2:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Session B:
Broadband Advertising - Merging E-Commerce and Content
In this, the final session of the day, we bring together a group of the most experienced professionals in the emerging field of broadband advertising and content delivery and we look forward to it being a truly visionary look into the future of the marketplace. The projections on broadband penetration are now becoming more clear, but what can we seriously expect from the merger of content and commerce? That’s the question that we hope to explore. What will e-commerce look like in the next three years? Will the B to C relationship become a megahit or is it still possible that it will fail to measure up to the expectations? Let’s find out.
Stuart Gross, CEO, Random/Order
Shari Glusker, Manager of Interactive Services, WebTV Networks
Andrew Capone, EVP Marketing @ Operations, Microcast
Tommy Means, VP of Online Development, Pandemonium
Steve Flanagan, Senior VP Sales, iCast
Joyce Schwarz, cofounder, MaydayInteractive.com and
CEO, JCOM, Moderator
Stuart A. Gross, Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer, RANDOM/ORDER: Stuart Gross gained the attention of the national business community with his development of the first publicly-held advertising production company. As co-founder of Harmony Pictures/Harmony Holdings (with director Robert Lieberman), he created and implemented one of the most innovative and successful business plans in commercial production history, the industry’s first IPO, and generated revenues with an annual run rate of over $70 million. Gross expanded Harmony into six wholly-owned subsidiaries with an internationally recognized talent pool and a client list including virtually every major advertising agency and advertiser. From February 1997 to February 1998, Gross was CEO and president of Scala Computer Television Inc., an internationally-renowned media software company. He served an additional year as a consultant to Scala. As CEO, Gross brings visionary thinking and more than 25 years of business, finance, media, entertainment and technology experience to RANDOM/ORDER. He is orchestrating the company's growth into convergent media and building a dynamic management and creative team. He is an active member of the Directors Guild of America, a member of the Board of Directors of the Malibu Stage Company, a rated member of the United States Polo Association and holds a BS degree from the University of New Haven.
Shari Glusker, Manager of Interactive Services, WebTV Networks: As the Manager of Interactive Services within the Network Media Group at WebTV, Shari oversees the support and development of television services that extend and enhance the businesses of broadcasters and advertisers. Her team is working to define and drive revenue-generating features in WebTV products that go beyond current ATVEF ITV capabilities while continuing to support on-going ITV efforts. Prior to joining WebTV Networks, Glusker spent 18 years overseeing the creation of video applications and programming. Her experience ranges from leading development in the interactive TV space as Manager of the ITV Design Team at Silicon Graphics, to gambling game development as Director of Game Development at Silicon Gaming, to production of TV commercials and Network IDs as Senior Producer at Colossal Pictures and a Producer at Pacific Data Images. Her career experience has allowed her the opportunity to work with every major advertiser, network and channel in the U.S, giving her a unique perspective as WebTV creates new opportunities for the interactive television medium. Glusker holds a degree in Design and Product Design from Stanford University.