Keynotes slated for the TV Kids Festival, taking place from February 4 to 7, include Mattel’s Josh Silverman, 9 Story Media Group’s Vince Commisso, Super RTL’s Dominique Neudecker, Boat Rocker Studios’ Jon Rutherford, Shaw Rocket Fund’s Agnes Augustin, Ampere Analysis’s Olivia Deane and Carl the Collector’s Zachariah OHora.
The festival will also feature panel discussions on acquisition strategies, book-based IP, engagement, gaming and animation innovation. You can see the schedule here, and you can register for the event for free here.
Need to convert the times below for where you are? Click on the times above the name of each session to make sure you don’t miss a thing!
Tuesday, February 4
- 9 a.m. EST
The Decision-Makers
The fifth edition of the TV Kids Festival kicks off with our signature session on acquisition and programming strategies, this time delivering intel from ITV’s Darren Nartey, Nickelodeon’s Lynsey O’Callaghan and Amazon Kids+’s Monica Sharma. - 10 a.m. EST
Mattel’s Josh Silverman
Josh Silverman, executive VP and chief franchise officer at Mattel, will discuss the toy giant’s treasure trove of iconic brands and share the latest developments at Mattel Television Studios. - 11 a.m. EST
Ahead of the Curve with Ampere
Olivia Deane, research manager at Ampere Analysis, will outline the challenges and opportunities facing kids’ IP owners with a deep dive into commissioning trends. - 12 p.m. EST
Feeling Bookish
ZDF Studios’ Oliver Grundel, Dandelooo’s Emmanuèle Pétry, Hidden Pigeon Company’s Kristofer Updike and Lion Forge Entertainment’s Jeremy Colfer will share insights on adapting book IP.
Wednesday, February 5
- 9 a.m. EST
9 Story Media Group’s Vince Commisso
Vince Commisso, president and CEO of 9 Story Media Group, will discuss the way forward for the company now that it has closed its transformative deal with Scholastic Entertainment. - 10 a.m. EST
The Engagement Game
Kids’ media expert Emily Horgan will lead this conversation on engagement and discovery with pocket.watch’s Beck Canote and Kedoo Entertainment’s Olivier Bernard. - 11 a.m. EST
Boat Rocker’s Jon Rutherford
Jon Rutherford, president of global rights, franchise and content strategy at Boat Rocker Studios, will outline the company’s approach to leveraging new technologies and platforms. - 12 p.m. EST
Game Time
Dubit’s David Kleeman will lead this session on the importance of gaming extensions with Wind Sun Sky Entertainment’s Catherine Winder and DeAPlaneta Entertainment’s Jimena Tormo.
Thursday, February 6
-
- 9 a.m. EST
TV Kids Pioneer Award: Super RTL’s Dominique Neudecker
Dominique Neudecker, VP of kids and family at Super RTL’s TOGGO, will discuss her editorial strategy at the German kids’ network before receiving the TV Kids Pioneer Award in recognition of her contributions to the industry. - 10 a.m. EST
Shaw Rocket Fund’s Agnes Augustin
As the president and CEO of the Shaw Rocket Fund, Agnes Augustin will offer up insights on trends reshaping the Canadian kids’ content sector. - 11 a.m. EST
Toon Innovation
From the game-changing developments presented by Unreal Engine to the looming impact of AI, Composition Media’s Carl Reed and Cheeky Little Media’s Patrick Egerton will share their thoughts on animation innovation. - 12 p.m. EST
Carl the Collector’s Zachariah OHora
Carl the Collector, created by illustrator Zachariah OHora, is the first series for PBS KIDS in the U.S. that is centered on a neurodiverse character.
- 9 a.m. EST
Friday, February 7: Screenings Day