WiTH

Entertainment Evolution Symposium Charts Post-COVID Ways Forward

On July 21 at the inaugural, all-virtual Entertainment Evolution Symposium event, content owners, Hollywood vendors, and distributors alike will be on hand to discuss how technology, data and analytics are all driving the industry forward in the post-pandemic world.

From data-driven decision-making on content purchasing and distribution, to virtual productions, from new innovations in data management and analytics, to visual effects and the cloud, the day-long event will touch on every corner of ways the industry has shifted during COVID-19, and examine what to expect down the line.

Here’s a look at what to expect on the main stage:

• Media technology evangelist Michael Wolf, president of Activate Consulting and former head of McKinsey & Co.’s entertainment practice, will deliver the keynote — “Technology & Media Outlook 2021” — which will examine how technology and media companies are set to add more than $374 billion in revenue before the end of 2024, reflecting constant growth in the amount of time consumers spend with content and technology.

There are new opportunities for M&E players to take advantage of this growth, and Wolf — who’ll be interviewed by Claudio Ludovisi, assistant dean for the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School — will offer tips on where to look.

• “Think Globally, Act Locally: Building the Borderless Streaming Service with Regional Intelligence” will see Carol Hanley, president of Whip Media Group, discuss how platforms, in order to compete in today’s market, need to put data first, in order to find content that attracts and retains audiences around the world.

• Jennifer Hollingsworth, COO of Lionsgate’s motion picture group, will share how companies are examining how to integrate data, both internal and consumer facing, in more creative, integrated and collaborative ways, especially in light of what was learned during the pandemic, in the presentation “Transforming Operations through Data Driven Collaboration.”

• In the presentation “Post-COVID M&E Outlook and Trends,” Nelson Granados, professor of information systems and technology management for the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, and executive director of the Institute for Entertainment, Media, Sports & Culture, offers a post-COVID-19 outlook for the media and entertainment industry, focusing on streaming and sports.

Attendees will then have two main stage sets of presentations to choose from: “Streaming and Anayltics,” and “Sports/eSports and Virtual”:

Streaming and Analytics

• It only seems like yesterday Comcast/NBCUniversal launched the first-of-its-kind AVOD streaming service, Peacock. Now, one year later, Jenny Burke, EVP of advertising strategy for NBCUniversal, will pull back the feathers, showing how the service first took flight … and how it’s since soared to new heights.

Attendees will hear a Peacock perspective of the larger video ecosystem, get insights into the lessons NBCUniversal has learned along the way, learn about the streaming service’s unique advertising strategy, and get a glimpse at what viewers can expect next, in the presentation “Bird is the Word: 1 Year Later, Look Behind Peacock’s Feathers.”

• Superna Kalle, president of international networks for Starz, will be interviewed by Eric Iverson, CTO of the global M&E vertical for Amazon Web Services, in the presentation “Streaming Wars and the Global Connected Consumer.” They’ll examine how a data-driven strategy is crucial when it comes to finding opportunities in end-to-end efficiencies throughout the international distribution supply chains.

• In the discussion “360-Degrees of Customer Awareness: Innovations in Data Management and Analytics,” Tracie Kambies, global analytics leader for Merkle, interviewed by Nina Skorus-Neely, executive board member with the WiTH Foundation, will touch on topics ranging from AI and machine learning evolution, to augmented data management, to the vital matter of data governance.

Sports/eSports and Virtual

• “Stick and Balls, Sports and Gaming” will feature a collection of sports entertainment experts discuss how eSports and gaming are redefining what fans watch, how users interact and new avenues for programming distribution. NFL legend Ahman Green, host of “Ahman Green Gamer’s Lounge” on the iHeartPodcast Network, Gary Kleinman, founder of Skins.GG and WHAM Network, Harley Parks, CEO of BearClaw Gaming, and Eric Yoon, president of ESTV (eSports TV) will be on hand. Harley Parks, Chief Executive Officer, BearClaw Gaming
Eric Yoon, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, ESTV (Esports TV).

• “The Future of Sport and Community through the Lens of the Olympics” will see two former department heads with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) tackle a range of issues, including how the event has changed due to the pandemic, what the future 2028 event will look like in Los Angeles, and how eSports fits into the equation. Paul J. Foster, CEO of the eSports Federation and former head of events and hospitality for the IOC, and Christina Low, COO of the Oakland Roots Sports Club and former head of broadcast partnerships for the IOC, will be interviewed by Alicia Jessop, associate professor of sport administration at Pepperdine University.

• “Productions Go Virtual: A New Evolution of Content Creation” sees Derick Stace-Naughton, SVP of strategy and business operations for Quixote Studios, Jonathon Lee, head of the Innovation Lab at Amazon Studios, and John Ziffren, SVP of production fior ABC Signature Studios, look at how new formats for creating worlds and universes are being revealed on a regular basis, with new advances in virtualization allowing teams to work anywhere, at any time and at nearly any budget. Moderating will be Ben Baker, partner with NextGen Productions.

• Kiira Benzing, executive creative director of next-generation production firm Double Eye Studios, and founder of the XR and virtual reality entertainment group Virtual Repertory Theatre, will deliver the closing keynote of the day.

Benzing’s discussion — “Storytelling, Live Performance & Data” — will focus on the emerging world of live performance in VR, and why data plays a crucial role in determining outcomes for the VR audience experience. She’ll take attendees behind the curtain of the Venice Film Festival award-winning production “Finding Pandora X” and share insights into participatory storytelling, how to engage with audiences in virtual environments, and the role of branching narrative.

Breakout Sessions

Attendees will have four tracks of breakout sessions to choose from beginning at 11:40 a.m., including “Audiences and Platforms,” “VFX and Data Centers,” “Productivity and Remote,” and “Diversity & Virtual.”

Audiences and Platforms

• “Attracting Regional Audiences with Original Content: The Latest Trends Among the Biggest Names in Streaming” with Eric Steinberg, media research and insights lead, Whip Media.

• “Build Post-Production Platforms in the Cloud” with Isaac Roybal, head of product, cloud and solutions marketing, Qumulo.

VFX and Data Centers

• “Visual Effects and the Cloud” with John Canning, executive producer, Digital Domain, and Dave Ward, CEO, PacketFabric.

Productivity and Remote

• “Next Gen Tools: Improving Productivity for Creatives,” with Don Terry, chief revenue officer, Steve Cronan, CEO and CTO, 5th Kind, and Rich Holmes, product lead for Media, Dolby.io.

• “Post VODI: Moving Production Management to the Cloud to Enable Secure Remote Work,” with Adrienne Lunson, CEO and founder, Klio Studio.

Diversity and Virtual

• “Mining for Gold with Diversity Data,” with Simon Adams, chief product officer, and Maryl Curran Widdows, VP of product, inclusion analytics, Nielsen, Gracenote.

• “This Isn’t Your Grandfather’s TV Studio,” with Gavin Douglas, head of partnerships, Live CGI.

Produced by MESA, the Entertainment Evolution Symposium is a partnership between the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School and HITS, with an advisory committee represented by MESA, Pepperdine, Amazon Web Services, Apple, The David Bishop Group and TwentyOne14 Media.

The event is sponsored by Whip Media, 5th Kind, PacketFabric, Qumulo, EIDR, the Trusted Partner Network, Klio and LiveCGI.

To register for the Entertainment Evolution Symposium, click here.