Lineup Confirmed for Children’s Media Conference

LONDON: The Children’s Media Conference, which is set to take place from July 6 to 8 in Sheffield, has lined up Lord Puttnam as a keynote speaker, along with Moshi Monsters creator Michael Acton Smith presenting a master class and OgilvyOne exec Rory Sutherland closing the event.

Lord Puttnam will deliver this year’s keynote speech, in which he will challenge conference delegates to take a fresh look at their audience. His message is in line with this year’s conference theme, "Think Differently."

A number of master classes and panel sessions are in place as well. Acton Smith, the managing director of Mind Candy and creator of the Moshi Monsters phenomenon, will give a master class on how his property has risen from a simple website to a global transmedia brand. A number of commissions will be on hand to outline their vision and buying plans. Among them Kay Benbow, controller of CBeebies; Damian Kavanagh, controller of CBBC; Emma Tennant, controller of digital channels at ITV; Michael Carrington, the chief content officer at Turner Broadcasting EMEA; and representatives from Channel 4, S4C, Disney and Nickelodeon.

This year’s event will feature a special Meet the Commissioner session for the publishing sector. Participants include Eric Huang, publishing director for media and entertainment at Penguin Books. From the arts and entertainment sector is Sharna Jackson, the editor of Tate Kids at the Tate, and David Prudames, senior content commissioner at the British Museum.

Closing out the conference is Rory Sutherland, executive creative director at OgilvyOne and president of the IPA. Sutherland will offer another challenge to kids’ content creators and distributors: to find new models of service funding, within new thinking about the "big society."

The Children’s Media Conference will be chaired by Anne Home, former BBC head of children’s programs, and is organized by Kathy Loizou and Greg Childs.

Home commented: “At The Children’s Media Conference we are acutely aware that people in the kids’ industry need to be constantly considering new strategies for their businesses and new forms of creativity. Coming together for the three day event is a microcosm of the partnerships needed in the wider world. We need to learn from each other and discover collaborations we might not have expected. The CMC now more than ever offers that possibility, through stimulating conference content, challenging debate and great networking opportunities. Our event brings together a collection of the finest professionals the children’s content industry has to offer. The whole industry is there and we’re proud that it’s become the un-missable kids’ event of the year in the U.K..”