TOWN HALL WEBINARS   

• MFM Members = $0
• Non-Members = $75 

Upcoming Webinars:    

AI, Value and M&A in Media

Date: September 30, 2026
Time: 1pm ET/12pm CT/11am MT/10am PT

Overview: Most conversations about AI and media stay at "AI is changing everything." This one goes narrower and more useful: how is AI actually impacting M&A activity and the value of media company assets right now? Grant Thornton and Oaklins DeSilva & Phillips bring together panelists with experience across the industry spectrum — running media companies, operating at the frontier of AI, and dealmaking — who've each lived through multiple waves of disruption and are now navigating the AI shift in real time. This isn't theorizing about AI; it's the people building with it, running businesses through it, and pricing it into deals right now. In this session they'll cover where value is migrating, who is buying and what they're paying for, and which diligence questions the market hasn't caught up to. Expect concrete deal examples, candid opinions, and Q&A — built for CFOs, corporate development leaders, investors, and media operators who need a clearer read on the deal environment before their next transaction or planning cycle. Attendees will leave with diligence questions they weren't asking this morning and a sharper view of where value is heading next.

Presenters: 

• Rob Rosenberg, Partner, Moses Singer; Managing Director, MS Strategic Solutions; Senior Advisor ODP; author of Technotainment Scorecard, Moses Singer
• Sumeet Mahajan, Partner, Practice Lead,AI & Data, Grant Thornton
• Rich Caccappolo, Vice Chairman, Media, DMGT
• Evan Shapiro, Chaos Cartographer, ESHAP
• Jon Guttenberg, Managing Director, Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips
• Introductions: Deborah Newman, Head of Media & Entertainment Industry, Grant Thornton

CPE: 1 [Field of Study: Finance; Level: Overview; Prerequisites: Basic understanding of financial statements and media industry terms; Delivery Method: Group Internet‑Based; Advance Preparation: None]

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify where AI is shifting valuation in media M&A. Participants will be able to recognize which categories of media assets are being repriced by AI — and in which direction — so they can bring a sharper lens to deal evaluation and internal planning conversations.
2. Apply updated diligence questions to AI-driven deals and investments. Participants will leave with specific questions to add to their diligence checklist — covering rights and training-data exposure, vendor/model dependency, and how to treat AI licensing revenue in a financial model.
3. Assess the durability of AI-driven value for their own organization. Participants will be able to evaluate whether AI-related margin improvement or valuation gains are likely to hold past the near term, or get competed away — informing how they model, forecast, and communicate value to their leadership teams.

Deadline to Register: September 29, 2026
Instructions will be sent to participants email on September 29, 2026

Strategic Financial Leadership for the Modern Creative Economy

Date: October 8, 2026
Time: 2pm ET/1pm CT/12pm MT/11am PT

Overview: Finance leaders in creative organizations face a fundamentally different challenge than their peers in traditional industries. In project-based businesses, profitability is driven by hundreds of individual engagements, labor is the largest—and often least visible—cost, and financial decisions are made daily by teams outside the finance function.
This session explores how modern finance leaders can move beyond reporting historical results to becoming strategic partners who improve forecasting, project profitability, operational accountability, and long-term business performance. Attendees will leave with practical frameworks for building a finance function that enables better decisions across the organization.

Presenter: Morgan Lemonidis, Co-Founder, FOL-IO

CPE: 1
[Field of Study: Finance; Level: Overview; Prerequisites: Basic understanding of financial statements and media industry terms; Delivery Method: Group Internet‑Based; Advance Preparation: None]

Learning Objectives (participants will be able to):

• Understand the challenges facing modern creative finance teams and the importance of project-based finance in determining overall profitability
• Understand the evolving role of the finance leadership and how to move into a position of forecasting and strategic partnership
• Learn to work with broader teams within the organization to achieve your overall goals

Deadline to Register: October 7, 2026
Instructions will be sent to participants email on October 7, 2026

Questions, suggestions or information: Contact [email protected]  or [email protected] 

*Refunds and Cancellations: Requests for refunds must be received in writing via email five days prior to the webinar. No refunds will be granted after that date. For more information regarding refund, complaint, and/or program cancellation policies please contact our offices at 847/716-7000. 

Media Financial Management Association (MFM) is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State Boards of Accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual course for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.

Complaint resolution policy: For further explanation or clarification regarding administrative policies such as cancellations and grievances, please call the MFM office at 847/716-7000. For further information regarding Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits, contact the MFM Office at 847/716-7000 or [email protected]