Digital innovators lined up for conference
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E-mail China.org.cn, April 9, 2012
Building on the success of the last four years’ Digital Conference, The London Book Fair is announcing an inspiring speaker line-up and engaging new format for this year’s Digital Minds Conference: New Markets New Models.
Speakers and presentations will include cutting-edge thinking on mobile opportunities, content platforms, new business models and innovative distribution solutions. They include speakers from the TV, web and music industries, as well as publishing, to allow delegates to hear from world leaders in digital content.
Confirmed speakers so far include:
• Andrew Steele, former Saturday Night Live head writer and now founder of Funny or Die, one of the world’s most trafficked websites
• Jim Griffen, Managing Director of OneHouse LLC, who is dedicated to the future of music and entertainment delivery. He has been called “one of the sharpest minds in digital music”
• Don Katz, founder of Audible, on the future of content business models.
• Evan Schnittman, is Managing Director Group Sales and Marketing, Print and Digital, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
• Charlie Redmayne, CEO,Pottermore
• Alison Norrington, StoryCentral Digital ·
• Fabrice Piault, Livres Hebdo; Antonia Fraguas Garrido, El Pais and Siobhan O' Leary, freelance journalist specialising in digital publishing, will provide views on emerging ebooks markets in France; Spain and Germany
The expanded conference will take place, as usual, on the Sunday before The London Book Fair (15 April 2012) at a new, larger, venue - The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster.
In recognition of the impact of media convergence, the conference is set to appeal to a broader audience than previous years, with delegates and speakers coming from across the music, video, film, gaming industries, as well as publishing. The format will be more interactive to stimulate live learning, as well as networking, with an increased emphasis on more experiential sessions. There will be more interaction between delegates and speakers, thanks to new ‘meet the speaker’ and ‘join the conversation’ sessions.
Starting with a stimulating plenary session, attendees can choose their preferred topic and format for each of the following sessions, before all delegates come together for a thought-provoking closing session, including a talk by Don Katz on 'the future of content business models'.
Alistair Burtenshaw, Director of Books & Publishing at Reed Exhibitions, commented: “In a digital age, content is king, so The Digital Minds Conference has lined up world-leading content creators and distributors from across the creative industries, to guide the way. We’re lucky to have digital innovators from music, gaming, TV and film to broaden the discussion and inspire us. Mirroring the seismic changes in publishing we are also delivering a new format, with more interactive and participatory sessions, making it a ‘live learning’ event. With the current pace of change in the publishing industry, this is an event you cannot afford to miss.”
Evan Schnittman, Global Managing Director, Sales & Marketing, Bloomsbury and Chair of Digital Minds Conference, said: “Digital is now blended into the entire fabric of the publishing business; it’s no longer at the periphery. In order to succeed in this digital space, publishers need to innovate, even review business models and learn from success both inside and outside of publishing. The Digital Minds Conference will give people the chance to review the best digital innovation in publishing and, crucially, other creative industries. The conference has a global perspective on everything. There are global issues, global speakers, global attendees. Global is of course essential in the digital age.
I am really excited about the speaker line-up, including Andrew Steele, former head writer at Saturday Night Live, talking about Funny or Die, one of the most trafficked websites in the world. We need to talk to people working across content in all spheres, to connect and be inspired by the best.”
Attendees will benefit from up-to-the minute information and insight on digital trends; the digital publishing value chain; nimble new start-ups; discoverability; transmedia storytelling; retail challenges; children’s content consumption; the global book scene; gaming; film and TV; and the changing publishing organisation.
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