Diversity 2.0: The New Protocol

21st Annual NAMIC Conference

By Staff -- Multichannel News, 9/16/2007 8:00:00 PM

Monday, September 17

7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Registration

7:30 a.m-8:45 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

8 a.m.-6:00 p.m

Television Writer’s Workshop

(by invitation only)

9 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Opening General Session:

Leadership 2.0: A New Paradigm

In the communications industry, is the notion of leadership keeping pace with the velocity of change? Terms like “transformational” and “transactional” have been applied to the idea of effective leadership in the past, but do they still apply in this time of clashing counter-forces and order without predictability? The Internet has ascended astronomically as the primary venue in which the world conducts its business, ideas are vetted, cultures intermingle and the whole notion of communication takes on complexities hardly anticipated by the architects of the grand theories about “leadership” with a capital “L.” What are the implications of all this in terms of how leaders are identified, how leaders are nurtured, how leaders, in effect, lead?

Moderator:

Monica Bertran, Host, Market Movers, Bloomberg Television

Panelists:

Christina Norman, President, MTV Networks

Scott Mills, President, COO, BET Networks

Peter Firestone, Managing Director, U.S., Media and Entertainment Consulting, Deliotte Consulting

Evan Shapiro, Executive VP/GM, IFC

Bob DeBitetto, Executive VP/GM, A&E Television Networks

10:30-10:45 a.m.

Mid-morning Break

10:45-12:15 p.m.

Concurrent Educational Track Sessions:

Corporate Diversity & Inclusion:

Hired for Diversity, Rewarded for Conformity: Retaining Hispanic Talent in Corporate America

Hispanics are doing well, overall, with regard to salaries and promotions — as long as they conform to traditional corporate roles. Despite the upswing in career advancement, their influence is not equal to their percentage of the population. How can Hispanic business professionals engage to broaden their influence? What initiatives might companies offer to attract and retain highly qualified Hispanic talent? Though the research presented pertains to Hispanics, how do the findings resonate among other diverse groups?

Moderator:

Donna Blancero, VP, research division, NSHMBA and editor, Business Journal of Hispanic Research

Panelists:

Jim Palos, president, Institute for Media and Entertainment

James Huerta, CEO, ResearchPAYS

Digital Media & Ad Sales

Blogs to Broadband: New Media is Changing Journalism

From political campaigns to eyewitness reports, the way we receive our news and event coverage has been revolutionized by blogs, podcasts, Web sites and broadband. Advances in technology have spurred a wave of new consumer-controlled outlets that have transformed the news product. Formerly the exclusive domain of “experts,” what is the role of journalism in a new environment richly populated with on-line correspondents — or anybody with a camera and a point to make — in virtually every corner of the world? What are the advantages and new opportunities created by access, prevalence and the social status of new media?

Moderator:

Andy Mitchell, VP, interactive marketing, CNN News Group

Panelists:

Richard Deitsch, Writer, Sports Illustrated and SI.com

Angela Morgenstern, Senior Director, interactive, PBS

Leadership Development:

The Only One in the Room

Have you ever found yourself the only person of color involved in an important negotiation or decision-making process? Come join a vibrant, educational, and frank conversation about some of the unique challenges encountered by employees of color as they negotiate the daunting pathways that lead to the C-suites. Hear executives share their experiences and get valuable advice on a dilemma that’s often tacitly acknowledged, but rarely openly discussed.

Moderator:

Tony Harris, anchor, Morning Edition, CNN Newsroom

Panelists:

Billy Hall, VP, Programming, TNT

Emilio Mata, senior VP, creative services, Starz Entertainment

Barbara Gee, VP, strategic sales alliances, Comcast

Kenneth Gordon, legal counsel, ESPN

Rahda Subramanyam, VP, Nick Digital Networks, Nickelodeon

Multiethnic Markets:

Sharing Proven Strategies to Reach a Dynamic Marketplace

Produced by the National Hispanic Corporate Council

Executives at the forefront of Hispanic marketing will talk about how their leading brands successfully reach the Hispanic marketplace. Learn in a interactive session how experts at Fortune 500 companies message and connect with a burgeoning population of 41 million and growing. They will also share how the cable industry and the emerging digital platforms play a role in their strategies.

Moderator:

Carlos Soto, CEO, National Hispanic Corporate Council

Panelists:

Jon Munoz, manager, Office of Inclusion and Diversity, Sprint

Tony Maldonado, VP, marketing acquisition, Cox Communications

12:30 p.m.–1:45 p.m.

L. Patrick Mellon Mentorship Luncheon

2 p.m.–3:30 p.m

Concurrent Educational Track Sessions:

Corporate Diversity & Inclusion:

The Door to Diversity Has a New Key

Starting with the definition, diversity has new rules in the corporate arena and in the marketplace. Aging baby boomers, an increasing multiethnic population, global market growth and other shifting cultural dynamics are transforming the corporate workplace. Guided by chief diversity officers, companies are increasing workforce and supplier diversity, and deepening community partnerships and CEO involvement — so does success mean diversity budgets should shrink? Or increase? What are the new metrics used to evaluate the return on investment for diversity? We invite you to listen to a fresh new take on a topic that has some sophisticated internal and external challenges and opportunities ahead for growing companies.

Moderator:

Verna Ford, executive consultant, Novations Group

Panelists:

Candi Castleberry-Singleton, VP, global inclusion and diversity, Motorola

Desiree Dancy, VP, diversity and inclusion, The New York Times

Marva Smalls, executive VP, global inclusion strategy, MTV Networks; executive VP, public affairs and chief of staff, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids & Family Group

Stephen Pemberton, chief diversity officer, Monster.com

Carol Hevey, executive VP, Time Warner Cable

Digital Media & Ad Sales:

Converting Top Sellers Into Tomorrow’s Leaders

If your organization is fortunate enough to have a high-performance advertising-sales team, you may already know that turning today’s sales talent into tomorrow’s business leaders can present unique challenges. While it’s ideal to promote from within, it can be difficult to discern the management potential of stellar sales professionals. Join some of the industry’s leading advertising-sales executives and recruitment professionals as they dispel common misconceptions about the recruitment process, and discover how an exceptional seller can become a dynamic business leader.

Moderator:

Carol Watson, president, Tangerine-Watson

Panelists:

Luisa Fairborne, advertising sales director, MTV Tres

Rita Ferro, VP, ad sales, Disney and ESPN Media Networks Latin America

Liz Janneman, president, ad sales, Current TV

Greg Regis, VP, Food Network and Fine Living ad sales

Lawrence Cooke, senior VP, advertising and marketing, Black Enterprise Magazine

Leadership Development:

Who Needs an Executive Coach?

Coaching has often been used as a remedial tool to help correct executive underperformance. More and more, however, it is being offered as added support for top producers. How do you know when you might benefit from the services of an executive coach or a career coach? What’s the difference between a coach and a mentor? At what stage of one’s career is formal coaching most beneficial? Are there differences in coaching needs for executives of color from their white counterparts? What are the trends in terms of companies providing internal and external executive/career coaching? If you want to be an MVP in your company or in the industry, you might want to hire a coach. Consider this session an open tryout.

Moderator:

Sonia Alleyne, careers and lifestyle editor, Black Enterprise Magazine

Panelists:

Andrea Bradford, senior VP, organizational consulting, Right Management

Enrique Garcia Bejar, principal, Bejar Consulting Group

Jane Hyun, multicultural coaching and diversity strategist, Hyun & Associates

Marilyn Ardito, VP, organizational development and internal communications, ESPN

Multiethnic Markets:

Asian Fusion or Confusion?

The Asian markets present a unique challenge to cable-system operators and TV programmers, as well as to advertisers and producers. Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, even Russian — the size and potential of the Asian demographic commands a unique focus, yet often programmers, marketers, advertisers and producers mistakenly “fuse” Asian cultures together. Laced with anecdotal faux pas, some humorous and some not so, hear the experts explain the difference between when Asian fusion works and when it simply causes confusion.

Moderator:

Kent Takano, VP, programming, Fine Living

Panelists:

Jocelyn Bayle, regional VP, affiliate sales and new media, ComedyNet

Vinodh Bhat, co-founder and GM, BODVOD Networks

David Chu, senior VP, programming and production, ImaginAsian Entertainment

Fay Ann Lee, independent filmmaker and actress

Shelly Kurtz, director, marketing and sales, International Networks

Natalie Rouse, director, national ethnic marketing, Comcast

3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Mid-Afternoon Break

3:45 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Concurrent Hot Topic Sessions

Hot Topic: Clicking With The New Cliques: Traditional Media Meets Social Networks

How do traditional media firms use social networking to drive revenue, brand attachment and viewership of their TV properties? As more brands affiliate themselves with social-networking Web sites, which types of integration work? How do media companies evaluate social networking from a build, buy and acquire perspective? Learn which partnerships are most successful, and get advice on a new business etiquette that drives relationship performance.

Moderator:

Ty Ahmad-Taylor, VP, product development, MTV Networks Music and Logo Group

Panelists:

Ralph Rivera, VP/GM, games, AOL

Steve Pamon, senior VP, digital distribution, HBO

Shazna Nessa, design director, Portfolio.com

Tejpaul Bhatia, founder, Tej Media Networks

Hot Topic: Excellence in Multicultural Marketing Awards (EMMA)

Presented in partnership with CableWorld

Considered the marketing Olympics of the cable industry, EMMA winners in years past had set the criteria higher than ever before. The judging was difficult. Competition was stiff and the tension high. Every campaign element counted. NAMIC’s 2007 EMMA celebration, will truly be an occasion to honor sheer creative brilliance and top performers among a slew of staunch contenders. You won’t want to miss this year’s event where you will find out who holds the record for most wins, and where the winners reveal what it takes to come in 1st Place.

5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Executive Leadership Development Program Alumni & Leadership Seminar Alumni Reception

(by invitation only)

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Opening Reception

Hosted by NAMIC-New York

Tuesday, September 18

7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Registration

7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Multichannel News Breakfast:

In the Game and Scoring Points: The Role of Multiethnics in Sports and Sports Television

Multichannel News hosts a thought-provoking breakfast on the role of multiethnicity in sports and sports television. Don’t miss what TV advertising, on-air talent, and executives from sports properties and TV networks have to say on the effects of a diverse sports field on their work-place environments, advertising and subscription revenues, audiences and fans, and on the development of future leaders and star athletes.

Co-Moderators:

Alvaro Martin, NBA and Monday Night FootballAnnouncer, ESPN Deportes

R. Thomas Umstead, Programming Editor, Multichannel News

Panelists:

Katrina Adams, On-Air Talent, The Tennis Channel; Executive Director, Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program

David Downs, President, Univision Sports

Kathy Duva, CEO, Main Events

Tom Maney, Senior VP, Advertising Sales, Fox Sports en Espanol

Jimmie Lee Solomon, Executive VP, Baseball Operations, Major League Baseball

Doug Quinn, President, Soccer United Marketing

Presented in partnership with Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

General Session:

Keynote Speaker:

Mariane Pearl, Journalist/Widow of Daniel Pearl

The Media and the Minds of The Masses: Cultural Awareness vs. Cultural Wariness

The massacre at Virginia Tech, Don Imus, U.S. immigration policy, the War with Iraq, speculation about Iranian or North Korean nuclear threat have all figured prominently in recent media coverage. Each has pushed, in some manner, the hot buttons of American cultural diversity in all its complexity. “Us” against “them” as a fundamental ideological anchor has rarely figured so prominently in the discourse around the water cooler. How and to what extent does media representation of ethnic groups reflect the revered cornerstones of journalistic integrity: independence, balance, and objectivity? Has the recipe for multiplatform journalism become primarily a ratings race to get the story fast, get it first, and feed the masses an easily digestible meal of heroes, victims and villains? Hear a discourse on media’s impact on the public psyche with professionals who are steeped in it everyday.

Moderator:

Robert Simmelkjaer, ESPN

Panelists:

Angela Burt-Murray, Editor in Chief, Essence Magazine

Jose Diaz-Balart, Co-anchor, Cadadia, Telemundo

Larry Wilmore, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Comedy Central

Parisa Khosravi, Senior VP, International Newsgathering, CNN Worldwide

10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Mid-morning Break

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Concurrent Educational Track Sessions:

Corporate Diversity & Inclusion:

The New Talent Management Strategy: Operationalized Diversity

If diversity is considered a core value, it is incorporated into the operations of your business. Operationalized diversity informs your recruiting and hiring practices, as well as the development of programs to educate, train and retain your employees. It is also a consideration when choosing vendors and contractors for your business. Senior human resource officers will discuss the talent crunch and the cable industry’s renewed focus on diverse talent management at all levels of their companies and discuss strategies for recruiting and retaining top stars.

Moderator:

Charisse R. Lillie, VP, Human Resources, Comcast Corp.; Senior VP, HR, Comcast Cable Communications

Panelists:

Mae Douglas, Senior VP and Chief People Officer, Cox Communications

Tom Mathews, Senior VP, Human Resources, Time Warner Cable

Raymond Gutierrez, Executive VP, Human Resources and Administration, Showtime Networks

Chris Powell, Executive VP, Human Resources, Scripps Networks

Lynne Ramsey, Senior VP, Human Resources, Charter Communications

Diana Lee, Senior VP, Human Resources, MTV Networks

Digital Media & Ad Sales:

Who Does Digital? How to Reach and Sell to Different Demographic Targets

With the proliferation of all the new technology innovations such as the Internet, high-definition TV, and DVRs, — who exactly is logging on, upgrading and maximizing their HDTV with simultaneous recording? Experts identify the niche markets among digital media consumers e.g. teens, women, Hispanics, and African-Americans, and how usage of digital media varies by technology and demographic. Come to understand the best and proven advertising and marketing strategies to reach each target audience in the digital media space.

Moderator:

Mary Murano, President of Distribution, Oxygen Media

Panelists:

Scott Hess, VP, TRU

Jorge Reynardus, Creative Director and Principal, Reynardus & Moya Advertising

Florence Buchanan, VP, Sales and Marketing, Buckeye Cablevision

Lisa Choi Owens, VP, Business Development, Fuse

Leadership Development:

Overcoming the Imposter Syndrome

Do you experience symptoms such as procrastination, fear of failure, fear of success, workaholic behavior and perfectionism? Participants will be able to identify some of the personal factors associated with the “Impostor Syndrome,” that can hinder or interfere with success in leadership roles. Learn how to modify or overcome your internal reservations and rejoice in your gifts and talents as a real leader in your community.

Presenter:

Wagner Denuzzo, Founder and President, Workplace Development Services

Multiethnic Markets:

Acquiring Multiethnic Consumers Through Public Responsibility

Given the rapid growth and increasing purchasing power of multiethnic consumers, how is corporate America changing the face of its corporate public responsibility efforts to meet the needs of this increasingly important consumer base? Who decides how corporate philanthropy dollars are allocated? What are the best strategies for yielding a return on investment in community outreach, employee volunteer programs or alliances with non-profit organizations? How are corporations using new media platforms to communicate their good deeds to internal and external constituencies? Our panel of experts from some of the country’s leading brands will share effective practices and how to incorporate them into your company.

Moderator:

Sonya Lockett, VP, Public Affairs, BET

Panelists:

Jennifer Mooney, Group VP, Public Relations and Government Affairs, Bright House Networks

Steve Smith, VP, Community and Government Affairs, Turner Broadcasting System

Laurel Yamaguchi, Senior Business Leader, DDB Brand Integrity Group

12:45 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.

Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award Luncheon

Honoree:

Anderson Cooper, Anchor, Anderson Cooper 360, CNN

2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Career Expo

Presented in Partnership with VarietyCareers.com

2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Mid-Afternoon Break

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Concurrent Educational Track Sessions:

Corporate Diversity & Inclusion:

Diversity Without Excuses

When did it become OK to offer excuses for failure in the competitive world of business? Usually, people who “can’t” get things done “can’t” have their jobs anymore. Yet, with respect to diversity, a whole host of excuses have been allowed to rationalize failure. Organizations across America have tried hard to build diversity, but they just can’t. Instead of redoubling their efforts and redirecting their personnel, they make excuses and wring their hands. In his 15 years of working in the corporate world as a minority executive and as a diversity recruiter and consultant, Joe Watson has heard of every excuse in the book. Is your organization forgivable or exceptional?

Presenter:

Joe Watson, CEO and Founder, Without Excuses and StrategicHire

Digital Media & Ad Sales:

Selling Brands Not Programs; Surviving the Evolution of Affiliate Sales in a New Media Universe

As the dynamics of the multimedia world change and linear network space becomes a virtual door to new media outlets, a new affiliate sales dialogue is emerging that changes the traditional relationship of programmer to operator. Distribution models must now be sold in with smart market solutions that drive brand audiences to the operator-owned new media “storefront”. It’s no longer about the network show (after all, hot shows come and go), but rather the consistent delivery of a desired audience and the ability to influence that audience to buy the new-media goods and services the cable operator is selling.

Moderator:

Todd Brown, VP, Western Division, Comcast Networks

Panelists:

Judi Lopez, executive content distribution strategist

Sandra Mitchell, senior VP, Affiliate Sales, HBO

Brad Samuels, executive VP, affiliate sales and marketing, TV One

Denise Dahldorf, executive VP, content distribution and marketing, MTV Networks

Leadership Development:

How to Be a Fearless Fish Out of Water

Whether you’re the only person of color on your team, the only woman at the top, an aging boomer surrounded by the iGeneration, someone new to cable or you’ve switched from the operator side to a network, you may be feeling like a fish out of water. Being different doesn’t have to mean exclusion, it can be a great advantage to you and your organization if you know how to use it. Learn how to be fearless and forge ahead in this inspirational session that ignites the sparks that drive success. Learn from panelists that have lived the life of the fish out of water as they offer a road map for how to get heard without compromising your core, how to be part of it all by being more of who you are and how to use your differences to make a difference.

Moderator:

Robin Fisher Roffer, CEO, chief creative officer, Big Fish Marketing

Panelists:

Harold Lewis, VP/GM, The Weather Channel Radio and Newspaper Syndication

Kenetta Bailey, senior VP, marketing, WE TV

Kristina Song, VP, programming, Time Warner Cable

Anita Tobias, marketing, Bloomberg Television

Multiethnic Markets:

The International Media Marketplace: Going Beyond the Borders

Have you ever wondered what the rest of the world finds entertaining? How are people in Asia, Europe, South America, and Africa experiencing the explosion of digital media? Experience the diversity of worldwide tastes, imaginations and innovation through the eyes of industry leaders who are shaping the media and entertainment landscape throughout the world. Decide for yourself if it’s time to explore opportunities for your business or career that could broaden your scope, and your impact, across the world.

Moderator:

Michael Armstrong, senior VP, GM, BET International

Panelists:

Sean Cohan, senior VP, international, A&E Television Networks

Elisabeth Carpenter, VP, business development and strategy, Brightcove

4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Closing Reception