CANNES, France (MIDEM PR/ www.midem.com) - Key players from the mobile music business will head to Cannes next year to attend the second
Mobile Music Forum, which takes place on January 23, as a curtain-raiser to MIDEM 2005 - The International
Music Market (Cannes Jan 23-27).
International experts from the mobile music sector will gather together to assess the future of this burgeoning market. A strong focus will be given to the new services linked to mobile music including: truetones, ringback tones, the downloading of complete tracks etc. and the challenges, opportunities and risks that these developments pose for the music industry.
An impressive line-up of leading mobile and music authorities are confirmed to participate in the forum which is chaired for the second time by Ralph Simon, Chairman of the Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF) Americas. Guy Laurence, Vodafone's Global Marketing Director - Consumer, will present a keynote address outlining the importance of current and future trends. Respected music industry attorney, Joel Katz, from Greenberg Traurig (US) will head up a special Q&A session.
The strategies of major music companies to break into the fast-developing mobile music market are to be discussed by three mobile music experts: Thomas Gewecke, Senior Vice President Digital Business Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment (US), Ted Cohen, Senior Vice President Digital Development & Distribution, EMI Music (US) and Cedric Ponsot, President Universal Mobile (France). Panels will also include the participation of Richard Huntingford, Chief Executive Chrysalis Group (UK) and Garry Blackburn, manager of world renowned artist FatBoySlim (UK).
Content is key to the growth of mobile music, and ringtones are just the beginning of what will be available in the not-too-distant future. Giving insight into these exciting developments, mobile content decision-makers for leading global telephone operators will participate in the panels:
Graham Thomas, VP Content Services, T-Mobile (UK), John Ingham, Head of Content Development, O2 (UK), Benoit Louvet, Director Multimedia Mobile/I-mode Division Bouygues Telecom (France) and Pascal Thomas, Marketing Handset Services & Solutions Director Orange (France).
The introduction of the advanced capabilities available via third generation mobile devices, will offer a multitude of possibilities for enhanced new services. The all-important role of handsets are the focal point of a panel uniting four of the largest handset manufacturers:
Haroon Alvi, VP Head of Applications Planning, Sony Ericsson (Sweden), Jonas Geust, VP Music Business Programme Multimedia, Nokia (Finland), Alberto Moriondo, Worldwide Director Entertainment Category, Motorola (US) and Anders Unosson, Vice President, Siemens Mobile (Germany).
The Mobile Music Forum media partners are: Informa Telecoms Group (UK), Mobile Communications International (UK), Music & Copyright (UK), Mobile Media (UK), Mobile Entertainment Markt (Germany).
The day will include a networking lunch sponsored by Ericsson.
