Last Updated: April 26

• 7:30 - 5:00 - Registration Desk/Badge Pick Up (Third Floor Elevator Foyer)
• 7:30 – 8:30 – Continental Breakfast in General Session (2nd Floor Ballroom 5-8 Foyer)
• 8:30 – 9:00 – Annual Business Meeting (2nd Floor Ballroom 5-8)
• 9:00 – 10:00 – #17 - General Session Keynote Address (2nd Floor Ballroom 5-8)
• How Google is Using AI to Improve Cybersecurity – Toby Scales, Google
• 10:00 – 10:30 – Refreshment Break and Exhibits in Innovation Center (3rd Floor Conference Center A/B)
• 10:30 – 11:20 – Breakout Session
• #18 – Navigating Risk and Transformation
• Join this panel of experts in a lively discussion about the burning topics and challenges you may face (or have already faced) in 2024. Gather with other finance and IT industry leaders to share ideas, compare notes, and prepare for the evolving environment surrounding internal audit and controls.
  Includes brief presentations on issues you’ve asked us to cover, including: Why Projects Fail: Examine the root causes of pervasive program and project failure and explore ways to successfully execute mission-critical projects across the enterprise portfolio; Journey to Strategic Enterprise Risk Management: Get an overview of risk management and mitigation, from identifying financial and enterprise risks to developing a mature enterprise risk management process that achieves corporate objectives and meets board expectations; The Road to Digital Transformation: See how human-centered design —which prioritizes end-user needs, behaviors and preferences —drives user acceptance and adoption of digital transformation for internal controls.
  Panelists: Keriann Christensen, Vice President, Finance Transformation & Media Portfolio Engagement Leader, RGP; Bart W. Kimmel, Vice President, IT Risk Assurance Practice Leader, RGP; Lindsay Spencer, Senior UX Strategist, Veracity Consulting Group

• #19 – Understanding the New Economics of Media Buying and Selling

• The Myers Report, in association with panelists from the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s), and a leading media research company will discuss results from a survey of 4,200 agency and advertising decision-makers. Led by Jack Myers, panelists will provide an overview of how the changing economics of national and regional buyer/seller relationships are being transformed by streaming video, retail media, advanced TV, programmatic and AI-guided economics. They will explain how media financial officers can influence and optimize ad revenues through relationships with corporate procurement officers and agency financial leaders in an MFM collaboration with the ANA and 4A’s. 
  Presenter: Jack Myers, Media Village/The Myers Report
  Panelists: Sonia David; Vice President, B2B Marketing Practice, Association of National Advertisers; Ashwini Karandikar, EVP Media, Technology, Data, 4A's; Matt Young, CRO, Vidmob
  

• #20 – The Business of Sports: 2024 Outlook and Beyond

• Three topics that are critical to organizations in the sports industry:
  Shifting media rights across the major sports leagues; M&A – the rise of private equity and sovereign wealth funding, potential cliff to sports team valuation, alternative investments outside of major sports leagues; Fan engagement – technology, analytics, AI, sports gambling
  Presenters: Justin Krieger, Director, Technology, Media and Telecommunications Senior Analyst, RSM; Matt Twomey, Director, RSM

• 11:30 – 12:20 – Breakout Session
• #21 – AI in Media: Key Strategies for Profit and Efficiencies

• This session is designed to demystify AI and provide you with practical best practices. Learn the do's and don'ts of AI implementation and explore strategies to enhance efficiency, boost profit margins, and empower your creative talents to focus on producing top-notch content and news. Key areas of focus will include: Sales Intelligence: Delve into the ways AI can accelerate the sales cycle, improve closing rates, and create deeper connections with local communities and advertisers; Content Creation and Distribution: Maximize your reach and add passive revenue streams with minimal effort from your production team; Campaign Analytics: Learn how AI can provide precise analytics and enable better decision-making. This session is an unmissable opportunity to stay ahead of the curve in AI adoption, ensuring profitable ways to retain and grow market share. Join us to find your competitive edge and business innovation in a rapidly changing industry.
  Presenter: Tracy Gilliam, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder, Futuri Media; and Jay O’Connor, President, Futuri TopicPulse

• #22 – Healthy Relationships: Bring in the SALE & the CASH  
• It takes two baby, baby it takes two, or rather it takes both the Sales and the Credit teams to be successful, and the most successful companies are those that have cross-team collaboration.  When this occurs there is a mutual appreciation of each team’s respective goals, and they understand that to be successful they need to align and work together.  However, there are Demands to “Increase Sales” & “Demands to Expedite and Increase Cash Collections”!  Often the two benchmarks are at odds, and we need to find a way to bridge that gap. In this session, we will review how to improve communication and support each team’s objectives.  We will share past experiences where collaboration efforts worked and where there were some hiccups in the process.
  Panelists: Tammy Osborne, VP Business Development, ABC-Amega; Tonya Sorrells, Director Credit and Collections, Hearst Television; Carmen Reyes, Relationship Manager, Hearst Television; Jeff Whitson, Director of Sales, First Coast News/TEGNA

• #23 – DEI Update  

• In this session, we will delve into the latest developments and best practices in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. As the social and corporate landscapes continue to evolve, so too must our approaches to fostering DEI in the workplace. This session will provide attendees with a comprehensive update on the latest research, strategies, and real-world examples aimed at promoting diversity, ensuring equity, and cultivating inclusive environments. Whether you're a seasoned DEI practitioner or new to the field, this session will offer valuable insights and practical tools to navigate the complexities of DEI in today's business environment for both public and privately-owned companies
  Presenters: Yasmine Osborn, Director, Diversity and Inclusion, Hearst Television; and Fang Xu, A+E Network

• 12:20 – 1:30 – Networking Lunch with Exhibitors in Innovation Center (3rd Floor Conference Center A/B)
• 1:40 – 2:30 – Breakout Session
• #24 – Navigating the Media and Entertainment M&A Landscape

• This panel discussion of industry experts will cover the latest M&A trends in the media and entertainment industry.
  Moderator: Frank Albarella, Jr., U.S. Sector Leader, Media & Telecommunications, KPMG LLP
  Panelists: Paul Harris, Principal, Advisory, KPMG LLP; Ryan Marren, Principal, Tax, KPMG LLP

• #25 – The Latest Developments in Payment Automation
• Presenter: Therese Banks, VP/GM B2B Products Partnerships and Client Management, American Express

• #26 – FCC Regulations Update

• Since late September, for the first time during the Biden Administration, we have had a full FCC, giving the administration its first chance to advance its media agenda. Congress has also been busy reviewing items of importance to broadcasters. This session will discuss the Washington issues of importance to broadcasters, cable companies, and other media entities – and how the treatment of those issues could change after the November election. Topics that will likely be discussed include the composition of the FCC and Congress and what that means for regulation, the potential for more regulation of online media entities and how that may affect traditional media; Congressional and FCC actions to foster local journalism; the status of changes to the FCC’s media ownership rules; recent modifications to the FCC’s EEO rules: the potential for undoing past administration’s deregulation efforts; music licensing and other copyright issues; changes in technical rules for both radio and tv; and many other matters under consideration in our nation’s capital.
  Presenters: Charlyn Stanberry, Esq., Vice President of Government Relations, National Association of Broadcasters (NAB); David Oxenford, partner, law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP

• 2:45 – 3:35 – Breakout Session
• #27 – What’s the Real Story on the Future of Local Journalism

• For over two decades Mike Blinder traveled to over 400 newspapers world-wide to consult and train on how to adapt into the digital age. And while doing so, his company assisted in generating over $100-million US dollars in new revenue. Just a few years ago, he surprised the industry with his purchase of Editor & Publisher Magazine (E&P), described by Wikipedia as the 140+ year old “bible of newspapers.” During this faced pace, information packed session, Mike will offer insights into how newspapers went from being a dominant extremely profitable enterprise, to struggling, constitutionally mandated enterprises. He will reveal, through research and his magazine’s reporting where that industry stands today and what a real-world future looks like for local journalism.
  Presenter: Mike Blinder, Publisher of Editor & Publisher Magazine (E&P) and CEO (Chief Evangelist Officer) of its parent company, The Curated Experiences Group

• #28 – Leveling Up Your Back Office to Meet Media and Gaming Revenue Growth in 2024 and Beyond

• Media and gaming sectors continue to navigate several industry and economic tectonic changes from evolving monetization models to responsible AI initiatives. The biggest challenge for media and gaming organizations is proving world class, engaging experiences with an eye on profitability. The key to achieving these goals? Ensuring your finances and people planning are tightly aligned. Workday will explore industry leading practices to achieve that harmony in spend, revenue, analytics, accounting and HCM workflows.
  Presenter: Randy Rasmussen, Managing Director for Tech and Media, Workday

• #29 – Speed Mentoring – Young Professionals with Senior Professionals
• Open to all conference attendees! Access and connect with some of the most trusted and experienced experts in the media industry in this popular annual speed mentoring event.
  Leaders: Carrie Heffernan and Ryan Laninga, Bonneville International
• 3:35 – 3:55 – Refreshment Break in Innovation Center 
• 4:00 – 5:30 – Network Roundtables
• #30 - Audit & Compliance Roundtable (Part 1)
• Leaders: Kevin Schmitz, Dotdash Meredith; and Marcus Anjewierden, The Church of the Latter-day Saints
• #31 - Games Roundtable 
• Leaders: Joe Hanratty, WBD; Jenna Hardy, Gearbox; and Kerry Coffey, Valen Studios
• #32 - Television Roundtable
• Leaders: Paul Kelly, ABC Owned Television Stations/KTRK-TV; and Lisa Christensen, Nexstar Media Group
• #33 - Newspaper Roundtable 
• Leaders: Steve Hall, Las Vegas Review-Journal; and Brandon Zarzana, The Columbian
• 5:45 – 6:15 – Reception and Fireside Chat with a Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Famer Terry Sylvester former member of the Escorts, the Swinging Blue Jeans and the Hollies sponsored by BMI (2^nd Floor Ballroom 5-8)
• 6:15 – 6:45 – Member Awards Presentation
• 7:00 – Evening Free for Sponsor or Member Company Events

• 7:30 – 8:30 – Continental Breakfast (3rd Floor General Session 5-8 Foyer)
• 7:30 – 8:30 - CFO Breakfast sponsored by Broadcasters Foundation of America (by invitation only)
• 8:30 – 9:45 – #34 - CFO Roundtable (by invitation only)
• Moderators: Ginny Hernandez, CFO, Trilith Studios; and Hiram Lazar, CFO, Compass Media Networks
• 8:30 – 9:45 – #35 - Human Resources Update: Non-Compete Agreements, Pay Transparency, and AI’s Impact on Employment Decisions
• This is a time of sweeping change—and challenge—in the laws that regulate the workplace. New pay transparency laws allow employees to see more about what they and their peers are paid, and employers to see less about what employees are paid elsewhere, depriving employers of competitive information. Agreements that limit former employees’ ability to compete against a company are under widespread attack, making a uniform “national” approach almost impossible. And regulators are targeting employers using algorithmic tools in employee recruitment, selection and performance management. This session will identify the employment law trends that will have the greatest impact on employers in 2024 and beyond, and will identify the pitfalls and opportunities for employers in a rapidly evolving legal landscape. 
• Presenter: Mark Konkel, Partner, Kelley, Drye & Warren LLP
• 8:30 – 9:45 – Roundtables
• #36 - Digital Content Roundtable
• Leader: Matt Deprey, C-SPAN
• #37 - Audit & Compliance Roundtable (Part 2)
• Leaders: Kevin Schmitz, Dotdash Meredith; and Marcus Anjewierden, The Church of the Latter-day Saints
• Presenter: Victor Kao, Partner, RSM US LLP
• #38 - Young Professionals Roundtable
• Leaders: Ryan Laninga and Carrie Heffernan, Bonneville

• 9:50 – 10:45 – #39 - General Session Keynote Address
• The Future of Finance

• Barry Payne will provide an update on key priorities of AICPA & CIMA’s Future of Finance Group of top accounting and finance leaders. The intersection of rapid change, maximizing technology, and evolving mindset is hugely top of mind.
  Using the insights from this group and drawing from a significant global research project, Barry will map out the future state of the corporate accounting and finance profession. Barry will also define the future competencies, skills, knowledge, and behaviors required.
  In this session, you will identify the top three priorities of the future of finance group and why this is important to our profession; determine how and where technology is making a difference; determine why mindset is of significant importance to our future state; identify where great finance teams are choosing to get better; and determine how to use the T-Shaped Finance Professional to help make improvements.
  Presenter: Barry Payne, AICPA/CIMA 

• 10:45 – 11:00 – Wrap-Up and Adjournment