Paris – Reed MIDEM, organisers of global kids programming conference MIPJunior, will host the first “Future of Kids TV Summit” during MIPTV 2014, bringing together in Cannes 80 creative strategists from the children’s entertainment sector to address key issues surrounding the digital disruption in creation and distribution.
The Summit will take place on April 8 in the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, as part of the ‘Junior at MIPTV‘ special focus on children’s and youth programming. The event is sponsored by Shaw Rocket Fund, a Canadian investment fund dedicated to youth-oriented production.
In the context of an ever more competitive kids‘ TV market facing changing viewing habits and new format trends, the Future of Kids’ TV Summit will bring together 80 creative strategists from the children’s entertainment sector, who will address the key issues facing the industry and attempt to map out its future direction. This high-level think-tank will feature influential visionaries who will share their experiences and insights in a series of fast-paced presentations. Participants will then be invited to brainstorm in small groups, guided by moderators.
The first confirmed Summit keynote speaker is Yoni Bloch, CEO and Co-Founder of Interlude, a digital media company that designs, develops, markets and enables the creation of interactive videos. The company has already built a rich history of interactive video storytelling and helped some of the world’s leading entertainment and corporate brands leverage interactive video, including Shell, MAC, Subaru, Disney Music Group, Intel and Sony Music Nashville. Interlude also collaborates with major music artists and created Bob Dylan’s internationally acclaimed interactive music video for “Like A Rolling Stone”.
Yoni Bloch, CEO & Co-Founder of digital media company Interlude
“I’m thrilled to be present at the Future of Kids’ TV Summit to discuss how content creators can create a digital playground for children,” said Bloch. “Interactive videos invite kids to continually engage and shape the story differently each time. I look forward to exploring new ways for the entertainment industry to help kids become active participants instead of passive viewers.”
The Future of Kids’ TV Summit is the latest in MIPTV’s established line-up of forward-looking events, following on the heels of the International Drama Coproduction Summit and the Digital Minds Summit. These forums are now recognised by key industry executives as must-attend events in their business agenda.
“Given MIPTV’s track record of organising thought-leadership events, it was an obvious move to kids’ TV. The sector has to be really forward-thinking to keep up with the tastes and habits of children, who are natural early adopters. The Summit will be a valuable complement to MIPTV which attracts over 2,500 kids’ entertainment executives from over 100 countries,” said Laurine Garaude, Reed MIDEM’s Television Director.
Confirmed participants at the Summit include the main broadcasters in the sector: Cartoon Network, Disney, Nickelodeon, Toon Goggles, ABC TV, De Agostini Editore, Super RTL, KI.KA ARD/ZDF, NRK Super, TVO, Teletoon, DR TV, and TV2 Norway, along with online giants Google/YouTube.
Other key kids-oriented events during MIPTV 2014 include the Co-production Marketplace: Kids’ TV Co-production with Asia, on April 8. This targeted matchmaking session offers a unique opportunity for buyers to discover new kids’ content currently in development, and to meet producers from across Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines, India, Indonesia, etc.).
Elsewhere at MIPTV 2014, on April 9, MIP Digital Fronts features new international screenings for original online video, with a special emphasis on kids’ content. Aimed at digital entertainment executives, MIP Digital Fronts will be the first international digital content marketplace for the production, distribution and acquisition of high-quality original content produced exclusively for online audiences. The first Founding Partner to be announced is YouTube.
