With a record number of entries in its European Digital Media Awards, the annual Digital Media Europe conference in London early next month will provide participants with a unique, wide-ranging perspective on innovation in digital news media.
The European Digital Media Awards, which recognise ground breaking digital products that engage readers and increase online business, drew 105 entries from 48 European publishing houses in 21 countries. The awards will be presented and showcased at Digital Media Europe, the leading digital event for European publishers and editors for more than 20 years, to be held in London from 7 to 9 April next.
Innovation is where you find it: Norway and the United Kingdom are well represented in the competition, reflecting advanced digital initiatives in those countries. Reader engagement and online video appears to be on everyone's mind: there were 20 entries in each of those categories, followed by news website (17), and data visualization projects (16). Jury members will have their work cut out for them.
In addition to the award-winners, the conference will feature nearly 30 presenters from news media, start-ups and leading digital companies from 13 countries, along with break-out sessions, workshops and off-site visits.
- Your Top 5 Digital Priorities, featuring Rebecca Miskin, Digital Strategy Director at Hearst Magazines in the UK; Alceo Rapagna, Chief Digital Officer at RCS MediaGroup in Italy; and Ben Christensen, Vice President for Digital at Amedia in Norway.
- Take a Walk in My Shoes: Building a Digital Media Success, a case study by digital entrepreneur David Nemetz, the co-founder of Bleacher Report, which recently sold to Turner Broadcasting for approximately US$200 million. Mr Nemetz will recount the elements that led to Bleacher Report's success, and will provide his insights into the start-up landscape in Silicon Valley.
- Paid Content 2.0: from one-size-fits-all to Amazon-style user focus, which will feature Kalle Jungkvist, Senior Advisor at Schibsted in Norway; Matt Lindsay, President of Mather Economics in the US, Neil Budde, Vice President & Executive Editor of The Courier-Journal in the United States; and Gregor Waller, Principal Associate Consultant with WAN-IFRA.
- Ride the video wave: source the content to match demand, which includes Diego Carvajal, Content Manager at Caracol TV/El Espectador Digital Media in Colombia; Erik Henz Kjeldsen, Commissioning Editor dor digital radio and music; Steve Herrmann, BBC News Online Editor; Mark Little, CEO and Co-Founder of Storyful in Ireland; and Spencer Richardson, CEO & Co-Founder of FanBridge in the US.
- Make money on mobile: can we match the top players?, which will feature Mark Forster, founder and CEO of Adello in the US, and Lisa MacLeod, Head of Operations at ft.com in the UK.
- Startups & Innovators: UK Special, a presentation by Matthew Boyes, Founder & CEO at streetlife.com, on how a massive investment in London's Tech City has resulted in the UK becoming a major hub for new startups.
- What Would Buzzfeed Do? A Lesson in Online Advertising, by Will Hayward, Vice President for Europe for Buzzfeed.
- Yahoo! Back in the fast lane, an examination of the digital ad sales process by one of the masters, Regan Senkarik, Senior Director of Channel Sales for Yahoo!
- All you ever wanted to know about the status of programmatic sales & its future, with an international dream panel featuring Janneke Niessen, Co-Founder and CEO of Improve Digital and Board Member IAB Europe; Oliver Whitten, Vice President and Commercial Director, Rubicon Project, UK; Fabien Magalon, Managing Director, La Place Media, France; Martin Jensen, Head of the Danish Publisher Network; Martin van der Meij, Head of Revenue Development, TMG, The Netherlands; Robert Johansson, Head of RTB and Programmatic, Schibsted, Sweden; Rick Welch, Head of Programmatic Sales at Condé Nast, USA; and David Klement, Chief Technology Officer at Publicitas.
- LinkedIn: building a news brand, a case study presented by Isabelle Roughol, Editor at LinkedIn, France.
- Native advertising: still a wild frontier, a discussion on how to implement native advertising without damaging your brand, led by Elisabeth Ciaidella, Director of Marketing, Communication and Advertising at Le Monde in France, Clare Chamberlain, Sales Director, London Lifestyle, Bauer Media; and a speaker to be confirmed from The Guardian Labs.
- Plus much more! Delegates will also have an opportunity to visit Facebook's London offices and tour Google's Campus.
The European Digital Media Awards ceremony will take place in the evening of 8 April at #DME14
