October 16, 2018
The State Room, Boston, MA

Technology and The Intelligence Renaissance

AGENDA

Part I: Digital and Society

8:45am

Welcome Remarks

9:00am

The Intelligence Revolution

The world is on the cusp of a technological revolution. Machine-learning and Artificial Intelligence are set to have a profound impact on the future of work and the way we live our lives. Understanding the changes on the horizon is a crucial part of being prepared. This opening keynote will provide insight into what lies ahead and the possible implications for society.

Talk: The Future of AI

David Cox, Director, MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, IBM Research AI, IBM

Interview: Hot Spots in AI

Rudina Seseri, Founder & Managing Partner, Glasswing Ventures

Moderator: Lisa Weinstein, Chief Executive Officer, Curiosity

9:30am

Politics and the Role of the Media

In the current environment the role of the media in upholding democracy has never been felt more keenly, nor come under more attack. In this session we will discuss the complex relationship between the media, politics and technology ahead of the looming US mid-term elections.

Interviewer: Eric Scholl, Journalist, Podcaster & Editor-in-Chief, The Chaos Report
Juliette Kayyem, Former Assistant Secretary, DHS; CNN National Security Contributor
Nicco Mele, Director, Shorenstein Center, Harvard Kennedy School
Michelle Wu, Councilor At-Large, Boston City Council

10:10am

Talk: The Real Deal on Cyber Security

Cybercrime is on the rise. From interference from Russia, to threats from Iran, to Crypto mining malware, we have plenty to be concerned about. Cyber Security expert, Shawn Henry, breaks it down.

Shawn Henry, President, Crowdstrike Services; Former FBI Executive Assistant Director

7:30am

Registration & Continental Breakfast

10:25am

Morning Break

Part II: Digital and The Company

10:50am

Panel: New Adventures in E-Commerce

To compete with e-commerce giants like Amazon you must create a new experience which allows you to differentiate yourself. We will explore the potential for business models which allow you to stand out from the crowd.

Moderator: Stephanie Agresta, Global Director, Enterprise Growth, Qnary
Rob Holland, Chief Operating Officer, Bluecore
Caroline Klatt, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Headliner Labs
Heather Marie Udo, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Shoppable

11:20am

Morning Breakout Sessions

Data: Collection, Protection and Activation

Leveraging data to engage effectively with consumers is critical for an organization’s competitiveness. Creating a harmonized approach to data which balances collection with protection and privacy is no easy feat. Industry leaders gather to discuss maximizing consumer engagement through data sovereignty, protection, data on-boarding and integration and to share ideas for the most innovative methods of engagement.

Moderator: Bret Brase, Managing Director, Progress Partners
Paul Chachko, Chief Executive Officer, Throtle
Lung Huang, Senior Vice President Data Solutions, Merkle
Bob Ivins, Chief Data Officer, NCC Media
Dave Oliveria, Chief Operating Officer, TruSignal

Digital Automotive: The Seismic Shift

With the increase of digital ad spending in automotive, dealers and OEMs have shifted focus to a digital approach. Due to this shift, new innovations and opportunities for new platforms and revenue sources, such as Vehicles as a Service (VaaS) are emerging. This panel will explore the influx of data regarding drivers and consumers and the value of new platform developments through which brands can target their consumers. Where is the future of Automotive headed with this seismic shift to digital.

Moderator: Chris Legg, Senior Managing Director, Progress Partners
Steve Geskos, Managing Director, Fortress Investment Group
John Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive Officer, Force Marketing
Yona Shtern, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Chairman, ParkWhiz

OTT & CTV Advertising: Evolution or Revolution?

With more content broadcasters embracing OTT, the promise of a fully accessible and accurately measurable TV buying platform has created an ideal condition for a new type of ad-supported ecosystem. The need for enhanced technology and new applications of data that drive more value for inventory, has created a greenfield in a once ‘traditional’ business. This panel will explore the emerging opportunity to think about what is valuable to whom, and how companies can create distinct buying and selling marketplaces while incorporating data enrichment and automation. Which companies are taking alternative approaches to differentiate themselves in the marketplace? How are consumers shifting behavior across more devices and how will these shifts be supported through advertising? How will data and attribution increase the value of inventory, while providing a more relevant consumer experience?

Moderator: David Arslanian, Managing Director, Progress Partners
Brett Adamczyk, Vice President Business Development & Strategy, Videa
Doug Campbell, Chief Strategy Officer, Telaria
Jenn Chen, Chief Revenue Officer, Connatix
Zane Vella, Vice President Product - Interactivity, Comcast

Trading Floor

An opportunity for one-on-one conversations with CEOs of some of the most exciting new companies in media, tech, and advertising.

12:00pm

Lunch

1:00pm

Afternoon Breakout Sessions

Clicks & Balances: Defining Media in the New Millennium

The emergence of social media, creation of new content formats (podcasting, mobile video), and launch of hundreds of new companies has radically changed the media landscape. User generated content is now impacting the role of media creators and social feeds--and monitoring data and privacy has become a balancing act. This panel will discuss the importance of diversified revenue streams and how critical it is to scale in today’s media-filled world. With all this added content, what now defines ‘media’? Is there a sustainable business model among the chaos? Which content formats will emerge next? And how will all this impact distribution?

Moderator: Gretchen Tibbits, Former President & Chief Operating Officer, LittleThings
Maria Balinska, Editor & Co-Chief Executive Officer, The Conversation US
Lisa Weinstein, Chief Executive Officer, Curiosity

Disruption of the Agency Landscape

The paradigm of the Agency Holding Company was dealt a strong hit over the past 24 months in the form of account reviews and loss of clients. With that, consulting firms have built strong competitive offerings to provide Agency of Record status, MarTech and AdTech platforms have gained direct relationships with brands, and now brands have built out leadership and teams to support an internal agency practice. 81% of companies with $500M+ in annual revenues now have a Chief Marketing Technology Officer. This panel will dive into the transformation of the agency landscape and the possibility of what's to come. Is this the new paradigm? Is more change ahead? Will there ever be a clear cut path?

Moderator: Marc Goldberg, Chief Exectuive Officer, Trust Metrics
Kim Garcia, Senior Vice President, VaynerExperience, VaynerMedia
Rob Griffin, Founding Partner, TovoLabs, Quartile and Rise-Alliance
Jennifer Razor, Former Chief Marketing Officer Worldwide, Omnicom Media Group
Jason Russo, Business Advisor and Investor; Former Founder of Results Digital

Next Walled Garden

Google (+ YouTube), then Facebook, have embodied the de rigeur “walled garden.” Both built search and display advertising empires in a matter of years, controlling over $65B in 2018 marketing spend - over 58% of the total US advertising market. Many large brands, agency holding companies, and media companies are now looking to remove their dependence on these giants. Meanwhile Amazon, who has only recently brought its own Advertising Platform (AAP) and Marketing Services (AMS) to the market, has partnered with a select group of media and strategy agencies, and a small number of new adtech platforms to expand and grow as a viable alternate walled garden. How is Amazon’s approach different? Will it stand up a new wave of budgets or poach from other platforms? Experts in customer experience join this panel to sound off about what kind of marketer is best suited to use Amazon - and the limitations of the next walled garden.

Moderator: Sam Thompson, Senior Managing Director, Progress Partners
Connor Folley, Chief Executive Officer, Downstream Impact
John Shea, Chief Growth Officer, Teikametrics
Link Walls, Vice President, Digital Marketing Strategy, ChannelAdvisor

Trading Floor

An opportunity for one-on-one conversations with CEOs of some of the most exciting new companies in media, tech, and advertising.

1:40pm

Afternoon Break

Part III: Digital and the industry

1:55pm

Panel: The Future of Television – Who’s Footing the Bill?

The TV industry’s rapid pace of change shows no signs of slowing down. With giant tech companies part of the mix, competing on every level from content creation to distribution to the viewer relationship, traditional programmers and broadcasters face difficult decisions as they adapt to the new market realities. The consolidation happening across the industry is also changing the story and it’s not yet clear what these changes will bring. What does the future of TV look like and who will pay for it? Is there room in the market for second-tier to create standalone OTT platforms? How must advertising evolve to survive?

Moderator: Matt O'Grady, Chief Executive Officer, Nielsen Catalina Solutions
Rich Calacci, Chief Revenue Officer, Pluto.TV
Matthew Kearney, Board Advisor, Telenor Group
Tom O’Brien, Principal, Progress Advisors

2:30pm

Dialogue: The Epic Disruption of Advertising

The advertising industry is in crisis. No one tells this story better than acclaimed journalist and author, Ken Auletta. In this session, Ken sits down with Anne Finucane, one of the most powerful women in banking, to discuss the industry’s disruptions and what’s next.

Ken Auletta, Author, Frenemies; Journalist & Media Critic
Anne Finucane, Vice Chair, Bank of America

3:00pm

Townhall: Game Changing Tech

This technology focused townhall conversation will feature catalyst presentations on the radical technologies offering opportunities for the media and technology industry, including blockchain and deep learning neural networks. During this interactive session we will lead the audience in discussion and gain their insight on what they see as the most game changing technologies and opportunities.

Moderator: Anne Goodman, Founder, Ventures in Blockchain
Jeremy Fain, Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, Cognitiv
Alanna Gombert, Chief Executive Officer, Digital Asset Trade Association

3:40pm

Fireside Chat: Making the Right Bets

Media leaders and CMOs are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of new technologies and new opportunities to drive growth for their business. But when you can't do everything and be everywhere, how do you bet on the right thing? How do you sort through the noise and determine the winning strategy?

Moderator: John Healy, Managing Director, Deloitte Digital
Jill Cress, Chief Marketing Officer, National Geographic Partners
Mike Federle, Chief Executive Officer, Forbes Media

4:10pm

Talk: Riding the next big communication wave

In China the messaging app dominates--a one stop shop for all of your needs, it’s the obvious place for brands to go where their consumers live, work and play. With wechat surpassing one billion users globally and the use of other messaging apps including WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger also on the rise, messaging has become a core part of a brands’ mobile marketing strategy. Bonin Bough explains what he sees as the next big communication wave and how marketers can take advantage of it.