Future of Media Conference 2012

 Panels

The media industry is not evolving, it has already been disrupted.  People spend more time online than watching TV; and Google's market value is greater than Disney, Comcast, and News Corp. combined.  The companies on this panel represent the growth areas of media: social, video, mobile, local commerce, and display/brand advertising.  How do these new media companies think about content creation and content monetization?  Panelists will discuss the future of social, local, and premium advertising, new media content experiences, and what new media companies can do to prevent their own disruption.

 KIM GOULD, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, FACEBOOK

 EDWIN PHILOGENE, VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR, BUSINESS PLANNING AND DIGITAL STRATEGY, BBDO

 Dror Shimshowitz, head of product, original programming, youtube

 TRISTAN WALKER, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, FOURSQUARE

 SAAR GUR | MODERATOR | GENERAL PARTNER, CHARLES RIVER VENTURES (“CRV”)

With iPhone sales outpacing the global birth rate, the mobile explosion is undeniable. A quarter of the world's mobile  devices are smart phones, and a billion people have access to the Internet in the palm of their hands. Innovative devices and increasing access to mobile internet are disrupting traditional media from newspapers to televisions— even the laptop computer is getting left in the dust. What does the rise of mobile mean for the way we create, consume, and explore content? This panel will explore a variety of topics including mobile media, app culture, location-based services, monetization, and device wars.

ANKIT GUPTA, CO-FOUNDER AND CTO, PULSE

Ujjal Kohli, Chief Executive Officer, Rhythm NewMedia

AMBER REYNGOUDT, ENGINEER, MILK INC.

JOE ZADEH, PRODUCT LEAD, AIRBNB

ANNEKE JONG | MODERATOR |STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, CLASS OF 2012

Once a niche obsession of hobbyists, video games now represent an estimated $65 billion global market, with players across all age groups and most geographies.  In fact, video games have become the world's fastest growing form of media.  This panel will explore the evolving video games landscape and the trends that will transform the industry over the next 5-10 years.  Likely topics include the meteoric rise of mobile and tablet gaming, the role of consoles, the promise of cloud gaming, new monetization models, the evolution of social games, investment opportunities and challenges, and the "gamer" of tomorrow.

BRANDON BECK, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, RIOT GAMES 

TIM CHANG, MANAGING DIRECTOR, MAYFIELD FUND

CODDY JOHNSON, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, ACTIVISION STUDIOS

DAVID PERRY, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, GAIKAI

ROY BAHAT | MODERATOR | PRESIDENT, IGN ENTERTAINMENT

As the journalism industry struggles to survive, the problem is not content — it's money. Vint Cerf of Google recently noted: "The newspaper is in decline. News is not and should not be in decline...This is Darwin's observation: Adapt or die. We have to figure out how our business models can operate under new conditions." This panel will discuss how different publications are adapting, and what is in store for journalism's future.  Topics covered will include the business model for local content, how newspapers are adapting to new distribution models, and what information consumption will look like in the coming years. 

JOSH CONSTINE, WRITER, TECHCRUNCH

 JUSTIN FERRELL, DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL, MOBILE & NEW PRODUCT DESIGN, THE WASHINGTON POST

ANN FRIEDMAN, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, GOOD MAGAZINE

WARREN WEBSTER, PRESIDENT, AOL PATCH

ANN GRIMES | MODERATOR | DIRECTOR, STANFORD GRADUATE PROGRAM IN JOURNALISM

In a world where more and more eyeballs are migrating online, there is no question that digital media has transformed the traditional media landscape. Fierce competitors in the form of Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, and Youtube are all vying for a piece of the content consumption pie. This panel will explore the evolving media landscape and how traditional players are adapting to these changes. Likely topics include the shrinking theatrical window, fragmentation of mass audiences, the migration of ad dollars online, and the power of branding.

ERIC BUDIN, VICE PRESIDENT, ADVANCED VIDEO SERVICES, COMCAST CABLE

MARK PEARSON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, BRAND AND FRANCHISE MANAGEMENT, 20TH CENTURY FOX TELEVISION

Anne-Marie Roussel, Head of Acquisitions and Partnerships, Sharp Laboratories of America

Bill Guttentag | moderator | writer, producer, director, lecturer, Stanford Graduate School of Business

As the technology and infrastructure that supports our new digital world continues to spread and evolve, the media industry must also evolve and adapt.  As a result, investing in the media space is extremely dynamic and challenging.  This panel brings together leading investors whose collective experience is incredibly deep andiverse.  The panelists make investments at every stage, from early to late-stage PE, and across many sectors of the media landscape, including mobile, social media, consumer internet, information services, and SaaS.

DAVID BLUMBERG, MANAGING PARTNER, BLUMBERG CAPITAL

David Blumberg is the Managing Partner of Blumberg Capital.  David has been investing in early stage technology companies for more than 24 years.  His current investment focus includes Digital Media, Social Media, Mobility, SaaS/Technology Enabled Services and Internet.  Prior to founding Blumberg Capital in 1991, David managed technology investments with Claridge Investments, Adler & Co., Apax, and T. Rowe Price Associates. David launched the business development efforts for Check Point Software Technologies.  David earned his AB from Harvard College and his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and INSEAD.  David serves as a member or observer on the Board of Directors of CaseStack, DoubleVerify, Hootsuite Media, Madvertise, Legolas Media, Mobile Spinach, VideoGenie, Parse.ly, CoverHound, Addepar, and CredoRax.

CHI-HUA CHIEN, INVESTMENT PARTNER, KLEINER PERKINS CAUFIELD & BYERS

MARK COLODNY, MANAGING DIRECTOR, TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS, WARBURG PINCUS

RICHARD YEN, DIRECTOR, PRIVATE EQUITY, SABAN CAPITAL

JIM FRIEDLICH | MODERATOR | PARTNER, ZELNICKMEDIA

The music industry was the first industry to be disrupted by the internet. Next its distribution was reinvented through iTunes.  The next frontier is social—friends listen to music together through the Facebook/Spotify partnership, fans follow artists on Twitter, and watch concerts live on YouTube.  All music products recognize adding a social component increases audience engagement—from apps like Shazam to concert search engines like Songkick.

IME ARCHIBONG, MANAGER OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS (MUSIC), FACEBOOK

JACKSON GATES, VICE PRESIDENT OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, PANDORA

SETH GOLDSTEIN, CO-FOUNDER, TURNTABLE.FM

MIKE HARKEY, U.S. GENERAL MANAGER, SONGKICK

EVAN MOORE | MODERATOR | STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, CLASS OF 2013

FORMER MANAGER OF CONSUMER OPERATIONS, VEVO