Ben Silverman, Founder & CEO of Electus, to Deliver Keynote at MIPTV 2010

PARIS, Jan. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Reed MIDEM announces today that Emmy and Golden Globe winning producer Ben Silverman will deliver a keynote speech on the future of television production at MIPTV, the world's entertainment content market to be held in Cannes from 12 to 16 April.

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In July 2009, Silverman announced the formation of his new multimedia company Electus – a ground-breaking partnership with Barry Diller's leading interactive company IAC. Under Silverman's direction as CEO, Electus will unite producers, creators, advertisers and distributors under one roof and produce all forms of content for distribution across a variety of platforms around the world.

"Ben Silverman is one of the most innovative and forward-thinking leaders in the entertainment industry, and is known for his unique ability to find creative links between content production, advertising and marketing," said Laurine Garaude, Director of Reed MIDEM's Television Division.  "We are honoured that he will share his vision for the future of TV production and look forward to his insight into monetizing content in today's marketing and advertising climate."

Since the company's launch, Electus has announced a series of ground-breaking partnerships, including a strategic alliance with Yahoo!, in which Electus will develop and produce exclusive premium content for Yahoo! and its advertising partners. Capitalizing on the expertise of Ben Silverman and the Electus management team and their proven creativity in premium content creation, the new relationship will not only produce original programming for Yahoo! users, but will also give advertisers new opportunities to integrate their brand messages into the next generation of online programming.

Also recently announced on the content development side was an exclusive partnership with comedy actors/writers Will Arnett and Jason Bateman, for which Electus will work to develop the duo's new sponsor-driven advertising and production company DumbDumb. Electus will package the duo's original digital content within Electus' Comedy division where they will be partnered with advertisers to create original commercials and programming for distribution across multiple media platforms, including television and film.

"Advertisers, content creators and producers now recognize that their individual success relies heavily on their ability to work together to create content that is engaging and entertaining, while delivering a compelling message to consumers," said Ben Silverman, CEO of Electus.

Prior to launching Electus with IAC, Silverman served as Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios from June 2007. Responsible for directing the efforts of NBC Universal's television operations, Silverman transformed the business model by connecting advertisers and consumers through content in a more profound way. Initiating the first of two Infronts, he rebranded the Upfront and enabled a two way conversation between media companies and advertisers. 

Silverman is also currently the executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning NBC comedy "The Office" and the Golden Globe-winning comedy "Ugly Betty," co-creator and executive producer of hit reality show "The Biggest Loser" for NBC, as well as an executive producer and co-creator of the critically acclaimed "The Tudors" for Showtime.

Previously, Silverman was in charge of the international packaging division at the William Morris Agency (WMA), where he was the company's youngest division head, packaging more than 25 television series that encompassed over  500 produced episodes, including  "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," "The Weakest Link," "Big Brother," and  "Queer as Folk."

About Electus

Electus is the first integrated multimedia company to unite producers, creators, advertisers and distributors under one roof and produce all forms of content for distribution across a variety of platforms around the world. Headed by Ben Silverman, in partnership with IAC, the company will connect advertisers, distributors and content creators early on in the development process, enabling marketers and advertisers to be a true partner in campaigns and content creation.

About IAC

IAC operates more than 50 leading and diversified Internet businesses across 30 countries... our mission is to harness the power of interactivity to make daily life easier and more productive for people all over the world. To view a full list of the companies of IAC please visit our website at www.iac.com.

About Reed MIDEM

Founded in 1963, Reed MIDEM is a leading organiser of professional, international tradeshows. Reed MIDEM events have established themselves as key dates in professional diaries. The company hosts MIPTV, MIPDOC, MIPCOM, and MIPJUNIOR for the television and digital content industries, MIDEM for music professionals, MIPIM featuring MIPIM HORIZONS, MIPIM Asia  and MAPIC for the property and retail real estate sectors.

Reed MIDEM is a division of Reed Exhibitions, the world's leading events organiser, with over 470 events in 37 countries. In 2008 Reed brought together over seven million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organised by 38 fully staffed offices.

Reed organises a wide range of events, including exhibitions, conferences, congresses and meetings. Its portfolio of over 470 events serves 44 industry sectors, including: Aerospace & aviation, automobiles, broadcasting, building & construction, electronics, energy, oil & gas, engineering, manufacturing, environment, food service & hospitality, gifts, healthcare, interior design, IT & telecoms, jewellery, life science & pharmaceuticals, machinery, medical education, printing & graphics, property & real estate, security & safety, sports & recreation, travel.

For further information about Reed MIDEM visit www.reedmidem.com.

SOURCE Reed MIDEM