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.
Michael Sepso, Co-CEO, Gotham Interactive
John Gilles, Senior Producer, Broadband & Enhanced Television, ZDTV
Eyal Gever, founder & CEO, Gizmoz, Inc.
John Bohan, President, Chief Executive Officer, L90
Bridget Leray, Veon
Brian Hecht, CEO/President, e news.com
Gerry Kaufhold, Founding Member, Cahners In-Stat, Moderator
Eyal Gever: Founder and C.E.O.: Mr. Gever, 29, has been leading Gizmoz since its inception as a small partnership in late 1994. He originally conceived of Gizmoz as a smart, visual, digital arts company that bridges technology and currently leads the company’s creative vision and business and marketing strategy. Having earned his reputation as a visionary, Gever is frequently invited as a speaker at industry events and has been featured several times in the press including a cover on the Red Herring and articles in Newsweek, and others. Gizmoz.com was a debutante company at PC Forum 99. Gever also co-presented a keynote presentation with John Sculley at Internet World and spoke at Seagraff 98, Red Herring, Milia YPO, Edgewise 99, and other industry events. Eyal Gever is dedicated to leading the convergence of technology and art and enabling an advanced medium of visual expression for everyone on the Web. The company is committed to providing the largest and highest quality authoring environment for Web-enhanced components.
John Bohan, President, Chief Executive Officer, L90, Inc.: As CEO and Co-Founder of L90, Inc., John Bohan is the keeper of L90's strategic vision and is responsible for spearheading and managing all of the company's business ventures. Thanks to Bohan's business acumen and knowledge of the advertising industry, L90 recently completed a successful Initial Public Offering (IPO). Throughout his career, Bohan has demonstrated a keen knowledge and understanding of persuasive and effective advertising solutions. Prior to founding L90, Bohan served as Executive Vice President of Interactive Connection, an Internet startup specializing in advertising sales representation, Web site development and content syndication. Bohan also has an extensive background in broadcast television, an expertise he acquired as top performing sales Account Executive at both The Weather Channel and The Travel Channel in New York and Los Angeles. Early in his career, Bohan served as Assistant Vice President for Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, an investment bank in New York City. Bohan earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Middlebury College.
Michael Sepso, Co-CEO of Gotham Interactive: Michael Sepso has considerable experience in the Internet and Entertainment industries. In1995, Sepso was tapped by a group of film industry veterans to develop an interactive media division within their film distribution start-up. Serving as Executive Producer, Sepso produced several award-winning promotional Web sites supporting 12 feature films and launched an e-zine website for young, professional women. Sepso is frequently asked to speak on panels regarding the broadband industry, including Digital Hollywood, Road Runner/Media One, Macworld and Kagan Streaming Media. Sepso, 27, holds a BS in Management from Babson College. Sepso currently lives in Manhattan.
GERRY KAUFHOLD, Principal Analyst, Digital TV, is a founding member of Ca
Brian Hecht is President and CEO of enews.com, the leading magazine retailer on the Web. The company offers subscriptions to nearly 1000 major titles. Hecht took the helm of Enews.com in 1996. Under his leadership, enews.com has secured portal deals with Yahoo!, Excite, and Lycos, partnered with leading e-commerce destinations such as barnesandnoble.com, and developed an affiliate program with nearly 50,000 members. In turn, Enews.com has achieved extraordinary sales growth, secured a $20 million investment from Madison Dearborn Partners, Inc. in August 1998. Most recently, enews.com established important equity relationships with barnesandnoble.com and Hachette Fillipacchi Magazines. A pioneer in the Web publishing industry, Hecht was the founding editor-in-chief of Tripod, one of the Internet’s first and largest community sites. He has also served as the online editor of The New Republic, and has worked at ABC News in New York and NBC News in London. An alumnus of Harvard University, Hecht is 29 and lives in Washington, DC.