"Future of Kids TV Summit" Announced For MIPTV 2014

PARIS, Feb. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 Tuesday 8 April, 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 & 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."

"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 recognized 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 Tuesday 8 April. 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 Wednesday 9 April, 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.

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About MIPTV – Founded in 1963, MIPTV is the annual international market and creative forum for content on every screen. It brings professionals from the global TV and online content industry to Cannes, France, for four days of exhibition, conferences, screenings and networking. It is a key market for buying and selling content and early-stage content development. MIPCube constitutes a special programme exploring tech and creative approaches with the community re-inventing the content experience within MIPTV. The weekend prior to MIPTV, MIPDoc and MIPFormats constitute a two-day showcase for non-fiction and unscripted programming. In 2013, MIPTV celebrated its 50^th anniversary. www.miptv.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, LeWeb Paris and London for internet forward-thinkers, MIPIM, MIPIM Asia, MIPIM UK and MAPIC for the property and retail real estate sectors. www.reedmidem.com

About Reed Exhibitions - Reed Exhibitions is the world's leading events organizer, with over 500 events in 41 countries. In 2012 Reed brought together seven million active event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organized by 34 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 44 industry sectors with trade and consumer events and is part of the Reed Elsevier Group, a world leading provider of professional information solutions. www.reedexpo.com

SOURCE Reed MIDEM