DEG president and CEO Amy Jo Smith welcoming attendees at the inaugural EnTech in May 2022.
DEG’s Entech Returns to Skirball Cultural Center on March 29
March 13, 2023
Trade association DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group will hold its second annual EnTech Fest on March 29 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.
This year’s event will feature feature exhibits, an expanded conference program and DEG’s annual reception in a new single-day format.
The digital entertainment industry trade show and networking event, attended by DEG studio and platform members and others, focuses on innovation in post-theatrical content display and distribution.
The expanded conference program includes a keynote panel addressing cloud architecture and other supply chain innovation, “The Future of Distribution Now,” moderated by Pixelogic’s Craig Seidel, with Amazon Web Services’ Chris Blandy, Amazon Studios’ Ellen Goodridge and Lionsgate’s Gray Ainsworth.
A separate keynote conversation will pair Creative Artists Agency’s Joanna Popper with Paramount Global’s Ted Schilowitz in “Transforming Storytelling Through Immersive Entertainment and New Technologies.”
Other conference sessions include “8K — Creating a New Way,” a panel discussion on the various ways 8K technology is elevating the creative experience, and the 90-minute “Innovative Tech for M&E | Quick Roundtables with Intel Capital Startups,” in which the tech giant’s venture capital arm will host exclusive roundtable discussions with 10 startups offering cutting-edge technology for the media and entertainment industry.
Last year’s EnTech Insights market research presentations will return with presentations from Omdia, discussing how CTV, FAST and AVOD are shaping the new TV and video landscape, and TiVo, sharing insights on the video option being brought to automotive dashboards.
A “FAST to the Future: How to Thrive in Ad-supported Streaming” panel, led by IRIS.TV’s Field Garthwaite, will discuss what content owners need to do to achieve FAST success in ad-supported streaming.
New opportunities for private meetings and attendee networking are also being added, including a networking lunch and event app.
DEG says its staff created the new format and expanded conference program with an advisory group including executives from Amazon, Dolby, Intel, LG Electronics, Looper Insights, NBCUniversal, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Discovery, XL8 Inc. and Xperi.
“EnTech Fest in 2022 was a highly successful first-time event by many measures, including exhibition support, attendance and perceived value within our digital entertainment industry,” said Amy Jo Smith, president and CEO of the DEG. “The DEG team listened very carefully to our first-year attendees and exhibitors and is using their feedback to make EnTech even better in 2023.
“This includes the creation of additional relevant conference programming and more opportunities for networking and for our participants to work together in-person at the event. We know this face time has become even more valuable to potential attendees in this era of remote work.”
Focus exhibit categories for 2023 include advanced content delivery solutions, artificial intelligence, immersive storytelling, localization services, and new in- home entertainment technologies and hardware.
Companies supporting the event as sponsors or exhibitors include 360 Solutions, 8K Association, Blintn, Blu Digital Group, Boxx, Circana, Deep Media, Dolby, Giant Worldwide, Globant, Google TV, Intel, Intel Capital, iSize, Iyuno, LG, NetApp, P1 Technologies, Omdia, Pixelworks, Premiere Digital, Sony, Spherex, Tubi, Vubiquity, XL8, Xperi (TiVo/DTS) and Yoom.
The inaugural EnTech Fest in May 2022 drew more than 500 industry attendees to Skirball for business-to-business trade displays and networking.
Companies interested in exhibiting should contact DEG director of sales and membership service Andi Elliott (Andi@degonline.org).
EnTech Fest 2023 is free for DEG members. Non-members can attend for $295. The registration link may be accessed here.