Variety Entertainment & Technology Summit brings together elite entertainment executives and creative talent for two days of conversations highlighting what new digital strategies and innovations are advancing film, TV, music, video games and more. Â
Find out how our industry is identifying new opportunities in this streaming era of entertainment and media.Â
Vizio Transforming the TV Industry
For over two decades, Vizio has been staying connected with consumers, advertisers and content distributors through strategic and constant innovation. Mike O’Donnell, Chief Revenue Officer, Vizio will speak about the company’s transformative role in the TV industry and reveal its goals for the future.
The Trendsetters: Succeeding in the Disrupted TV Industry
A look at how the TV industry is racing to stay ahead of tremendous changes in how audiences watch programming through. How is TV being re-defined through content, design, audience experience, brand opportunities and more? What channels are gaining traction, across free ad-supported linear, subscription and ad-supported video-on-demand – and in what combination? What are current metrics to determine if a show is a hit - considering changing viewership patterns? Following huge audience spikes while quarantining, what is the TV industry outlook as society recovers from pandemic life? Trendsetters across the TV industry share tsheir strategies for success.
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Lisa Holme
Group SVP of Content & Commercial Strategy, Discovery, Inc.
Laura Molen
President, Advertising Sales and Partnerships, NBCUniversal
Debra O’Connell
President, Networks, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution
Jim Packer
President, Worldwide Television Distribution, Lionsgate
Miquel Penella
President SVOD, AMC Networks
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Moderated by:
Cynthia Littleton
Co-Editor-in-Chief, Variety
The Digital Music Money-Go-Round - Modernizing Compensation in the Streaming Era
An exploration into how creative talent face new challenges in managing their work as it extends across a complicated array of entertainment platforms. What are the best strategies for guiding compensation workflow for the creative community, ensuring ease, accuracy and transparency.
Marketers On the Rebound - Building Audiences Across Today’s Media Divide
Largely staying at home over this past year of the pandemic, audiences sampled a ton of new media and entertainment options to keep busy and their spirits up. As marketing budgets rise to pre-pandemic levels with audiences returning to more of their normal lives, what is the smartest way to connect with viewers scattered across TV, social media, games, music and more? How are marketers assessing which media to deliver messaging – and what creatively is breaking through in this cluttered environment? Marketers, platforms and their partners talk about succeeding in today’s highly divided environment.
Amy Campbell
EVP Marketing, MTV Entertainment Group
Jennifer Dyer
CEO, Yappa
Zach Enterlin
EVP Marketing, HBO and HBO Max
Sofia Hernandez
Head of North American Business Marketing, TikTok
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Sweta Patel
VP Growth Marketing, Roku, Inc.
Moderated by:
Heidi Chung
Correspondent and Media Analyst, Variety Intelligence Platform
All the World’s a Stream: Fireside Chat with Sean Doherty, Sr., CEO of Wurl
AÂ conversation about the opportunities and challenges of the global streaming TV business. As the connected TV (CTV) and free ad-supported TV (FAST) market accelerates faster than any previous iteration of TV distribution, how do content providers and channels maximize their viewership and revenue? In this session, we not only explore the ease and speed in which streaming services can be launched around the world, but also will reveal breakthrough innovations that help support discovery, retention and conversion rates. Doherty will unveil a brand new service from Wurl aimed at revolutionizing the CTV and FAST streaming business, creating a vastly better experience for consumers and a more profitable one for content companies of any size.
Making Marketing Personal - Creating Experiences in the Digital Age
More than ever before consumers are expecting content and marketing to feel personal. It’s no longer just about selling people on your IP or your platform, it’s about creating emotional connections and building relationships between consumers and brands in ways that feel authentic. In return, people develop a stronger loyalty to your brand and build a true, long-lasting connection. Alexa Levine, US Head of Entertainment at Snap Inc., and Trevor Kelley, SVP of Marketing Disney+, discuss how Disney+ is leaning into this behavior, and creating marketing programs that not only reach consumers, but create personal experiences that enhance their lives.
Storytelling in the Streaming Age
An exploration into what storytelling looks like in the streaming age – with more ways than ever to be creative across media platforms. What is the right cadence to develop, produce, and release content for today’s fans, who increasingly want immediate access to content 24-7? What new entertainment formats are providing new inspiration for creative talent? What types of content – scripted narrative, user-generated, unscripted and more – are especially connecting with audiences? Leading creative executives, programmers and producers talk about how they are succeeding in today’s complicated but exciting entertainment landscape.
Michael Aragon
Chief Content Officer, Twitch
Julie Pizzi
President, Bunim-Murray
Simran Sethi
EVP Development and Content Strategy, ABC Entertainment
Beatrice Springborn
President, Universal Content Productions
Syrinthia Studer
EVP Awesomeness and Nickelodeon Films
Moderated by:
Michael Schneider
Deputy TV Editor and Senior Editor, TV Awards, Variety
Creative in the Time of CTV: How Performance TV Enables a Refocus on Ad Creative
With the advent of Performance TV, streaming television advertising campaigns run so effectively that advertisers can now shift their focus to what matters most: TV creative. In this discussion, MNTN CEO Mark Douglas will explore why his firm merged with Ryan Reynolds' renown creative agency Maximum Effort, how advertisers are now thinking about their approach to TV creative, and what he's learned from building a platform used by some of the largest brands in the world.
Security That's Transforming Hollywood: The Little Cinema Digital Story
Of course, security needs to be secure. But what if security could also enable amazing innovations and new business models to happen. Little Cinema quickly understood the important/critical role security plays to transform its movie premiere business to an immersive virtual event platform that breaks down traditional limitations of venue capacities or locations. By leading with security, the company has been able to elevate virtual and hybrid events by satisfying the highest security requirements. Hear from Jon Samsel, SVP, Global Marketing at Verimatrix and Little Cinema CEO Jay Rinsky on how they collaborate on successful entertainment events.
The Scene Stealers – Breakthrough Entertainment Innovations
With a largely captive audience – many new entertainment services and products saw explosive sampling over the past year. What new innovations are exciting the investment community? Which of the breakthrough products and services will find lasting rather than fleeting fame? Innovators converge to talk what ideas will continue to move the business forward.
L.C. Crowley
CEO & Founder, Trioscope Studios
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Jason Kassin
CEO FilmTrack
Janet Lewin
SVP & GM, Industrial Light and Magic, Lucasfilm
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Chris Lyons
General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz
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Sarah Malkin
Head of Media Programming, Facebook Reality Labs
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Christina Wootton
VP Media Brand Partnerships, Roblox
Moderated by:
Jazz Tangcay
Artisans Editor, Variety
The Roaring 2020s: The Explosion of Multi-Platform Advertising
Following a slower advertising marketplace last year, brands are back in a big way and looking to take advantage of more ways than ever to reach audiences. How are media companies responding to brands' drive into connected TV inventory? How are platforms advancing how to offer creative personalization, campaign adjustment capabilities in real-time, and more to distinguish themselves with advertisers? Advertising and marketing leaders and their partners talk about how to best jump on a resurging media marketplace.
