Digital Australia's Chance to Tap Global Media Markets

Tuesday, 20 October 2009 16:50

Some of the world’s most influential entrepreneurs in mobile, interactive media and entertainment including Gotham Chopra, Advisor to Al Gore and co-founder of entertainment company Liquid Comics; Nick Yang, China’s most successful internet entrepreneur; Neeraj Roy, Bollywood’s biggest content owner; and Susan Bonds, the world’s pioneer of Augmented Reality Games and President of 42 Entertainment, will gather in Sydney for XIMediaILab Sydney Opera House ‘Global Media Cultures’.

Against the backdrop of the huge growth rates and commercial opportunities being presented by the rise of China, India, the Middle East and North and South Asia, X|Media|Lab Sydney Opera House ‘Global Media Cultures’ will explore the latest innovations in digital media, broadcast, film and interactive content creation and distribution technologies to help local digital media professionals gain a better understanding of the new opportunities for co-production and the business models required to successfully tap into in these emerging markets.

“New markets require new approaches,” said Brendan Harkin, Founder and Director of X|Media|Lab. “X|Media|Lab Sydney Opera House is a truly international event that will help Australia’s digital media professionals create important international networks and gain a better understanding of how to tap into these high growth markets which boast the biggest numbers of consumers, the largest youth markets, the greatest emerging talent pools and increasing investment resources.”

International Keynote speakers include:

* Gotham Chopra – Media Entrepreneur; Co-founder Liquid Comics; Advisor to Al Gore’s Current.tv and voted by Newsweek magazine as one of the “most powerful and influential” South Asians worth watching (New York)

* Neeraj Roy – One of the ’50 most influential people in Mobile Entertainment’, Bollywood’s biggest digital content owner and Managing Director and CEO, Hungama Mobile (Mumbai)

* Tonny Sorenson – CEO and Owner, Von Dutch Originals; Co-founder, Planetillogica.com (Los Angeles)

* Nick Yang –China’s most successful Internet entrepreneur, Founder of KongZhong, Chinaren.com, and Wukang.com (Beijing)

* Susan Bonds – President and CEO, 42 Entertainment and winner of multiple Cannes Grand Prix awards (Los Angeles)

* Chris Deering – Chairman of the Board, Codemasters; formerly Head of Sony Europe (London)

* Zareh Nalbandian – CEO and Co-founder, Animal Logic (Sydney)

* Nam Do – Co-founder and CEO, Emotiv, and nominated as one of Australia’s top ten digital media entrepreneurs (Melbourne, San Francisco)

* Ken Goldstein – Emmy Award Winner and Co-founder, Planetillogica.com (Los Angeles)

* August de los Reyes - Principal Design Director for Microsoft Surface (Redmond)

* Zheng Xiaoping – Principal, BAZO - one of China’s leading Urban Developers and Author of “China Creative Cities” (Shanghai)

* Jason DaPonte – Managing Editor, BBC Mobile Platforms (London)

* JoAnn Kuchera-Morin - Director, Allosphere Research Laboratory (Santa Barbara)

* Julian Merceron – CTO, Eidos (London)

XIMediaILab Sydney Opera House ‘Global Media Cultures’ consists of a one-day public conference (27th November – General Admission), followed by an intensive two-day workshop (28-29th November) where selected projects work with international mentors on developing their own creative ideas.

Speaker biographies are included in this press release.

For the latest XIMediaILab updates follow us on twitter @xmedialab, hash tag #xmedialab.

To register for the event, nominate your project to the Lab, or to read more about the keynote speakers, visit www.xmedialab.com