Industry: First MediaCon international TV/Tech summit is coming to Dublin in September

MediaCon, a new international TV | Tech summit, is set to take place in Dublin’s Mansion House on Tuesday, September 8th. MediaCon Dublin 2015 will examine the global opportunities now on offer to Irish content creators. The event will shine a light on the Irish industry providing a unique opportunity to engage with international industry leaders.

Produced in partnership with RTÉ, Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB), the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) and Screen Producers Ireland (SPI); the event is firmly focused on the future of the industry. As new technologies and platforms continue to shake up the entertainment world, MediaCon will examine how production companies can stay ahead of the game, turning challenge into opportunity.

The first ever international TV | Tech summit; MediaCon is the brainchild of Lesley O’Connor, the former executive producer of The Web Summit, Founders New York and Collision Las Vegas.

“MediaCon provides an opportunity to show-case Ireland and build up international co-production, funding and distribution deals in what has become a truly global market,” said Ms O’Connor.

“With network heads coming in from the US and Europe alongside global distributors and newer platforms like AOL, Fullscreen, Shine and Disney Maker; you are looking at a room with a combined original programming budget of over half a billion euro,” she said.

Featuring talks on new digital platforms, funding and distribution strategies and the latest innovations from the cutting edge of creative technology, MediaCon is welcoming executives from Australia, Europe, The US and The UK to Ireland.

Jetting in from New York City, Dermot McCormack, recently appointed president of AOL Video and Studios, will discuss the communications giant’s ambitious content plans as Amazon and HBO continue to challenge Netflix for supremacy in the world of on-demand video.

“When it comes to TV and digital, It’s not a case of either/or. The human desire for good storytelling is not separated screen by screen in our brains. Good story is good story, no matter the medium. Content will always be king and what is important now is figuring out how best to target the right audience,” said Dermot McCormack, President of AOL Studios.

McCormack is calling on Irish producers and content creators to think globally with the money-spinning international content market now, “wide open to all.”

“The opportunities for smaller markets to reach a larger and global audience have never been greater … It’s an exciting time and I am delighted to be flying to Dublin to meet with world leaders from the TV & Tech content industries,” he said.

The godfather of reality television and former president of MTV, Tony DiSanto will also be landing in Dublin to outline his vision for the future of the industry as viewers continue to migrate from the traditional set-top box to multiple screens and online interfaces.

DiSanto completely re-invigorated MTV during his presidency; producing smash-hit shows including TRL (Total Request Live) with Carson Daly and reality hits, The Hills, Jersey Shore, Run’s House and  Laguna Beach.

MediaCon Dublin 2015 will offer an opportunity for real business to be done in Dublin in terms of formats, funding, networking and securing talent. The event will introduce Ireland as an ideal place in which to create and make television programming not just for Ireland but for a global audience across various platforms, traditional and digital.

The summit will also debut a special Format Factory pitching event on the 9th September which will provide an opportunity for production companies to pitch directly to international television financiers, TV Format Fund, RTÉ and a number of the other broadcasters and distributors in attendance.

The fund has a budget of €55m for new concepts and are actively looking to invest in Ireland.

For further information, see MediaCon’s website here.