how tech and data will drive the industry post-covid

P R O D U C E D B Y I N A S S O C I A T I O N W I T H

G O L D S P O N S O R

D I A M O N D S P O N S O R

smart content

council

S Y M P O S I U MENTERTAINMENT EVOLUTION

HOW TECH AND DATA WILL DRIVE THE INDUSTRY POST-COVID

P L A T I N U M S P O N S O R S

P R E S E N T E D B Y

S I LV E R S P O N S O R S B R O N Z E S P O N S O R S

3

PROGRAM AT-A-GLANCE

10 – 10:15 a.m. ..............................Welcome/Opening Remarks 10:15 – 10:45 a.m. .......................OPENING KEYNOTE: Technology & Media Outlook 2021

10:45 – 11 a.m. .............................Think Globally, Act Locally: Building the Borderless Streaming Service with Regional Intelligence

11 – 11:30 a.m. ....................... Transforming Operations through Data Driven Collaboration

11:30 – 11:35 a.m. .................. Introduction to Breakout Sessions

11:35 – 11:40 p.m. ................. Networking Break

11:40 – 12:30 p.m. ................. MULTI-TRACK BREAKOUT SESSIONS

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 12:40 – 1 p.m. ................................Post-COVID M&E Outlook and Trends

MAINSTAGE 1: STREAMING & ANALYTICS TRACK

1 – 1:30 p.m. ...................................Bird is the Word: 1 Year Later, Look Behind Peacock’s Feathers 1:30 – 2 p.m. ...................................Streaming Wars and the Global Connected Consumer 2 – 2:30 p.m. ...................................360-Degrees of Customer Awareness: Innovations in Data Management and Analytics

MAINSTAGE 2: SPORTS/ESPORTS & VIRTUAL TRACK

1 – 1:30 p.m. ...................................Stick and Balls, Sports and Gaming

1:30 – 2 p.m. ...................................The Future of Sport and Community through the Lens of the Olympics 2 – 2:30 p.m. ...................................Productions Go Virtual: A New Evolution of Content Creation

MAINSTAGE

2:30 – 3 p.m. ...................................CLOSING KEYNOTE: Storytelling, Live Performance & Data 3 p.m. .................................................Closing Remarks/Networking Reception

http://whipmedia.com

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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 cross-

ing 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

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 reevalu-

ate 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

Guy Finley

Wolf

Hanley

Hollingsworth

Ludovisi

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

TRACK 3: PRODUCTIVITY & REMOTE

TRACK 4: DIVERSITY & VIRTUAL

10 – 10:15 a.m. Opening Remarks


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 Enter-

tainment Practice

Interviewed by: Claudio Ludovisi, Assistant Dean, Marketing & Strategy, Pepperdine Graziadio

Business School

Bishop

http://packetfabric.com

6


11:40 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Attracting Regional Audiences with Original Content: The Latest Trends Among the Biggest Names in StreamingExporting content has played a huge role in the success of Hollywood. Giants like Netflix, Disney and Amazon are

expanding traditional distribution models. We have seen non-US-originating titles find success outside their home

regions all thanks to the proliferation of SVOD platforms and their recommendation engines. As a result, a more

diverse array of programming is gaining traction around the world, creating more choices for content buyers every-

where, including the US. Join our Breakout session as we discuss the importance of having the right insights to stay

relevant in today’s market.

Eric Steinberg, Media Research & Insights Lead, Whip Media

12:15 – 12:30 p.m. Build Post Production Platforms in the CloudDemands have never been greater for studios — content needs are at an all-time high, deadlines are tighter than

ever, and the rapid shift to remote work deeply changed how creative organizations work. It’s clear that yesterday’s

approaches to productivity just won’t keep up. This session introduces Qumulo Studio Q, a post production platform

for creative teams that replicates collaborative editorial production in the cloud, enabling Adobe Premiere Pro-based

workflows on AWS with Teradici. You’ll find out how you can move terabytes and petabytes of video to the cloud, edit

video easily with your favorite Adobe tools, connect your files to AWS cloud services, manage your video files, and

secure your most important file data. With Studio Q, organizations can deploy new ways to produce content quickly

by harnessing the power of a global talent pool, rapidly deploy workstations, and leverage remote workflows in the

cloud.

Isaac Roybal, Head of Product, Cloud & Solutions Marketing, Qumulo





Steinberg

Roybal

11:40 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Visual Effects and the CloudAnimation and virtual production have offered technologically advanced techniques for content

creation when alternatives to in-person production were sorely needed. Now, visual effects com-

panies are faced with more to do, and with new workflows that may be here to stay. Tune in for a

deep dive into the realities of a cloud shaped future for the purveyors of movie magic.

John Canning, Executive Producer, Digital Domain

Dave Ward, Chief Executive Officer, PacketFabric

12:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. An Introduction to the M&E Data Center Alliance (MEDCA)A paradigm shift is happening within our industry with the adoption of “IP everything” and data cen-

ters (large or small) are the heart of the transformation. The entertainment industry is mostly built

on legacy platforms which were integrated out of necessity, rather than a structured engineered ap-

proach. Smart stages and remote connectivity require industry standard build outs for interoperabil-

ity and the long term evolution of the production process. MEDCA’s mission is to provide continuing

education, and best practices for the explosive growth that we’ll see coming out of COVID.

Matt Allen, Vice President of Pre-Construction Services, IES Communications

Sean Tajkowski, Technical Design & Planning Consultant

BREAKOUT SESSIONS


WardCanning

TajkowskiAllen

http://5thkind.com

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11:40 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Next Gen Tools: Improving Productivity for CreativesHow does an M&E company make its best intentions real? The case for change is top of mind

for businesses, employees, and consumers. The conflicting projections are mind-bending when

looking at one gender-based example. By 2025 the U.S. may gain $12T (as in trillion) in GDP by

significantly narrowing the gender gap, while by 2030, as many as 160 million women may face

career changes brought on by automation. Cultural, ethnic, and societal points of impact are no

less disruptive, and the global pandemic has only elevated their importance in the workplace. Both

business leaders and their employees must understand, embrace and drive forward the connectiv-

ity between diverse representation and advancing business success. Our panel dives deep into

how this understanding can be reinforced via new evolutions in data strategy and analysis.

Moderator: Don Terry, Chief Revenue Officer, 5th Kind

Terry

Lunson

BREAKOUT SESSIONS


Cronan

Holmes

11:40 – 12:10 Mining for Gold with Diversity DataHow does an M&E company make its best intentions real? The case for change is top of mind

for businesses, employees, and consumers. The conflicting projections are mind-bending when

looking at one gender-based example. By 2025, the U.S. may gain $12T (as in trillion) in GDP by

significantly narrowing the gender gap, while by 2030, as many as 160 million women may face

career changes brought on by automation. Cultural, ethnic, and societal points of impact are no

less disruptive, and the global pandemic has only elevated their importance in the workplace. Both

business leaders and their employees must understand, embrace and drive forward the connectiv-

ity between diverse representation and advancing business success. Our panel dives deep into

how this understanding can be reinforced via new evolutions in data strategy and analysis.

Simon Adams, Chief Product Officer, Gracenote

Maryl Curran Widdows, Vice President, Product – Inclusion Analytics at Nielsen, Gracenote

Adams

Douglas

Widdows


Panelists: Steve Cronan, Chief Executive Officer/Chief Technology Officer, 5th Kind

Rich Holmes, Product Lead – Media, Dolby.io

12:15 – 12:30 p.m. Post Covid: Moving Production Management to the Cloud to Enable Secure Remote WorkWhen covid brought the entertainment industry to a halt, it was the first-time producers and production compa-

nies could stop and consider how they do business. Do productions have to be managed in person and on paper

the same way we have for the last 70 years? Is there a way to keep track of hundreds of productions with thou-

sands of employees across several continents? Migrating workflows to a digital cloud platform not only allows for

a better quality of life and remote work, but also improves collaboration and securely protecting IP and personal

contact data. It’s time for producers, line producers, and 1st ADs to have the same high-tech tools that postpro-

duction and the camera department enjoy.

Adrienne Lunson, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Klio Studio

12:15 – 12:30 p.m. This Isn’t Your Grandfather’s TV StudioHere’s a fundamental question: “We all own multiple touchscreens. So, why can’t we actually ‘touch the screen’,

while watching our favorite show, to interact with the content?” This session takes us behind the scenes of Live

CGI’s interactive virtual TV studio, where viewers are physically reaching into the set to shop, bet and play. Saving

production dollars, driving viewership and generating significant revenue.

Gavin Douglas, Head of Partnerships, Live CGI

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12:30 – 12:35 p.m. NETWORKING BREAK

MAINSTAGE

12:35 – 12:40 p.m. Welcome Back Remarks



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 NBCUni-

versal’s first-of-its-kind AVOD streaming service. Join Jenny Burke, Executive Vice President of Adver-

tising 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

Burke

Granados

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

http://kilostudio.com

mailto:gavin%40livecgi.com?subject=Live%20CGI%20Info

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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 stream-

ing (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: Adam Sutherland, Head of Data Science, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Tracie Kambies, Global Analytics Leader, Merkle

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 au-

thentic ways.

Moderator: Nelson Granados, Professor of Information Systems & Technology Management, Pepper-

dine 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)

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

IversonKalle

Skorus-Neely

Kambies

Sutherland

Granados

Green

Kleinman

Parks

Yoon

http://5thkind.com/core-live

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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 em-

phasis 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 in-

novations 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: Derick Stace-Naughton, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Operations, Quix-

ote Studios

Jonathon Lee, Head of Innovation Lab, Amazon 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 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



CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Ziffren

LowJessop

Foster

Baker Stace- Naughton

Benzing

www.MESAonline.org

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how tech and data will drive the industry post-covid

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