The future of TV in the spotlight: MIPCube UNVEILED

PARIS, March 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- MIPCube will reaffirm its position as the ultimate creative platform and a unique business forum to shape the future of TV through a rich line-up of events & conferences which includes speakers from Twitter, Warner Bros. and Machinima, a new Brands and Content Masterclass and the inaugural Women in Tech and Media networking breakfast. MIPCube 2013 will feature many of the leading innovators in the digital content space. An integral part of MIPTV, the world's content market, MIPCube takes place in Cannes from April 8-11.

As part of a series of inspiring case studies, Dan Biddle, Head of Broadcast Partnerships, Twitter UK, will explore how the future of the micro-blogging site is linked to TV, thanks to its ability to cultivate audiences. MIPCube participants will also get an insight into what tomorrow's media business will look like in the hands of the new media moguls, in sessions led by Andrew Creighton, "Supreme Overlord" of alternative arts and culture magazine Vice, and Scott Dikkers, Founding Editor of satirical US news outfit The Onion.

Renowned content producers Kevin Tancharoen, Director/Producer, Warner Bros., and Lance Sloane, Head of Digital Programming and Development, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, will explain how they produced "Mortal Kombat: Legacy", a split-screen blockbuster which was the most-viewed web series in 2011.

Experts in the interactive content space will describe how to attract, build, and scale audiences, with contributions from Philip Debevoise, President & Co-Founder of video entertainment network Machinima, which screened 2.5 billion videos in January 2012, and Jamal Edwards, 22-year-old entrepreneur and Founder & CEO, SB.TV Global Ltd. Jorge Rincon, COO of Cisneros' AdsMovil company, will also be on hand to provide a focus on Mobile Hispanic Population. Meanwhile Gene Liebel, the Chief Strategy Officer of branding agency Huge, who developed the strategy and built the HBO Go digital platform, will discuss the importance of intuitive design and user interface in encouraging audiences to consume more content.

In a session on reinventing distribution in the "anywhere" age, Ashley MacKenzie, Founder of digital media company Base79, YouTube's biggest content partner in Europe, will discuss which distribution models exist for professional content creators, and how best to leverage them.

Underlining the networking opportunities which MIPCube offers, a string of matchmaking sessions will involve broadcasters, including Canal + Head of Digital, Fabienne Fourquet; Julie Barstow, Executive Director, Studio & Unscripted Content from Canada's CBC; brand representatives such as Paolo Bonsignore from Illy Cafe; and branded content experts such as Victor Knaap of Media Monk.

A new feature this year is the Brands and Content Masterclass, sponsored by Ogilvy & Mather and in partnership with Hyper Island. The Masterclass will bring together more than 80 high-level executives working in branded entertainment from brands, agencies, production companies, TV networks, digital platforms and social networks. The objectives of this Masterclass are to learn how to create engaging branded entertainment, meet potential partners in this field, and to share best practices from a selection of some of the most successful branded entertainment campaigns. The Masterclass will be introduced by Johanna Frelin, CEO of Hyper Island, and will feature contributions from Fru Hazlitt, Managing Director, Commercial, Online and Interactive, ITV; John Allert, Group Brand Director, McLaren; and Simon Whalley, Executive Producer, Framestore. Other participating brands include Renault and Swarovski, while the Newcast (Publicis), MEC and Havas agencies will also take part. In the following lunch, the 2013 Brand of the Year award will be delivered (succeeding 2012 Heineken and 2011 Amex).

Another new feature is the Women In Tech and Media Breakfast, during which the challenges women face as they shoot for greater influence in the industry will be discussed. Speakers for this event include Francoise Laborde, a board member of France's broadcasting regulator the CSA, and President of the newly-founded French Association For Women in Media, Jesse Draper, Creator and Host of "The Valley Girl Show," which gets more than two million monthly views across all platforms and one of the most influential women in tech. The other speaker so far confirmed is Kim Moses, Principal, Sander/Moses Productions, SLAM & Creator, The Total Engagement. Moses was named on Newsweek's Women and Leadership Advisory Committee, and was honoured with the Woman In Film's Woman of The Year award.

The talents of tomorrow will be showcased in the Content 360 Pitch Competition for transmedia producers and creative agencies, this year sponsored by Russian independent broadcaster CTC Media and telco MTS; the MIPCube Lab, an international competition for startups innovating in the TV field; and the TV Hack Day, featuring 15 selected developers and designers who have 48 hours to come up with what might be the next big app. All of the winners plus Brand of the Year will be showcased in the Innovation show.

MIPCube also provides unique hands-on opportunities through workshops like the YouTube Creators Masterclass for Content Producers, run by David Ripert, Head of YouTube Next Lab EMEA at Google, or the Social TV Bootcamp, which will provide a live consulting session on strategies to build social TV projects.

On Sunday 7 April, as a preamble to the main event, MIPCube Plus offers a one-day think-tank dedicated to unlocking fresh business opportunities for new content creation, user engagement and monetisation models.

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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 celebrates its 50^th anniversary. www.miptv.com

SOURCE Reed MIDEM