Keshet Wraps Inaugural Innovative TV Conference

JERUSALEM: Keshet hosted the first Innovative TV (INTV) Conference earlier this week, held over two days in Jerusalem, where Ari Emanuel, co-CEO of WME, was the guest of honor.

Emanuel took part in a conversation with Avi Nir, Keshet’s CEO, to kick off the event. The conversation focused on changes in the industry and the connection between Silicon Valley and Hollywood. “The appetite for excellent storytelling has not changed, but there has been a shift in consumption,” Emanuel said. “Audiences now have the ability to find this content at almost any time, any place. As this convergence between technology and entertainment happens, it is critical to be ahead of changes in distribution and to continue to offer quality content to the audience, wherever stories may be found.”

Also addressing the audience at the event was Nir Barkat, the mayor of Jerusalem, who said: "We want to partner with leading entrepreneurs from around the world and this conference enables that partnership. This is a dream come true. The challenge is in how to take the next step—how do we, as a country, a city, do it? The entrepreneurs attending this conference will be the ones who will lead this charge in innovation around the world.”

The second day of INTV featured Israeli president Shimon Peres meeting with TV executives from around the world to discuss the country’s involvement in the global TV and entertainment market. He said: "Israel is poor in natural resources, but the core is the country’s human resources that combine creativity, science and a dash of Israeli ‘chutzpah.’ It is those elements that are key in leading the country to our greatest achievements."

Additional panelists included Rick Rosen, the head of WME’s TV department; Lloyd Braun, co-owner and founding partner of Berman Braun; Josh Berger, the president and managing director of Warner Bros. UK; and Elaine Bedell, the director of comedy and entertainment at ITV in the U.K.

Nir ended the conference by thanking the hundreds who attended and promised to return for a second edition.