Digital Media Conference In Silver Spring Today

If you're in Baltimore/DC today and have $600 to burn on the registration fee, the Digital Media Conference is taking place in Silver Spring, MD. I won't be there for two reasons: (1) I work, and I'm in court this morning; (2) I don't have six hundred bucks. Both very good reasons.

But it looks like an informative event with lots of players in presence. Here's the agenda:

8:00am-9:00am
Registration, Breakfast & Networking

9:00am-9:10am
Welcome, Introductions & Opening Remarks

Conference Co-Chairs
Ned Sherman, CEO & Publisher, Digital Media Wire
Paul Sherman, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Tech Wire Publications

Panel 1
9:10am-9:45am
Whatís Next: 5 Digital Media Trends to Watch
Did the meteoric rise of MySpace and YouTube catch you by surprise? Three leading analysts give their opinions on the top five digital media trends to watch in the years to come.

Presenters
Joe Bates, Director of Research, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)
John Barrett, Director of Research, Parks Associates
Jen Wu, Analyst, M:Metrics

Panel 2
9:45am-10:30am
A View from the Top: The State of the Digital Union
This panel of digital media insiders will discuss the current state of the industry, including hot button issues such as how big media companies will balance the opportunities presented by digital distribution with the possible cannibalization of existing businesses? What are the most likely business models for user-generated content? What is the future for ad-supported free distribution of digital content - including music, video and games - online? What is the next big thing in digital media in the next 12 months to 2 years and who will be the winners and losers in the years to come?

Panelists
Jim Brady, Vice President & Executive Editor, washingtonpost.com
Bruce Campbell, President, Digital Media, Discovery Communications
Ted Cohen, Chairman, Mobile Entertainment Forum Americas
Ed Moran, Director of Product Innovation, Deloitte
Betsy Scolnik, President, National Geographic Digital Media
Moderator: David Card, VP, Research, Jupiter Research

10:30am-11:00am
Networking Break

11:00amñ11:30am
Keynote
Robert Greenwald, Filmmaker, Director & Producer
This past year weíve seen the internet explode with entertaining YouTube videos and short films. Acclaimed filmmaker Robert Greenwald has taken the short form a step further with videos designed to allow viewers to take action and create change. Greenwald will discuss how he and his company Brave New Films are creating viral video campaigns that bring about tangible change. Distributed for free, via the internet, email, by partner organizations and through earned media, the edgy videos cover timely topics. For example, the recent FOX ATTACKS (FoxAttacks.com) and IMPEACH GONZALES (ImpeachGonzales.org) series- In a matter of days millions watched these shorts, and hundreds of thousands took action on the issues they address. Greenwald will discuss how he and his colleagues create these short films and the campaigns that carry them across the internet and into the world of real change.

11:35am-12:20pm
Panel 3 - Track 1: Beyond the Buzz:
Is There a Business Model for Social Media & User-Generated Content?
The success of social networking sites MySpace and YouTube has created a buzz about user-generated content. Does the mass attraction to these sites represent a power shift from a traditional top-down model of corporate media to a bottom-up model focused on consumer generated content? How can traditional media businesses connect with this consumer mindset? Can content created by consumers be the backbone of a viable business model? This panel will discuss these questions and more.

Panelists
Phil Bronner, General Partner, Novak Biddle Venture Partners
John Funge, CEO, Incando Corp / Founder, Pickle
David Greene, President, ClinicaHealth
Haroon Mokhtarzada, Co-Founder & CEO, Freewebs
Judith Meskill, VP, Programming / Social Media Officer, BabyCenter.com
David Silver, President, Santa Fe Capital Group
Moderator: Daniel Todd, Co-Founder / President, Zango

Panel 3 - Track 2: Webcasting Royalties: The Battle Heats Up
This panel of copyright experts will discuss the ongoing battle over webcasting royalties. What are the implications of the most recent Copyright Royalty Board ruling for webcasters? Who are the stakeholders? Who are the likely winners and losers? What's next in this battle over digital content and copyrights?

Panelists
Michael Huppe, General Counsel, SoundExchange
Kurt Hanson, Publisher, RAIN: Radio And Internet Newsletter
Jonathan Potter, Executive Director, Digital Media Association
Patricia Polach, Associate General Counsel, American Federation of Musicians
Michael Riksen, VP, Government Relations, NPR
Dick Huey, Board Member, SoundExchange (representing Matador Records)
Moderator: David Oxenford, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

12:20pm-1:15pm
Lunch

Panel 4
1:15pm ñ 1:45pm
Whatís Next in Web 2.0?
This panel of innovators, creators and thought leaders from leading Web 2.0 companies will look ahead at what we can expect in technological innovation in the years to come.

Presenters
Social Media Widgets: Mike Sommers, SVP, Product Management, KickApps
Virtual Worlds: Damon Taylor, Producer, The Electric Sheep Company
Moderator: Ned Sherman, CEO & Publisher, Digital Media Wire

1:50pm-2:35pm
Panel 5 - Track 1: The Digital Evolution of the Music Business: What's Next?
This panel of industry experts will discuss the future of digital music, including pricing, online and mobile music product offerings and business models, next generation devices and the future of digital rights management (DRM). What business models, devices and marketing plans will drive the industry? What role will DRM play in the industry's future? Who will be the winners and the losers in the years to come.

Panelists
Jim Griffin, Managing Director, OneHouse LLC / Co-Founder, Pho group
Timmy Grins, Co-Founder & CEO, ItsHipHop.Tv / Artist, Arcane
Brent Muhle, General Manager, Nettwerk Music Group
Eric Siebert, VP, Content Development, Clear Channel Radio
Dave Ulmer, Senior Director, Entertainment Products, Motorola Media Solutions
Moderator: Aydin Caginalp, Partner, Alston & Bird

Panel 5 - Track 2: Advertising 2.0: New Opportunities for Marketers
It used to be that publishers were creators of content online. Given the escalation of consumer voices and the myriad platforms they have to express themselves, publishersí roles are evolving towards aggregators and editors of content online. How do consumer voices in the content mix affect editorial voice, media planning, even creative executions? What new opportunities exist for marketers to tap into communities and niches? How do publishers retain the richness and diversity of their readersí voices, yet maintain their own editorial tone and integrity? And what impact does the inclusion of consumer generated content have on the metrics publishers tout to differentiate themselves?

Panelists
Eric Koefoot, Founding CEO & Publisher, U.S. News Ventures
Keith Tomatore, VP, Sales & Operations, Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive
Erik Hauser, Founder, Swivel Media / Director, Experiential Marketing Forum
Christopher Marentis, CEO, Clearspring Technologies
Randy Mountz, VP, Sales, PayPerPost
Moderator: Rohit Bhargava, VP, Interactive Marketing, Ogilvy Public Relations

2:35pm-3:05pm
Networking Break

3:05pm-3:50pm
Panel 6 - Track 1: Internet Video & Big Media: Friends or Foes?
In March, Viacom sued Google/YouTube seeking more than $1 billion in damages in a suit that represents the most aggressive move so far by an old-line media company against the highly popular but legally questionable practice of posting copyrighted media content on online video sites. At the same, NBC Universal and CBS, a sister company of Viacom, have struck licensing deals with Google / YouTube, and both Viacom and NBC Universal are pursuing their own strategies with popular video sites, such as Viacomís ComedyCentral.com. What business models will prevail for online video sites? What does the future hold for YouTube and Google Video? How are big media companies going to utilize online video sites in the years the come?

Panelists
Ahmet Ozalp, Partner, Atlas Venture
Fred McIntyre, SVP, AOL Video, AOL
James McCaffrey, EVP, Operations & Strategy, Turner Broadcasting Systems
Nick Panagopulos, Co-Founder, President & CEO, BrainBox Entertprises, Inc.
Art Bushnell, VP, Sales & Business Development, Voxant
Moderator: Mike Vorhaus, Managing Director, Frank N. Magid Associates

Panel 6 - Track 2: FCC Outlook:
Who Will Be the Winners & the Losers in 2007?
This panel of experts will discuss the hot button issues being addressed by the FCC. The discussion will cover a range of issues impacting media and technology businesses, including cable industry pricing; digital television; media ownership; competition; spectrum, indecency and broadband deployment. The panel will consider how FCC rulings are likely to impact the future of the businesses operating in the digital media space.

Panelists
Mark Fratrik, Vice President, BIA Financial Network
Julie Kearney, Senior Director & Reg. Counsel, Consumer Electronics Association
Carol Mattey, Nat'l Leader, US Regulatory Consulting Practice, Deloitte
Ken Ferree, Partner, Business Practice Trial Group, Sheppard Mullin
Victoria Phillips, Assistant Director, Glushko-Samuelson Intellectual Property Law Clinic, Washington College of Law, American University
Moderator: Gary Arlen, President, Arlen Communications

Panel 7
4:00pm-4:45pm
Mobile Media: The Next Big Thing Beyond Ringtones
Until recently, the business of mobile media has been mainly about ringtones. However, with the launch of new devices and services this year, a whole new world of mobile media possibilities is being realized. This panel will discuss the current state of the mobile media market in the US and look at the opportunities beyond ringtones, including games, video and marketing, in the years to come.

Panelists
Eric Eller, SVP, Products & Marketing, Millennial Media
Jon Jackson, CEO, Mobile Posse
D.P. Venkatesh, Founder & CEO, mPortal
Miguel Banuelos, Head of Mobile Mktg & Promotions, Ericsson Mobility World, NA
Gregg Smith, COO & EVP, Acuity Mobile
Moderator: Ted Cohen, Managing Partner, TAG Strategic/ Chairman, Mobile Entertainment Forum Americas

4:45pm-5:15pm
Keynote
Alex Welch, CEO & Co-Founder, Photobucket

5:30pm-6:30pm
Cocktail Reception