Guest!
11:35 – 11:50 p.m.
The Inevitability of Web 3.0: An Analysis of Macro Cycles in Tech and Media
The business cycles of 20th media followed specific predictable patterns. Likewise, advancements in Information technology have followed a recurring multi-decade cycle. In more recent times, we’ve seen a third cycle in the evolution of the Internet itself. All three of these macro patterns point to the emergence of a web3 era, one different from that posited by the popular press in notable ways. This session provides a high-level overview of the emerging trillion-dollar opportunity for early movers in who follows the cycle into the next era of media and tech.
Seth Shapiro, Founder and Managing Partner, Digital Asset Advisors and Chairman, NAB Web 3 Advisory Council
Click HERE to download presentation
11:55 – 12:25 p.m.
Opportunity & Risk: Exploring the Two Sides of Web 3.0
Business and Technology Innovators are starting to explore the amazing opportunities that Web 3.0 brings…how it can change entertainment types and experiences, enable completely new customer experiences and relationships, and even enable products to be sold while also allowing the creator to securely get compensated each and every time there is a transaction. But, this all comes with new risks too…such as Deep fakes and other content that can masquerade as an original, more advanced forms of fraud against your intellectual property, and adaptable targeted attacks that are potentially harder to detect and harder to stop. Join us as we explore the opportunities and risks that Web 3.0 brings to our industry.
Moderator: Richard Atkinson, President, Content Delivery & Security Association (CDSA)
Panelists:
Aamir Lakhani, Senior FortiGuard Staff SE, Fortinet
Seth Shapiro, Chairman, NAB Web 3 Advisory Council
THEATER 3:
11 – 11:30 a.m.
Revolutionizing Social Media for Revenue Generation with the Power of AI
Social media is no longer used for promotional purposes alone; it is fast becoming a key revenue generator for enterprises. This session will center on how you can unlock the full potential of AI to revolutionize content creation, audience engagement, and revenue generation.
Ankur Jain, Senior Vice President, Sales, Prime Focus Technologies
Click HERE to download presentation
11:35 – 11:50 p.m.
Boosting Your Content Capabilities (and Your Bottom Line) with AI
With demand for content at an all-time high and resources strapped, media and entertainment organizations need to think FAST — create quickly, discover quickly, and monetize now. Modern AI gives media organizations the ability to accomplish this by supercharging content production. You can index and find archival content to use and reuse with automated metadata tagging. You can create new assets from existing ones using tools such as generative AI and AI voice. And you can monetize that content with AI-powered marketplaces and licensing capabilities. Learn how AI is unlocking more content, more revenue and greater efficiency than ever before for leading media and entertainment organizations around the world.
Jeanette Kadow, Regional Sales Director, West, Veritone
Click HERE to download presentation
11:55 – 12:25 p.m.
Automatic Dubbing for Hollywood and Beyond
In this session we will hear from a leading LSP company at the forefront of AI and Machine Learning, how is the technology evolving, what can we expect now, in two years and in five years’ time? How will the role of the subtitler or voice actor change and how can technology be used to help humans have more time to do what they do best – be creative!!
Kyle Maddock, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, AppTek
Dr. Volker Steinbiss, Managing Director, AppTek
Click HERE to download presentation
THEATER 6:
11 – 11:30 a.m.
Infrastructure Transformation: You’re Going to Need a Bigger Boat
Driven by the popularity of VFX-heavy theatrical and episodic, increased competition for consumer media spending in M+E, and the impact of virtualization during the pandemic. As a result, significant advances are occurring within the infrastructure of traditional production and distribution. This panel discusses the way overall technology and data center infrastructure is evolving (and required) to enable the entire global supply chain of content creation and distribution . From the “Connected Stage” (coined to highlight the emerging connectivity needed for successful virtual production) to the state-of-the-art, interconnectivity for hybrid and multi-cloud resources that is transforming to meet the needs for rapid and agile support of time-sensitive workflows, fluid collaboration, and heavy data motion.
Moderator: Sean Tajkowski, Technical Director, MEDCA
Panelists:
Manny Aguilar, Business Development Executive, Iron Mountain
Nader Balady, Account Executive, GPL Technologies
Chrissy Olsen, Senior Manager, Strategic Accounts, Wesco
Derek Powell, Director, Altman Solon
11:35 – 11:50 p.m.
Transforming Collaboration through Data Centers
Broadcast, media and entertainment is a highly collaborative, content-centric industry. CoreSite, with 28 highly connected data centers in 10 key markets and a digital ecosystem of 775+ network, cloud and IT service providers, is ideally positioned to foster collaboration throughout the content journey, optimize monetization and deliver the infrastructure solutions organizations require to be future-ready.
Ken Bamberg, Sales Director, Coresite
Presentation not available per speaker request.
11:55 – 12:10 p.m.
The Future of AI in the Content Supply Chain
AI is revolutionizing every industry, organization and process and the M&E space is no exception. Join us in exploring the endless possibilities of AI in the content supply chain from ideation and production all the way to content management, distribution, and customer experience. We will delve into various areas where generative AI can enhance the creative process, operations and even how MetaHumans can offer immersive experiences that captivate audiences and reduce traditional support costs. But beware, all revolutionary technologies have their challenges… Don’t miss this overview of the future trajectory of AI in the content supply chain, the limitations/challenges and how to leverage its power and stay competitive in the evolving digital landscape.
Dave Liu, Head of Media & Entertainment Consulting, North America, EPAM
Click HERE to download presentation
12:15 – 12:30 p.m.
How AVoIP Is Giving Viewers the Best Seat in the House
Live televised events have produced some of the most memorable moments in television history. From sporting spectacles like the Olympics to the King’s coronation, live events draw big TV ratings and create lucrative advertising partnerships – that is if broadcasters can deliver the content viewers want to watch while navigating economic and logistical challenges. In response, a growing number of broadcasters are turning to Audio and Video over Internet Protocol (AVoIP) to meet growing consumer demand for seamless live streaming. In today’s world of rapid technological evolution, broadcasters’ inability to adapt to the changing environment equates to profit left on the table. How can broadcasters take a long term, strategic view toward investments, talent, and operational structures to reap the full value of AVoIP? Join this session to explore trends and insights from their recent AVoIP report.
Derek Powell, Director, Altman Solon
Click HERE to download presentation
THEATER 1:
2 – 2:30 p.m.
Perfect VAD Asset Workflow (and Why Nobody is Doing That)
This session take a look at what a Virtual Art Department (VAD) asset workflow would look like in a perfect world, what stops us of getting there, and how we can do better in the future.
Ihar Heneralau, Chief Executive Officer, ICVR
Click HERE to download presentation
2:30 – 3 p.m.
The Reality of Virtual Production
This session with technologists who helped pioneer the medium takes the audience through the early-days of Virtual Production and provides a high-level overview about what creators should consider when evaluating next-generation VP for their content. It also discusses the scale of the present industry, including unique applications across all of M+E while looking to the future-state of the medium (and market).
Moderator: Sinan AlRubaye, Chief Experience Officer, ICVR
Panelists:
Henrique “Koby” Kobylko, Director of On-Set Virtual Production, Fuse
John Canning, Director of Developer Relations – Creators, AMD
Juan Nader, Director of Virtual Production & On-Set Technology, Technicolor
3 – 3:30 p.m.
The Give and Take of Innovation & Security
New technologies bring excitement and opportunity into every part of the creative environment, but they often also bring new and previously unforeseen challenges with respect to security. The explosion and popularity of Web3, blockchain and cryptocurrency-tied distribution, and now AI content generation has revealed new avenues for creation and distribution, but with that comes a whole host of new considerations around intellectual property, ownership, and consumer privacy and security. This talk aims to discuss these areas, highlight the recent pitfalls, and offer methods and frameworks to better protect your future efforts on innovation’s digital frontier.
Nicole Little, Head of AntiPiracy Strategy & Technology, Prime Video
Click HERE to download presentation
4 – 4:30 p.m.
Embracing Disruption: Innovating through Economic Turbulence for M+E
M+E is constantly evolving, with new technologies and changing consumer demands shaping the landscape. Economic disruptions have only accelerated these changes, requiring industry leaders to adapt quickly and proactively in order to succeed. Let’s explore how embracing disruption and innovating through economic turbulence can drive success in the media and entertainment industry. We will delve into the role of engineering and share practical and proven strategies for navigating the challenges and opportunities of disruption. Join us to discover how your organization can thrive in the face of uncertainty and build a more resilient future.
Moderator: Guy Finley, Chief Executive Officer, MESA
Panelists:
Camilla Formica, Chief Program Officer, The Cable Center
Inna Sheiman, Vice President and Head of Media, Ascendion
Abhishek Verma, Strategic Accounts, Ascendion
4:30 – 5 p.m.
Transforming an Industry: MovieLabs 2030 Vision
In 2019, MovieLabs laid out a bold vision for the adoption of new technologies to aid in content production, post and VFX. Designed to transform an entire industry, the ambitious plan speaks across the entire supply chain from production security and ontology and media creation to evolving video formats and investing in a unified industry approach to emerging technologies. This session talks about how the Vision is unfolding and the numerous milestones that show we are on track as an industry to reacting to changing consumer demands and scaling global content creation.
Richard Berger, Chief Executive Officer, MovieLabs
Interviewed by: Guy Finley, Chief Executive Officer, MESA
THEATER 2:
2 – 2:30 p.m.
EIDR APM Opening Remarks/Board Panel
The EIDR Board of Directors will discuss plans for the global expansion of EIDR and the opportunities it presents. They will visit the Cloud Localization Blueprint initiative and its potential. In addition, the panel will explore Google Search’s inclusion of the EIDR registry in its algorithm. Gracenote, a leading metadata provider, will be welcomed to the EIDR Board of Directors. Explore EIDR’s growth and impact, from the perspectives of influential figures in the entertainment industry.
Moderator: Hollie Choi, Managing Director EIDR
Panelists:
Filiz Bahmanpour, Vice President Product, Gracenote
Greg Geier, Senior Vice President, Digital Media Supply Chain Strategy and Operations, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Ronda Haralson, Technical Operations – Director, Global Title Management, NBC Universal
Jason Pena, Program Manager, Google
Click HERE to download presentation
2:30 – 3 p.m.
Leveraging EIDR for Title & Version Strategy
Discover how NBC Universal is harnessing the power of EIDR to automate the collection of title and version identifiers, as well as metadata, in their content management workflows. By leveraging EIDR, NBC Universal is achieving higher efficiency, accuracy, and consistency in their operations, ultimately enabling a seamless content distribution experience across multiple platforms. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from industry leaders and gain valuable insights into the future of content management and EIDR integration.
Ronda Haralson, Technical Operations – Director, Global Title Management, NBC Universal
Richard Kroon, Technology Director, EIDR
Slides not available per speaker request
3 – 3:30 p.m.
KEYNOTE: Over the Horizon – The Future of Entertainment Discovery
The lines are blurring between entertainment types and the experiences of consumers who seek to engage with them. Video game and comic book IP is spawning new TV franchises. Musicians and athletes are producing and starring in feature films. Podcasts are linked to all types of entertainment. A vast array of video and audio content is reaching consumers at every time and place through smart TVs in the mornings and evenings at home to connected cars and mobile devices anywhere in between. And celebrities and influencers are driving new ways for media to reach people in all aspects of their daily lives.
Trent Wheeler, Chief Product Officer, Gracenote
Interviewed by: Guy Finley, President & Chief Executive Officer, MESA
4 – 4:30 p.m.
EIDR Technology: Now and Coming Soon
EIDR’s Technology Director hosts a discussion about the latest changes and updates, including the new search experience and the addition of cloud-based data distribution with Amazon Data Exchange. They will also touch on upcoming changes to the registry and provide an update on your ability to report on the EIDR Registry.
Jason Arnold, Client Partner, Senior Principal, Slalom
Cole Gonzalez, Director Client Product Support, Premiere Digital Services
Richard Kroon, Technology Director, EIDR
Jim Whelehan, Senior Account Executive, Media & Entertainment, Microstrategy
Click HERE to download presentation
4:30 – 5 p.m.
EIDR APM: Closing Remarks & Ask Me Anything
Hollie Choi, Managing Director EIDR
Richard Kroon, Technology Director, EIDR
THEATER 3:
1:45 – 2 p.m.
WiTH@HITS Opening Remarks
Christina Aguilera, President, WiTH Foundation
2- 2:30 p.m.
WiTH KEYNOTE: Powering Scalability and Innovation through Governance
Discover why a holistic approach to governance is essential to powering scalability and innovation in the production environment from an expert from Softtek’s IT Digitized Governance CoE. Learn about Softtek’s unique approach, which combines IT best practices with talent development programs, workflow technology, and collaborative methodologies. Additionally, learn how Softtek’s commitment to empowering women in technology is building a more diverse and talented workforce. Don’t miss this opportunity for game-changing insights on how to guide your cloud transformation with technology, talent, and collaboration.
Albertina Cardiel, IT Governance, Risk and Compliance Director, and Diversity & Inclusion Leader, Softtek
Click HERE to download presentation
2:30 – 3 p.m.
Film Forward: Transforming Workforce Training with Award-Winning Films
Film Forward is an experiential learning platform for a dynamic, creative and diverse workforce, replacing boring corporate training videos with groundbreaking learning journeys built around award-winning short films from around the world. The platform delivers a range of curricula as monthly learning modules — from employee onboarding, to DEI education to management and inclusive leadership training — that build capacity for employees and deliver deep insights for leadership. This session discusses how innovative training within your organization (or business unit) helps increase psychological safety, the individual, team and organizational aptitudes that drive innovation and an equitable company culture. It also looks behind the scenes at how their content ecosystem increases access and career sustainability for the creators on whose work the programs are built.
Moderator: Filiz Bahmanpour, Vice President Product, Gracenote & Board Member, WiTH
Panelists:
Emily Best, Founder, Seed&Spark and Film Forward
Zack Hall, Vice President P&O Business Partner, TV Production, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Hilarie Holt, Vice President, US Scripted Programming, Sony Pictures Television
3 – 3:30 p.m.
Challenging Age Stereotypes: Creating Synergy and Building Stronger Teams
We’ve all experienced it – being judged or judging someone for being too young or too old. As workplaces today often consist of people from four distinct generations, how do we acknowledge and overcome the challenges inherent in cross-generational culture? In this engaging WiTH Connection Corner event, we tackle our own bias surrounding Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers, addressing common misconceptions and communication barriers between generations. Learn from our panel how to transform generational friction into an inclusive learning culture. You’ll gain increased self-awareness of your own sentiments toward other generations, as well as practical ideas for fostering unity and promoting positive change. Discover how you can turn communication challenges into learning opportunities that strengthen teams through experience-sharing, curiosity, and asking the right questions. Join our diverse panel to discuss these issues and learn strategies for creating effective, collaborative teams that bridge the gap between generations.
Moderator: Beate Chelette, The Growth Architect, Chelette Enterprises, Inc.
Panelists:
iAsia Brown, Producer, Xbox Game Studios Publishing & Board Member, WiTH
Jeanette DePatie, Senior Techsplainer/Writer/Blockchain Expert, Propellerhead
Niamani Knight, Founder, S.T.R.E.A.M.
Linda LoRe, Chief Executive Officer, InJoy Global and Linda LoRe Consulting
4 – 4:30 p.m.
Generative AI: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
After many false starts, AI is finally here. And it’s capable, and probably disruptive. Beyond the hype, many questions remain. What it is really (in)capable of? Where is it going? What and who will it disrupt in the industry? How to prepare for an AI-augmented future? What ethical rules does the industry need? This talk will present very concrete answers to many questions asked throughout the industry.
Yves Berquist, ETC and Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, Corto.ai
Click HERE to download presentation
4:30 – 5 p.m.
Workflow on Espresso: AI & Smart Content’s Impact on M+E Workflow
The use of AI in the M+E industry has revolutionized the way content is created, managed, and distributed. AI and Smart Content technologies have become a crucial part of the industry, changing the traditional workflow and creating new opportunities. Our panel of subject matter experts discuss the impact of advanced computing, generative AI, and metadata driven supply chains in our industry: where we have been, how it has transformed workflow, and the challenges and opportunities associated with these technologies as the industry’s landscape continues to transform.
Moderator: Mary Yurkovic, Director, Smart Content, MESA
Panelists:
Steve Cronan, Chief Executive Officer, Fortify Media
Brajesh Jha, Senior Vice President & Global Head of Media, Publishing & Entertainment, Genpact
Thomas Stilling, Course Creator and Instructor, Rutgers University School of Communication and Information
THEATER 1:
5 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSING KEYNOTE: When Stars Collide (What Hollywood Can Learn From 120+ Million Followers and Billions of Views!)
The creator economy has transformed M+E since YouTube was launched and the pandemic only solidified their approach to eyeballs and engagement. The “stars” of this space, the influencers who leverage content creation and creativity into their brand and audience, have grown into massive brands and companies dedicated to driving their direct-to-consumer relationship through platforms (Vine, TikTok, Twitch, YouTube, etc.). Sound familiar? Much like Hollywood’s stars helped start the influencer market these new influencers will be the stars of tomorrow. In this Keynote session we dig deep into the operations behind a global influencer, learn how they created a global audience with their followers, and how their love of movie-making-magic has helped drive their growth in a short amount of time.
Ryan Riggs, Chief Operating Officer, King Studio
Interviewed by: Guy Finley, MESA and Sealand Flynn, Fortinet
5:30 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Guy Finley, President & Chief Executive Officer, MESA
