It's been a whirlwind few months of planning, but everything is now just about in place for ELEVATE: Online Video Advertising Summit on Tuesday, June 7th in NYC. Admittedly I'm biased, but I sincerely believe it will be the premier event of the year for online video industry executives. Here are 5 great reasons to attend:
1. Unique focus on online video advertising The vast majority of online video's eventual revenue will be generated through advertising, the same as in traditional media. For every company in the online video value chain, from chip makers that power connected devices through online video content publishers and everyone in between, advertising's growth is essential to the ecosystem's long-term success. ELEVATE distinguishes itself from other conferences by being all about how to accelerate the online video advertising industry. Our focus in solely on market education - arming attendees with new data and insights on what's working and what's not, and how this can be applied in their own organizations.
2. An unparalleled group of speakers Through a lot of doggedness and a little bit of good fortune, we've assembled an amazing group of senior level speakers who are among the industry's most thoughtful leaders. Only at ELEVATE, in just one day, can you hear from executives like Albert Cheng (Disney/ABC), David Kenny (Akamai), Jon Miller (News Corp), Rio Caraeff (VEVO), Kevin Krim (Bloomberg), Matt Strauss (Comcast Interactive Media), Shiv Singh (PepsiCo), Michael Fischer (Coldwell Banker), Noah Garden (MLBAM), Mike Bologna (GroupM), Donnie Williams (Horizon Media) and Keith Richman (Break), plus tons of others.
These aren't the typical execution-oriented, mid-level executives often featured at other conferences; these are the real decision-makers, who are driving the market's direction. In addition, CEOs from a number of our sponsors will be making short presentations throughout the day, providing a window into some of the breakthrough products and technologies they're bringing to market that will change the landscape further.
3. Handcrafted sessions No doubt you've been to conferences where every session feels like it rehashes the same topics, and there appears to be no rhyme or reason for who's on-stage together. At ELEVATE things will be different. Each of our sessions has been "handcrafted" with a careful blend of distinct topics and companies/executives who can competently contribute. ELEVATE will feature a mix of keynotes, panels, fireside chats, case studies and technology demos, covering every possible angle of the online video ad space. Sessions will be relatively short and snappy, so there will be real momentum in the pace of the day.
4. Insight on larger trends in online video Though ELEVATE is squarely focused on online video advertising, attendees can expect to hear a lot about the larger trends in online video that are crucial to driving advertising specifically. These include topics like TV Everywhere, connected and mobile devices, shifting consumer behaviors, content publisher strategies and more. Online video advertising can only be understood properly in context and this will be a touchstone throughout the day.
5. Great attendees and networking Last but not least, beyond what happens on stage, the other key part of ELEVATE is the networking and new connections among our attendees. With about 2 weeks to go, we're closing in on 300 executives registered and they represent every corner of the industry - content publishers, agencies, brands, technology providers, content aggregators and other key industry stakeholders. We're confident that attendees will come away with an abundance of great new contacts for subsequent follow-up. While ELEVATE isn't a "marketplace" per se, it is very much a place where business will get done. Plus, there will be 20+ sponsor tables where attendees can easily learn about new products and technologies.
So there are 5 great reasons to join us on Tuesday, June 7th at ELEVATE. No doubt there are more. I hope to see you there!