Introducing Our 2010 Panel Topics:
Contact Panel Co-Chairs Lauren Hayslett and Suhail Rashid with speaker suggestions and specific questions you'd like to have addressed.
Digital Dwelling:
This panel will explore monetization and distribution
strategies of digital media and entertainment consumer
technologies that are poised to change our lives and homes. While
internet-enabled television is just a matter of
time, there are critical hurdles that must be overcome to make the
transformation work without altering the simplicity that people love
about today's television experience.
The discussion will focus on the benefits and challenges
of divergent business models (subscription, advertising, a-la-carte,
authentication) and content delivery methods
in this space. With such a great deal of interest
from players in adjacent industries, each with their own idea of how it
should work, this panel is sure to offer a lively debate.
The Splinternet:
This panel will explore the phenomenon of our Internet interactions
becoming increasingly fragmented and how user interfaces must improve
to take full advantage of this trend. As more of our gadgets gain
online access through proprietary systems, and as social media ‘walled
gardens’ increase in popularity, consumers are accessing and
interacting with information through markedly different channels; our
internet experience is fraying. For example, a consumer can learn about
a product on a laptop, conduct research on the go via a mobile
phone, read reviews on a tablet device, “like it” on Facebook, and finally
purchase through a smartphone ecommerce app. The discussion will look
at companies’ increasingly complex interactions with
their customers online and provide insight how they can deliver
content and create compelling user interfaces across an increasing number of proprietary
media environments.
Venture Capital Voices on Digital Media Investment:
This panel will look at digital media from the outside in – by bringing
together leading Venture Capitalists with tech/digital media portfolios
to discuss their investment strategies and predictions on industry
investment trends. The discussion will provide a forward-looking
perspective on the industry by examining platforms (e.g. how will
platform economics change in dynamic spaces like social gaming?),
investment strategies (e.g. what are the hot areas and trends that are
set to take off?), and entrepreneurship (e.g. where are the best
opportunities for an entrepreneur to get started?). This panel is
a must-attend for active and aspiring entrepreneurs alike.
Transforming Social Change:
This panel examines how digital media is influencing social
change. It will explore the increasingly significant role of
digital media in solving our most pressing social issues, ranging from
health care to poverty alleviation to education. How are nonprofits and
social ventures leveraging social media, and what does our increasing
ability to connect contributors and beneficiaries (via technologies
like crowd sourcing and micropayments) mean for individual and
collective impact? Bringing together some of the most
transformative thinkers in this space, panelists will shed light on
underlying trends in digital media that cannot be overlooked when
setting out to drive large scale social change.
The Changing Face of Social Gaming:
In a rapidly changing space, this panel examines the battle being
played out between companies as they attempt to conquer the social
gaming market. It seeks to predict the future of social gaming and how
relatively young outfits which have so far led the charge in this field
will retain their players, especially amidst the entry of traditional
gaming giants. It debates the future of Facebook as a platform and how
it will play with traditional gaming powerhouses as they go
social. It discusses whether/when the long awaited boom in mobile
gaming will happen, which platforms are likely to make it happen, and
how a booming mobile space might reshape the strategy of social gaming
companies. Finally it will question whether online micropayment
is a sustainable monetization strategy in the future or whether
alternative models will prevail.
Eye On The World:
This panel examines innovative new media developments occurring across
the globe and identifies burgeoning centers of creativity. With
valuable global insight, participants will discuss the latest digital
media business models, distribution strategies, and product innovations
emerging in countries outside the U.S. What trends have caught on in
other parts of the globe that represent vast untapped opportunity in
the U.S.? Finally panelists will debate whether the U.S. is
getting left behind in this field and what a fresh international
perspective might teach us about the possible future of American
digital media and entertainment.
Location, Location, Location - Going Local on a Large Scale:
This panel explores how content and services are becoming more relevant
and personalized through localization and geotargeting. It seeks
to understand how serving localized content and services on a large
scale can unlock untapped potential for established companies and also
serve as the core value proposition for start-up organizations
targeting unmet consumer needs. Panelists will discuss how
companies are balancing the requirement for scalability via
technological innovation with the reliance on human interaction for
transcreation, editing and quality assurance. They will talk
about innovative pricing models that keep pace with changing customer
needs, and the extent to which crowdsourcing and user contribution are
necessary ingredients for the winning solution.
Changing the Channel - How Mobile Will Transform Advertising:
Managing channel conflict is not a new problem, but as consumers begin
entering stores with smart phones capable of photographing products and
scanning bar codes, comparing prices, purchasing instantly from
competitors, and receiving real-time promotions, the mobile channel’s
impact on business will only grow in importance. As apps continue to
roll out that leverage mobile technology to see, hear and understand
location, what new opportunities does this present for traditional
advertisers? Could this be the opportunity local advertisers have
been waiting for? Panelists will discuss how mobile technology
will change the ways companies communicate and advertise to consumers.
They will debate the best ways to avoid the threat of channel conflict
stemming from debates on marketing focus and investment while taking
advantage of disruptive technologies that increase consumers’
propensity to buy.
Privacy, Digital Identity & The Online Experience of the Future:
This panel will explore the delicate balance between protecting privacy
and creating high-value online experience. Panelists will debate how
much privacy users are (and will be) willing to sacrifice for a better
online experience, what little-known privacy risks exist for consumers,
and the ways in which they can be addressed. They will also opine on
how much collective power consumers will have in setting the limits for
privacy across platforms and how companies can limit damage (or even
gain advantage) by addressing growing privacy concerns.
Join us for >play 2010! Register before September 2nd for discounted tickets. Join our Facebook page for exciting panelist announcements and to contribute ideas!
*Panel titles and topics are subject to change depending on the expertise of our panelists and moderators. |
|
|
 |
Last year at >play
|
Last year featured three themed tracks:
Media & Entertainment
Now
more than ever, digital media is increasingly how we create and
distribute news and entertainment content, which is creating turmoil in
the newspaper, TV, film and music industries. This track will
explore how these industries are struggling or coping with their
transformation into the digital age and who will be the winners and
losers after the dust settles. This track encompasses the
following panels:
|
Mobile & Cloud
With
increasing penetration of smartphones and digital plans, the promise of
ubiquitous Internet connectivity is finally here, which opens up new
opportunities especially for cloud-based applications and
services. This track will explore the challenges and
opportunities faced by the wireless, telecom, broadband and handset
industries, as well as application developers and Internet services.
This track encompasses the following panels:
|
Identity & Innovation
Trends
in digital media go beyond simply transforming traditional media and
communication companies but also spurring innovation and changing the
identities of companies in other industries. This track will
explore such compelling issues from how CPG and manufacturing companies
are using digital media to manage their brands and go global to how
social media technologies are empowering new social ventures.
This track encompasses the following panels:
|
|
|
2009 panels
|
Keynote
Panel:
The Monetization Game
| Panel Description |
Retail.
Subscription. Freemium. Micro-Transaction. Advertising. These are just
a few of the business models being utilized in the gaming industry. In
this session we will explore business model innovation through the lens
of the highly creative gaming industry. Join us as we hear from
industry heavyweights and disruptors what these models mean to them -
and what they can mean for you. |
| Moderator |
|
Douglass Perry
Self Employed
Freelance
Journalist and Consultant |
|
|
|
| Panelists
|
 |
Neil Young
ngMoco
CEO |
|
Kai Huang
Guitar Hero
Founder |
|
Peter
Moore
Electronic Arts
President,
EA Sports |
|
|
|
| Student
Organizers |
Pejman Pour-Moezzi (MBA
'10)
Nick Silver (MBA '11)
|
| Panel Description |
Design.
Art. Technology.
Artistic creativity has many applications in the business
world.
During Creativity for Everyone, we will examine the relationship
between artists (originators of creative thought) and outputs (the
results of creative activities) within the realm of digital
media. How are artists and entrepreneurs dependent on one
another? How has technology empowered artists, designers, or regular
people with a passion to express themselves? What is the
market
for creative expression? Does business hamper creativity?
Come. Explore. Discuss. |
| Moderator |
|
Ken Goldberg
UC Berkeley
Director,
Berkeley Center for New Media
Special thanks to:
 |
|
|
|
| Panelists
|
|
Eilish Cullen
The Lab
Executive
Director |
|
Justin Kan
Justin.tv
Founder
and President |
|
Aza
Raskin
Mozilla
Head
of User Experience |
|
Rana
Cho
California College of the Arts
Senior
Lecturer, Design MBA |
|
Jeff
Price
TuneCore
Founder, CEO
|
|
|
|
| Student
Organizers |
Hansoo Lee (MBA '10)
Vincent Huang (MBA '11)
Katie Hoisington (MBA '11)
|
| Panel Description |
Who
will be the last standing? On one
hand, traditional news models are suffering and newspapers are
shrinking in number, staff, and size. Meanwhile, innovative technology
platforms are making news more accessible and enabling citizen
journalists to fill this gap with an explosion of diverse
perspectives. As these trends converge, which business models
will thrive and which will be left as yesterday’s news? As business
decisions are made, what does this mean for consumers? This
panel
will bring together a diverse range of media companies confronting
these questions on a daily basis. |
| Moderator |
|
Laura Sydell
NPR
Digital
Culture Correspondent |
|
|
|
| Panelists
|
|
Jay Walsh
Wikimedia Foundation
Head
of Communications |
|
Phil Bronstein
SF Chronicle
EVP,
SF Chronicle and Editor-at-Large, SF Chronicle & Hearst
Newspapers |
|
Jose
Antonio Vargas
Huffington Post
Tech
Editor |
|
Neil
Henry
UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism
Dean
|
|
Tessie
Popoff
Tribune Interactive / Los Angeles Times
Senior
Project Manager, Entertainment
|
|
|
|
| Student
Organizers |
Dan Parker (MBA '11)
Gina Strayer (MBA '11)
|
| Panel Description |
Whether
through
advertising (TV), subscription (cable, satellite, IPTV), or per-content
purchases (movies, DVDs, VOD), the business models for media were
fairly straightforward. However, with the evolution of the Internet has
come the assumption of “free” being the standard payment to the
consumer for content. Never before has it been so easy for someone to
watch so much free, professionally-produced content with the click of a
button. How are current companies all along the media delivery value
chain dealing with this shift? And how will these approaches evolve as
the ease of access to and delivery of content improves? |
| Moderator |
|
Arash Amel
Screen Digest
Research
Director, Digital Media |
|
|
|
| Panelists
|
|
Stacy Nagata
NBC Universal
VP,
Digital Entertainment Strategy & Operations |
|
Kevin Yen
YouTube
Director
of Strategic Partnerships |
|
Danae Ringelmann, CFA
IndieGoGo
Founder,
COO/CFO |
|
Franz
Kurath
AT&T
Executive
Director, Broadband Content
|
|
| Student
Organizers |
Elad Ganot (MBA '10)
Eran Schitzer (MBA '10)
David Breger (MBA '11)
Reza Shahcheraghi (MBA ’11)
|
| Panel Description |
The
mobile gaming space is hot and rapidly
transforming. People who have never considered themselves gamers are
now mashing buttons. There are also new gaming concepts such as social
interaction and location-based games that are redefining methods of
game play. This panel will focus on and analyze the challenges and
opportunities of these new trends. |
| Moderator |
|
Robin Boyar
thinktank
Principal/Founder |
|
|
|
| Panelists
|
|
Steven Lurie
Zynga
General
Manager of Mobile Gaming |
|
Ari Tulla
Nokia
Head
of Content, X-Media Solutions |
|
Chris
Williams
Playfirst
iPhone
Product Manager |
|
Randy Angle
Social Gaming Network
Design Director
|
|
Andrew
Lacy
Tapulous
Co-Founder,
COO |
|
|
|
| Student
Organizers |
Bernie Lin (MBA '10)
Rohan Thompson (MBA '10)
Hamid Schricker (MBA '11)
|
| Panel Description |
It
is unquestionably the era of the
smartphone in mobile communications: rich content is more mobile than
ever, apps stores are all the rage, and devices are increasingly an
integral extension of the way we live, work and play. In this panel,
we’ll discuss the growth and evolution of the smartphone ecosystem,
from platform providers to application developers, app store owners to
content producers, and beyond. |
| Moderator |
|
David M. Katz
Yahoo!
Vice President, Americas Region, Yahoo! Mobile |
|
|
|
| Panelists
|
|
Terry Regan
BT Ribbit
Director
of Business Development |
|
Drew Garcia
SharpCast
VP
of Product Management |
|
Jay
Sullivan
Mozilla
Vice
President of Mobile |
|
Kurt
Davis
BOKU
Business
Development
|
|
Irvin
Remedios
Mozes
Vice
President of Products
|
 |
Senthil
Krishnapillai
Sybase
Director
of Product Management |
|
| Student
Organizers |
Jeff Gordon (MBA '10)
Nidhi Teerdhala (MBA '11)
|
| Panel Description |
This
panel explores many exciting
questions around this paradigm shift in technology: What new
opportunities will emerge with cloud computing? How will those
opportunities look different within the enterprise and for consumers?
What role do platforms play for companies building products that rely
on the cloud? How will cloud computing interact or complement the
internet? Is there a new business model that will fit naturally, or is
there room for business model innovation? |
| Moderator |
|
Lars Leckie
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners
Principal |
|
|
|
| Panelists
|
|
Anshu Sharma
Salesforce.com
Senior
Director Product Management |
|
Jason Hoffman
Joyent
Founder,
CTO |
|
Neil
Hansch
Rustic Canyon Ventures
Principal |
|
Michael Maxey
ParaScale
Director of Product Management
|
 | Dain Ehring
Dorado
CEO and Founder |
|
|
|
| Student
Organizers |
Ash Ahluwalia (MBA '10)
Scott Shapiro (MBA '11)
|
| Panel Description |
Thanks
to the rise of crowd-sourced social
media sites, many online businesses are turning to users to drive
action via collaboration. From that spirit of user empowerment, a
fascinating group of entrepreneurs and activists are driving global
change by connecting people online. Environmentalists are exploring new
ways to track energy use, trade carbon offsets, promote green living,
or fund development projects. Social ventures are exploring new models
of micro-finance, community activism, citizen journalism, fundraising,
and promoting cultural awareness. Can social media become the ultimate
tool in promoting sustainability and social good? |
| Moderator |
|
Peggy Duvette
Wiserearth.org
Executive
Director |
|
|
|
| Panelists
|
|
Gwnyth Borden
IBM
Manager
Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs |
|
Nick Aster
TriplePundit
Founder
& Publisher |
|
Candice
Chesson
DonorsChoose.org
West
Regional Associate Director |
|
Darren
Miao
Kiva.org
Microfinance
Partnerships Manager
|
|
| Student
Organizers |
Kate Zimmermann (MBA
'11)
Scott Coleman (MBA '11)
|
| Panel Description |
What
is the opportunity for companies to
build a strong brand on the Social Web? How do you make the
case
and define the ROI? This session will bring together
advertisers,
marketing agencies, social media companies, and leading thinkers to
address these questions and help you explore marketing strategies for
building a brand that matters. |
| Moderator |
|
Joshua-Michéle Ross
O'Reilly Radar
Vice
President |
|
|
|
| Panelists
|
|
Adam Seymour
Optimedia
VP
Director of Strategic Communications |
|
Sarah Smith
Facebook
Online
Sales Manager |
|
Doug
Chavez
Del Monte
Senior
Manager, Digital Marketing |
|
Pasha
Sadri
Polyvore
Co-Founder and CEO
|
|
Cory
Treffiletti
Catalyst:SF (Strategy & Fundamentals)
President,
Managing Director |
|
|
|
| Student
Organizers |
Nipun Mather (MBA '10)
Marcelo Vazquez (MBA '11)
|
| Panel Description |
Digital
media has proliferated worldwide
but is evolving in different directions. The path taken here in the USA
may not reflect how digital media is adopted elsewhere. Social media in
China is dominated by bulletin boards, unlike in USA where blogs and
micro-blogs are more popular. Asian social networking sites first
pioneered the monetization model of virtual goods. This panel seeks to
discuss the diverging and converging trends in digital media globally. |
| Moderator |
|
Tim Chang
Norwest Venture Partners
Principal |
|
|
|
| Panelists
|
|
Seth Bindernagel
Mozilla
Director
of Localization |
|
Danica Brinton
Apple
International
Strategies and Localization Consultant |
|
Brad
Bao
Tencent US
Assistant
GM |
|
Gigi Wang
MG-Team, LLC
Managing Partner
|
|
| Student
Organizers |
Ahsan Malik (MBA '10)
Khan Yow (MBA '10)
Meha Shah (MBA '11)
|
|
|
