Event Preview: INTV

Keshet Media Group is gearing up to host its third annual international conference on Innovation in Television (INTV). Held in Israel March 15 and 16—and hosted by Avi Nir, Keshet’s CEO, and Nir Barkat, the mayor of Jerusalem—this year’s INTV will feature an assembly of luminaries from the media industry and top creatives leading the charge in today’s shifting television landscape. The conference’s focus on innovation is quite fitting for Keshet, the company behind such groundbreaking, globally successful formats as Prisoners of War, which was the basis for Homeland, and MICE, which spawned NBC’s Allegiance.

“Innovation is very much inherent in Keshet’s DNA,” says Alon Shtruzman, the CEO of Keshet International. “Three years ago, we aimed to create a unique platform that encouraged creative discussions on various aspects of the constantly changing TV world. It’s rewarding to see ideas that were born at INTV come to life.”

This year’s INTV kicks off with the local premiere of USA Network’s upcoming major event series Dig, which was produced by Universal Cable Productions and developed by Keshet. The premiere will host Emmy-winning showrunner***Image*** and writer Gideon Raff (Prisoners of War, Homeland), who co-created the series with Tim Kring (Heroes), as well as Golden Globe-nominated actor Jason Isaacs (Awake, the Harry Potter franchise), who stars in the series.

The event will also hold a special session with the renowned journalist and author Ari Shavit and HBO CEO and Chairman Richard Plepler focused on connections between docudrama and politics. A separate side session will see selected startups pitching to TV professionals. “This session will be hosted in cooperation with the Jerusalem Development Authority, and we expect great networking and inspiration from these young entrepreneurs,” says Shtruzman.

A number of high-profile speakers have been confirmed for INTV, including Peter Fincham, the director of television at ITV; Andrea Wong, the president of international production at Sony Pictures Television; Susan Lyne, the president of BBG Ventures at AOL and former CEO of the AOL Brand Group; and the Golden Globe-winning writers Sarah Treem and Hagai Levi (The Affair, In Treatment). Among those taking part in the PromaxBDA creative clinic—a collaboration between PromaxBDA and Keshet Media Group—are Bruce Tuchman, the president of AMC Global and Sundance Channel Global; Stephen Friedman, the president of MTV; Jacob Shwirtz, the chief social media officer at Endemol Beyond USA; and Rick Rosen, board member and head of television at WME. Also on the roster for INTV is filmmaker Porter Erisman, who wrote, directed and produced Crocodile in the Yangtze, an award-winning independent documentary film about the eight years he spent at China’s Alibaba Group.

“Since INTV’s inception, we’ve been fortunate enough to have attracted great speakers who cover all aspects of television innovation,” says Shtruzman. “With each year, we find that the conference’s professional, focused and unique concentration becomes easier and clearer to convey. The conference has a unique glow to it; it takes place in the historical atmosphere of Jerusalem, which presents a beautiful and culturally rich backdrop to host this event focused on innovation.”

Around 700 delegates are expected to attend the event, with attendees hailing from Europe, the U.S. and Israel, among other countries. Shtruzman comments that the two-day event draws professionals from around the world “who live and breathe television.”

He adds, “We’re hoping the delegates take with them great connections that they make in between the sessions, as well as a new outlook on the quickly evolving landscape of television. Additionally, last year we took the delegation of speakers to meet with former Israeli President Shimon Peres, brought them on unique tours of Jerusalem and hosted a dinner at the mayor’s house, which are all extremely special events that can only take place on the ground in Israel. We want to offer our delegates a truly immersive experience, and hope that they bring great memories and business contacts back with them from the conference.”