Mattel chief franchise officer Josh Silverman will deliver the keynote address at MIPJunior 2024. The forthcoming 32nd international kids screenings and co-production market will be held at JW Marriot, Cannes in France from 18 to 20 October.
Silverman joined Mattel in 2022 to support the company’s expanding entertainment offering. In his role, he oversees the company’s franchise management, consumer products, publishing, promotions, location-based entertainment, digital gaming, music, and Mattel Television Studios. Silverman was recently responsible for overseeing the critically acclaimed and far-reaching global consumer partnerships for Barbie.
He will take to the MIPJunior stage at 11:15 am on 20 October for the programme “Expand Your Playground” which draws on the kids industry’s enduring ability to innovate and transform. In a session titled “Beyond the Toy Box: Shaping the Future of Play,” he will explore reaching new audiences and platforms, Mattel’s approach to play, and how the company’s expanding entertainment slate connects with fans worldwide as it approaches its eighth decade.
He will share timely insights behind the upcoming reimagining of the purple dinosaur Barney, and how the company’s full franchise ecosystem will be leveraged in bringing the new Barney’s World series to life.
“I am thrilled to join the delegates at MIPJunior 2024, as we share in the passion for shaping the future of family entertainment,” said Silverman. “It’s an incredibly exciting time to be at Mattel, as we advance our strategy to unlock the full value of our IP outside the toy aisle and expand our entertainment offering. I look forward to engaging with industry leaders and discussing the evolving landscape of how we inspire audiences through play.”
“Josh Silverman oversees Mattel’s extraordinary licensing portfolio of characters, brands, and storylines that have engaged multiple generations of kids across eight decades – and it feels like they are just getting started,” said MIPJunior and MIPCOM Cannes director Lucy Smith. “Hearing first-hand the thinking and tactics behind Mattel’s multiple touchpoint strategies will be unmissable for anybody in the Kids sector and beyond.”
Mipcom Cannes will be held from 21 to 24 October 2024, welcoming delegates from over 60 countries. MIPJunior will open on Friday, 18 October from 2 pm.