FICCI Frames 2011 promises insightful sessions by media moguls

A week remains for Asia's biggest convention on the business of media, FICCI Frames, to kick off. The 12th edition of the three-day convention will begin on March 23 at The Renaissance Powai, in Mumbai.

The global convention covers the entire spectrum of media and entertainment such as films, broadcast (television and radio), digital entertainment, animation, gaming and visual effects, with national and foreign delegates attending the event.

Day 1 will see Yash Chopra, chairperson, FICCI Entertainment Committee deliver the opening address, followed by addresses by James Murdoch, chairperson and chief executive officer, News Corporation Europe and Asia, Stewart Beck, High Commissioner of Canada to India and Bhutan, and Karan Johar, co-chair, FICCI Entertainment Committee, along with the release of the FICCI-KPMG Report on Media and Entertainment for 2011.

The day also features discussions on cinema with global appeal, regulatory hurdles in television, film marketing, animation and digital cinema, among others, and also a discussion on bringing together the creative industries of India and China.

Key speakers on Day 1 include Aroon Purie, chairperson and editor-in-chief, India Today Group, Prannoy Roy, chairperson and whole time director, NDTV, Raghav Bahl, founder, editor and managing director, TV18 Group, Siddharth Roy Kapur, chief executive officer, motion pictures, UT, and Nick Wrenn, vice-president, digital services, CNN International, among many others.

The second day features discussions on ways to fund the entertainment business, 3D content in movies, television and games, children's media consumption beyond television, applications and social media, advancements in advertising, technology and content, further expansion of radio, and licensing and merchandising for the media and entertainment sector, among others.

Day 2 will also see speakers such as film makers Vikram Bhatt, Shibani Bathija, Shyam Benegal and Ramesh Sippy, Sunil Lulla, managing director and chief executive officer, Times Now, ET Now, Zoom and Times Global Broadcasting, Ajit Varghese, managing director, Maxus, Hemant Sachdev, joint managing director, Microsoft India, Dominic Proctor, chief executive officer, Mindshare Worldwide, Tim Love, vice-chairperson, Omnicom Group, and Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network.

Workshops on screenwriting and marketing films in Europe will be conducted by David Freeman, screenwriter, animator and game developer, and Juliane Schulze from Peacefulfish, Germany, respectively.

The FICCI BAF Awards will also be given away on the second day.

The final day will feature panel discussions on a range of topics such as regional media, successful film content for the future, future of electronic news, the coming together of the gaming and creative industries, the changing face of Indian journalism, the role of trade bodies within the cinema business and enhancing advertising revenue in Indian television.

Key speakers on Day 3 include Kamal Hassan, chairperson, FICCI Media & Entertainment Conclave, Jayant M Mathew, director, Malayala Manorama, film makers and actors such as Kiran Rao, Maneesh Sharma, Habib Faisal, Ranvir Singh and Sonakshi Sinha, G Krishnan, executive director and CEO, TV Today Network, Vikram Mehra, chief marketing officer, Tata Sky, Shekhar Gupta, editor-in-chief, Indian Express Group, Neeraj Roy, CEO, Hungama Digital Entertainment, Vikram Sakhuja, CEO, South Asia, GroupM, LV Krishnan, CEO, TAM, and Shashi Sinha, CEO, LodestarUM.