New York Media Festival Returns to Manhattan With 20+ Events and 200+ Speakers, September 26-29

Digital Media Wire's Annual Event Connects Innovators & Influencers in Music, Games, Television and Advertising; VR/Innovation Loft Showcases Start-Ups & Tech Leaders


NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - September 13, 2016) - New York Media Festival, an innovative four-day event for the digital, games, music, television and video industries, will take place Monday, September 26, through Thursday, September 29, 2016, with three days of conferences at the Museum of Jewish Heritage starting on September 27. The Festival provides an intimate environment for deal-making, partnership building and networking for executives, brands, investors, content creators and technology startups. Daily Tech-Media Crawl open houses and networking parties will be held city-wide and are hosted by Microsoft, Shutterstock, #techdrinkup, B/Hi Communications, VRTIFY, Amper Music, Katalyst Live and IRIS.TV, among others.

"NY Media Festival is designed to connect innovators and influencers across the media and entertainment industries," said Ned Sherman, New York Media Festival Chair and CEO of Digital Media Wire. "This year's event is more innovative than ever showcasing developments in VR/AR and technology that are shaping the future of consumer entertainment experiences."

The Festival hosts more than 200 top speakers who highlight innovations, trends and best practices in their respective industries.

Speakers include:

  • Kathy Baker, SVP, Digital Marketing, Columbia Records/Sony Music Entertainment
  • Jonathan Azu, EVP & GM, Red Light Management
  • Alexander Kisch, EVP, Business Development & Business Affairs, Vevo
  • Mikko Setälä, Chief Corporate Development Officer, Rovio Entertainment
  • Ken Wakeford, COO, Kabam
  • John Militello, Director of Marketing, Volvo Cars USA
  • Christina Alejandre, General Manager & Vice President, eSports, ELEAGUE
  • Sam Olstein, Global Innovation Director, GE
  • Aaron Luber, Head of Content Partnerships, Google
  • Christopher Byrd, Lead Video Game Critic, The Washington Post
  • Harold Goldberg, Founder & Editor in Chief, New York Videogame Critics Circle
  • Ira Rubenstein, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Digital & Marketing, PBS
  • Christy Tanner, Senior Vice President & General Manager, CBS News Digital
  • Bob Gruters, US Group Lead, Entertainment, Restaurants, and Multicultural, Facebook
  • Eric Berger, EVP, Digital Networks, Sony Pictures Television & General Manager, Crackle
  • Jeff Marsilio, Vice President, Global Media, NBA
  • Martha Nelson, Global Editor-in-Chief, Yahoo
  • Stephanie Mehta, Deputy Editor, Vanity Fair
  • Tony Emerson, Managing Director, Worldwide Media & Cable, Microsoft
  • Stephen Bryan, Chief Content Officer, SoundCloud

The Festival kicks off with an opening party at Hudson Terrace on Monday night followed by Digital Music Forum on Tuesday, featuring artists, managers, digital services and record label executives. Wednesday's NY Games Conference includes sessions and influencers from the games industry including publishers, developers and advertising firms. The final day of the festival concludes with Future of Television Summit, a TV/video conference for broadcasters, content creators, advertisers and digital studios. Each day will feature the Innovation Summit, the official innovation track and startup summit of the Festival, to present lightning talks, panels, breakout sessions and a vendor showcase in a 5,000 square foot space above the main stage events.

Support for the 2016 New York Media Festival is provided by AMD, Microsoft, Optimizely, OwnZones, SoundExchange, TiVo, Manatt, IRIS.TV, PluraVida, Monegraph, SESAC, Amper Music, Katalyst Live, Fox Rothschild, B/HI, VRTIFY, LyricFind, Plex, Dropbox, WattPad, Affectiva, Music Reports, Shutterstock, Fusicology, Parks Associates, Events for Gamers, NewFilmmakers, NY Women in Film & TV, IGDA, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Branded Ltd., IAEL, SAG-AFTRA, Canadian Music Week, Variety, NATPE, Digiday, and National Academy for Television Arts and Science NY.

About NYME

The New York Media Festival (NYME) is an event designed to bring together experienced influencers and leaders to learn more about their respective fields and to network across New York City. The 4-day event includes opening and closing parties, industry leadership dinners, conferences, summits and open houses for the gaming, video and music industries. NYME's founding team includes seasoned conference and event producers Ned and Tinzar Sherman. Over the past 15 years, the team has produced more than 200 events including some of the biggest and most impactful entertainment, tech and digital industry conferences, concerts, launch parties, intimate VIP dinners and networking events. Visit www.mefest.com for more information. www.mefest.com

Contact Information:

Media Contact:
Lynessa Williams
Transform Group
lynessa@transform.pr