Q&A with Kidscreen’s Donna Macneil

Please share some information about the Kidscreen summit? What are the highlights this year?
KidScreen Summit unites a unique cross-section of executives from all seniority levels and sectors of the increasingly inter-related kids entertainment industry. Access to senior-level decision-makers is unparalleled. This year we’re thrilled to welcome more than 1000 delegates from 33 countries at the 7th annual Kidscreen Summit to be held in New York from 8-10 February.

The Summit provides a highly-charged and dynamic environment in which delegates can network, engage in dialogue on critical issues, learn, do business and have fun.”

There are many highlights to this year’s event, including a full agenda track on Emerging Media trends and strategy, an engaging keynote address by U.S. Senator Tom Harkin on the challenge for kids entertainment companies to embrace kids health issues, the return of our popular Townhall Debate which this year will focus on “Creative Vision versus Commercial Interest”, and much more.”

What new revenue streams are opening up for IP, amongst the existing revenue streams what’s the statistics and facts?
One of the issues that we’ll be exploring in the Emerging Media track at the KidScreen Summit, and in our next event “Brand Building in the Kids Digital Space” (May 15-16, 2006, Los Angeles) is that of revenue opportunity for IP amongst new digital devices, applications and distribution platforms. Everything is so new in this space that there is as yet little evidence of how and where digital revenue streams can be maximized. Execs know that more money is out there, and the current challenge is in exercising caution in developing strategy and ROI expectations.

With so many new delivery platforms and mechanisms and a lot of non content players getting into the game, is content in the danger of being commoditized? Your comments…
Content has always been commoditized, that’s the business and how audiences have access to content. The challenges, I believe, lie in trying to ensure that good, innovative content continues to be championed and produced in an ever-quickening and already fast-paced business environment.

Globalization, new emerging markets and Asia. Your comments
We are excited to see an increase of 50% in the number of delegates from Asia-Pacific at this year’s KidScreen Summit. It’s clear to see the volume of talent and skill from emerging markets, which nicely complement other international territories active in the global kids entertainment business. The work of Asian companies to raise the profile of not only their work, but also of the audience for kids entertainment in their regions has been terrific.

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