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The Children’s Media Conference has today announced its full programme for the 2011 conference, which takes place from the 6 - 8 July in Sheffield. The leading gathering for everyone involved in developing, producing and distributing kids’ content across all platforms, has again tempted the industry’s finest to participate in the three day event, which this year promotes the theme of ‘Thinking Differently’. Conference organisers have confirmed that a delegation of media companies from China and Argentina will be coming to the event for the first time. The delegations, organised by UKTI, will be in Sheffield to take part in one-to-one meetings with UK businesses as well as taking part in the conference. Greg Childs, Editorial Director said: “The Chinese and Argentinian delegations are a first for us and it’s also a major first for the children’s content community in the UK. It’s a unique opportunity for UK companies to get a head start in building new business relationships in key developing markets.” Headline speakers, previously announced, include Lord Puttnam, who will deliver this year’s keynote speech, Michael Acton Smith, MD of Mind Candy and creator of the Moshi Monsters phenomenon, and Rory Sutherland, executive creative director of OgilvyOne and president of the IPA. Joe Godwin, Director of BBC Children’s, will be discussing the BBC’s move to Salford, in the session Salford Key. Delegates will also be blasted by the past as they explore the history of award-winning brand Horrible Histories, in the session Horrible Histories – From manuscript to multiplatform. Co-creators of new smash hit Rastamouse, Michael De Souza and Genevieve Webster, are on opposing teams for once as they take part in Our Survey Said… the conference’s light hearted opening quiz. Team leaders Damian Kavanagh (CBBC) and Jonathan Boseley (Disney) will battle to prove who knows the most about what kids want in the today’s complex media landscape. ‘Horrible’ masterclasses with Jamie Rix (Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids) and Horrid Henry movie producer Lucinda Whiteley offer great insights into making productions work. New speakers recently added to the bill include Richard Hollis, Head of UK Licensing at BBC Worldwide, who will sit alongside a panel of fellow industry leaders sharing with delegates their wisdom in children’s licensing, in the session Do You Need a Licence for That?; Esra Cafer, Global VP Brand Management & Marketing at Chorion Plc, who will make up part of the line-up in the Programme Development - Creative or Marketing Driven? session, which explores the right ingredients for content strategy; Beth Gardiner, VP, Development & Programming, Disney Junior, who will participate in Invented Here, a session which will explore how European broadcasters are sourcing, selling-in, producing and adapting content to serve a global audience; Kiaran Saunders, VP, Commercial Director, Nickelodeon UK & Ireland, who will be taking part in the Meet the Commissioners session for the Broadcasting sector. The above offers just a taste of the calibre attending the conference this year. There are a number of sessions running over the three day event, see below for the full line up. Thinking Differently - Lord Puttnam of Queensgate CBE, will deliver the keynote speech for the 2011 conference, challenging the various sectors of the industry gathered there to Think Differently… CREATIVE KEYNOTE: Building Moshi Monsters to 50 Million Registered Users – Michael Acton Smith shares the ups and downs of growing a simple website into a global transmedia brand. Our Survey Said… - CBBC’s Ed Petrie quizzes two dysfunctional families of kids’ industry people for their view of the year past, the year ahead, what kids want and what they’re up to. The Connected Living Room - 2012 is predicted to be the year of the connected living room - but what’s in it for kids? Paul Johnson, Co-founder of Agora Media Innovation; Hamish McPharlin, Director of Research at Decipher Consultancy Ltd; and Jamie Rea, Executive Producer of CBBC discuss. Boo Who? – European TV series My Friend Boo offers a brand new financing model for producing positive content for children. Speakers include Director of Tomorrow’s Child Jacqueline Harding and MD of Business Solutions Europa Luigi Petito. Children as Content Creators – Children know what they like in media, this session lets content created by children inspire delegates on how to create relevant content that appeals to them. Sell Out! – This session explores whether television brands can be effectively exported to the live space and if the worlds of commercial and artistic theatre will ever collaborate. Facebook Stole My Childhood - Kids live through social networks and want to interact with content, during this session a series of leading professionals, including writer and director Henry Becket and CEO of Dubit Ian Douthwaite, discuss how to reach out to children safely and responsibly online. Do You Need a Licence for That? - A licensing strategy is now part of almost every children’s media project, this session aims to uncover how licensing really works, and how you can maximise your chances of success. New Frontiers in Storytelling - This session will explore some exciting, innovative, inspirational and commercially successful projects from the world of transmedia. The Co’s and Pro’s of Co-Pro - UK producers from Collingwood O'Hare Entertainment, Darrall Macqueen, Dinamo Productions and Impossible Films reveal the secrets of working internationally with a range of funding models. The other conference sessions include: Legal and Business Clinic; The AR Impact, Programme Development - Creative or Marketing Driven?; How to Train your Writer; The Age of Innocence? Taste, Decency and Self-Censorship; Innovation Showcase: A Tale of Three Apps; Innovation showcase: Teen stories – mobile & social; Arab Awakenings: New Production Partnerships and Market Opportunities in the Middle East; Invented Here; A Date with Cbeebies; and Thinking the Unthinkable? – The Future of Funding for Kids’ Media in the UK. The CMC also features a collection of Meet the Commissioner sessions, where delegates will learn from leading commissioners and gain a better understanding of the needs of commercial and public broadcasting, publishing and arts. Key participants include Kay Benbow, Controller of CBeebies; Fiona Macmillan, Publisher Colour & Licensing, Random House Children’s Books & Random House Screen Entertainment; Michael Carrington, Chief Content Officer, EMEA, Turner Broadcasting; and Sharna Jackson, Editor of Tate Kids In addition, the event also provides a series of Research Presentations, Workshops and Masterclasses offering insight into a diverse range of topics. Screenings to stretch delegates’ creative consciousness are also on the bill. The Research Presentations are: Seven myths about young children and technology; Unlikely visionaries – how kids are predicting and designing the future; Mind the gap – meeting the media needs of 10-14’s; Blurring media boundaries – what brings kids and adults together?; and From B.O. to bras - what do tweens want to Ask Lara. The range of workshops running include: The co-pro clinic; Thinking differently… with Crossover Labs; Shape it – pitch it; and So you think you need an app?. The Screenings will be: Thinking differently – worldwide and Yesterday’s couch potatoes are today’s YouTubers. |
