Click on the Video Below and Sample a Session from the last Digital Hollywood event. For Additional Video Sessions, Click Here Hollywood Europe in London, ExCeL London, The Docklands November 29 - December 1, 2006 The Agenda - DayTwo Thursday, November 30th 3:50 PM – 5:00 PM Track I: Games - Crossover into Music, TV, Cable, Broadband, Movies & Advertising - Content, Technology & the Mass Entertainment Experience The TV industry, like the movies, cable and broadband has forged a perfect relationship with the games industry – likewise, the music industry, in a different way has found its own hitmaking engine in games. Games is proving itself to be among the best partnerships that the entertainment industries have ever forged. The marriage between games and TV starts with the fact that the target demographic is a perfect fit which translates into great programming for gamers, advertising and branding opportunities and ends up with games being produced about the content of TV – from sports games which have forged their own cultural universe to kids shows which regularly translate into hit games. On the music front, like the idea of hit CDs as soundtracks for movies, videogames with audiences approaching 10 million are now becoming the perfect venue for game soundtracks. The music and the games industry is now emerging as its own industry-sector. The concept of the music industry as game driver and games industry as music industry diver is now in play. Chris Bergsrtesser, Senior Vice President, Atari Online Entertainment Gunnar Larsen, Director, Mobile Games Europe, Real Networks Jonathan Epstein, CEO, Double Fusion Mikael Nerde, Head of Developer Program and Content Planning, Sony Ericsson Ed Bartlett, Vice-President, Europe, IGA Maryam Bazargan, Director, New Street Media Fred Hasson, CEO, TIGA The Independent Games Developers Trade Association, Moderator Ed Bartlett, Vice-President, Europe, IGA: Ed Bartlett is one of the gaming visionaries who has been instrumental in changing the face of the industry by combining unparalleled developer knowledge with astute business acumen and media expertise. Initially working on the production side, Bartlett has held various positions at NMS Software and Acclaim Studios London where key achievements include taking the lead on the prestigious Ferrari F1 and Ferrari F360 Challenge racing games. In 1999 Bartlett moved to infamous independent games developer The Bitmap Brothers where he played a critical role in transforming the company into a profitable UK business. As Business Development Director, Bartlett’s major accomplishments include forming a board of directors to aid corporate growth and expansion and securing the first ever Access to Finance government grant, as well as designing the groundbreaking user interface in the award-winning game Z: Steel Soldiers. Having recognised the potential for games as an untapped source for advertising, Bartlett founded Hive Partners in 2003, the world’s first in-game product placement agency. As CEO Bartlett secured global blue chip accounts such as Red Bull, struck deals with major global publishers including Sega and Vivendi Universal, and grew the business to achieve revenues of over £200,000. In 2003 Bartlett successfully negotiated the acquisition of Hive Partners by IGA Worldwide and became Vice-President, Europe. The combination of IGA’s proprietary ad serving network, Radial, with Hive’s in-game advertising expertise, has helped to establish IGA Worldwide as the global leader in 360-degree in-game advertising solutions, helping international brands such as Ben Sherman, Orange and T-Mobile to achieve measurable results in a sector which is estimated to reach $2.5 billion by 2010. Christopher Bergstresser, Senior Vice President, Atari Online Entertainment: In his position as Managing Director, Atari Online Entertainment, Bergstresser is responsible for the creation and implementation of Atari’s online presence. Bergstresser brings more than 15 years of experience in driving revenue growth for the entertainment industry to Atari. His expertise includes TV and interactive entertainment and he has consistently proven adept at balancing creative needs with business concerns. An accomplished corporate strategist, he has a proven track record of success in planning, licensing, business development, product development and general management. Bergstresser recently returned from the UK where he led the successful launch and rapid growth of Gamer.tv, the leading producer of video game television shows for global syndication. As CEO, Bergstresser grew syndication from 300,000 to approximately 200 million households world-wide. His contributions included dramatically improving the quality and focus of programming, forging critical partnerships with major entertainment companies, leading the company’s entry into China, and leveraging existing online assets to cross-market the company’s TV programming. Prior to joining Gamer.tv, Bergstresser spent four years with Konami Consumer Software and Business Solutions, where he was Vice President of Strategic Planning, Licensing and Business Development. In this role, he conceived and negotiated partnership agreements with major software and entertainment companies including Vivendi Universal Games and Microsoft. In keeping with his constant drive to capitalize on new business opportunities, he also spearheaded an online and mobile entertainment strategy. Earlier, Bergstresser played a key role in the growth and international expansion of Climax Studios. After joining the company in 1995, he was assigned the mandate to establish a North American presence. He quickly secured lucrative deals with EA, Activision, NAMCO, Sega and 3DO. Jonathan Epstein brings more than 20 years of high-technology media and marketing experience to Double Fusion, and a track record of launching and building the most successful media properties that reach the gaming audience, on a worldwide basis. As CEO of Double Fusion, Epstein is responsible for providing the strategic vision and direction for the company, and for ensuring the execution of the company against its core business plan. Prior to joining Double Fusion, Epstein served as co-head of the digital media group of United Talent Agency, overseeing a wide range of transactions in the gaming, mobile, Internet and advertising technology markets and serving as a consultant to a number of leading media startups. Prior to UTA, Epstein served as executive vice president and general manager, media division, for IGN Entertainment, which was acquired by Fox Interactive Media in 2005. Epstein came to IGN with the sale of GameSpy Industries, where he served as president; while at GameSpy, Epstein established the company as a major media player and developed the companies significant subscription and middleware businesses. Before GameSpy, Epstein was the founding president and CEO of GameSpot.com, where with the other co-founders he reshaped the way by which gamers get their information. GameSpot was acquired by ZDNet (and subsequently, CNET) after which time Epstein served as EVP, International, overseeing the management and rollout of GameSpot and ZDNet sites around the world. Epstein holds a degree in physical sciences from Harvard College. Gunnar Larsén, Director, Mobile Games Europe for RealNetworks, Inc.: Gunnar is the European Director of Mobile Games for RealNetworks with responsibility for driving the RealArcade mobile games business throughout Europe. Previous to joining RealNetworks, Gunnar was the Head of Marketing at Mobile Innovation, a user experience consultancy now part of Adobe. Prior to that he spent five years as Head of Product Management at Purple Software, a pioneer in the mobile casual games industry which produced the first ever BAFTA winner for mobile games in 2002. Gunnar has spoken at key industry events such as E3, GDC Mobile, MEM, Casuality, Mobile Games Analyst Summit, Mobile Games Forum, Games and Mobile, and Symbian’s The Smartphone Show. Gunnar is a native of Sweden with a degree in Political Science from Lund University. His current favourite mobile game is Turbo Camels: Circus Extreme! Maryam Bazargan, Director, New Street Media: With over 10 years interactive media experience, Maryam set up New Street Media to help brands incorporate games in to their communications strategy as well as to work with games developers and publishers to help commercialise their media assets. Over the past 4 years, Maryam has worked with dozens of agencies and brands on games related campaigns including Masterfoods, Nestle, Adidas and Sony. Prior to the world of in-game advertising, Maryam founded interactive@optimedia in 2000, the digital arm of Optimedia, now ZenithOptimedia helping shape the agency’s growth globally and develop interactive strategies for brands including L’Oreal and Yahoo! Previous to that Maryam was head of Interactive Planning at Carat, looking after interactive training internally and developing digital strategies for Carat clients including Guiness and News International, helping to push the agency to No. 1 status in the market Fred Hasson, CEO, TIGA The Independent Games Developers Trade Association: Fred Hasson is a founder and CEO of the games developers association, TIGA in March 2001. Joint owner of media consultancy Horsman-Hasson Productions 2000-2002 with city analyst Mathew Horsman. From 1997 -2001 was Director and Director Marketing and Communications of Brighton based Victoria Real, which was acquired by Endemol Entertainment, in 2001. Previously he was Head of Corporate Relations of BBC’s Regional Broadcasting, 1995-7. From 1998-2000 he was an elected member of Pact (Producers Alliance for Cinema and TV) and Chair of its Digital Policy Group. He was also Deputy Director of IPPA 1989-91 (Independent Programme Producers Association and Deputy CEO/Head of Regions and Training for Pact, its successor organisation, and chaired for 3 years, FT2 –film and TV freelance training, set up the IPTF. He is a member of the British Screen Advisory Council, a board member of East Midland Media, and a director and founder and Programme Director of the Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival.