John Michael Higgins, Actor, and Rob Riggle, Actor & Comedian, to Host the 2010 CLIO Awards in New York City, May 26 & 27

NEW YORK, May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 50 years ago, CLIO began recognizing creative excellence in advertising in New York City, the home of legendary Madison Avenue. For two full days, May 26 & 27, the 2010 CLIO Awards & Conference will return to its birthplace, New York City, with awards dinners hosted by John Michael Higgins, Actor, and Rob Riggle, Actor & Comedian, as well as post-receptions, both held at the hip, downtown gallery space Skylight Soho. Inspirational conference sessions featuring a vibrant mix of keynote speakers including Pharrell Williams, Grammy Award winning Singer/Songwriter/Producer, as well as Jeff Goodby & Rich Silverstein, Co-Chairmen and Creative Directors of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners will be held during the day at the new Trump Soho Hotel.

The Print & TV Awards: Wednesday, May 26 hosted by John Michael Higgins, will honor winning work in mediums including: Print; Poster; Billboard; Direct Mail; Television/Cinema/Digital; Television/Cinema/Digital Technique; Radio and Student. The Hall of Fame Award will also be presented at this time. Higgins' chameleon like character changes allow him to seamlessly play David Letterman in the highly acclaimed HBO film The Late Shift, and easily transition to the flamboyantly gay Shih-Tzu handler Scott Donlon in the hit comedy Best in Show. Higgins has been featured in films including Yes Man, A Mighty Wind and Couples Retreat. He is also the spokesperson for DirecTV and is frequently seen starring in their commercials.

The Interactive & Innovative Awards: Thursday, May 27 hosted by Rob Riggle will honor work in the following mediums: Interactive; Innovative Media; Integrated Campaign; Content & Contact; Design; Strategic Communications/Public Relations and Student. At this time, CLIO will also recognize the Agency of the Year, Advertiser of the Year, Network of the Year, Production Company of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award winners. Riggle has been a cast member of Saturday Night Live and a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and has appeared on The Office, Arrested Development, American Dad, Gary Unmarried, and HBO's Funny or Die. His film credits include Talladega Nights, Step Brothers, The Goods, and The Hangover.

CLIO Awards & Post Receptions

Upon entering Skylight Soho for the Print & TV Awards and the Interactive & Innovative Awards, attendees' CLIO experience will be further enhanced by a uniquely-themed atmosphere each night. Both evenings will kick off with a cocktail reception and dinner, where attendees can view work in the digital gallery. The awards ceremony will follow with video commentary from judges, video montages of the award-worthy work, as well as an inside look at the CLIO judging process. Post-receptions will take place on location for guests to network with top creative professionals from around the world. Winning work from CLIO Awards finalists will be highlighted in digital galleries during the post receptions, creating a stimulating environment for attendees to network with some of the most brilliant minds in the creative industry.

CLIO Conference

Those who attend The CLIO Conference: May 26 & 27 at the new Trump Soho Hotel will discover unusual and inventive ideas being implemented today in the areas of advertising, architecture, music, fashion, film, design and technology. Creative leaders and industry tastemakers will spark innovative thinking with topics ranging from the inspirational interplay in pop culture and how it drives creativity, to hostage negotiation and how to use it at your next client meeting.

Notably, Jennifer Frommer, SVP, Strategic Partnerships & Branding at Universal Music, Interscope Records will interview keynote speaker Pharrell Williams, Grammy Award Winning Singer/Songwriter/Producer, about how he translated his success in music into big branding opportunities and new business ventures. Additionally, Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein, Co-Chairmen and Creative Directors at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners will deliver a keynote speech about "Ideas that Inspire." Additionally, Doug Guthrie, Executive Academic Director of The Berlin School of Creative Leadership will discuss the Ten Tenets of Creative Leadership, and why embracing these concepts is vital to the success of an organization.

Other CLIO Conference speakers include:

• Shaun Abrahamson, Chief Executive Officer, Mutopo
• Tom Ajello, Founding Partner, Poke New York
• Penny Baldwin, SVP, Integrated Marketing & Brand Management, Yahoo!
• Hashem Bajwa, Director of Digital Strategy, Droga5
• Billy Chasen, Co-Founder and CEO, Stickybits
• Tom Christmann, Executive Creative Director, JWT
• Piers Fawkes, Editor, PSFK
• Cindy Gallop, Founder, IfWeRantheWorld.com
• Pia Grahn-Brikell, Chief Executive Officer, Storakers McCann
• Doug Jaeger, President, Art Directors Club
• Freddie Laker, Director of Digital Strategy, Sapient
• Craig Markus, Executive Creative Director/EVP, McCann Erickson NY & Tag Ideation
• Benjamin Palmer, Co-Founder & CEO, The Barbarian Group
• Alex Siewert, Director of Strategy, AKQA
• Chad Stoller, EVP of Digital Strategy, BBDO
• Matthew Szymczyk, Chief Executive Officer, Zugara
• Faris Yakob, Chief Innovation Officer, MDC Partners

Registration Information

• CLIO Passport - $749 includes two nights of events and after-parties, plus two day conference
• CLIO Awards & After-Parties - $349 each night or save and get both nights for $549
• CLIO Conference Only - $399 for two days of sessions

For more information, visit CLIO Awards. Follow the CLIO Awards on your favorite social networks: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About The CLIO Awards

The CLIO Awards is one of the world's most recognized awards competition for advertising, design and communications. The CLIO Awards has maintained its original commitment to celebrate and reward creative excellence, honoring a powerful form of communication and its impact on modern culture. At the same time, the CLIO Awards remains focused on evolving with the industry in order to acknowledge the most current, breakthrough work. To this day, CLIO's iconic statue is the most widely recognized and coveted symbol of the industry's creative accomplishments.

About e5 Global Media

e5 Global Media is a diversified company with leading assets in the media and entertainment arenas, including: Music (Billboard and its related conferences and events, including The Billboard Latin Music Awards), Film (The Hollywood Reporter, Backstage, ShoWest, ShowEast, Cineasia, and Cinema Expo International); and Advertising & Marketing (Adweek, Mediaweek, Brandweek, Adweek Conferences, and The CLIO Awards).

SOURCE e5 Global Media LLC