Abu Dhabi Media Summit to focus on content creativity

The invitation-only Summit will be held March 15-17 at the Yas Hotel, under the Patronage of H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces.

Over 400 global media participants are expected at the Summit which will be attended by top tier global media and their emerging market counterparts.

This year’s event brings together business leaders from the worlds of film, TV, music, mobile, broadband, and new technology.  High profile speakers include Academy award-winning director James Cameron (Avatar, Titanic); News Corp.’s Europe and Asia Chief Executive James Murdoch; Google’s Chief Business Officer Nikesh Arora;Nokia’s President and CEO Stephen Elop; and Ericsson’s President & CEO Hans Vestberg. 

H.E. Saeed Al-Hajeri, a member of the Abu Dhabi Media Board and the Chairman of the company’s Executive Committee said:  “Last year’s Summit was focused on the evolution of the platforms through which we consumer media.

Continuing on that strain, this year the main conversation will be about the key drivers of our business – content and creativity. These themes are particularly relevant right now in the United Arab Emirates as we focus on nurturing our local creative talent, investing in innovation, continuing to attract global media organizations to operate in our region and helping to build a sustainable local media industry.”

Along with the special focus on content and creativity as drivers of long-lasting value, there will be an emphasis on the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, East Asia and China. The event will also seek to expand horizons about broader forces shaping the media landscape and look for new sources of innovation outside Hollywood and Silicon Valley.

Director James Cameron (Avatar, Titanic) will open the 2011 Abu Dhabi Media Summit in a keynote conversation with James Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive, Europe and Asia, News Corporation, who is also a co-Chair of the event.

Sessions will focus on the power shifts in Hollywood and the opportunities of new technology, a discussion about the future of new technology and new platforms, exponential technologies and innovation, upward mobility and whether we live better through new media.

The co-chairs of the event include: H.E. Mohamed Mubarak al Mazrouei, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Media; Sheikh Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, Chairman and CEO, MBC Group; Ibrahim Ajami, CEO, Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC); Stephen Elop, President and CEO, Nokia; Tom Glocer, CEO, Thomson Reuters; Jean-Bernard Lévy, Chairman of the Management Board, Vivendi; Yuri Milner, Founding Partner and CEO, Digital Sky Technologies; James Murdoch, Chairman and CEO, Europe and Asia, News Corporation; Paul Sagan, CEO, Akamai Technologies; and Mohammad Omran, Chairman, Etisalat.

This press release was issued by the organisers.