Media Festival set for Manchester Launch

MANCHESTER is to play host to a pioneering media event, designed to bring the biggest names in digital television, film, music, online, radio, gaming, mobile content and advertising together for the first time.

The Media Festival, which runs from November 26-28 will feature world-class speakers and a content-packed conference programme.

Northwest Vision and Media, which works on behalf of the region’s film, TV, radio and digital content industries will play an important part in bringing the event to the city, with Chief Executive, Alice Morrison, joining Peter Bazalgette on the Festival’s advisory board.

“We’re thrilled to support and be involved with The Media Festival. It’s going to be a fantastic opportunity to debate the key issues for all our industries, bringing together people from different backgrounds who may never have worked together before, and creating some truly groundbreaking business ideas,” explains Alice.

“It’s great an event like this is being held in the Northwest as it allows us to showcase all we have to offer,” she adds.

The Media Festival’s cutting edge sessions will cover content creation and funding, production and distribution technology as well as celebrating the craft of the industry, highlighting the very best work and the creators behind it. Every aspect is designed to educate, inspire and develop the skills of the media leaders of tomorrow.

Emap Communications, publisher of Broadcast, Screen International and shots, and producer of Cannes Lions and the World Retail Congress, is organising the groundbreaking media event, which celebrates the leading pioneers who are making convergence a reality today.

“The Media Festival brings together, for the first time; TV, film, music, gaming and social networking - in fact everyone who is reconfiguring their business model for the digital age. It's now widely accepted we can all learn from each other - the event promises to be hugely instructive. And all in Manchester, now one of the UK's premier media locations,” says Peter Bazalgette, The Media Festival’s chair, an appointment that epitomises the calibre of the creative team involved with developing the event.

Joining Peter on the event’s advisory board is a cross-section of the UK’s premier media talent, each visionaries and innovators in their chosen area:

· Danny Cohen, Controller, BBC Three
· Peter Cowley, MD Digital Media, Endemol UK
· Alex Connock, CEO, Ten Alps
· Stuart Cosgrove, Director of Nations and Regions, Channel 4
· Michael Denny, VP, Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studio
· Brian Greasley, MD, mediacity:uk
· Erik Huggers, Group Controller for Future Media & Technology, BBC
· Spencer Hyman, COO, Last FM
· Heather Jones, EVP, Content & Creative, Music & Comedy and Director of Television, MTV
· Jason Legget, Project Director for Media City UK, NWDA
· Alice Morrison, Chief Executive, Northwest Vision and Media
· Jonathan Rogers, Director of Operations, ITV
· Mark Selby, Vice President – Multimedia, Nokia
· Rory Sutherland, Vice Chair, Ogilvy UK
· Sophie Turner Laing, Managing Director, Entertainment, BSkyB

The BBC’s move to the Northwest, and the associated infrastructure development both at the planned mediacity:uk site and beyond, makes 2008 the right time for this event. An already thriving and forward-looking indigenous media industry and the promise of exponential growth of opportunity combine to make Manchester the natural choice of location for The Media Festival.

For more information on the event, and to book tickets, click here.

Jason Legget, NWDA Project Director for Media City UK adds: “The media industry in the Northwest is part of one of the largest creative and digital sectors in the UK. This Media Festival will highlight some of the cutting edge work and the people behind this work within this exciting and important sector. The NWDA is delighted to be supporting this groundbreaking event taking place in our region.”

Andrew Stokes, Chief Executive, Marketing Manchester, says: “With a huge section of the Quay’s currently being redeveloped for mediacity:uk, Manchester is set to become a global hub for future media output. We’re delighted to prepare for these exciting times through events like this.”

Brian Greasley, Managing Director, mediacity:uk adds: “The inaugural Media Festival aims to unite the media industry in a unique way. The Festival is designed to explore new technologies and ways of working in the future, and has a truly international flavour. mediacity:uk has similar ambitions, so our association with the event as a key sponsor is particularly appropriate.”