Variety’s Entertainment and Technology Summit returns Sept. 21, bringing together industry powerhouses who will weigh in on reaching audiences across platforms, utilizing progressive technologies and helping brands connect with viewers. The summit, presented by City National Bank, will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills and feature a full day of panels and speakers.
Condé Nast Entertainment president Agnes Chu, who will speak at the “Building Hit Entertainment Across Platforms” panel, aims to reach audiences who already enjoy the company’s branded events such as the Met Gala and Vanity Fair Oscar party.
“We want to deliver … new tech's impact on film, television, gaming, and music … Variety's Entertainment and Technology Summit returns Sept. 21, bringing together industry … in a way that meets audiences where they are, where I know there are fans of fashion and celebrity — being able to do a livestream and take clips of that and put it on TikTok and Instagram where there are a ton of fans looking for a vertical experience was important,” Chu says.
Eli Holzman, president of nonfiction at Sony Pictures Television, will be on the same panel with Chu and believes relying too much on data can backfire when trying to reach an audience. Years ago, when Holzman was pitching “Undercover Boss” at Fox, it was suggested that a bad employee be fired during each show. But Holzman declined.
“The data might have told you that a program about the American workplace would resonate right now, but whether the tone should be mean-spirited or kind, I’m not sure you would have found that,” says Holzman. “That was our instinct as filmmakers. We wanted to make something more kind.”
Vibol Hou, exec VP and chief technology officer at Paramount Streaming, will speak at the “Breakthrough Tech — Media Trendsetters” panel. Hou and his team focus on improving how knowledge is shared between Paramount Global properties so they can better support the work of creatives.
“There were all these technologies that had been built to do certain things by each company,” Hou says.
“With all these different technologies coming from different places, we realized we needed to build a knowledge database that works for everyone instead of each of these groups keeping their own databases,” he continues. “So if someone from Pluto TV is able to learn from someone at Paramount, they can do that, and vice versa.”
Filmmakers, content creators and marketers are always looking for a way to speak to their audience in an authentic way. The “Fan-First Marketing in Our Creator Era” panel will take a deep dive into the subject. Angela Courtin, VP and global head of brand marketing at YouTube, says it is important to keep in mind the way each generation uses language while trying to engage them.
While other generations in the past might have found the F-bomb offensive or an act of rebellion, Gen Z sees it differently, she points out.
“They actually don’t see it as this antagonistic or punk-like language,” Courtin says. “This is the vernacular they’re using every day. There are a lot of asterisks and ‘FMLs,’ and the text language is very much distilled down into acronyms that use profanity. We can’t show up as a corporate entity using profanity just to be provocative,” she cautions. “We need to be genuine.”
Todd Burach, senior VP and team leader of sports and family office banking at City National Bank, will moderate the “Growing and Financially Securing the Athlete Brand Across Platforms” panel, which will explore how athletes can utilize new financial tools and innovations to best advance their burgeoning entrepreneurial interests outside of the game.
“You need the pro athlete mentality where you are planning for your future and you see yourself as more than just the player,” says Burach. “There is a life after the sport that you play, and you need to be prepared.”