Haas
play Conference

 

 

Panels

One of the most important features of >play are the panels, which invite dozens of experts to share their opinions on a wide variety of topics that impact technology and digital media. We have crafted a diverse array of panel topics for >play 2008 and expect a lively and informative discussion around each topic.

2008 Panel Schedule

Panel Session 1

10:45am - 12:00pm

Creativity for Everyone!  

Andersen Auditorium

10:45am - 12:00pm

Telecom: Embracing Disruption  

Wells Fargo

Panel Session 2

2:30pm - 3:45pm

Brands that Break Through  

Andersen Auditorium

2:30pm - 3:45pm

TV: When, Where and How you want it

Wells Fargo

2:30pm - 3:45pm

Level Up: What's Next for Gaming? 

C230

Panel Session 3

4:00pm - 5:15pm

Digital Sports Age: New Connections Between Fans, Athletes and Teams  

Wells Fargo

4:00pm - 5:15pm

Text, Pix, IM and Flix  

C230


 

2008 Panel Details

Panel – Creativity for Everyone!  

Panel Description

 

The internet is changing how creatives distribute and monetize art and design work, blurring the line between creative professionals, hobbyists, and artists.  How will the creative process change as a result of this new phenomenon?  Will the increase in creative marketplaces and social communities propel the industry forward or move it backward?  We will try to answer these questions, and discuss how these changing market dynamics create new business opportunities in the technology and design sectors.

 

Moderator

 

   

Panelists

Scott Belsky - Behance - Founder & CEO

Shanan Delp – Flickr – Senior Product Manager

Lydia Varmazis - Ning Inc. - VP Product Management and Product Design

Lorne Lanning - Oddworld Inhabitants - Co-Founder & President

Angelo Sotira – deviantART.com – CEO & Co-Founder

Yair Landau – Mass Animation - Co-Founder

   

Student Organizers

Mohsin Afzal (MBA '10)
Hawro Mustafa (MBA '09)

 

 

Panel – Telecom: Embracing Disruption  

Panel Description

 

The Telecom industry has seen unprecedented growth since the last disruption, when wire-line telephony disrupted telegraphy. This time around existing products face disruption as  new services start to offer both mobility and bandwidth without trading them off. This panel aims to explore some of the red hot issues in the space, including those  of cutting edge services, emerging platforms, bold new startups, and disruptive technologies.

 

Moderator

Ben Bajarin - Creative Strategies - Director, Consumer Technology Practice

   

Panelists

Julien Decot - Skype - Principal, Strategy

Rupert C. Young - AT&T - Director, Strategic Business Development and Venture & Equity Alliances

Crick Waters - Ribbit Corporation - Co-Founder, EVP Strategy and Business Development

Tim Chang - Norwest Venture Partners - Principal

Vishal Gurbuxani - Mobclix - Co-founder

   

Student Organizers

Arvind Krishnamoorthy (MBA '09)
Sanjit Mitra (MBA '09)

 

 

Panel – Brands that Break Through  

Panel Description

 

How have the most successful brands used disruption to their advantage to get in front of the elusive consumer?  From interactive micro-sites to user generated social communities, how have brand architects shifted the conversation from offline to online to break through the static and rise above the competition?  Agencies and clients will discuss their perspectives on how branding with new forms of digital media presents new opportunities and challenges.

   

Moderator

Scott Parent - MediaTrust - VP, Emerging Media & Strategy

   

Panelists

Ashley Cole Seidman - Universal McCann - VP, Group Communications Director

Doug Chavez - Del Monte Foods - Digital Marketing

Lisa Duszak Novak - Ruder Finn Communications - EVP and Director, US Consumer Marketing Practice

Rana Cho - Gingerworks - Principal

Mike Parker - Goodby, Silverstein & Partners - Director of Digital Strategy

Laura Schuler - OMD - Digital Director, West

 

   

Student Organizers

Nick Jablonski (MBA ’10)
Jeff Gordon (MBA ’10)

 

 

Panel – TV: When, Where and How you want it

Panel Description

 

For more than 50 years, we have all experienced TV in the same way: sitting on the couch at home, holding the remote, and flipping through channels. That is changing, however, and this panel will discuss new models for TV distribution and consumption. Is the consumer experience changing, or is it the same experience in a different package? Do consumers want to watch TV on their computers, cell phones, other devices? Will they pay more or less for TV than in the past? What modes of pricing do they prefer?

 

Moderator

Kelli Richards - The All Access Group - President, CEO

   

Panelists

Edward Lichty - VUDU Inc. - EVP, Strategy and Content

Justin Gunn - Current TV - SVP, Online Programming, VC2, & SF Original Production

Tim Twerdahl - Roku Inc. - VP, Consumer Products

Jack Hallahan - MobiTV - Vice President, Advertising and Brand Partnerships

Stacy Nagata - NBC Digital Entertainment & New Media – VP

   

Student Organizers

Chris Lavin (MBA '09)
David Rutenberg (MBA '10)
Boaz Ur (MBA '09)

 

 

Panel – Level Up: What's Next for Gaming? 

Panel Description

 

New monetization and distribution models within the gaming business are broadening the industry's reach and bringing gamers closer to the games they love. User-generated and episodic content, community creation, and independent development are emerging as the gaming industry moves into the next generation of innovation. How will this wave of change alter the consumer experience? What separates the trends from the fads? How will existing giants react to this upheaval?

 

Moderator

Dean Takahashi - VentureBeat - Lead Writer for Digital Media

   

Panelists

Rajat Paharia - Bunchball - Founder, CEO

Lars Buttler - Trion - CEO

Mitch Lasky - Benchmark Capital - General Partner

Manuel Bronstein - Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business - Director, Xbox LIVE Primetime

Kevin Bruner - Telltale Games - CTO, Co-founder

   

Student Organizers

Elad Ganot (MBA ’10)
Ahsan Malik (MBA ’10)
Will Reusch (MBA ’09)
Khan Yow (MBA ’10)

 

Panel – Digital Sports Age: New Connections Between Fans, Athletes and Teams  

Panel Description

 

With the proliferation of digital media, sports fans are more deeply engaged than ever before. The environment is self-service and on-demand, enabling fans to consume sports media when and how they want. Fans worldwide can connect to sports through blogs, podcasts, games, fantasy sports, streaming video, and social communities. How has this changed the relationship between fans, athletes, and teams? How does it impact the business of sports?

 

Moderator

King Kaufman - Salon.com - Sports Columnist

   

Panelists

Pete Vlastelica - Yardbarker - CEO

Matt Bloom - Yahoo! Sports - Director, Product Management

Brian Goldfarb - Microsoft - Director, Developer and User Experience Platforms

Kevin Chou – Watercooler – CEO

DeRonnie Pitts - The Stanford Fund - Associate Director (former San Diego Chargers - WR)

   

Student Organizers

Ryan Kindl (MBA '09)
David Schoenberg (MBA '10)
Rachel Wolan (MBA '09)
Leon Wu (MBA '09)

 

 

Panel – Text, Pix, IM and Flix

Panel Description

 

''You have a new friend request!' When dealing with the online world, the one lasting activity is always communication. How is the new face of communication changing the way we interact with our friends and loved ones? What does it mean to always be connected? Are we finally ready to move beyond traditional email and IM? Social networks are rapidly becoming the portals of the next generation – so what’s going to be our next 'free email'?

 

Moderator

Noah Kagan - kickflip inc. - Founder and President

   

Panelists

Bhaskar Roy - Qik - Co-founder, Vice President of Marketing

Chris Szeto - Meebo - Senior Director of Products

Touraj Parang – Jaxtr - Co-Founder and COO

John Poisson - Tiny Pictures Inc. - Founder, CEO

Andrew Trader - Zynga - EVP, Business Development

   
Student Organizers Uday Ayyagari (MBA '09)
Alexandra Levich (MBA '09)