Wednesday, March 30 10:45 AM - Noon Track III: Mobile Music & Video Make-Over – As Mobile and Entertainment Industry Merge – TV, Music and Movies Who would have suspected that the world of mobile – that cell phone phenomena of a few years ago would emerge as the most powerful force in the entertainment industry, rivaling TV and DVD as the front runner in consumer choice. Mobile as a communications device has now been superceded by mobile as a fully functional entertainment provider, emerging as a primary source of music, sports, music, news and video. And video is now only beginning to take shape, from the mobile device as a video phone player to distributor of video clips, sporting events and TV shows specifically designed for mobile delivery. In this session, we will bring together a group of executives from the TV, music and mobile industry who are on the front line of investment and development in the key mobile and entertainment projects in the world. Video, music and mobile are our future – in this session we will get a glimpse of what that future will look like. George Linardos, Sr. Business Development Manager, Branded Content, Nokia Bruce Gersh, Senior Vice President Business Development, ABC Entertainment Group Darryl Franklin, Senior Lawyer, Business Affairs, Interscope Records Anthony Stonefield, Chief Strategy Officer, InfoSpace Mobile Michael Steuer, General Manager, MINICK USA Inc. Robert Tercek, Executive VP Programming, Chief Strategy Officer, (M)FORMA Ralph Simon, Co-founder Zomba/Jive & Chairman, The Mobilium Group, Los Angeles & Chairman, Mobile Entertainment Forum, Americas, Moderator Ralph Simon, co-founder Zomba/Jive & Chairman, The Mobilium Group, Los Angeles & Chairman, Mobile Entertainment Forum, Americas: Ralph Simon is recognized as one of the mobile entertainment industry’s leading authorities on mobile content, rights and super-distribution. Simon chairs the Mobile Entertainment Forum in the USA and Americas, and plays a leading role in the mobile entertainment industry, representing and helping MEF member companies grow and create revenues from the usage and distribution of mobile entertainment content and applications. Simon is a true pioneer of the mobile entertainment industry having been the first to introduce ring tones to the USA, Canada, UK and Australasia in 1999, where he co-founded and became Chairman of Yourmobile (now known as Moviso/Infospace Mobile) specializing in the development, distribution and application of mobile entertainment content, intellectual property and publishing rights for mobile phones and devices. Vivendi-Universal acquired Yourmobile from Simon and his co-founders in 2002 and sold it on to Infospace in 2003. Prior to founding Yourmobile, Simon had also co-founded and developed the Zomba Group of record labels and music publishing companies including Jive Records – growing it to become the world’s leading independent music music publishing and recording organizations. In addition, Simon also held the position of Executive Vice President of Capitol Records and Blue Note Records, where he was instrumental in launching EMI’s global New technology & New Media division. He has over two decades of successful entrepreneurial and leadership experience in the recording, music publishing, entertainment and now, mobile industry. He serves as a special advisor to leading companies in the mobile content and rights areas, and also advises and guides the mobile interests of some of the world’s leading recording artists and personalities, including U2, Beyonce & Destiny’s Child, Justin Timberlake & Shania Twain. He serves on the advisory board of leading Finnish mobile channel and platform specialists, Starcut, and acts as a specialist mobile advisor to a select coterie of mobile phone companies, handset and entertainment companies in North America and Europe. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in the UK and a member of the Academy of Recorded Arts & Sciences in the USA. Simon is based in Los Angeles Bruce Gersh was named Senior Vice President Business Development, ABC Entertainment Group, in April 2004. In this position, Mr. Gersh has responsibility for all traditional and online business development programs across ABC Daytime/Primetime, Touchstone Television. Since joining ABC in 2000, Mr. Gersh has been involved in several groundbreaking business development initiatives for the online and traditional business units of the Network. Mr. Gersh developed the nation's first "premium-rate" Short Messaging Service campaign for ABC Daytime. Mr. Gersh also devised and manages, "Shop the Soaps" on ABC Daytime, which is considered to be the first fully integrated cross-media shopping program on network television. Finally, Mr. Gersh oversees several new business initiatives including, merchandise licensing, book publishing, music soundtracks, home video, e-commerce, and product placement. Before joining ABC, Mr. Gersh was a business development consultant for NBC Enterprises, where he identified and created new revenue generating programs. Mr. Gersh was instrumental in the creation and expansion of the NBC direct response business, which was measured as revolutionary in the network television world. Prior to joining ABC, Mr. Gersh was a business development consultant for NBC Enterprises, where he identified and created new revenue generating programs. He began his career at Arthur Andersen, and was recently selected by the Hollywood Reporter in the Next Generation issue as one of the young executives poised to become an industry leader. Mr. Gersh holds a degree in Accounting Theory and Practice from California State University, Northridge. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Sharon, and their three children, Casey, Nicki and Hailey. Anthony Stonefield, Chief Strategy Officer, InfoSpace Mobile: Anthony Stonefield has spent the last 11 years pioneering and productizing a range of digital media distribution and marketing applications. He currently serves as Chief Strategy Officer for InfoSpace Mobile, where he creates and drives product and market strategies, strategic business development and M&A in the US, European and Australian mobile markets. Prior to his role at InfoSpace, Stonefield was a founder and CEO of Moviso, a mobile content company that was acquired by InfoSpace, Inc. in November 2003. Mr. Stonefield began his media career as an independent music producer and manager. In 1993, he developed publishing, licensing and broadcasting business models for emerging MP2 music downloads and, in 2000, evolved these media distribution concepts onto wireless networks. George Linardos, Sr. Business Development Manager, Branded Content, Nokia: As Sr. Business Development Manager, Branded Content for Nokia, George Linardos is charged with driving content deals and partnerships for Preminet and Forum Nokia with major media and entertainment companies. Mr. Linardos came to Nokia from a similar position at Macromedia as Director of Programming. Prior to joining Macromedia, George formed and ran the New Media division of HSI Productions Inc., one of the largest television commercial and music video production companies in the world. At HSI, he oversaw a diverse slate of forward thinking ventures in the areas of Internet content, videogames, and branded entertainment. George was originally a feature film executive and producer for Academy Award winning filmmaker Oliver Stone and then in partnership with actor-filmmaker Ben Stiller. Some of the projects he helped develop and produce include "The People vs. Larry Flynt," "Zoolander," and the Emmy and Golden Globe winning HBO film "Indictment: The McMartin Trial." Darryl Franklin, VP of Business and Legal Affairs, Interscope Records, A&M Records, Geffen Records (Universal Music Group): Senior lawyer reporting to head of department at the largest label group in North America. A key part of the team providing full business affairs and in house legal services to the most successful and innovative label in the US. Experienced in music (records), audio visual products (DVD), music related TV and film, and record industry content related on-line exploitation (new technologies, web, and mobile telephony) Responsibilities include: Focus on asset acquisition and creation, including by way of distribution agreements, joint ventures, profit shares and licenses (rights coming in and going out): Structuring of arrangements to maximize exploitation of rights in traditional and new media, in existing and new areas of business including on line/mobile telephony/marketing consultancy.: Management of key business relationships on a day-to-day level. Responsible for approximately 30 artist, label and distribution relationships including: Black Eyed Peas, Tupac Shakur, TATU, Snoop Dogg, Trent Reznor, Will Smith and Marilyn Manson.: Advisor on international legal and business aspects and implications of ongoing and new business. Robert Tercek, Executive VP Programming / Chief Strategy Officer, (M)FORMA: (M)FORMA’s partnership alliances and content strategy are managed by Robert Tercek, an 18 year veteran of the digital media industry. Tercek previously served in executive management roles at PacketVideo, Sony Pictures Entertainment, MTV: Music Television and 7th Level. He has supervised the development and production of entertainment content and services for every digital platform, including satellite and cable television, narrow- and broadband Internet, game consoles and PC CD ROM, and wireless networks. His credits include some of the most successful interactive entertainment titles, including the online editions of Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, Trivial Pursuit, The Dating Game, and the Monty Python PC game series. Michael Steuer, General Manager, MINICK USA Inc.: Michael Steuer was recently appointed General Manager of MINICK USA and will oversee the North American rollout of the European leading mobile applications provider which THQ Wireless purchased a controlling interest of in May of 2004. THQ Wireless is a world-leading publisher of games, entertainment and information services for wireless devices and a wholly owned subsidiary of THQ Inc. As General Manager of MINICK USA, Steuer is responsible for establishing business relations with wireless carriers as well as companies in the entertainment, music and consumer goods industries. This also includes creating high quality wireless services, such as SMS, EMS and MMS messaging, information, multimedia and voting applications for THQ Wireless’ existing relationships with major licensors such as Nickelodeon, National Football League, Major League Baseball, Marvel and World Wrestling Entertainment. Steuer, a THQ veteran who has been at the forefront of Europe’s booming e-commerce and wireless industries, spent the last two years as Technical Director for THQ Wireless, based in the company’s Krefeld/Dusseldorf office in Germany. Prior to joining THQ, Steuer ran the Netherlands office of MINICK after his wireless messaging provider business was purchased by MINICK. In 1997, Steuer founded Buycomp.nl, a Benelux based web retailer where he was Managing and Technical Director of the company until 1999. Steuer is a founding board member of the Dutch 'Stichting Mobile Services', an industry body consisting of all Dutch wireless carriers and service providers and studied Medical Information Science, Medicine and Social Information Science at the University of Amsterdam.