Leading digital media bring expertise to NZ

Media release

8 April 2009

Gaming gurus, media maestros, financial high-fliers

Leading digital media practitioners bringing their expertise to NZ

New Zealanders will have access to some of the best brains in the digital media business at the upcoming X|Media|Lab, to be held in Auckland in late May.

X|Media|Lab director Megan Elliott says the star guest is interactive media expert and four-time Emmy Award winner Dale Herigstad, part of the team responsible for creating the futuristic Precrime Headquarters featured in the movie Minority Report.

“Dale is one of the most sought after creative directors in the world – his insights and deep knowledge will add tremendous value to New Zealand’s digital media companies and project ideas.” Ms Elliott says.

Others participating include: Zhan Ye, President of GameVision  -  China’s largest games investor; Richard Cardran, Emmy Award-winning media strategist and technologist;  Adrian Sexton, Co-founder of New Medici and former digital head of Lionsgate and Participant Media; India’s top Digital Media Entrepreneur, Vishal Gondal; and venture capitalists Tim Chang, Parmesh Shahani and Hugh Mason.

First run as part of the 2003 Sydney Film Festival, X|Media|Lab is the internationally-acclaimed think tank and workshop that puts world-leading digital media practitioners, power-brokers, and innovators alongside local companies and project teams looking to develop new ideas and explore new ways to get their products to market.

X|Media|Lab, which also holds events in China, India, Australia, Hollywood, Korea, Singapore and the Middle East, first came to New Zealand last year.

Ms Elliott says the 2008 Lab was an outstanding success, and early interest in the Auckland event is strong. With a central theme of “Commercialising Ideas”, the event will consist of a one-day conference aimed at digital media professionals, media executives, producers, creators, analysts, and strategists, as well as an opportunity for selected companies to take part in one-on-one lab sessions, mentored by the event’s keynote speakers.

“X|Media|Lab gives people an opportunity to work one-on-one with the world’s best informed experts, VC’s and business analysts to assist with their creative thinking and business models and exposure to investment opportunities.

“Businesses and Kiwi entrepreneurs participating in the Lab session select which mentors they want to work with, they also nominate the project ideas they want to work on. That way, they are guaranteed an agenda that meets the particular needs of their business.

“They are also building unique international relationships and networks that will link them to high-tech industry hubs around the world.”

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise is X|Media|Lab’s strategic partner in New Zealand, as part of NZTE’s work to help grow New Zealand’s digital content and technology industries and build its international competitiveness.

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